Chapter 4 My sweet Vida

When Rosette awoke, she found she was lying in a hospital bed. She blinked. Well, she knew she was by a window because the sun was blinding her as she lay there; yup, it's morning. Someone was stroking her hand, and she could feel wet drops falling on her hand too. Just who was there and what were they doing? She cracked her eyes open a fraction…and quickly shut them, hoping they hadn't seen.

"Rosette? Are you awake Rosette? Please, wake up Rosette, we need you right now…please…" Father Remington said as more tears fell on her hand. She opened her eyes again. Where was Chrono?

"Father, where's Chrono?" She asked. Shock poured from him as she spoke the question.

"Rosette, you're awake! Thank God Almighty one of you is alright!" He said as she looked up into his face. Sadness was abundant there; it was in every corner of his eyes as he looked at her.

"Where's Chrono?" She demanded impatiently, making Remington look away, more tears threatening to fall.

"I told Sister Kate that the mission was probably too hard and that she shouldn't send a demon after a demon servant, only loaded with bullets containing a demon eater." His tone was becoming more grief stricken with every syllable he spoke.

"Why didn't I go after you? If I had…Chrono would probably be here smiling at us right now…It's all my fault. I told her she could send you two, but I had no idea…please forgive me Rosette, please…" He let go of her hand and walked over to the window, only to gaze out of it with a rueful look on his face. Rosette was almost too stunned to talk, but she forced the words out.

"What…what do you mean Father?" She asked with obvious worry in her voice. Father Remington, however, ignored her and continued to stare dully out the window. Rosette stood up and walked next to him, angry that he was ignoring her.

BAM!

Poor little Remington got a big lump on his head for ignoring her, better luck next time bubba.

"I'll say it again, where's Chrono?" She said dangerously as Remington hopped on one foot, due to the fact that she had smashed his foot with hers.

"Rosette, please sit down. We need to talk." He said as he hobbled over to the bed and sat down; Rosette followed.

"Chrono is here, he's right behind that curtain over there." He pointed behind her to a curtain with a shadow of a bed behind it. "But," He said as he grabbed her arm to keep her down on the bed. "You can't see him, Rosette. The sight would tear you apart, and you're already weak from what happened." Rosette's eyes bulged with rage.

"What do you mean I can't see him?! How dare you say that!" She yanked her arm away and stood up. Before he could stop her, she marched over and ripped open the curtains. The effect broke his heart.

She faltered in the doorway, looking at the small figure on the bed. His chest wasn't rising or falling; his skin was a pale ashy color; his headband was gone and he had a cut across his forehead, no blood fell from it; and his skin was icy cold to her touch.

"Chrono…?" She asked tentatively. "Chrono, are you…why won't you answer me?" She said, though deep inside she knew the answer to it all, but she wouldn't admit it herself. Remington placed his hand on her shoulder and spun her away from the figure that appeared for all the world to only be sleeping silently.

"Rosette, I'm sure you know now why there was that curtain blocking him from your view. It was necessary for him to be close to you. His presence was needed in the room for you to wake up, but sadly his soul is gone…and we can't find it. While his body may have lived a short time after it was lost, his soul is now lost and we have no chance of ever finding him again. We tried Rosette, but his soul just doesn't…exist anymore…I'm sorry. He lived a long life, Rosette, now it's time for you to do the same." Before he could say anymore, Rosette had spun away and ran to Chrono's limp form, crying hard as she embraced him.

"Why did you take that for me, why? Why did you sacrifice yourself for me when we could've got away? Why…why…?" She sobbed into his chest as Remington stood in the door, she didn't care if he saw her cry anymore. She gripped Chrono's icy hand in hers, though the cold was almost enough for her to lose her sanity. As long as she remembered, he would always be there to take her hand in his, warming it with unnatural heat that seemed to fuel his very being. The tears came freely now as she lay there next to him, reminiscing about the past.

After about half an hour, Father Remington left, locking the ward door behind him. This didn't bother Rosette, she was happy he had left her alone because she needed it more than she thought.

