I do not own Chrono Crusade, it belongs to Daisuke Moriyama. The characters are being borrowed without permission for entertainment purposes only. So don't sue me, you won't get much anyhow.
This story takes place before the team leaves for San Francisco. After that it takes a sharp left into my own Alternate Universe. I will be using elements from both the Manga and Anime. Enjoy. C&C is appreciated.
Text Key:
() -- thoughts
'Bold'-- sound effects
Speech -- Chrono/Demons in true form
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Black Sabbath
Part Two: Changes
By: Anime Otaku
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"The winds of change are approaching fast. Will you spread your wings and let yourself be caught up in them? Or, will you plant your feet and resist their calling?"
-Aion the Sinner
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Grand Central Station, New York, 1924
Duke Duffau, Commander of Hell's Pursuer Legion, grunted in annoyance as he stepped off the train. He was crushing down on the nearly irresistible urge to release some frustration by transforming and tearing every single human he could see to pieces.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbled, "Why are we even considering forming an alliance with them?"
"Because we need their help, Duffau." The Duke glanced at the man standing at his side. He was dressed in a dark business suit and rain coat. The only thing out of place was the pure white feather stuck in the brim of his hat. "And despite what you may think about them, humans can be rather smart and resourceful at times."
Duffau snorted. "I still say that my Pursuers could have found Aion if we had more time."
"Maybe so, but you've been searching for him for over fifty-four years and still haven't found him. And while I have complete faith in your abilities, I'm afraid that time is a luxury we do not have. This is why I am here."
"Then you're still going to meet him?"
"Of course. I didn't come all the way to the Great City of Babylon just to go sightseeing."
Duffau ground his teeth together. "I still can't believe that you're going to meet with HIM. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
The man chuckled. "Don't worry. I've dealt with his kind before. Besides, you have a mission to do here, remember?"
The Duke nodded. "If you say so. But tell me something. Why couldn't I just wait in San Francisco like we originally planned?"
"Because something has changed. At least, that's what he told me anyway."
Duffau was shocked. "And you're TRUSTING him?" The man nodded. "Why?"
"Because he gains nothing by killing me prematurely. Plus, I've dealt with him many times before, so I'm not worried by this."
"Still..."
"I understand the position you're in, Duffau, but this is neither the time nor the place to be discussing this. Just make contact with the Magdalan Order and Chrono the Sinner as previously planned. I'll contact you if there is anything else I need."
"Alright then."
Stepping out into the drizzling rain, the Duke and his companion went their separate ways.
-----------------------------
Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York Harbor
"You're late."
Duffau's dark clothed companion smiled. "I did some sightseeing."
The dark man sat at the table and stared at the man who was already seated. He was dressed in all white, from his hat down to his shoes. The complete opposite of himself. His long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached just between his shoulder blades. His blue eyes narrowed as the dark man pulled a flask out of his coat pocket.
"What is that?" the blond man asked.
"Jack Daniel's," the dark man replied, taking a swig. "Want some?"
Blue eyes narrowed. "You know this country has a Prohibition in affect, don't you?"
"See, that's the problem with you, Gabriel, you're too uptight. You need to learn to loosen up a bit, when to bend the rules and, if necessary, when to completely destroy them."
"You're the last person in the world who should talk about 'bending' rules. And you shouldn't use my name like that," Gabriel said in a low tone.
The dark man stared at Gabriel, then said, "Gabriel, Gabriel, we've got Gabriel over here." Nobody seemed to notice him. "See no one cares. They're too caught up in their own petty lives to give a damn about anyone else's."
Gabriel looked away and scowled.
"So, let's get down to business. Why exactly did you call me here? It's got to be pretty damn important if you sent one of you're little messenger boys all the way to Hell just to find me."
"We have a problem."
The dark man snorted. "If you're talking about Aion, then you've wasted my time. I'm already working on that particular problem. Duffau and his Pursuers are taking steps to track him down and put an end to his little rebellion as we speak."
"No. It's not Aion, although he is certainly part of this problem."
"Well if it's not Aion, then what is it?" The dark man took another swig form his flask.
Gabriel looked around then leaned in close. "Crayak was able to slip past the Seal and escape his prison."
There was a sudden gasp then the dark man started hacking and coughing. "WHAT?" he finally shouted. "What do you mean he escaped from his prison?"
"Quite you fool! I mean what I said. It happened about three days ago. Somehow Crayak was able to temporally leave his prison."
"He... he's back in there, right?" There was a hint of fear in the dark man's voice.
Gabriel nodded. "He wasn't out very long. But it was long enough to make everyone worry."
He dark man sighed. "You're right, this is a problem. Is that the only reason you called me here?"
"No. But it is part of it. I'm also here to... form an alliance with you and you're Legion."
The dark man raised an eyebrow. "An alliance? You're asking me and my Legion to work along side the Angels?"
"Yes."
"What's in it for us?"
"You get to live a little while longer."
"You'll have to do better than that," the dark man snorted. "Me and my Legion are damned anyway, so why should we care?"
Gabriel's eyes widened. "You can't be serious! You know what will happen when Crayak gets out and we can't allow that!"
"Calm down, I was just pulling you leg. You know I'm gonna help you."
Gabriel scowled. "Can you please be serious for just two seconds?"
"Kill joy," the dark man muttered. "So tell me, how is Aion involved in all of this? The only ones in all of Hell who know about Crayak are myself and Pandemonium."
