Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning
By:
Guardian Angel of Innocence
Chapter Twelve: Dark Angel
It was dark... Too dark for his liking... He couldn't see anything... Couldn't hear anything... He was completely vulnerable much to his annoyance... The sound of dripping water began lightly hitting the ground some miles away, but it echoed throughout the area he was in... The air was moist... The ground felt oddly slimy... A sharp pain went through his whole entire body causing him to tremor violently... He couldn't remember anything.... Everything was a blank... Up within the dark sky, he suddenly saw bright light... In place of the light was a girl's face... A girl that he suddenly felt drawn to, reaching his clawed hand up in hopes of reaching her...
Rose had her hand over her watch, watching with terrified, concerned eyes as the doctor of the Order investigated the unconscious Chrno. Her heart pounded so fast and loudly, it was beginning to deafen her.
Chrno was a mess. Shortly after he had passed out, it had begun raining causing some mud to get all over him, especially his hair. He was wounded pretty badly and the gunshot was the worse of them all. Acidic yellow bubbles had begun coming out of it and pretty much all of his wounds. Rose and everyone else had eventually found him and taken him to infirmary. The doctors and nurses had insisted she stay in the waiting room, but she refused to do so, not when Chrno needed her... Despite the fact she was useless at the moment...
Rose sighed and looked down at the ground. I'm sorry, Chrno... I should have come to you right after Aion had left. She opened her eyes, them suddenly widening. No! I should have come far sooner than that! They were planning on killing you! She looked towards him, tears threatening to fall down. It was right at that moment that Chrno began to convulse, the doctor trying his best to keep the purple haired demon from falling off the bed all together. It was almost as though he was having a seizure. Eventually, the sudden shaking came to a halt and Chrno was in peace once more.
The doctor shook his head as he turned to face the young Saint. He sighed and looked away. "I'm afraid it's not good. Whatever was shot into him had some sort of liquid within it that was apparently made to kill him slowly. The liquid has already entered his bloodstream. I do not believe there's anything we can do to save him. We'll just have to hope he can fight it off..."
Rose could tell the doctor didn't believe Chrno would live at all. She knew how to read people, a technique she had developed over the years. "Well, unlike you, I know for a fact he'll live."
"He'll die within forty-eight hours..." the doctor said, softly.
"You obviously don't know him at all, doctor," Rose said, calmly. "He won't give up so easily. I suggest you find a real expert in a holy weapon field. I bet you they could actually give me a more detailed report of what's actually wrong with Chrno."
The doctor gave her a look, but left the room to tell Remington of the news.
Rose pulled out a chair and sat down on it beside Chrno's bedside. She closed her eyes. "I was such an idiot. I can't believe I actually fell so far into that creep's trap without realizing it." She reached a hand up and moved a few strands of hair from Chrno's face. She quickly withdrew it, however, when she felt the burning hot flesh. He's running a fever. Normal medicine won't work... I probably have to kiss him again to make him feel better. She stood up then sat down on the bed, watching him. "Chrno, you so owe me after this." She blushed and leaned forward, her lips drawing closer to Chrno's.
Chrno opened his red eyes, seeing Rose's face come closer to his, her eyes being closed. He closed his eyes as well when their lips came into contact then began kissing her deeply and passionately. Rose's eyes widened suddenly when Chrno kissed her back. However, she closed her eyes, allowing Chrno's tongue to pass through her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Chrno wrapped his arms around Rose's waist and drew her closer to him, deepening the kiss. The two then stopped briefly, staring into the other's eyes. Chrno's were slightly glazed over while Rose's were exactly the same.
A smile tugged at Chrno's lips as he reached a hand up to place a strand of hair behind Rose's ear, softly saying, "Hey..." Then he passed out.
Azmaria looked around her room, looking at every object within it. She then came to a halt when she spotted a very familiar picture on one of the dressers. She went over to it then picked it up, looking at it. It was the picture they had taken so long ago back at the carnival. She smiled slightly as memories returned to her of that night. So much fun... Yet so much misery... She sighed and placed the picture back in its proper place. She then left the room to see Remington standing right in front of her. She gave him a puzzled look then quietly asked, "Yes...?"
