(Greetings my friends it has been a long time... Please let me thank all of my readers now... Thank you... And now I shall blame school for me not writing... points to the evil building I Dislike homework! Ahhhhh!

sighs Sorry I haven't been able to write, I've been very, very, very busy... I can't say that I'll update soon, since I have no clue when I'll get some more time. But for now, here's the next chapter of Time Angel!)

Time Angel

By Embodiment of Sekhmet (aka Sekhmet and everything inbetween)

Azmaria Hendric loaded her gun full of bullets before turning the corner in the training room.

The image of a demon appeared before her and she made quick work of it, while still having bullets to spare.

The young teenage sister crouched as she heard a faint snarling.

She panted heavily, her breath coming out in short puffs of white mist in the cold room.

Just as she was about to turn and shoot she heard a voice crackle in her ear, and the lights in the room come on.

"Sister Azmaria! You have marching orders!" Came the voice of one of the other sisters up in the control room. Azmaria sighed and started back.

It figured...

---

"Why does it always have to be raining!" A tall woman complained as she cocked her gun.

Azmaria chuckled at her partner and did the same, everything was going fine, besides the rain, and Azmaria felt a familiar prickle of energy coming from the building that a few low class demons had been spotted in, but waved it off.

"I wonder why they sent us instead of one of the militia..." The other sister wondered.

Azmaria glanced around.

"I think they where concerned someone might have gone in and gotten hurt." She replied starting forward.

Her partner followed her into the house, both exorcists cautiously peering around corners and slowly climbing stairs.

Nothing seemed wrong with the house, but Azmaria could tell, there was a demon somewhere in the place...

"Az! Watch it!"

Azmaria barely had time to duck had a bat like demon sailed overhead talons out and ready to kill.

It flew down the stairs screeching in anger.

Azmaria's partner gave chase, shooting at it.

But Azmaria remained where she was...

She stared at the door where the demon had come from and got up. Opening it cautiously her suspicions where confirmed as the powerful stench of rotting corpses hit her full blast.

It made her eyes water slightly, but she continued forward, only pausing when she was fully inside the dark room.

...She could hear someone, or something, besides her breathing in the room...

Biting her bottom lip, she tried to pinpoint the exact source of the breathing and was surprised when the door slammed close behind her.

She quickly twirled around, pointing her gun at the black blob that was leaning against the door, blocking her way out.

"Foolish mortal..." It hissed before lunging at her. She quickly fired three sacreds, stopping the creature in mid jump and making it drop to the floor screaming and hissing in pain.

Azmaria didn't dare move as the thing quieted.

...The heavy breathing was still there...

Something coughed and there was a loud thumping noise, as if someone had just collapsed. Azmaria had felt a faint breeze against her leg and bent down.

Something wet, warm, and definitely breathing met her hand.

"Are you hurt?" Azmaria asked moving her hand up so that it was near the person's neck.

Azmaria was answered with something between a grunt and a moan. Which made her smile.

"Alright, I'll help you get outside, can you walk?" She asked softly.

She jumped when she felt a strong hand grip her bare arm.

"Barely..." Came the weak reply. The voice was definitely male.

"I'll help..." she muttered grabbing the hand had grabbed her and pulling it up as she stood.

The man groaned and stood up, then immediately began to fall over.

Azmaria quickly moved so she was in front of him and wrapped the arm she held around her shoulders.

He leaned against her tiredly, almost making her knees buckle under his weight. Azmaria groped blindly out in the darkness for his other hand.

She stopped when she felt his other hand move to tug on her habit.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Keeps my hair back." Azmaria answered softly, it wasn't a lie, with out it, most of her hair would fall in her face.

His hand dropped against her shoulder and Azmaria felt something wet sprinkle against her face.

And now that she thought of it, the back of her habit was getting wet.

Azmaria doubted that it was water...

"Are you injured badly?" She asked taking a hesitant step forward.

"Nothing you should be concerned with." The voice was slightly stronger now, and Azmaria paused for a moment at the familiarity of it...

She took another step forward toward the door, her mind racing.

Where had she heard that voice before!

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"A while... The worms have been feeding off me..." He replied in an almost steady voice.

Azmaria's hand was on the doorknob when she swore she felt the man bend down slightly and sniff her hair lightly.

"You seem familiar... You must be either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid to be helping me." The hand that wasn't latched around her shoulders touched her face, the way a blind man might, smearing something warm and sticky on her face.

Azmaria froze, her eyes widening and she scolded herself mentally for her stupidity.

"It's pitch black in this room... I can't see you." Azmaria muttered.

The hand on her face paused for a moment before continuing.

"Makes sense. You probably would have shot me if you saw me in the light." The voice had gotten colder.
"I know I know you from somewhere..." He spat icily, his hand reaching up from her face and pulling off cloth that separated his hand from her hair.

