Return of Time
Ch 9 of 13
AN: For those who expressed concern about my German, Father can be either Vater or Pater. And it is spelled Hexen der Juwel, I looked it up not only in the official release of the manga, but also in a dictionary to be on the safe side. I double checked all of my spellings before I posted, as I usually do, so they should all be correct. My website has a link to the German web-dictionary that I used along with the Italian one, under Reference on my Chrno Fic page. And I do freely admit that I did overlook the capitalization of Tante, as my own use of it involved a suffix, Urtante - Great aunt.
As for other things, Rosette made his first in-story appearance, I wonder how many of you noticed him. Anyways he should be in most of the chapters from now on. And yes he is Italian, which would be why no one was able to find him.
This chapter does deal with depression to warn you all. So please do not flame me about it or anything, as this is a subject I have had to deal with for many years myself.
You're waiting for someone
To put you together
You're waiting for someone to push you away
There's always another wound to discover
There's always something more you wish he'd say
Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want
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Zoë clung to Chrno the entire van ride to the convent, babbling excitedly to whoever would listen. on the other hand ended up engrossed in a quiet conversation on philosophy with Jeremy and Kathleen. Julian fell asleep five minutes into the ride, and Sister Elizabeth occasionally nodded to Madison as she read her book. Ewan and Eric found common ground in the discussion of the evolution of women's fashions, undergarments in particular. Fortunately, depending on point of view of course, the rest of the transfers were riding in a second van driven by the down-to-earth Sister Yeyanna Valentine.
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"Are you sure that this is the right decision?" Sister Margaret turned from her window to look at the priest sprawled over her couch. "To split up a well matched trio, just to give one of them an apprentice. It doesn't seem right to me. Especially when said apprentice is currently undergoing psychological treatment for depression."
Ewan sighed as he sat up. "I think she could be just what Christopher Rosetti needs to get his life back. She's lost a partner before, so she knows what that feels like."
Sister Margaret's always expressive green eyes were dull. "I'm just not sure he's ready for another partner."
"Then just let her be his teacher."
The director sighed heavily. "He does have a lot of potential that would be lost if he were not trained." Turning away from Ewan she returned to staring out the window. "Please inform them of their change in status."
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Chrno knocked quietly on her new apprentice's door. Ewan had told her about the arrangements an hour prior. Kathleen and Julian had been less then happy about the news. It had taken a while to calm them down enough for Ewan to explain that Chrno was going to be teaching the boy how to be a Sealer and that they were still the half-demon's Militia backup. And would therefore still be working with each other on a regular basis. He had also left it to her to tell the sixteen year old, about his new assignment.
"Come in."
Chrno slowly opened the door, not wanting to disturb anything. Sister Yeyanna Valentine was sitting across from the boy softly talking.
"Our next meeting isn't going to be for two weeks. I feel that you are ready for this now. So for the next two weeks I want you to write down everything that happens to you and how it all makes you feel. All right?"
The blond boy nodded. "Yes Sister."
"Okay." She smiled softly her eyes sad. "Now, Sister Mary is here with some news for you."
Chrno suppressed a gasp as the boy turned to look at her. His once lively blue eyes were now a dull lifeless shade of grey. "Hello Christopher."
"Sister Mary."
"Do you remember me at all?"
He shrugged. "We've met a couple of times."
"Yes." Chrno smiled softly. "I hear that you wanted to train as a Sealer last year."
"Yeah. So?"
"Well Father Remington and Sister Margaret have decided that you are ready to start training."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that you are my new apprentice."
After a few minutes without reply, Sister Yeyanna softly called his name.
Ha blinked a few times, as though coming from a deep place in his mind. "So are you my new partner of something?" His voice choked on the word partner.
Chrno shook her head. "No. I'm your trainer, or teacher, whichever you prefer. Sealer's do not have partners in the traditional sense of the word. When fully trained, a Sealer is paired with an already established set of Militia partners. They act as backup whenever the Sealer needs assistance. So, for now you will be working with me and my Militia backup, Sisters Julian Chara and Kathleen Mistear."
Christopher nodded before turning to Yeyanna. His voice quiet and dull. "Is that it? I get a new trainer and everything is supposed to be good again."
