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 Five: Darkness
By: Anime Otaku
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"Oh, Chrono, don't be stupid. Darkness isn't anything to fear. Everything's the same as in the light -- it's just harder to see."
-Sister Rosette Christopher
------------------------------
Eden, the Sinners' Paradise, 1924
"Knight takes Rook. Check. So, what's your next move going to be, Aion?"
The silver-haired demon frowned, his brows scrunching in concentration. The library on Eden that he and Viede occupied was deadly quite. The perfect atmosphere for a chess game, and to think about their next move. Staring at the board for a while longer, Aion finally saw a move he could make.
"Queen takes Knight. It should be rather obvious," he said, leaning back in his seat. "We're going to take what's ours and attain our freedom."
Viede looked up from the game and stared at his friend. "Are you suggesting that we attack the Magdalan Order head on?"
Aion shrugged. "Why not? With the three of us, plus Fiore and Joshua as backup, it shouldn't be a problem. Also, Joshua's presence there will keep Rosette Christopher occupied while we take the Apostle and leave."
Viede thought a moment before asking, "What about Chrono?"
Aion snorted. "What about him?"
"He could cause us some problems if he transforms."
"Not likely," Aion said. "I know for a fact that Chrono would rather die than drain anymore Astral energy from his precious Contractor. He's as useless as a Pawn on this chess board."
"Careful my friend," Viede warned. "Too much pride could be the cause of your downfall. It could blind you to the threat that is right in front of you."
"I appreciate the warning, Viede, but Chrono will not be a problem for us. I'll make sure of it personally."
Viede shrugged. "Very well. I'll leave it in your hands. Now, do you want to tell me what's troubling you?"
Aion looked up from the board. "Why do you think I'm troubled?"
"You've been walking around Eden with a frown on your face all day. Plus, you're not paying full attention to the game as you normally do. Pawn takes Queen."
Aion made a move without really thinking and stared a Viede. "Am I really that easy to read? Both you and Shader have said something about my moods and it's really starting to piss me off."
"We've known each other for a long time, Aion, practically our whole lives. And if you think that we could go that long without being able to tell when you're troubled, then you're wrong. Now, tell me, my friend, what's wrong?"
Aion closed his eyes, contemplating on weather or not he should tell Viede what was on his mind. The idea wasn't all to appealing to him, but, maybe he could solve his little problem with Viede's help. Two heads were better than one after all and Viede usually had good advice that was worth listing to.
"It's Joshua and Fiore," he admitted. "I don't like how close there becoming."
"It never bothered you before."
Aion frowned. "I know. But now... I don't know; it has an all too familiar ring to it. Like I'm having a bad case of déjà vu."
Viede nodded. "I understand. You're worried that Joshua will start listening to his feeling towards Fiore rather than orders from you."
"Yes! Yes that's it exactly!"
"Just like Chrono did with Mary."
Aion's frown deepened. "Yes, just like Chrono and Mary."
"I can see why you would disapprove of what's happening between Joshua and Fiore, but I don't think you shouldn't worry so much."
"Why not?"
"If you remember, Chrono did what he did because you threatened Mary's life. As long as you don't repeat that same mistake with Fiore, Joshua will do whatever you say. Remember, he still thinks that by helping you, he will create a world where both he and his sister can finally achieve their dream."
"I suppose you're right."
Viede nodded. "I know I am. My move, correct?"
Aion shook himself. "Huh? Oh, yeah, your move."
Viede moved his Pawn. "Checkmate," he said, leaving the table. "Remember, Aion, even the most worthless of Pawns can deal a fatal blow when underestimated."
Aion stared at the chess board, looking between the move he had made and Viede's finishing move. Sighing, he slumped back into his chair and put a hand to his forehead.
(I need to pay more attention to my game from now on,) he thought.
-----------------------------
Fiore awoke -- for the first time that she could remember -- feeling more complete than she had felt in a long time. The aching pain that had been plaguing her since she had arrived at Eden ten years ago had slowly been ebbing away over the past four years. But now, it was almost completely gone. And she was sure that it was because of the young man she was laying beside, her body still wrapped in his warm embrace.
Joshua sighed in contentment when Fiore ran her fingers lightly through his bangs and tightened his hold on her. She smiled down at him and softly kissed his forehead, causing him to stir.
Joshua's eyes slowly opened and looked around the room until they came to rest on Fiore.
"Good morning, Fiore," he whispered, smiling.
"Good morning, Lord Joshua."
Joshua frowned slightly. "Fiore, what did I say earlier? You don't have to call me 'Lord Joshua' when it's just the two of us."
"Please forgive me... Joshua, but it's still taking some getting used to."
"It's all right, I'm not upset. There's no need for you to apologize to me."
The two slipped into a comfortable state of silence, content to be in the other's presence. Fiore would have liked nothing more than to stay where she was all day, but, looking at the clock on the wall, she realized that she couldn't. Very reluctantly she removed herself from Joshua's arms and picked her clothes off the floor.
"Fiore? What are you doing?" Joshua asked, sitting up.