"Are you willing to go out on an errand for me?" Remington asked the young Apostle.
Rose walked out of the room, shaking her head. He was being delirious at the time. That has to be why. She banged her head against the door as she leaned against it. There has to be something I can do! She blushed deeply as her heart continued to pound at a great speed from the memory of the enticing kiss. She shook her head once more than stood straight up, going down the hallway. After some time, she went up the stairs towards the dormitories. She came to a halt when she saw Azmaria and Stella walking down the hall fully packed as though they were going on a very long trip. She raised an eyebrow then crossed her arms, standing directly in their way.
"And just where are you two planning on going?" Rose asked.
"Don't be jealous just because you didn't get called on a mission this once," Stella said through narrowed eyes.
"Oh, trust me, I'm not jealous," Rose said through narrowed eyes as well. "I'm just worried about Az. You do realize Aion and the others are after her, right?"
"Yes. I am fully aware of that," Stella said then crossed her arms, smirking. "And, unlike you, I will not have Aion so easily regain her into his grasp."
Rose's eyes widened in anger as she held up a fisted hand. "You were there that night, too! It wasn't just my fault that we lost her! Besides, you just picked a wonderful time to go off and leave that old dude with Azmaria! He doesn't and didn't stand a chance against a demon!"
"And you chose the greatest time of them all, I suppose, when you decided to go be lovey-dovey with your demon boyfriend!" Stella cried out defensively.
"Just because he's a demon doesn't mean a damn thing!" Rose cried.
"Excuse me..." Azmaria said softly.
"And just because Steiner's old doesn't mean anything either!" Stella shouted.
"Excuse me," Azmaria said a little louder as she looked up ahead, backing up a few steps.
"It's not my fault he died!" Rose yelled.
"And it's not my fault your boyfriend's dying!" Stella exclaimed.
"And it's not my fault you two are making quite the ruckus due to your rivalry!" a lady's voice broke in.
Stella and Rose instantly became silent, turning around to face a dark brown haired woman, glasses covering her brown eyes. The woman looked to be forty, a few gray strands of hair revealing themselves. Her outfit compromised of the same exact clothing Sister Kate had worn, her shoes being black heels. The woman had her arms crossed, watching the two girls through narrowed eyes.
Rose backed up a few steps, slightly sweatdropping as she held her hands up in front of herself defensively. "Eh-heh. Hey, Mom."
Mom? Stella thought, raising an eyebrow. She watched the woman, concluding that she was the headmistress of the Order. "Listen, I personally don't give a care what punishment you serve your ill-tempered daughter, but Azmaria and I have a mission to accomplish."
"I am aware of that, Miss Havenheight, but if you are going to be staying within the Order, I suggest you try to stay a little more quiet," the woman said then turned her attention to Rose. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to be yelling or fighting in the Order before it gets through to you?!"
"I-I-I-Mom! She started it to begin with thinking she's all high and mighty just because she's super rich and spoiled!" Rose cried out.
"I'm not spoiled!" Stella growled out.
Rose ignored the red haired jewel summoner. "Mom!"
"You're always causing such a ruckus, Rose. Honestly, if it's not Chrno, it's the other Sisters. If not them, then you decide to create a yelling match between you and Stella. It's time you grow up, Rose," the headmistress said.
Rose growled as she went up to her mother. "Is it really my fault everyone tries to get on my nerves?! No! The only reason I even yell at Chrno or something is either just for fun or because he obviously did something that made me angry! And the same goes for pretty much everyone else, too!"
"You two are pretty much causing a ruckus as well," a man's voice broke in between the arguing pair.
The woman and Rose looked in the direction of the voice to see Yuan Remington standing there with a grin spread across his lips. He went over to the woman, placing an arm around her shoulders then kissing her on the cheek, his eyes holding warmth within them.
"Gabriela, this is a regular occurrence between the two of you everyday. Allow Rose to go," Yuan told the woman. He then turned his attention to Rose. "I believe you wouldn't want to leave Chrno's side that's why I sent Azmaria and Stella to go out on this mission and not you."
