This is a very short story, next chapter should be my last, if there is not an epilogue. Please review this chapter, and I'll update soon! Pocky and Chrono plushies to my reviewers! -tosses out pocky and plushies-

Chapter 3

Chrono awoke to a headache. Groaning, the devil rolled over onto his side, hiding his face from the sun. He felt hot and sweaty, sticky and nasty. His long violet locks, unbound from their usual braid, were sticking to his neck, cheeks, and bare shoulders and chest because of the sweat covering his small body. The crimson-eyed boy tried to get to his feet, but the room swam around him, and his leg throbbed in violent protest to his movements.

Chrono sat heavily back down, holding his head as the colors of his room swarmed together into a confusing mass. Groaning again, the devil tried to stand, again being rewarded with another dizzying mass of color around him. 'What's wrong with me…?'

There was a knock at the door, and the devil blearily looked up, his mind swaying in confusion at what was happening. Chrono pushed himself to his feet, moving forwards towards the door. As his right foot hit the ground he nearly let a cry of pain escape his lips and he struggled to keep in the pain. 'What the…'

The last thing the devil saw was the door starting to open before his vision washed out and his cheek met the floor, awareness fleeing and sending Chrono into darkness.

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Azmaria opened the door in time to see Chrono collapse heavily on the floor and lay still. The girl shrieked in horror, rushing forward to the devil. "Chrono! Chrono!"

There was no response from the small devil, and Azmaria carefully rolled him over, lifting his head into her lap. Chrono's face was covered in a sheen of sweat, his cheeks flushed red with fever. His hair wasn't braided, and was lying in a glossy curtain of sweat-damp violet locks around him. The girl tentatively touched his cheek, gasping in shock as she felt the heat from Chrono's face.

Azmaria shook Chrono again, but there was still no response from him. Frowning, the apostle raised her head, trying to figure out what to do. "Ooooh!" Azmaria carefully grabbed a hold of Chrono under his arms, dragging him towards the bed. The devil was a dead weight in her hands, and the small girl struggled to pull Chrono towards the bed.

After much struggling, Azmaria finally just pulled a pillow off the bed, carefully placing Chrono's head on it. She touched the devil's cheek once more, whimpering slightly despite herself. 'His fever is so high…'

The girl looked over Chrono, and blinked when she saw that the leg of his pants was darker colored. Frowning, Azmaria reached down, carefully rolling up the leg of the devil's pants. She gasped, tears filling her eyes.

Chrono's leg was a mess. Azmaria carefully unwrapped the stained and blood-soaked bandages that covered his lower leg, and then looked with horror upon the weeping burns that covered his skin. The skin was a burning red color, and heat radiated from it, indicating that it was infected.

Chrono moaned slightly, his head flung to the side. Azmaria murmured slightly to him, trying to comfort him as she gently smoothed his sweaty bangs away from his face. "It'll be okay Chrono… I'll go get Father Remington; he'll be able to help… Just stay here, alright? I'll be right back."

The devil made no response, and, confused and worried, the apostle girl climbed to her feet and ran from the room, heading towards the chapel, where she hoped that the blond minister would be.

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Father Remington was shocked out of his peaceful reading as Azmaria came running in yelling for him. Afraid for the small girl, the minister stood, walking briskly forward to her side as she leaned over, panting slightly. Remington frowned, putting a gentle hand on the apostle's shoulder. "Azmaria? What's going on?"

The girl focused on him, still panting. "It's… Chrono… Father!"

Remington's eyes widened. Had he not caught what was really going on, had Chrono done something to seriously hurt himself? "What is it?"

Azmaria merely grabbed his sleeve, pulling him towards the devil's room. The priest followed with no objections, running as the girl in front of him picked up speed.

The two ran into Chrono's room to find the devil struggling to get to his feet, his violet hair cascading around him like a curtain, his cheeks flushed a deep red and sweat covering his shirtless form. He was leaning heavily against the bed, trying to remain on his feet, but Remington could see that the devil was shaking madly.

The priest ran forward, pushing Chrono's bangs out of the way to feel his forehead. The skin burned even through Chrono's headband, and Remington looked into dazed and incoherent crimson eyes. "Chrono?" the minister questioned.

Chrono's blank eyes snapped to his face, and then rolled back into Chrono's head as the devil lost consciousness, falling forward into Remington's arms as the priest caught him. The blond minister was worried out of his mind. He had never known Chrono to ever get sick, what was going on now?

Gently Remington lifted Chrono's thin form, worriedly noticing how light he was, placing him on the bed. After pulling a thin sheet over the devil's small body, the priest turned to Azmaria. "Azmaria, I want you to run to the infirmary, and tell them that I will bring Chrono in about 10 minutes or so. Tell them he has a horribly high fever."

The girl hesitated. "There's one more thing Father…" The pale girl crept forward, lifting the end of the sheet and pulling the leg of Chrono's pants up, revealing the oozing burn on Chrono's leg.

The priest's eyes widened, and he frowned. "Also tell them that there is a burn, a severe one. I will be there soon, but I'm going to go find Rosette first, okay?"