"We think he is the reason that the Seal has weakened."
"Explain."
Gabriel sighed. "When Aion took the head of Pandemonium, he not only killed the Queen of Hell, he insured the complete destruction of the Darkness. And without the Darkness to balance out the Light..."
"...Crayak now has the perfect opportunity to escape from his imprisonment," the dark man finished for him.
"Correct. In his bid for freedom, Aion has unknowingly insured the complete and total destruction of everything that you and God have created."
"So this is why you want an alliance. But why me? Why not the humans?"
"Because you've fought Crayak before, you know what he and his minions are capable of. And as much confidence as the Lord has in his children, they're just not strong enough to fight against him."
"I can see your point. All right, you have you're alliance. I'll tell Duffau about it. He may not like it, but he is still loyal to me, so I have nothing to worry about."
"I hope you're right. Remember, you thought Aion was loyal to you as well, and look at what happened."
The dark man snorted. "Don't remind me. And besides, Aion was special, him and his brother, so I wasn't really all that surprised when it happened. Now the only problem is setting it right." Putting his flask away, the dark man rose to his feet and reached for his hat. "Well if there's noting else, I'm gonna catch up with Duffau and let him know of our little agreement."
Gabriel's hand shot forward, capturing the man's wrist, preventing him from leaving. "Wait a second," he whispered.
"What?" the dark man snapped in annoyance.
"Do you ever regret it? The decision you made?"
The dark man stared into Gabriel's eyes for a split second before jerking his hand away and putting his hat on. "No," he snapped. "Not for an instant." And then he walked away.
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Gabriel watched the dark man walk away from him and let out a sigh. It was done. He had successfully entered into an alliance with the one person he had once considered his brother. The one person who had taken his trust and completely thrown it out the window.
The Fallen Angel, Lucifer.
Although this meant that the Legion would have to split their forces, he was sure that it wouldn't be a problem. Duffau and his Pursuers would help the humans track down and eliminate Aion while he and Lucifer kept a close watch on Crayak's Seal. Hopefully the incident that happened a few days ago would only be a small fluke. But in case it wasn't, he would take the necessary precautions to keep the humans from finding out about Crayak.
(No more mistakes,) he promised himself. (The humans have survived on this world for over a thousand years. I will not let Crayak destroy what they have created.)
Rising from the table, Gabriel looked out the window across the New York skyline. So much was at stake now. If the alliance with the Devil Legion somehow backfired in everyone's faces, then there would be no stopping the return of Crayak, and the cycle of creation and destruction that he and God had been playing for eons would begin again.
For the first time that Gabriel could remember since his 'birth', the Children of God have been able to live their lives without the constant threat of Crayak wiping them out after the first hundred years. It tore at his being to remember the countless times that he and his Seraphim warriors could do noting to stop Crayak from destroying everything that the Father created time and time again.
But not this time. While destroying him was completely out of the question, Gabriel would do everything in his power to make sure that he was sealed for all eternity and that he stayed that way.
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
The soft 'click' of the closing pocket watch echoed throughout the workshop, rousing Chrono form the lulls of sleep. The little demon rubbed his eyes, trying to bring his world into focus.
"Elder?"
"Ah, Chrono m'boy, good evening."
"Evening...?" Chrono looked out the window, seeing the sun setting in the western sky. "How long was I asleep?"
The Elder shrugged. "About three days... give or take a few hours."
"Three days?" Chrono shot up from his sitting position, ignoring the pain in his neck as his mussels cramped. "You mean to tell me you've been trying to fix that watch for three days straight?"
The Elder snorted. "Of course not, just who do you think I am? The first thing I did was catch up on my sleep. I made the changes to the watch on the second day and have been doing some preventive maintenance on it since I woke up this morning. The thing was in pretty bad shape. You really should take better care of it you know."
Chrono stared at him in shock. "So, you fixed it?"
"Of course I did. It wasn't that complex once I got the machinations down. Here, see for yourself."
Chrono took the watch from the Elder's outstretched hand. "It's still ticking."
"And it will continue to do so until the Seal is broken." The Elder paused for a moment then said, "Chrono, you need to understand something, the Contract between Rosette and yourself will last as long as you keep drawing power from her, hence the ticking of the watch. However, when you begin to draw upon this new power, the Contract will be broken. You do realize this?"
Chrono tightened his hold on the watch. "I do."
"And you'll go through with it anyway?"
"I will. I'm not going to leave Rosette just because our Contract is broken. I never needed it to stay by her side in the first place."
The Elder nodded. "Alright. Just be careful, we don't know how drawing on this power will affect you."
Chrono smiled. "Thank you, Elder, I'll be okay. Well, I better get this back to Rosette. I'd hate to think what would happen if she woke up and found it missing." With that, Chrono ran out of the Elders workshop.
The Elder watched Chrono as he ran back towards the infirmary, and to Rosette.
(You're taking a very dangerous risk, Chrono m'boy. I just hope you're making the right choice.)
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Chrono silently entered the infirmary, careful not to wake the sleeping Sister as she snored lightly in her bed. He placed the watch back on the bedside table and pulled a chair up to the bed. He took her uninjured hand in his own and gave it a little squeeze.
"No more, Rosette," he softly whispered. "I'm not going to cause you pain anymore. I just hope you will forgive me for the way I'm doing it."