Gabriela was about to protest, but chose to remain silent, looking towards her daughter. Perhaps if it weren't for the fact that Rose was Rosette Christopher but also Mary Magdalene, she wouldn't have allowed either Rose or Chrno to be together with one another even if it were only through friendship, not love. But she knew better. Unlike many, she did not think so narrow-mindedly. She could, however, understand why people in the past did think as much and even now due to Aion controlling the whole world.
Rose was caught in two things she wanted to do. True, she wanted to stay by Chrno's side, but she also wanted to go on this mission... Whatever it was. Her eyes suddenly narrowed in suspicion. "Wait just a second. Just what mission are you sending them out on, Father?"
Yuan took a step back, not having expected the sudden question to come out from his daughter's mouth. He regained his composure soon enough and calmly said, "I'm sending them out on a mission in Italy. It is from my resources that I understand there is a young lady who knows very well what we're dealing with. She may even hold the cure."
"In that case, I'm coming along, too," Rose said, determinedly.
"Are you-"
"I'm bringing Chrno with us," Rose said before her father could finish his sentence.
"Are you crazy?!" Stella cried.
"You'll worsen his condition, Rosette," Azmaria explained.
"His body must remain stable. If any outside occurrences get within contact of his body and create an instability, his condition may and will worsen than what it already is," Yuan reasoned.
"It is very dangerous outside the walls of the Order. Though Aion's underdogs would quickly sense the strong holy energy coming from Azmaria, they would sense Chrno's weakening energy at a far more accelerating rate. Demons are more atoned to a demon's energy level than they are to those of holy beings. Azmaria cannot drive as of yet, and Stella and you are the only ones that I believe could put up a fight against a strong legion of demons than you would if you were to fight alone. However, I'm afraid that would not be the case when you go upon this mission for Stella would have to drive and Azmaria would only be able to use her powers to heal when needed. That would leave you to do the fighting on your own, Rose. To add Chrno into the mix would heavy the burden and duty you must carry," Gabriela informed. "Do you still wish to bring Chrno with you?"
Rose walked pass the group, a single word coming out from her lips. "Yes."
Chrno had almost reached the girl when the face suddenly vanished. He dropped his hand in defeat, slowly closing his eyes. He opened them up instantly when he heard a soothing voice speaking to him.
"You mustn't give up, Chrno," the voice said.
Chrno sat up to see a lit up figure walking over to him. The figure had the face of the girl that he had seen earlier. The girl kneeled down beside him, placing her warm hand on the side of his face.
"You must be strong, not only for my sake but for the sake of others," the girl said then leaned forward, gently kissing the purple haired demon on the cheek. She smiled afterwards. "I will always be by your side, no matter what." With that said, the girl disappeared along with the bright light that had surrounded her appearance.
Chrno placed a hand on his cheek where the girl had kissed him, one name echoing throughout his mind. "Rosette."
Rose entered the room Chrno was staying in once more. She eyed each of the machines then looked down at her ill comrade. She sighed and went over to his bedside, sitting down next to him. She removed a few strands of hair away from his face, ignoring the heat she felt against her fingertips. Do I really want to do this? To take this big risk of never seeing him again? To take the risk of getting him killed? To take him away from where he's most safe? She sighed again, placing a hand over her clock. Yes, I'm positive I want to do this.
Rose unconsciously began tracing the demon's jaw line, taking in his gentle features despite knowing full well he wasn't well. It suddenly occurred to her that Chrno was still in his true form and his wounds weren't healing anywhere fast. She knew then that whatever it was that had been shot at him was far more lethal than what she had originally thought.
She began gritting her teeth, not liking the thought of losing her love one bit. "You can't die, you hear me?!" She stood up, a determined expression fixed upon her face. "I won't allow you to." She held the watch up slightly, watching the clock hands spin around crazily, but not so much as to send out shockwaves of electricity off it. She tightened her grip upon it then walked out of the room as the doctors and nurses entered it to get ready for Chrno's departure.
Stella watched the door leading into Chrno's room, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She and Azmaria were in the hallway, awaiting the young blonde nun to complete whatever it was she was doing before they went out upon their mission.
"She sure has a lot of energy despite what's happened all day today," Stella said quietly. "I'm surprised she hasn't passed out. I'm sure that demon has drained a lot of her life energy today, maybe even half, but, by the way Rose is acting, you would never guess she and Chrno had a contract."