Azmaria winced as she felt his hand snake, and pull on her carefully pinned up hair. She knew from experience that blood was very hard to get out of white hair.

But then she remembered.

The blind demon, one of Aion's friends... A sinner, she had seen him when she had been captured by Aion.

What was his name again?

"G-genai? You're Genai right?" She shuddered.

All of his movements stopped.

He bent his head down close to her ear, Azmaria shivered as his hot breath blew against it.

"Who are you?" He demanded coldly. His free hand was now clenching her hair tightly, Azmaria winced as she realized how dangerous of a situation she was in. One wrong move and she would be dead.

"Azmaria Hendric... One of the apostles..." She sucked in a breath and shut her eyes tightly.

"Your kidding..." The demon scoffed.

"No."

"You can be..." He muttered his hand releasing her hair and traveling down, much to her embarrassment to her chest.

"She was just a little girl."

"I-It's been a few y-years..." Azmaria choked out.

She could feel him smirk next to her ear.

"Has it been?" He said sarcastically as the teenage sister trembled.

Then, much to her relief her pulled his hand back up and wrapped it around her shoulders.

They stood there a few more minutes in th dark before Azmaria turned the doorknob and opened the door.

The light was a welcome comfort to her as she slowly and awkwardly plodded down the hall, the demon using her as some sort of human crutch.

She glanced down at her hand and nearly groaned when she saw the blood on it.

"You got my hair all covered in blood! Do you know how hard it is to get RED blood out of WHITE hair!" She nearly shouted, completely forgetting her fear of the demon.

"Yes."

Azmaria remembered that Genai did in facthave white hair and sighed loudly.

"You are very lucky that Aion and the other Sinners are on friendly terms with the Order now..." She started puffing her cheeks out angrily. "Otherwise I would have shot you for getting my hair bloody."

Genai went ridged and Azmaria was halted mid-step.

"What did you just say!" Genai demanded.

Azmaria calmed herself down and sighed.

"I'll tell you more when we get out of here. Right now I need to get you to the Convent." She said softly pulling the blind demon forward.

Azmaria had a hard time getting down the stairs, but managed none the less. Her partner, who just finished killing off the bat like creature that had flown out of the room didn't notice her when she came down.

"Hanna, can you please go get the phone?" Azmaria asked.

Hanna jumped, clearly startled by her speaking so suddenly and twirled around.

She took one look at Azmaria and screamed in horror.

"Holy applesauce! Get off her now you monster! Azzie get down!" She yelled raising her gun.

Azmaria held spread her arms wide and stood there calmly shielding Genai from injury.

"He's friendly Hanna."

Genai cackled lightly at that, and Hanna stared at Azmaria in shock.

"Are you off your rocker! Azmaria that's a devil! He'll hurt you!"

Azmaria shook her head.

"He'll do nothing of the sort. He's the one who's injured Hanna, we need to get him to the convent." When Hanna did not move from her position Azmaria bit her lip.

"What the hell do you take me for! He's obviously got some sort of mind control on you so-"

"I'm a Sinner you stupid human..." Genai snarled angrily, making Hanna jump.

"He's a friend of Chrono, Hanna!" Azmaria exclaimed.

"I am n-" Azmaria cut Genai off by elbowing him in the stomach.

He growled angrily at her.

"What's he doing here Azzie?" Hanna asked shakily, still not lowering her gun.

"Hanna, please just go and call the Order and let them know I'm bringing a Sinner in. Make sure you tell them to let Rosette know..." Azmaria said softly beginning to walk forward again.

Hanna remained standing there for a moment before taking off.

Azmaria sighed and considered her options for a moment before pulling Genai's arms off her.

"Sit down..." She said softly.

Genai snorted and did as he was told, his hand grabbed her wrist to make sure she didn't go anywhere.

Azmaria turned and got the first good look she had of the blind demon.

She remembered him wearing a great deal of white, so she was surprised when she found him in dark pants and a black shirt. Both where ripped and stained almost completely crimson.

Nothing covered his head, and Azmaria could see it was matted with blood. He was missing the covering that normally protected his sewn up eye sockets and she could see that some of the stitched had been ripped out and bleeding.

She took a deep breath and began singing.

Moments later she felt her wings open behind her and slowly raise her off the ground.

Genai's grip tighten on her wrist and he let her pull him up til he was standing.

He was surprised when she reached out and touched his bloody cheek, but what surprised him more was when he realized that she was actually healing him.

He began changing from his more human guise to demon form and when he was done he felt drunk on astral energy.

His grip on her loosened on her slightly as he began to feel very dizzy.

But she continued to sing, and astral continued to come.

Right before he felt he might explode with too much power a sharp searing pain lanced through his head and he screamed in agony.

He released Azmaria completely in favor of cradling his head. He clawed at the visor that cover his eyes viciously trying to rip out whatever it was that was causing him so much pain.