Chrono was surprised when she squeezed back and murmured out a sleepy, "...forgive you, Chrono..."
The demon smiled. He had expected her to say something like that. (Asleep or awake, Rosette will always be Rosette.)
Almost involuntary, Chrono's eyes returned to the pocket watch. For as long as he had known her, Chrono had come to expect a few things from his Contractor. He expected her to drive like Barney Oldfield when she got behind the wheel of a car. He expected her to shovel down her food whenever she ate. And he expected for her moods to change at the drop of a hat.
But, not matter what -- no matter what he did, or what he said -- he always, ALWAYS, expected for Rosette to forgive him. And she always did... sooner or later... depending on her moods...
"But I wonder," he whispered again, running his fingers through her bangs, "am I expecting too much from you this time, Rosette?"
Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Chrono let sleep overtake him and slumped forward, his head resting on his Contractor's bed.
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It was cold. Freezing cold. And he said just as much.
He looked down and watched as the ice slowly worked its way up his nude body and over his tattered wings. He tried to move, but found his movements restrained by chains that held his wrists and disappeared into the surrounding blackness.
(I'm going to freeze...)
"Sinner..."
A voice. A voice he recognized.
"...Aion...?"
"So they call us, Sinners...?"
"Is that you, Aion...?"
"Makes you laugh, huh?"
"Where... where are you?"
"You seemed afraid to have learned the truth."
The darkness thinned out in front of him. Aion was there, sitting upon a hill of bones.
Demon bones. Hundreds of them.
A woman was clutched to his side. She seemed oddly familiar to him. Aion smiled down at him, his wings fanning out behind him.
"You're different... Chrono."
His smile widened.
"Let's go."
Chrono looked confused.
"Go where?"
Aion held his hand out to him.
"To a world where we can be free."
Chrono looked at Aion's hand, wanting to take it.
(It's so cold here. If I take his hand... will I... feel better?)
Fighting against the ice on his body and the restraints, Chrono finally got his arm to move and reached for Aion's outstretched hand.
Light. Blinding, white-hot, beautiful light suddenly erupted behind him. Its warmth penetrated the cold darkness and melted the ice from his body, but he ignored it. His hand was almost in Aion's.
"Don't do it, Chrono..."
Another voice. This one also familiar. But it was different from Aion's. It filled him with warmth and another sensation he couldn't describe.
Amber eyes widened as slender arms wrapped around his midsection and a female body was pressed against his back, the head resting between his wings. The feeling of their naked flesh touching sent shivers down his spine and a tingling sensation throughout his entire body.
His eyes softened.
(This soothing warmth...)
"Yeah... Yeah, you're right."
(This is...)
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"Mmmm..."
Chrono slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred and fuzzy. Blinking a few times, he finally got them to focus and found himself staring up a white ceiling.
(Huh? I'm still in the infirmary? ...oh yeah, now I remember. I fell asleep next to Rosette. But, how did I end up on my back? And why do I feel so warm?)
As Chrono tried to figure out how he ended up where he ended up, a hand reached out and took some of his hair between its fingers. Chrono stiffened slightly but did nothing to stop the probing fingers as they found their way to his cheek. The fingers traced their way up his cheek until they came to rest right behind his ear, and started to rub.
Chrono's eyes went wide momentarily then started to slowly shut. All other coherent thoughts left his mind as the relaxing sensations spread throughout his body. He eventually became completely limp and tilted his head further to the side to allow whoever was doing this to him easer access.
Chrono heard the person giggle softly, but ignored it, instead scooting closer to the source of the warmth. As the ministrations continued, he suddenly let out a soft noise from the back of his throat that sounded like a purr. Another giggle and an increase in the pace was his reward.
He was drifting again. The almost sinfully pleasurable feelings were threatening to send him back into the lulls of sleep and he found that it was becoming harder to resist their calling.
Suddenly the hand was removed and the feelings stopped. Chrono whined in protest. It had felt so GOOD. Who on earth could have been so cruel?
"Come on, Chrono, get up. My legs are starting to go numb."
Chrono's eyes snapped open. That sounded like... Rosette! Of course it would have been her. She was the ONLY person who knows about his 'weak spot'. His eyes traveled upward until they came to rest on his Contractor's face. He was slightly surprised to see her smiling.
"Morning," she whispered.
"Rosette..." Chrono suddenly realized the position he was in and quickly sat up. "Sorry 'bout that."
"It's Jake. You looked like you were having a bad dream when I woke up, so I tried to help you out a little."
(I see... So that warmth was...)
Chrono smiled. "Thank you, Rosette. I feel better now."
Rosette's cheeks turned slightly pink. "You're welcome."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the two until it was broken by a low grumbling noise.
Rosette's cheeks turned a deeper shad of pink. "Hehe, guess I'm a little hungry."
Chrono chuckled "Not surprising. You were asleep for about four days straight."
Rosette's eyes widened. "Four days? Hump, I wish Sister Kate would let me sleep like that on a regular basis."
Chrono's laugh was cut short by another growl from Rosette's stomach.
"I'll get you something to eat." Chrono rose from the bed and stopped at the doorway. "Rosette," he softly whispered, "I'm sorry."
Rosette blinked her eyes. "For what?"
"For loosing control and breaking the Seal. Because I let my anger get the best of me again, I've taken more of your life away from you. I'm... sorry."
Rosette could hear the self-loathing in his voice, but he left the room before she could say anything.
