Tears of innocence

Chapter 9: The Hours of the Night

"Hey, where are you taking Chrno?" Rosette exclaimed, a bit indignantly, as Minister Remington guided him away from her, as they both walked out of the Elder's lab.

Minister Remington smiled at her, amused at her reaction. "Don't worry Rosette. He will be sleeping close to the Elder's lab, in a room we will prepare especially for him. You will be able to see him everyday if you want to... all you have to do is find your way here. It shouldn't be difficult."

Chrno looked back at her for a moment. "It's okay." He said in a low, calm voice that was almost reassuring. "I will be fine. We will see each other tomorrow." His eyes as he looked at her were just as calm, but there was a certain glint to them that she couldn't help but notice. She nodded slowly, not feeling entirely reassured, and was then guided back toSister Kate's office. She stood up as soon as she saw the girl and lead her towards the dining room, a large place with long tables that was mostly deserted, except for 2 or 3 priests that were taking a short break from their night shift.

Rosette sat down at the nearest table, but she was so sleepy, that she hardly ate anything, except for the glass of hot milk beside her plate. Goodness, she was so tired... she could barely keep her eyes open. If only Chrno was there to take her to her room... but nooo, she had to walk all the way to her dormitory by herself, but only after listening to whatever the headmistress had to say... Rosette yawned soundly, looking at Sister Kate with a questioning look, and was about to ask her whereChrno's room was, when suddenly a door opened and a young nun came inside, followed by a brown haired girl about Rosette's age.

"Miss Christopher, allow me to introduce you to Miss Elizabeth Grandberg, your new roommate." Sister Kate said then, her voice calm and even. "She is one of our best students, and is going to be your guide during the first week of your stay. If you have any questions about schedules, or any particular activity, you can ask her and she will help you."

Rosette nodded, yawning again, though she still managed to give a small smile to Elizabeth. "Evening. Nice to meet ya." She said, politely.

"Good evening." Said Elizabeth, just as politely, though she didn't return Rosette's smile. She almost looked like a small version of Sister Kate, albeit a bit less stern-faced, which made Rosette frown. So she was supposed to share her room with that girl? She rather sleep with Chrno instead, though she figured it was not a good idea to say that out loud... she was too tired for another confrontation with the severe-looking Sister, anyway. But she did take a mental note about it, and decided to talk about it when Sister Kate was in a better mood... if the Sister ever WAS in a good mood, that is. She was really starting to doubt it... perhaps that frown on her face was permanent... but no, it shouldn't be, she was sure that Sister Kate, when she first looked at her, was not frowning, and ---

"Rosette?" Sister Kate interrupted her thoughts. "Are you listening?"

Rosette blinked, having completely missed what the headmistress had just said. "Err... yeah. What was it?" She asked, suppressing a yawn and trying hard to keep her eyes open.

Sister Kate sighed. "Never mind... Miss Grandberg, please guide Miss Christopher to her room. I will meet with you tomorrow." Rosette did not look forward to meeting her again so soon, but she just nodded, grateful for having been released from her presence.

Elizabeth then guided Rosette through the long halls of the Order's headquarters, until they arrived to the dormitories, and opened the door of what was going to be her own room. It was small, and it only had 2 beds and 2 small night tables, but Rosette didn't complain, and just jumped into the closest bed, the one next to the window, before Elizabeth could even tell her which of the beds was hers. Elizabeth, however, didn't complain, and just gave her a change of clothes and a uniform for the next day, warning her that they should be ready by 7 AM for morning mass.

Rosette however, was already asleep, and didn't listen to any of her companion's words. As long as the girl woke her up in the morning she would be fine, she guessed...

After what looked like mere minutes to the sleepy blonde, Elizabeth gently shook her awake. "Rosette..." She said. "Wake up, we have to take a shower!" Rosette just grumbled, but eventually opened her eyes at Elizabeth's insistence.