Azmaria immediately stopped singing.

"Genai! Genai what's wrong!" She yelled grabbing the thrashing demon's arm.

He screamed and lashed out at her, striking her hard enough for her to going flying backwards.

With the force of the blow, Azmaria should have slammed into the wall, but she used her wings to right herself.

She stared at the demon for a moment before rushing over to him and grabbing his horns in her hands.

A golden glow surrounded her hands, and Genai froze then collapsed.

In a moment he was back in his more human guise and Azmaria was holding nothing but the sides of his face.

All of the blood had disappeared, and he looked completely healthy... except...

Where Azmaria had noticed the stitching holding his eye closed ripped open, something black a jagged looking was sticking out.

Blood was dripping down from his eyes, staining his white hair.

Curious, rather then fearful, Azmaria reached over and touched it.

Genai let out a hiss of pain in his sleep in response.

Azmaria bit her lip before frowning and trying to gently pull what ever it was out of it. It took her a minute but eventually she pulled what looked liked a diamond shaped black, jagged rock out of the hole.

She looked at it carefully before looking down at Genai.

The bleeding had stopped and Azmaria hoped that it was what had caused the blind demon his pain.

She folded her wings back into her back and pocketed the strange black rock. She'd have to wait for Hanna to get back now...

---

Angel shot up out of sleep.

She gasped as she looked around, trying to remember where she was.

When she calmed down she clenched the blankets tightly.

'Was that some kind of vision?' She asked herself.

She shook her head and wondered what she should do next. She had really only just arrived here and everything was happening so fast.

She closed her eyes and held her pocket watch tightly.

Rosette and Chrono where nice...

"I wonder, how they died..." Angel muttered.

"They died trying to save you from a horde of demons bent on using your power..." A soft whispery voice answered.

Angel jumped in surprise and quickly turned toward where the voice had come from. She stared wide-eyed at the boy who sat in the open window.

He had messy blonde hair, the same color as Rosette and Joshua's and dark green eyes, that Angel couldn't see completely because his bangs where long enough to cover them.

He looked very malnourished, and had very pale white skin.

He wore nothing but a pair of ripped and torn blue jeans, along with some brown boots that looked as if they had seen their own fair share of action.

He moved his arms to his sides, and Angel was sure she would be able to count every one of his ribs.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He tilted his head to the side and gave her a ghostly smile.

"You may call me Shade." He said again in his whispery voice.

Angel shivered.

"How do you know about my parents?"

Shade made no movement.

"I'm from the future, just like you... Only I come from a different Path, or a different version of the future." Shade explained moving his hand to brush some imaginary dust off of his leg.

"The future is decided by a number of different decisions made by a number of different people at different times..." Shade continued his hand reaching out and making quick motions with his fingers.

"In your future, I might exist, I might not..." He paused reaching out another hand and beginning to make more motions, as if using sign language.

"But in the future I come from, you are my..." His eyes flickered. "...good friend..."

Angel nodded and pushed herself off the bed. She walked over to him and watched him make more hand motions to her.
She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing?"

Shade looked up at her, a lazy expression etched on his face.

"I don't normally talk. I usually communicate using my signs... You where one of the only people who could understand..."

"Oh..." Angel looked down at his hands before looking back up at him.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

Shade gave her an almost drunk looking smile, and Angel wondered if the boy was a little off his rocker.

"To protect you... and to make sure you understand the importance of being here..." Shade cocked his head to the side.

With a startled gasp Angel saw Shade's pointed ears.

"You're a demon!" She exclaimed backing up.

Shade seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and jolted upright. He glared angrily at Angel.

"Half-demon!" He spat right back jumping off the windowsill.

He stood almost as tall as Angel.

"I am a half-demon, just like you Angel. You are here to prevent a tragedy that happened in my futures past. In turn you might be able to save your parents from death!" Shade said sharply before reaching up a hand into his hair and keeping it there.

With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out the amulet Cyro had given him.

It glimmered in the light and Angel felt something was very familiar about it.

"I don't know, what's going to happen from this point on, but I'll be by your side for it, and I don't care if you want me to or not!"

---

Ahhh yes, don't you just love the endings to my stories? giggles I loved the whole "Holy Applesauce!" thing... I was snickering the whole time.

Anyway, so now you meet Shade... Confusing little bugger ain't he? He's also seems a little messed up in the head don't he?

This chapter really was just to show you what was going on with Azzie, since we haven't really seem her much at all... and to introduce Genai... I really can't write Azmaria's personality, that's why she seems so very different. My excuse is that she's grown up a whole lot.

Yeah...

sweatdrops

I always love reviews guys! Feel free to tell me what you think, and any guesses on who you REALLY think Shade and Cyro are.

Till we meet again,

Sekhmet