Blowing out her cheeks in annoyance, Rosette reached over and picked up the ticking pocket watch and held it close to her chest.
"Chrono you big dummy," she whispered. "I don't care that you forced open the Seal. You did it to protect me." Her grip on the watch tightened. "And I'm happy because that shows me how much you care."
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Three weeks later...
Duffau tapped his finger against the glass of the phone booth impatiently as he waited for his call to connect. He hadn't been in contact with his Lord since he had arrived in New York and he felt it was time for an update in his progress. Unfortunately the only thing he could report on was his failure to do what he was supposed to do.
(I'll be lucky to escape with my head still attached to my shoulders after this conversation,) he thought sourly. (And that's only if he's in a good mood.)
The call finally connected. 'Hello?'
"My Lord, it's me."
'Ah, Duffau, good to hear from you. Tell me, how has the negotiations with the Magdalan Order gone? From your lack of communications with me, I can only guess that they haven't been well.'
Duffau steadied himself. Here it goes. "Actually, my Lord, I haven't been in contact with the Order at all."
There was silence on the other end of the line. The longer it lasted the more Duffau began to sweat.
'And why is that, Duffau?'
Duffau twitched. His master may have sounded calm, but he knew better. If his excuse wasn't a good one, his Lord would have his head on a silver platter.
"I got sidetracked."
'For three weeks?' Lucifer asked.
"I was tracking a Sinner."
'A Sinner? Really? Which one?'
He sounded interested. That was a good sign.
"The one they call the Puppet Master."
'Ah, you're talking about Rizel. What's she doing in New York?'
"Don't know. Her movements were extremely erratic. She seemed to be moving all over the city, as if she was searching for something. I think she was also aware that I was following her."
'What happened?'
Duffau sighed. "She disappeared. Where to, I don't know. But whatever she was looking for, she must have found it."
'It seems that Aion is making his move. Duffau, don't waste anymore time. Get to the Order now and find Chrono.'
"Yes sir. I'll have two of my best Pursers try and find Rizel."
'All right, contact me when you have an answer from them. Oh, and, Duffau?'
"Yes, my Lord?"
I've entered into an alliance with Gabriel and his Angels, so until further notice, I want no more battles between your Legion and them.'
Duffau was disconnected before he could even say anything. He stood there in shock for a few minutes, the dial tone echoing in his ear. Finally he sat the receiver back on the cradle. He calmly walked out of the booth and down the street, his mind going a mile a minute.
(An alliance... between the Angels... and my Legion...?)
Duffau stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "WHAT IN THE HELL IS HE THINKING?" he roared, ignoring the looks that bystanders were giving him.
He stalked off again in the direction of the Magdalan Order. "This is by far the most insane thing that he has ever done. It's a disaster just waiting to happen, I can feel it." He sighed. "But I am loyal to him and I will not betray him like Aion and his Sinners did."
(But I don't know how many more of these surprise alliances I can stomach.)
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
Loud slurping noises could be heard coming from the infirmary as they bounced off the stone walls of the convent. Chrono peeked over the book he was reading -- which, ironically, happened to be the novel Foust -- and watched as his bed-ridden Contractor ate her food at her normal pace. Meaning she inhaled everything she could grab at one time.
The noise finally stopped and Rosette flopped back on her pillow, sighing in contentment as one of her fellow Sisters took her tray away. "This is so Jake. I could get used to being waited on hand and foot like this. Maybe I should get injured more often."
Chrono looked up from his book to stare at his Contractor in shock. "You can't be serious!"
Rosette noticed the look on her partner's face and decided to have a little fun at his expense.
"Sure, why not? I mean think about it. If I'm on bed-rest all the time, Sister Kate can't yell at me for destroying anything anymore. I'd be getting three square meals a day and all the sleep I could ever want. Yep, I would defiantly be living the life."
Chrono stared at Rosette, flabbergasted. His mouth opened and closed several times, making him look like a fish out of water.
"R-R-Rosette!" he stammered. "You're joking about this, right?"
Rosette tried to keep a straight face, she really did, but it was hared to do when she looked at Chrono. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and broke down into a fit of giggles. When he realized that he had been taken for a fool, Chrono puffed out his cheeks in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. When Rosette was finally able to catch her breath and she looked at him again, she couldn't help herself. His facial expression sent her into a whole new round of laughter, tears coming to her eyes.
"You think it's so funny, don't you?" he asked, releasing the air.
"Oh, Chrono, I don't THINK it's funny! It IS funny!"
Calmly putting his book down, Chrono crossed the room in three steps, standing at the foot of Rosette's bed, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Really? You think it's funny?"
"I do," she said, calming down a bit.
Chrono suddenly pounced, pinning Rosette's hands above her head with one hand and straddling her hips, careful not to bump her still healing ribs. She wriggled beneath him, trying to break his hold on her. But even with her arm completely healed, he was still much stronger than she was. Smiling down at her, Chrono brought his free hand in between them and wiggled his fingers.
Rosette's eyes went wide. "Chrono, no! Don't you DARE! I swear, Chrono, if you even THINK about doing that, I'll--!"
"You'll what?" he said huskily, running his fingers lightly down his Contractor's side, causing her to squirm. He leaned in close, their noses nearly touching, his hot breath fanning her lips. "What will you do, Rosette? From what I see, I'm the one in control, not you."