"Mornin'..." She yawned. "Why do we have to get up so early? I can shower later..." Elizabeth replied that it was better to shower now, before there were too many people and the hot water ran out, and nearly dragged Rosette off to where the showers were.

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully. After their shower, they went to morning mass, and then had breakfast at the large dining room, with other girls their age, who greeted Rosette politely, yet somewhat coldly, though Elizabeth did her best to cover it up by saying that they would soon be the best of friends, after making the proper introductions. Then it was time for class...

Rosette was introduced as a new student to her classmates by none other than Sister Kate, who mentioned that Rosette was Joshua Christopher's older sister, causing a stir of murmurs around the classroom, though it died out when Sister Kate said that they should give Rosette their warmest welcome. She seemed to have an almost absolute control over the kids, who remained in silence until thenun left the room andthe teacher started the class.

At recess, there was a small group of kids eagerly surrounding Rosette, asking her all sorts of questions. "Whoa, are you really Joshua's sister?" "Is he really an Apostle?" "Where did he go?" "Are you really from an orphanage?" Were some of the questions, which Rosette answered rather forcefully, not liking their classmate's attitude. It was so different from the Orphanage... all the kids in there were like family to her, and they knew how to behave in front of her for the most part... and those who misbehaved knew that it was a lot better for them to be as far away from Rosette's wrathas humanly possible.

Fortunately, the polite, yet serious Elizabeth rescued Rosette from the small crowd of enquiring children, with the excuse that she wanted to show her around the installations. Rosette was grateful, but she kept thinking of Mrs. Jean and the rest of the Seventh Bell's kids. Where were they? Minister Remington had told her that they would be staying in a religious convent nearby, at least until the destroyed building of the orphanage was reconstructed... she longed to see them again...

She wondered about Chrno as well, but Elizabeth didn't seem toknow anything about him, so Rosette asked her to lead her to the Elder's lab instead so she could ask him some questions. Elizabeth was clearly not happy with this, but agreed, telling her that she would take her there in the afternoon.

The hours seemed to stretch forever, though Rosette had a lot to take in about her new surroundings. Goodness, the place was huge... far more impressive than what she had first thought. No wonder Joshua had been so excited to be there...

After class, Elizabeth showed her the way to the Elder's lab, and went away to finish her homework. Rosette was spared of it for the first week, so she had nothing to worry about in that respect, and as soon as the other girl was done, she ran to the lab, hoping to find Chrno there.

The lab, however, was mostly empty, except for the Elder, who looked up from his newest invention as soon as she entered,smiling at her. "Why, good afternoon Rosette... didn't expect to see you so soon! Is there anything I could help you with? Is there anything wrong with the watch I gave you?"

Rosette shook her head. "Good afternoon... no, the watch it's okay. I came here looking for Chrno. Could you tell me where his room is?"

The Elder just shrugged, and looked away. "Chrno... no, I haven't seen him... perhaps you should ask Sister Kate or Minister Remington. They could tell you." There was something suspicious about his attitude, which annoyed Rosette to no end.

"You know where he is, don't you?" She said slowly. The Elder denied it, but it was obvious that he knew, which made Rosette very angry. "What did you do to him? I want to see him now!" She demanded. The Elder tried to reason with her, but it was a lost cause... Rosette could be as stubborn as a mule, especially when she felt that she was the victim of an injustice, as it was the case.

The Elder finally sighed, standing up. She sure was a stubborn child... she had to, if she had agreed to make a contract with a demon, and stillconsidered him her 'friend'."Very well, let's go see your demon partner then. Minister Remington let me in charge of him for the time being, but I wanted his permission first... this is a very delicate matter after all."

Rosette said nothing, and just followed the old man to a nearby room, which was locked and had several seals on it. She was even more indignant at the sight of this, but waited until the Elder unlocked the door, and ran inside immediately.

Chrno was sitting on a smallbed, surrounded by a glowing barrier, and wearing a special straightjacket that had several holy symbols on it. There were no windows in the white room, which was mostly austere, save for the small bed.

