Lord Cynic: "Hoopa! Oh, don't mind me, I just like saying the word. Hoopa! Hoopa! Okay, I'm done. This is going to be another humour series filled with one-shots. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning Dance with destiny, I'm just finding songs for the next chapter. I hope this'll satisfy a few appetites for those who wanted warped humour. This series of one-shots are, as the title suggests, burning questions that either I or other people may have held in their minds for some time. By other people, I'd assume the characters within Chrno Crusade as well. The titles for each one-shot will be a particular question associated with the one-shot without being the actual question. It'll keep ya guessing. Enjoy!"

Lord Cynic: "I don't own Chrno Crusade. Boo hoo!"

Is it true?

Several pairs of eyes stared back at him, some wide with fascination, others gleaming with malevolence. The expressions on their faces matched their orbs of varying tones - there were more than one with a sinister smirk etched on their features. Nonetheless, they all asked the same question: "Is it true?"

However, one of his interrogators was wearing a most unusual expression on her face, which caused his stomach to plummet. Her head was tilted slightly, allowing her blonde bangs to fall over her face in an irresistibly cute fashion. Her eyes glittered with curiosity, but it wasn't naive like a certain lavender haired girl's. Instead, it was a piercing curiosity, one that desired the truth with the utmost importance.

He froze nervously under the intense stares he was receiving, not quite accustomed to so much attention from so many humans. An involuntary swallow signalled his discomfort as his nervous crimson eyes travelled from accusing face to accusing face. Their expressions didn't falter, but the curious girl disconcerted him the most. For some reason, it felt as if her response (should he answer the question) would matter the most. For the life of him (which was quite long, given what he was), he could not figure out why.

'I feel like I'm being interrogated by Aion's followers,' he thought, breaking the silence, at least in his mind.

However, the physical silence would be broken shortly afterwards.

"Well?" the voice was demanding and slightly impatient. It came from the redhead of the group, and she swore a smirk that seemed to suggest she had something sinister on her mind. It was almost as if she already knew the answer, and only needed confirmation, even at his expense.

"W-Well what?" he stammered, doing his best to avoid giving a straight answer.

"You know exactly what," the redhead persisted, her eyes drilling into him dangerously.

"Come on, Chrono," a short blonde girl piped up, finally providing him with a name. "It's not so hard, just answer yes or no."

"That's what you think," 'Chrono' mumbled. However, he was denied sympathy by the persistent redhead, who beared down on his short, hornless form.

"What was that?"

Chrono became silent, but the redhead didn't adjust her proximity. Instead, she smirked satisfactorily, causing Chrono to blanch. However, a tall brunette girl noticed something perturbing, and nudged her redheaded friend.

"Anna? It is wise not to remain so close," she warned her.

"What are you talking about, Claire?" 'Anna' asked her friend 'Claire'. She realised a panicked expression on the face of the short blonde girl, and raised an eyebrow. "What are you staring at, Mary - ah! Rosette!"

Everyone, Chrono included, jumped at the irate expression on the formerly curious golden-haired blonde's face. Her eyes were no longer slightly wide, but narrowed dangerously at Anna. The latter blanched and stepped away from Chrono, although frowning at her oppressor.

"What's your problem, Rosette?" she asked irritably. "I haven't seen you try to get your dear demon friend to spill the beans. Then again, you'd probably eat them off the floor."

'Rosette' fumed, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, looking as if she wanted to clock Anna once and for all. On the other hand, Chrono blushed at Anna's implications, wondering briefly if she knew something he hoped she didn't. Rosette's cheeks also appeared to have adopted a red hue, albeit lighter than Chrono's, but she didn't follow through with her fist threats. Anna smirked and withdrew again as 'Mary' stared at Chrono with a beaming, penetrating smile on her face. When he realised that, he automatically scuttled backwards on his bed and looked around as if he was searching for an escape route. They were all in the Elder's hut, where he'd been cornered - while asleep. Don't ask how, and especially why so early in the morning (although the more astounding factor would be, Rosette, awake at this hour! Impossible!).

"You still haven't answered the question," Mary urged. "What are you afraid of?"

'More than any of you could possibly know,' Chrono thought with heavy dread. Once again, he avoided eye contact with any and everyone. Oh, how he wished he could disappear like food would in front of Rosette. Then again, he still had no idea how the heck he even ended up in his predicament. He shuddered to even think about how he left his defences down.