Rosette flushed deep red. What the hell was going on? What was Chrono doing? This wasn't like him at all! He had never been this bold before. Or this... dominating. She squirmed again when Chrono slipped his hand under the hem of her nightgown, tracing his finger across her stomach and up her side again, forcing the nightgown up with his hand, exposing Rosette's flesh to the cool morning air.
Rosette sucked in a deep breath when Chrono moved his head to one of her ears and took the lobe into his mouth and sucked on it, then nipped it gently.
"Mine...," his hissed into the appendage. He then moved his lips to hover just above hers. "...mine...," he hissed again, nipping at her bottom lip. He moved to the other ear, giving it the same affection as the last one. "...mine..."
His fingers moved across Rosette's skin, tracing the lower curves of her breasts that the nightgown failed to cover. "Mine," he said again. His fingers then traced their way down to her stomach, nails lightly digging into the skin, causing Rosette to shiver in pleasure under him. His fingers stopped just above the hem of her bloomers.
"MINE," he growled out possessively, moving away from the ear to look her in the eyes.
Rosette's eyes widened in shock. Chrono's eyes had gone from their normal maroon color to a bright, demonic shade of lust-red. She tried struggling free once again, only to have Chrono press down on her wrists harder, stopping her movements.
"NO!" he growled. "Mine! Mine and no one else's! All mine," he finished in a whisper. "Forever."
Rosette closed her eyes and waited in half anticipation, half fear, as Chrono's free hand slipped slowly into her bloomers, softly stroking her inner thigh, making its way to her center.
His advances were interrupted when the door suddenly flew open and Azmaria skipped inside, a big smile on her face.
"Rosette, guess what? Someone's here to see yo--! Eeep!" Azmaria skidded to a stop and turned beet red when she saw the position that Chrono and Rosette were in.
"Azmaria? What's wrong, limpkin?" Satella strode in behind Azmaria, but stopped cold when she, also, saw the position that Chrono and Rosette where in. "What in hell is going on here?"
Raising her voice was not the smartest thing that Satella could have done at the moment. It had the unfortunate affect of catching Chrono's attention, which had been totally focused on Rosette up to that moment. Snapping his head up, the demon growled deep in his throat and bared his fangs at the women. Azmaria squealed in surprise and fell on her rear, tripping over her convent uniform. Satella simply stood her ground, staring at the two in shock.
"NO!" Chrono hissed out. "You can't have her! She's MINE!"
Satella recovered her wits, somewhat anyway, and took a step forward, saying the first thing that came to her mind. "Chrono, what are you doing?"
At the German woman's small advance, Chrono gnashed his teeth and his body tensed up, as if he was getting ready to attack the woman. Azmaria whimpered in fear and scooted back until she was pressed against the wall. Chrono kept his eyes on Satella, his mind writing Azmaria off as a less than serious threat.
The two continued their standoff, the entire room having gone quite, each occupant afraid that the slightest noise might set Chrono off in some way. Satella briefly wondered if she was going to have to summon a jewel monster in order to subdue the demon.
(I don't like the idea of doing it in such a closed in area. I could end up hurting Rosette or Azmaria in the process.) Her eyebrows furrowed. (But, if he decides to attack, I won't have much of a choice.)
Satella was pulled from her thoughts when Chrono suddenly let out a noise that sounded like something in between a moan and a whimper. Her eyes widened when the color of Chrono's eyes started to change. They began to rapidly shift from the demonic-red to his normal maroon. His hands came up to clutch his head and he began muttering inaudible words that no one could make out.
"Chrono...?" Rosette's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. But in the silence of the room, she might as well have shouted.
The demon's attention was brought back to his Contractor. Maroon eyes widened at the sight of her. Her wrists crossed above her head and nightgown pushed halfway up her body. A wave of emotions flashed through his mind: fear, denial, sorrow, and a feeling of self-loathing so intense he could feel himself drowning in it.
Chrono flung himself away from Rosette as if he had been burned by Holy Water. He backed away until he was against the wall and even then he still tried to get further away from her. Rosette slowly sat up, showing off her flesh to Chrono again before it was covered by the nightgown. His eyes flashed red and he squeezed them shut, grabbing his head.
"Stop it," he whimpered. "I won't do that! I WON'T!"
"Chrono, are you all right?" Azmaria timidly asked, peeking out from behind Satella. Chrono turned his red-eyed gaze in her direction and she let out a squeak, ducking behind Satella again.
A shudder rippled throughout his body and before anyone could say anything else, Chrono suddenly bolted from the room, leaving behind three very confused women.
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In his shapeless prison, Crayak the Destroyer smiled to himself, rather pleased with the results of his little experiment on Chrono.
(SO, MY LITTLE PUPPET, IT APPEARS THAT SOME OF YOUR STRINGS ARE STILL ATTACHED. EXCELLENT!)
The entity watched, amused, as the demon ran from the infirmary and across the convent grounds, stumbling a few times, only to pick himself up and run faster. He finally reached the Elder's workshop and collapsed to his knees, his nails digging into his scalp until blood flowed down both sides of his face, dripping off his chin to splatter on the stone floor.
(SO, CHRONO, TRYING TO IGNORE YOUR INSTINCTS BY FOCUSING ON THE PAIN YOU INVOKE ON YOURSELF?) Crayak snorted. (PATHETIC! WHAT KIND OF DEMON FIGHTS AGAINST THE VERY INSTINCTS THAT HE WAS BORNE WITH?)