"CHRNO!" Rosette shouted, nearly throwing herself at him and hugging him tightly. "What did they do to you? I'm sorry!" She nearly wailed.

Chrno, however, just patted her head. The straightjacket had not been tied around him, and even if it had been, he could have broken it easily. "Don't worry." He said in a rather calm voice. "They didn't do anything to me, but they had to take some precautions, just in case. Remember, I used to be their enemy." He gave a knowing smile to the Elder, but then leaned forward, whispering softly to Rosette's ear and making her blush. "Anyway, they know as well as I do, that these measures are not enough to stop me, if I really wanted to get out. It's only a show to put in front of the Council... the priest and I agreed on this."

"Re... really?" Rosette whispered, feeling a bit hopeful. "But still, this is not fair, you're not evil!"

"You believe that, but they don't." He said, looking sideways at the Elder. "But I'm fine... I'm just in probation, so to speak. It's nothing to worry about, we'll get them to trust us eventually." He continued to whisper softly, his words only meant to be heard by his contractor, and nobody else.

Rosette wasn't entirely convinced by this, but she had to give in as Chrno reassured her that he was alright. The meeting was fairly short, but the Elder promised Rosette that she would be able to see him every time she wanted, which somehow calmed her a little...

Her first months in the order were almost a nightmare. She got used to the schedule fairly quickly, thanks to the kindElizabeth's help, but she felt rather lonely whenever she couldn't be with Chrno. The rest of the kids in her class were constantly asking her questions, which she tried to answer for the most part, except those that had to deal with Chrno. The rumors that a demon was inside the premises, and that it had made a contract with a human soon leaked out, and the suspicion that Rosette, the new student, was responsible for this, was not lost on her classmates, which soon started to avoid her and to whisper behind her back every time they thought she couldn't hear them.

That Rosette was not somebody unable to defend herself, or better, someone who suffered in silence, only made them even more afraid of her... she would turn around and shout at the people who whispered behind her back, return every prank played on her, and stand up for herself whenever somebody even thought of accusing her of something unjust. This soon made her presence very familiar to Sister Kate, as she would be sent to her office at least 2 or 3 times a week to listen to her sermons. By the second week, Rosette had gone from "Miss Christopher" to just "Rosette" as the nun slowly got used to her antics.

Elizabeth, however, was fairly tolerant, taking into heart Sister Kate's advice of watching over Rosette whenever it was possible, and was perhapsthe only one who didn't believe the rumors or Rosette being a demon's contractor. Despite their almost opposite personalities, Rosette slowly made good friends with her, though she kept her friendship with Chrno a complete secret. He was the only person she fully trusted, and the only one whom she could confide in and tell everything she felt about her new surroundings.

Chrno was soon allowed to leave his room, just as long as he was accompanied by the Elder or Minister Remington, and would spend most of the day in the lab, thanks to the old man's request of having him as an assistant, which didn't make anybody happy, though Sister Kate grudgingly accepted.

Elizabeth eventually learned of Rosette's secret after an incident at the lab, during a night where Rosette had sneaked out of her room to visit Chrno. Elizabeth was definitely NOT pleased to learn about the contract, and was even less happy to see Rosette being friends with a demon like Chrno, but when a low-level demon used for an experiment accidentally escaped from the place where it was contained, she changed her opinion about him in a flash. Chrno immediately destroyed the danger, saving herand Rosette's lives, and she had to admit, he was cool in a way... if Rosettetrusted him with her life, then she would have to give in as well...

The incident earned both Rosette and her a very long sermon, but they were fortunately spared of a punishment thanks to Elizabeth's testimony of having been responsible for it. She was a model student, so Sister Kate decided to let them go after only an hour of reciting the dangers of acting irresponsibly.