"You promised me that you would always be with me, that you would protect me…so why did you leave me?" She sobbed as she gripped his hand tighter, praying with all her might that it would grip hers back.

Eventually she fell asleep on the bed next to him, hand still clasping Chrono's as she breathed in his scent, comforting her…imagining in her dreams that she had simply fallen asleep next to him, like the old days.

The funeral service held a few days later almost proved too much for her. His small body lay in a sleek wooden coffin, with a small nameplate reading: Chrono: One of many talents and emotions, but always a true friend till the end, and his friendship will be treasured for the rest of eternity…

Rosette stared down at his lifeless form. He appeared to be only sleeping, though his chest rose and fell no more, assuring her that he was definitely not slumbering. He was dressed in a neat blue sailor's suit, courtesy of Satella, since Rosette had wanted him to look nice in their last memories of him. There was a small cross that had been placed in his hands that had came from around Sister Kate's neck personally, the delicate gold glinting brightly in the morning sun that flowed through the stained glass windows.

She could hear Azmaria crying behind her, telling her clearly that the young angel needed comforting. She took her last look down at Chrono, taking in his frozen features that would remain that way till the end of time…then she turned and walked off towards the weeping form of Azmaria and embraced her, feeling her own tears starting to fill her eyes as the girl hugged her back. Rosette forced Azmaria to sit down on the pew, but it didn't seem to help any.

All through the halls the answering cries and wails could be heard answering Azmaria's, urging on her own tears to come…even Satella sat in tears, wiping at her eyes daintily with a small handkerchief supplied by Steiner.

"It's okay Rosette, he would want you to let your emotions out." Father Remington said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She tried harder to keep the tears from spilling out, but failed and finally let them come…her wails of anguish echoing through the halls, drowning out everyone else's. Her grief poured out of her, and she welcomed it…she could finally tell him goodbye in the way she wanted to…knowing this would be the last time she ever saw his face again.

She sat on her bed crying for what seemed like hours till she finally fell asleep thinking about Chrono. She had been allowed to leave the infirmary wing today to return to her own room, which practically screamed of all the things she had lost.

It had been a week since that fateful night in which she had lost everything she had…a week after Chrono had died… People kept coming up to her in the halls telling her how sorry they were about Chrono till she just couldn't take anymore of it.

"WHY WON'T YOU PEOPLE LAY OFF ME?! I DON'T NEED YOUR SYMPATHY, SO LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed as she ran crying back to her room.

'Chrono…how could you leave me like this? I still need you…' She thought as she threw herself on her bed, hands clutching the clock tightly. She flipped it open for the thousandth time that day, hoping to see the comforting blue pour from its depths. She stared solemnly at the dull gold as nothing happened, as usual. She felt her heart give another cry of anguish, and answered it with her own wail of pain that echoed out into the corridor, crying out for the one person she knew was gone. As she stared at it's dim light, her thoughts wandered back to what she had been told.

'…"We tried Rosette, but his soul just doesn't…exist anymore"…How could his soul be lost? He wouldn't just up and leave his body like that…and the soul-thing was destroyed…so what happened? He's Chrono, the one person you can always depend on to get you out of a tight spot…but what happens when he's the one in a tight spot?'

As she thought about it, she laid back against her pillows and closed her eyes, trying hard to stop the pain and misery that was quickly engulfing her. She set the watch down and turned off the lights, trying to get some sleep.

Just as she closed her eyes, the clock flew open with a loud 'crack' on the nightstand and golden light poured from its depths.

'Chrono…are you alive?' She thought as the room faded around her into blackness.

End chapter 4, My sweet Vida

Well ok bad chappie but it go smoother later on umm Im in really bad need of ideas so people start working haha j/k no really I do need ideas thanks everyone for reviewing and keep it going ok does anyone know what story nekomouse wrote??? He/she reviewed and I cant find out anything about him/her ill try to update soon if I can that is but I gotta go dove one might just kill me soon jeez everyone is starting to get on my nerves ok please R&R on your way out