Crayak's musings were interrupted when Chrono screamed in agony, falling to his side and clutching his chest. The demon had ripped the front of his shirt open and dumped a vile of Holy Water on himself. Crayak watched as the affected skin started to hiss and sizzle, causing small puffs of white smoke to rise from his body.
(HMMMM, I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR TODAY, MY LITTLE PUPPET. I CAN'T HAVE YOU INJURING THAT BODY OF YOURS TOO SEVERELY.)
With that, Crayak released his hold over Chrono, his conciseness slipping back into his prison.
(THE STAGE HAS BEEN SET. ALL THAT'S LEFT IS FOR THE CURTIN TO RISE AND FOR THE ACTORS TO PLAY THEIR PARTS.)
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"Ewan, get in here right now! I need your help!"
It was a rare thing in the Magdalan Order to hear the Elder yelling -- perverted glee not counting -- or talk seriously for more than ten seconds. So when Father Remington heard him screaming for him, he immediately knew that something was wrong. But until he came in and found the Elder kneeling next to a badly injured Chrono, he didn't know how dire the situation was.
"Chrono...? What happened to him, Elder?"
"Fool splashed himself with Holy Water." The Elder picked up Chrono's limp body and took him to his room, lying him down on his cot. "Bring me my First-Aid Kit, Ewan," he said, removing the demon's coat and shirt.
The priest returned moments later with the medical supplies and, with the help of the Elder, wiped the last of the Holy Water off of Chrono's body and wrapped his injured head and chest. As the Elder was tying off the last bandage on his chest, he accidentally tied it too tight, causing Chrono to hiss in pain, his eyes fluttering open.
"Wha...?"
"Ah, Chrono m'boy, welcome back."
"Elder? What are you doing here? I thought you were away on business?"
"Er..." The Elder glanced at Father Remington who slightly shook his head. "I, uh, that is to say, I was... but I just got back. And a good thing I did, too. If I hadn't found you when I did, you would be dead by now. What on earth possessed you to do such a foolish thing to yourself?"
Chrono looked between the Elder and Father Remington and turned his head away in shame. "Something... activated my Legion."
The Elder blinked. (Well that was different. I at least expected him to try and lie his way out of this.)
"Activated your Legion?" Father Remington questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Chrono nodded and lifted himself into a sitting position, gritting his teeth in pain. "Yes. Or, to be more specific, a special type of Legion."
The Elder mouth dropped open in shock. "There's a different type of Legion? I never knew about that, and I've been studying the workings of demons for fifty years!"
"That's not surprising. What makes these Legions different is not their physical appearance, but what their function is."
Father Remington cast a worried glance at the Elder before asking, "And what is their function, Chrono?"
Chrono's cheeks turned slightly pink and his hands began fidgeting with the bed sheets. "Well..."
Father Remington and the Elder leaned in close, intense looks of interest on both their faces. "Hmmmm?"
Chrono sighed. (Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?)
"You two might want to sit down, this might take a..."
Father Remington and the Elder seemed to pull two chairs out of nowhere and promptly sat down.
"...while." Chrono blinked. "Ahem. All right then. As you already know demons, like humans, are also composed of millions of microscopic mechanisms, which you call 'Legion'. The basic function of every Legion is to heal wounds and repair any damage to the body sustained in battle. They also prevent demons from catching a normal human sickness. All this is possible because of the constant flow of Astral energy that a demon absorbs through his horns. But without horns, a demon's Legion are no better than regular human cells. Are you with me so far?"
The Elder and Father Remington both nodded.
"Okay. Now, as for the special Legion, they... well they..." By now Chrono was red in the face and the two men were leaning closer to him, hanging on his every word like Rosette and Joshua used to do when he told them a story. Taking a deep breath, Chrono blurted out, "Theymakeitpossiblefordemonstomatewithfemales!"
Two pairs of unblinking eyes stared back at Chrono as a gust of wind blew through his window and birds chirped loudly outside.
"...Pardon?"
"...Say again?"
Chrono groaned at the blank stares they were giving him. Steadying himself, he repeated, "I said, they make it possible for demons to mate with females."
He watched as the information was processed and realization dawned on their faces, the lightbulbs finally clicking on in their heads.
Father Remington's face remained neutral while the Elder uttered a low, "Oooooh... And how does it...?"
"I was just getting to that," Chrono said, quickly. "The only way you are going to understand this is if I tell you about the way breeding is done in Pandemonium, so bear with me."
Chrono took a few seconds to gather his thoughts then began to speak.
"In order to keep up her constant defiance against God and his Angels, Pandemonium created a breeding system that would allow her to produce only the strongest of demons. Think of it as a sort of tournament which begins when a generation of demons reaches its first centennial. First are the females. Pandemonium will choose only one hundred of her strongest females to be Breeders. They'll be chosen in a trial by combat. The current generation will fight the last generation's champions and attempt to take their place. The ones that are left alive are declared as the new Breeders. Are you still following me?"
Again, Father Remington and the Elder nodded. Chrono noticed that the Elder had a notebook out and was quickly scribbling down notes. He didn't even want to think what the Elder would do with this kind of information.
"Alright. Next are the males. This is where the special Legion come into play and where things get a lot more dangerous. Until their first centennial, a male demon can not, I repeat, can NOT successfully mate with a female demon. Meaning he will not be able to produce offspring. This is all thanks to Pandemonium, because it is by her will alone that these Legions can be activated."