Rosette and Elizabeth made great friends after that, and their friendship served as an open door for the rest of the girls in Rosette's class to put their doubts aside and making an effort to befriend her. They soon discovered that despite her sometimes explosive temper, Rosette was a fun person to be with, and were slowly taken in by her bright personality. Elizabeth had to leave the order about 2 years later, due to the death of her father, but her friendship with Rosette and in a lesser degree, with Chrno, continued despite the distance.

Chrno, in the meantime, kept a low profile, helping the Elder at the lab, and staying away from any trouble or suspicion that could arise regarding him. He willingly cooperated with the Order, giving as much information about Pandemonium as he could, spilling several vital secrets to the organization, and revealing some of its weak points... but not all of them. He carefully avoided mentioning Joshua, Aion or the secrets of Pandemonium's core... no need for humans to learn about them.

His relationship with Minister Remington, however, continued to be difficult, but Chrno soon learned to be patient, obedientand submissive with all of the members of the Magdalan Order. His behavior also changed... he smiled more at Rosette's antics, and soon earned a bit of the trust of the people that surrounded him, though he knew that not everyone was happy with his presence there, especially Sister Kate and Remington. That Rosette seemed to develop a small crush on the priest didn't help matters either, but Chrno never made any comment or gesture that belayed his feelings in the matter. Rosette was his partner, his contractor... the moment he forgot about that, then his life would be over.

One sunny day, 4 years after their arrival at the Order, Rosette suddenly barged into Chrno's room, which now was closer to hers, as he had been 'promoted' (if it could be called a 'promotion') from the Elder's assistant to Rosette's partner, thanks to a combination of Rosette's stubbornness indemanding tohave him by her side at all times, and minister Remington finally giving in and accepting to use his influence on the girl's behalf. Both Rosette and Chrno were under his direct responsibility, and this way made it a lot easier for him to observe them closely... his doubts about Chrno's motivations for making a contract were always present, but it was clear to him that the demon had changed since the time they had met... how deep that change was, however, remained to be seen...

"Chrno!" Rosette said, slamming the door after her. "Guess what! We have been assigned to a WONDERFUL case!" She said enthusiastically, sitting down on the closest chair next to him.

Chrno raised his head from the book he was reading, an old chronicle of the Magdalan Order's early years, and smiled at her. She had grown so much... she was now 16 years old, and was one of the best novices the Order had... she was about to turn into a pretty young adult woman, something he had been waiting since the time she had made a contract with him...

"Oh really?" He said calmly, putting the book away, precisely at the chapter that detailed the happenings of the Great War, 200 years ago. "Whatis it? Does this mean that Sister Kate finally forgave us?" He asked, almost innocently. Rosette had been yelled at by the angry nun just 3 days ago, thanks to a rather expensive incident near the Statue of Liberty.

"Hey, this has nothing to do with the disasterof the cargo ship!" She said indignantly. "Besides, that wasn't our fault... the ship crashed on its own.Anyway, this new assignment is something else... something important." She grinned.

"So, what is it this time? It's not a haunted building or anything like it, is it?"

"Nope. Not at all... you see, this deals with the Apostles." She said slowly, letting her words hang on the air.

Chrno remained calm, not revealing his thoughts in the matter, except for an almost imperceptible smile. At last... a clue. "An Apostle... so have they found another one besides Joshua?" He asked, already figuring out his course of action.

"No, unfortunately not..." Rosette's tone lowered a little, but then she smiled again. Oh she couldn't wait for this! "But it involves rescuing an Apostle girl from a devil worshipper, a millionaire called Ricardo Hendric that apparently adopted her. And that's not all... we'll be sent to Las Vegas on our own!" She added, barely helping herself. "Just imagine that... we could evenhave a little fun while we do our job and save her!" Her eyes nearly glittered. "Anyway, the girl's name is Azmaria, a young soprano from Portugal. We will have to be ready for this, we will leave to Las Vegas tomorrow."

Chrno nodded, amused. An Apostle... he would have to find a way to contact Aion to deliver the great news... and the sooner, the better.

To Be Continued...