"Rosette is strong. Each time she comes back to life, she comes back far more stronger than before," Azmaria said softly, sitting down next to Stella.
Stella raised an eyebrow then looked away from the young Apostle just as Rose finally exited the room, a swarm of doctors and nurses entering the room afterwards. She went over to the Saint, tossing her long red hair behind her shoulder. "It's about time. Is everything ready now?"
"Almost. They have to get a stretcher and place Chrno on it then carefully put him in the back seat of the vehicle we're stuck driving all the way to Italy," Rose explained.
"We're in America and they expect us to drive all the way across the ocean?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just what do they have in mind for us?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," Rose said, casually shrugging as she walked down the hallway.
Stella and Azmaria traded equally puzzled glances before following after Rose.
"What?! You expect me to drive that piece of junk?!" Stella cried out, clearing outraged with the vehicle choice the Order had made.
"This isn't a 'piece of junk' as you put it so bluntly, Miss Havenheight," the Elder said. "This is my latest invention yet." A hint of a glimmer showed within his eyes behind the strange goggles he wore as he went into detail about the vehicle. "It merely looks like a square from the view of the back because the floor must remain stable that way Chrno's energy doesn't become suddenly instable due to interference from the outside. If he becomes instable in any way, he may die after having a series of shocks or seizures. I'm sure all of you don't want to run that risk."
"Now, you must never judge any vehicle just on appearance," the Elder continued, opening the back doors of the ambulance-like vehicle. "Despite how small it appears on the outside, it is quite large and comfortable on the inside as all of you can see. It is much like a mobile home, but also like a van. It has a refrigerator, sink, bathroom, beds, etcetera. And, of course, a weapons room, which is equipped with all the holy weapons needed as well as bullets in case you run out."
The Elder stepped into the vehicle, ushering for Azmaria, Stella, and Rose to do the same. The three girls reluctantly obeyed, each prepared to hurt the Elder in case he pulled one of his perverted moves.
"The back room is also equipped with a computer board, as you can see. It's exactly right behind the seats for the passenger and driver. You three will need an instructional manual on how to work the thing, but I'm sure little Az can do that once you've gotten started," the Elder explained as he pressed a red button behind the driver's seat revealing a series of computer screens, each telling different information such as a map of their location and destination, much like a GPS; and whether there were any demons within their area of location. "And, finally, the front seats give off the appearance of just two normal people going upon their merry way, making it look like this vehicle is just like any other normal vehicle out there. To the right of the radio there is a small green button that enables you to open or close the black window that's behind both seats leading to the back room."
Rose looked around the room, examining each of the components then turned her attention to the Elder, concern written across her face. "What about medical supplies for demons and humans?"
"They're in the cabinet right next to the fridge," the Elder replied.
"Well, all seems well. Now, you mind handing over the keys?" Stella said, holding out her hand.
A smirk spread across the Elder's face as his face turned red. "Only if you, Rose, and Az allow me to view each of your wonderful panties and let me grope your breasts."
Rose and Stella growled then kicked and punched and did virtually anything to hurt the Elder, grabbing the keys after they both kicked the Elder out of the vehicle. Azmaria just stood there and watched the scene, apologizing for the punishment the two older girls had inflicted upon the Elder after it had been complete. Soon after, the doctors finally came into the room, carefully placing Chrno and the stretcher that held him into the back room.
Rose closed the back doors, locking each of them then sat down on a chair beside Chrno.
"Is everything ready?" Stella asked as she buckled her seat belt then placed the key into the ignition.
Azmaria looked up from the manual the Elder had given her after the doctors had left then looked behind her shoulder towards Rose who simply nodded. A smile spread across Azmaria's face as she watched Rose return to tending to Chrno then turned her attention to Stella. "Yes. Everything's ready, Miss Stella."
Stella nodded then turned her attention ahead to what was to come as she finally started the ambulance vehicle, the large door in front of them rising allowing them exit. She pushed down upon the gas and was soon out of the gates of the Order and on the way towards Italy.
Yay! I finally got to put Rose's mom in the fic! Lol. I would have put her in it earlier, but the occasion never arose. Anways, hope you all enjoyed it and please don't forget to review on your way out.