Suddenly, he realised that two people were yet to utter a word. There was the enigmatic Rosette, who was still glaring at Anna out of the corner of her eye. The blonde's moods seemed to change with every passing second, but now seemed stuck on annoyance. On the other hand, there was the lavender haired girl, who gazed up at him with wide, innocent eyes. For some reason, Chrono didn't like it, but he found it futile to decipher what the two girls (Rosette and the lavender haired) were thinking. But that didn't mean he appreciated the eager faces of Anna, Mary and Claire any better. Especially since the smiles on Anna and Mary were growing wider.

Suddenly, the hornless demon developed distaste for silence. How he hated the emptiness of the Elder's hut, especially since it amplified the silence. Ironically, it still didn't prepare him for the sudden interrogation. Grr, damn that sucks!

His bitter thoughts were interrupted by a gently prodding voice. He lifted his head to meet the voice's owner: the previously mute lavender haired girl. Her head was tilted like Rosette's had been, and Chrono was reminded of how alike the two girls really were. If it weren't for the difference in their eye and hair colours (Rosette's orbs were blues, the other girl's were almost as red as his), and Rosette's fiery temper (whereas the other girl didn't have one), they were exactly like one another. Their voices were even slightly similar, which was unnerving in its own way.

Speaking of which, the light purple-haired girl's voice brought him back to reality, and was requesting a response. However, when his brain registered the question asked, he immediately paled. If his voice hadn't been semi-permanently lodged in his throat before, it was now.

"Chrono, is it true what they're saying?"

Once again, nothing but a tense silence greeted the inquiry. There was also some faint impatience perhaps due to Chrono continually avoiding answering the question. However, while it didn't seem to show on the surface through facial expressions or words, Chrono could detect it through the girl's postures. The trio of Anna, Mary and Claire were leaning forward slightly, hands clapped together in front of their faces. The lavender haired girl also had her hands clasped together, but not in a begging fashion. Rosette, on the other hand, had her arms crossed and eyes anywhere but at Chrono, and that scared him.

Anna must've noticed a change in Chrono's expression as his eyes wandered to Rosette, as her grin became genuinely wicked. She nodded meaningly to her colleagues, whose smiles also grew rather discreet. However, it didn't go detected by the unnamed girl, who tilted her head again. She began to ask what they were thinking of, but Anna's smug voice interrupted her.

"Okay, bear with me here," she began, addressing Chrono. "You won't answer me, Claire or Mary, and you won't answer Azmaria (the pale-haired girl blushed at being addressed). So, would you answer if... Rosette asked you?"

For the second time, it provoked the desired result, to an extent. While Rosette snapped her head to glare venomously (although it did falter slightly), Chrono reddened considerably and started twiddling his thumbs. The bed underneath him sagged slightly as he also shifted uncomfortably. Perhaps he sat on a tack or something, who knows. Nonetheless, Anna knew she hit the jacket. All she needed now was some coordination, although something did surface in her thoughts. She just didn't know how it had slipped her mind previously.

"Rosette," she began, "how come you don't know this? You've known Chrono longer than any of us. Didn't it ever occur to find this out?"

Rosette blanched fleetingly, but managed to regain her composure. She fixed Anna with a cold stare, although it did strike an important chord of doubt. 'It is none of my business,' she mused. 'But, sometimes I wonder about that. Is Chrono hiding something from me?'

Said demon was preoccupied with his thoughts (focussed mainly on escape), so he was caught off-guard when Rosette vigorously and determinedly addressed him.

"Chrono, is it true? Are those three (she pointed to Anna, Mary and Claire) right?"

Oh no, it seemed that his greatest weakness had been exploited. He could never refuse his contractor, no matter what the request. It was only fair, considering what he was already doing to her. But could he answer in front of someone who might treat him different afterwards. No, that was garbage. Of course she wouldn't... right? She's better than that, so her opinion of him couldn't change. Not even if...

He mentally gave a heavy sigh, and raised his head to the group of female heads.

"It... It's true," he answered at least. His cheeks flushed as crimson as his eyes. "I am."

The reaction was astounding. There was a loud squeal of triumph as the trio of sisters, Anna, Claire and Mary, jumped up and down (although Claire was a little controlled). They high-fived each other and instant gave Chrono evil grins, sending horrible shivers down his spine. Azmaria smiled innocently, taking in Chrono's confession, up at Rosette, who seemed to look rather relieved. In fact, her cheeks did seem a little flushed, which caused Azmaria to giggle. The blonde asked the younger girl was what so amusing, but she shook her head and mumbled something inaudible. That left Rosette with more questions to ask Chrono after this morning's little session.

The demon boy thought the worst was over at last. Then Azmaria spoke.

"Um... Chrono... what's a virgin?"

THE END