Yeyanna shook her head. "That's not it at all Chris. I've spoken with them about this. You've been off of active duty for six months and they feel that it is time for you to go back to work."
"But what if I don't want to?" His voice now held a touch of anger and his eyes had narrowed.
"You don't have a choice…"
"Sister Yeyanna." Chrno cut off the counselor her voice firm. "Christopher." When she had his attention she continued her voice soft. "I know what it's like to lose a partner. I lost mine a long time ago." When he made to speak, she held up a hand for silence. "Running away and hiding from it won't help. I know because I did the same thing. As much as you'd like to forget it even happened, it still hurts. It's not worth it." She took a deep breath and sighed. "When she died, I felt so lost, so afraid of the future. I ran away from it. I can barely remember her face, her smile, her laugh. I'd give anything, anything, to have her back. But I can't. And it tears me up inside every day." Chrno bowed her head. "All you, or I, or anyone can do is live life from day to day and to make each of those days the best they can be. Because do you really think that they'd want to see either of us this way?"
Tears were streaming down the teens cheeks, as he finally started to let loose his pent up sorrow.
Chrno hugged him and whispered into his ear. "Everyday from now on will be better. I promise."
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"And here I thought it was supposed to be better." Chris muttered to himself as he fired Sacred at the demon they had been sent to apprehend. He watched as Chrno dodged a tentacle as she laid out the base for a containment seal. Her movements held an inhuman grace as she jumped, dodged, and spun away from the demon's attacks.
"Don't piss me off." She shouted at the Pursuer that had just flung a street light at her students hiding place.
"Why not little girl?" Pursuer Berges laughed at the tiny half-demon girl.
"You won't like the results." she yelled back as she dodged another tentacle aimed for her head. Chrno then watched in horror as Berges threw a car at her apprentice. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard Chris let out a sting of curses as he ran from his now destroyed shelter. Her eyes glowed ruby when she looked back at the other demon. "I warned you about making me angry monkey-breath."
A bright flash of crimson light prompted Chris to stop running and turn. What he saw took his breath away.
Chrno was floating six feet off the ground a bright green star at her feet. "Holy Angel Raphael loosen the Seal and release my power." The star blazed again with a crimson light and when it faded from sight the Japanese angel had been transformed into an Indian huntress.
Her shoulder length hair curled around her long ears and horns. A skin tight black midriff showed off her very mature figure and highlighted the silver of her collar and armbands. Her legs were also shown to perfection in tailored black and crimson pinstripe slacks and black leather knee-boots.
'She looks like a cat.' Chris thought as he noticed the agitated twitch of her tail and wings. 'Only more girl-like.' The teen could only watch in fascination as she gave up any pretenses of sealing the Pursuer and just torn into it, killing it swiftly.
"Amen."
Chris backed up a step as the blood covered demoness landed at his feet, the remaining streetlights casting her glowing gold eyes in shadows and causing the three stones on her forehead to glimmer like blood.
"Are you alright Christopher?" Her voice was velvety steel. The voice of a temptress. "I was worried that you were hurt when he threw that car at you."
Chris' voice waved slightly as he answered, his hormones reacting in ways he definitely didn't want them too. He was a teenager after all. "I'm fine."
Reaching up she touched a hand to his cheek, the light catching on the emerald band embedded in her left wrist. "Are you sure?"
He nodded vigorously.
"Alright." Bringing her wrist to her lips she whispered the incantation to return the Seal to it's normal state. When she was once more shorter then her apprentice she laughed sheepishly. "I really did mean to show you that containment seal that I told you about last week. I just got a little upset when he threw that car at you."
Chris shook his head. The swiftness of her transformation had startled him. "No that's fine. You can show me next time."
Chrno smiled brilliantly up at her taller student. "Alright."
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Two pairs of demonic eyes watched the two as they started clean-up procedures.
"I want her Ryuu Mahou."
The green haired, violet eyed female turned to look at the golden eyed young man beside her. "Wakaru."
"I will have her."
"Hai, Gabriel-sama."
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Wakaru - Japanese - Understood, to understand.
Hai - Japanese - Yes.
-sama - Japanese - formal suffix, can be translated to mean Sir, or Lord.