The Elder paused in his note taking. "So what you're saying is, unless Pandemonium unlocks these special Legions, a demon can't mate with any females?"
"In a nutshell, yes."
"Oh, that's just HORRIBLE!" the Elder wailed, tears streaming down both cheeks.
Chrono and Father Remington stared at him. "Huh?"
"To think that a young, healthy lad, such as yourself, can't enter the throws of lustful passion with a female until his first century comes to past is just CRUEL!"
Chrono turned beet red when he realized what the Elder was talking about and stammered, "N-n-no! That's not what I... Well, what I meant to say was... Uh..."
Father Remington got the Elder to sit down and said, "Please, Chrono, continue."
"Thanks. The way I meant for it to come out was like this: if a demon begins lusting after a female before the centennial, he can mate with her and find release in her, but it won't matter. Unless his Legions have been activated by Pandemonium herself, he will not produce any offspring from the female. Does that explain it better?"
The Elder relaxed into his seat. "Yes, it does. Lord, Chrono, don't scare me like that.
"You mentioned things becoming dangerous. What did you mean by that?" Father Remington asked.
"When the Breeders are chosen they release a sent. At the same time, Pandemonium activates the Legion in the males. When the males pick up the Breeder's sent, all coherent and rational thoughts disappear and they become completely controlled by their Legion, by their instincts. When this happens a demon will do whatever it takes to find that female and mate with her. This includes killing their own brethren. Sometimes an entire generation can almost be completely wiped out."
Chrono shuddered slightly, but continued to talk.
"After the competition is taken care of, the one hundred males left standing mate with the Breeders. The offspring that are borne will be trained as members of the Royal Guard -- what we now call the Pursuers." Chrono paused in his explanation, wondering if he should continue. He had already explained the purpose of the special Legion, but by the looks the two were giving him, he knew that they wanted to hear all of it. Up to the very end. So what choice did he have?
"So what happens to the last one hundred males that are left?" Father Remington asked.
Chrono said, "I was... just getting to that. After the last of the males finish mating, there are two more battles they must fight and both of them have the same goal: the right to mate with Pandemonium herself and create the next generation of demons. First they fight each other until one is left standing. That one last demon then has to fight his father."
"Father?" the two men coursed.
Chrono scratched his head, careful to avoid his injuries. Okay, maybe that wasn't the best way to word it, but he couldn't think of any other way to do so. "In a sense, yes. To be more specific, he has to fight the champion from the last generation. If he wins, he mates with Pandemonium and waits for the next mating period to defend his right to mate with her again."
"And if the loses?" the Elder asked.
Chrono shrugged his shoulders. "He's killed. The 'father' -- for lack of a better word -- mates with Pandemonium and the whole cycle starts all over again after the next hundred years."
The Elder finished writing in his notebook and looked up at Chrono. "And that's all?"
Chrono nodded. "Yes, that's all."
"How do you know all of this, Chrono?" Father Remington asked. "Did you ever participate in...?"
"No!" he shouted. The two men jumped at his sudden outburst and he tried to calm himself down. "No, I've never mated before," he said softly. "Aion and I rebelled against Pandemonium before we were old enough to mate."
The Elder was confused. "Then how do you know all of this?"
Chrono's grip on the sheets tightened. "He showed me once. When he was telling me of his dream and was trying to convince me to follow him. I was reluctant at first, content on with the way I was living in Pandemonium. But then..."
"But then what?"
"But then I saw the true ugliness of living in Pandemonium."
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Aion and Chrono crouched low in the darkness as they watched their Mother assemble her female Breeders. Chrono began to fidget and play with his waist-long hair, a sign of his nervousness that Aion knew all to well.
"Relax, Brother," Aion said, putting a calming hand on Chrono's shoulder, "everything will be alright."
"I hope so, Aion. If Mother finds us here, she'll kill us. Only members of the Royal Guard and those about to breed are allowed down here."
Aion smirked. "Don't worry. Mother will be too preoccupied with her Breeders to even notice our presence here. Trust me."
"And how do you know this?"
Aion's smirk became a full blown grin. "Because I've done this before."
Chrono's amber eyes widened in shock. "How? You and I were borne of the same generation! You shouldn't have been able to witness that! We shouldn't even be able to see what you claim will happen here soon."
"Oh, but I did and we will. Mother doesn't just mate every hundred years. She spreads the mating seasons out. Not all of our brethren are the same 'age', Chrono. Some have their first centennial not long after a mating session takes place. I saw my first one a year after my birth. And during the course of my life, I have seen many more. And all of them have made me feel the same way every time."
"How was that?"
Aion's smile turned into a snarl. "Disgusted!" he spat out. "Completely and utterly revolted. Never in my life have I ever been so ashamed to be a demon than when a mass mating session is triggered."
"But why? How could the creation of our new brothers and sisters be so revolting to you?"
Aion turned his eyes back to the Queen's Chamber. "You'll see soon enough, Brother."
The two demons settled back into the darkness, each lost in their own thoughts. After hours of waiting -- during which Chrono had fallen asleep -- the event that Aion had been waiting for was about to begin.
Aion reached over and shook him. "Brother, Brother, wake up. It's time."