Azmaria nodded, turning and leaving the room. Chrono's heavy and labored breathing was the only sound in the room for a moment, and then Remington sighed, leaning to examine the burn on Chrono's leg a little more closely. Blond brows twitched together as he studied the skin, and Remington sighed. 'Could he be using holy water? I've never seen one this serious, but Chrono has gotten burned pretty badly by it… Perhaps I should check our stores…'

Remington stood, carefully wrapping Chrono's limp body in the sheet, and then lifting the little devil into his arms. He made his way towards Rosette's room, knocking softly on the door. There was a thump as Rosette no doubt fell out of bed, and then the tired looking girl opened the door, still in her nightgown and rubbing at her eyes.

Remington didn't have to say a word. One look at Chrono's flushed and sweating face was enough to snap Rosette into the right state of mind, and she looked to the priest.

Remington frowned. "I'm going to take him to the infirmary now."

Rosette nodded seriously. "I'll be there in five minutes."

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The doctor sat back with a sigh. "I've done all I can for him. Now all that's left is for him to recover and gain strength. I don't even know for sure if my medicines will work on him, they might not be strong enough…"

Rosette smiled at the lady doctor. "Thank you for your help."

The woman nodded, standing. "I'll leave you three alone with him for now; I have other things to take care of. Just call me if you need anything."

Rosette sighed, reaching out to stroke the back of Chrono's hand gently. The small devil did nothing to respond to her, deep in unconsciousness as he was. Rosette frowned, looking down to where clean white bandages were wrapped around both of his legs and arms. 'What have you been doing to yourself Chrono? And why?'

Remington sighed, running a hand through his bangs. The blond had recently returned from the church, and he knew what Chrono had been doing. "I've just been to where we keep the vials of holy water for missions; about a quarter of the stores are gone. I suspect they are in Chrono's room, but I can't locate them. He's hidden them well."

Rosette frowned deeper, returning to stroking the back of Chrono's warm hand. "Stupid fool… First he does this to himself, and then he goes and lets them get infected. He could have killed himself…"

Azmaria hesitated, and then spoke up. "Frankly Rosette, I think that's what he was aiming for."

Rosette blinked, and then shook her head. "No way, Chrono would never do that!" The girl paused glancing to Chrono's flushed and sweaty face. "Would he?"

Remington folded his arms over his chest. "You have to remember Rosette, you said something very hurtful to him, and it really pierced his heart. Chrono cares for you deeply, and to hear those words from you shattered him. He probably felt like there was no other way to ease his heart, and so he sought a way to cancel out the pain, by causing himself more." The priest sighed. "I've seen it happen before."

Rosette felt tears gathering in her eyes. "I never meant to make him hurt so much… If only he hadn't been avoiding me all this time, I could have talked to him…" She looked down to where her hands were clenched in her lap. "I shouldn't have lost my temper about such a little thing! We've had fights about the contract before, but never this bad…"

At that moment Chrono groaned, his crimson eyes flickering open slowly. Rosette put a smile on her face, leaning to look at him. "Chrono, thank God you're okay, I was so worried about you!"

The devil blinked fuzzily, and then slowly turned his head to the side. "Sorry."

Rosette frowned, reaching out and putting a hand against Chrono's flushed cheek, turning the devil's head so he faced her. "Chrono, please, don't turn away from me. I'm sorry for what I did; I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't mean to cause you so much pain…" The blonde girl shook her head. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Chrono nodded, and a small smile came to his lips. "Yes."

Rosette frowned. "Chrono…"

The devil shook his head slightly, closing his eyes. "I'm tired."

Worried and confused, the nun watched as the little devil dropped off into sleep quickly. "That was too easy. I don't think he believes me."

Remington shook his head. "He doesn't. We have to find some way to make him believe that you are really sorry for what you said. Until then, we just have to wait until he recovers. There's nothing more we can do."

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Chrono opened his eyes to darkness. The devil sat up and looked around, confused. 'Where am I?'

Lightning flashed outside, and Chrono's eyes were lit up as the electricity flashed against his red irises. The devil pushed himself to his feet, his right leg protesting slightly, but holding his weight. 'I feel so dizzy… Maybe I just need a little air…'

Chrono made his way outside the infirmary, going into the cool air that smelled of good rain. Breathing deep, the small devil closed his eyes, and then started to make his way back to his room. Being so close to Rosette had started up the ache in his heart again, even though she had taken back what she had said. He knew that what she had said was the truth, he could sense it, but he still couldn't help but look for his stores of holy water.

Chrono sighed. He was addicted, and he knew it. He was hooked on the pain, the rush of feeling, the amazing feeling of the power he held in his hands, the power to end his own life in an instant if he so wished. He was addicted to the burning sensation that had turned into a pleasurable thing, and he could no longer escape it.

As the devil started to reach to open his door, his sharp ears picked up a noise, something that sounded like Rosette. Frowning, Chrono crept around the corner, coming face to face with the thing that broke his heart again.

Rosette, her arms wrapped around a boy's neck, and that boy's head tucked under her chin. They stood against the wall, Rosette giggling as the boy's teeth nipped at her neck. "Stop it…" Rosette whispered. "What if someone finds us?"

"Who cares?" came the reply, and Chrono instantly felt his protective instincts flare, a growl building in his chest and throat.

The vocalization of his anger never escaped. The devil let his anger fall as soon as he saw Rosette kiss the boy. All of Chrono's anger left, replaced with burning heartache and sadness. The little devil felt as though his heart had been torn out, and, tears flowing freely down his face, Chrono turned and ran.