"Huh? What are you talking abou...?" Chrono trailed off when he sniffed the air, catching a scent that was somehow sweet and tangy at the same time. The scent triggered something inside of him. It was a feeling that tickled his entire body, from his horns down to his feet. The sensation was very small -- it could easily be ignored, no problem there. But, because it was something new to Chrono, something that he had never felt before, it scared him. And the fear showed in his voice.
"A-Aion? What is this? What is this that I'm feeling? What's wrong with me?" Chrono's entire body was shaking. The large rock that he had had been leaning against turned to dust when his hands clenched into fists.
"This," Aion said, "is what's known as lust, my dear Brother. The Breeders have let loose there scent. Soon it will reach the other males and then it will begin."
"It? What's 'it'?"
Aion's eyes narrowed. "You'll see. Just be patient and wait."
Chrono didn't have to wait long. Moments later, he heard a muffled howling, as if it were coming from a long way away. Others soon joined in and the noise became much louder and much closer. Suddenly a demon appeared from one of the access tunnels that led to Pandemonium's core. Then another. And another. Two more. Ten. Fifty. A hundred. Chrono soon lost count as to how many were poring into the room.
Chrono was surprised to see that he knew a few of the demons that had entered the room, all of them older than him. The horde -- which had been flying straight towards Pandemonium's Breeders -- suddenly changed direction and flew towards the ceiling, where they started to fly in a circle.
What happened next was to be forever implanted into Chrono's memory. Without any warning the demons suddenly tore into each other, blood and body parts falling to the ground like rain. Screams of agony and anger echoed throughout the chamber, causing Chrono to shudder and turn his head away, placing his hands over his ears. He tried to escape, to leave the screams and violent images behind him, but was yanked down into the dirt by Aion.
"Let me go, Aion!" he all but wailed. "Let me go! Don't make me watch this."
Aion grabbed Chrono by his hair and whirled him around to the chamber again. "But you HAVE to," he hissed in his brother's ear. "You have to see. See what we are to our beloved 'Mother'! You owe it to them, Chrono. You owe it to our fallen brothers to see what our Mother does to us."
Chrono's eyes involuntarily opened and he was forced to watch as the breeding ritual was carried out. Finally, Aion let him go and he slid down to the dirt, Pandemonium's moans of pleasure still ringing in his ears.
"Now do you see, Brother?" Aion asked. "Do you see why I want us to be free? If we stay here, living under Mother's rule, we'll suffer the same fate. I don't want that for us, for any of us."
Aion turned to face Chrono. "Help me, Brother. Help me create a world where we will never have to worry about things like this again."
Chrono remained silent; his head bowed and shoulders slightly shaking. "What...," he quietly whispered.
Aion raised an eyebrow.
Chrono lifted his head to look Aion in the eyes. "What do you need me to do, Brother?"
Aion smiled and held out his hand, which Chrono took without hesitation. "I need you," he said, helping Chrono to his feet, "to become my sword, Chrono."
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Chrono was staring at his lap when he finished his story, his fists clutching the bed sheets in a white-knuckle grip. He slowly released his breath and forced his hands to loosen their grip.
"After that," he said softly, "Aion and I rebelled against Pandemonium and became Sinners. The rest is history."
Father Remington reached out and placed a hand on Chrono's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "We'll leave you to get some rest now, Chrono. Let us know if you need anything."
"Okay," was all he said.
The two men rose from their seats and headed out the door. The Elder passed through but Father Remington stopped at the door way.
"They were activated when you were with Rosette, weren't they?" he asked, not turning around.
Chrono nodded. "Yes, they were."
"Did you...?"
"No! No, I didn't do that with her. There was no scent present."
Father Remington turned around, confusion written all over his face. "But your Legion. They were..."
"Activated Legion by themselves can't awaken the carnal desires in demons," Chrono explained. "It has to be a combination of a breeder's scent and the Legion. That's why I've always considered Rosette safe when she started... ah, well, you know..."
Father Remington nodded. "One more question. If your Legion didn't have a scent to react off of, what did they use?"
Chrono shook his head. "I don't know. Something like this has never happened before. If I had to guess, I would say they used the emotions that are attached to Rosette."
"Emotions... that are attached to Rosette?"
"Yes, my emotions. My protectiveness of her. My possessiveness towards her. The... lust... I feel for her. And the love I have for her."
A long period of silence settled over the room until it was shattered by the Elder. "Ewan, get in here. We've still got a lot of work to do. I'm not getting any younger you know."
Father Remington started to leave when Chrono called out to him. "Father, wait!"
"Yes?"
"Rosette... Rosette will probably wonder what happened to me, but I don't think I should be around her. Just in case something happens again. So, would you..."
"I'll tell her not to worry about you. And I'll keep the two of you apart for the time being."
"Thank you."
The priest nodded. "You just get some rest, Chrono, I'll talk to Rosette."
Father Remington left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Left alone, Chrono sank slowly onto his back, trying not to aggravate his burns. Closing his eyes, the demon welcomed the sleep he so desperately needed, but dreaded the nightmares that came with it.
The nightmares that were his memories.
(End of Part Two)
Alight everyone, here's part two. I'd like to thank those who read and reviewed my story. I'm glad you enjoyed it (even if it was only one chapter so far). I hope this chapter was as good as the first one was.
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Next chapter:
-- Duffau and Rizel show up at the right place at the wrong time
-- Chrono breaks the Contract and Rosette's heart
See ya next chapter.