"I have to prepare lunch," she said as she dressed herself. "I have been absent since breakfast and everyone will probably be wondering where I've been."
Joshua couldn't help but frown. (Aw, man. And I was hoping to spend all day with Fiore alone. But, I guess some things can't be helped.)
Fiore smoothed out her dress and glanced in a nearby mirror. She quickly checked her appearance, making a few last-minute adjustments to her hair and bonnet. She turned to excuse herself but stopped when she noticed Joshua's frown. Stepping over to him, she touched his shoulder and when he turned to face her, she leaned in and kissed him. It was quick and passionate and ended all too soon. But she had work to do.
"We can spend time together later this evening when my duties are finished," she told him.
Joshua, cheeks flaming, smiled. "I'm looking forwarded to it."
"So am I," she said. "Now, if you'll please excuse me." Bowing politely to Joshua, Fiore left his room, softly closing the door on her way out.
Joshua waited until the room was empty before he sighed and plopped back on his pillow.
(Fiore is just amazing!) he thought to himself. (I'm so lucky to have someone like that with me.)
Joshua briefly thought about staying in bed all day, but his stomach had other plans for him as it let out a long, loud growl.
"All right," he grumbled, getting out of the bed. "We'll do it your way. But I'm not eating any carrots. I don't care if they are good for me."
After a quick shower, Joshua gathered his clothes off the floor, dressed and stepped outside. A cold gust of wind hit him and he quickly shrugged into his long-coat. He made his way to the top of Eden and headed for the observatory's dinning room. He could already smell Fiore's cooking and could practically taste the food in his mouth.
"Freeze, mister."
Joshua went as stiff as a board and didn't move for a whole minute before he sneaked a peek over his shoulder. Shader was propped against the wall, her arms folded over her chest and staring at him with half-lidded eyes.
"Oh, Shader, it's only you," he said, relaxing.
The cat-demon didn't say anything. Instead she walked over to him and began to examine him from every angel, like he was some sort of lab specimen. Joshua became increasingly uncomfortable under the scientist's gaze and tried to back away from her. Unfortunately, he was stopped when she grabbed his jacket sleeve and pulled him close, inhaling deeply.
"I smell Fiore," she said in her sing-song voice.
Joshua's face turned red and he looked away. "S-so what? Of course you smell her. She's with me almost all the time."
Shader shook her head. "No, no. This time it's different. I just don't smell her on your clothes; she's on your body as well. And the sent is much stronger than it's been before. Now why is that?"
The teenage Apostle started to sweat as the Sinner began pacing slowly around him, her tail swishing back and forth. Finally she came to a stop in front of him, her back turned to him.
"That's it," she said, snapping her fingers. "I know why I smell Fiore all over you. And why it's so strong."
Joshua swallowed hard. "You do?"
"Yep." Shader whirled on him and jammed her finger in his face. "You mated with Fiore last night, didn't you?"
Joshua turned magenta and lunged forward, slapping a hand over the cat-demon's mouth. He bolted away from the door with Shader in tow, her arms flailing in protest. When he reached the back of the observatory, he sat the Sinner down and, after taking a quick look around, removed his hand from her face.
"Owwww," she whined. "That hurt."
"Sorry. But did you have to be so loud?"
"I can't help it! I'm so happy!" Shader squealed, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing. "My little Joshua has finally become a man!"
"Damn it, Shader, get off me!" Joshua protested, pushing her away. "I'm not a child anymore!"
"I know! And last night proves it!" she squealed again.
"Shader," he growled.
"Sorry, sorry. So tell me, are you happy with Fiore as your mate?"
"What? Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Shader shrugged. "I don't know. I just get the feeling that this wasn't planned. Am I right?"
Joshua's shoulders slumped slightly. "Yeah, your right. I didn't plan for anything like this to happen. It just sort of did."
"How?"
Joshua leaned back against the wall. "Fiore and I were going to our rooms and since mine came before hers, we stopped there first to say goodnight before we parted ways. I only meant to give her one last kiss but, before I knew it, it was turning into something more."
The Apostle blew out a breath and brought a hand to his temples and began to massage them. "This is the part that gets confusing. I distinctly remember making love to Fiore, but I also remember feeling as if I was seeing it through two different sets of eyes."
Shader's ears perked up. "What do you mean?"
"I don't really know. It's strange though. Along with the two sets of eyes were also two separate set of emotions that went along with them. One set I know belonged to me because I felt the love that I had for Fiore attached to them. But the other was completely different. I felt a surge of lust so strong that it scared me. That's the best way I know to describe it. Do you have any idea what might have happened to me?"
Shader thought for a moment then adjusted her glasses. "Not offhand. I'm going to need more information to make some sort of educated guess. So let me know if this happens again. Okay?"
Joshua nodded. "Sure, no problem. But could we keep this between us for now? I don't want the others to know about Fiore and me. Plus I don't want Fiore worrying about me too much."
"Sure, Joshua, I won't say a word. I promise."
"Thanks, Shader. I'd better get to the table before everyone starts worrying about me."
Shader watched Joshua walk away with a deep frown on her face. Sighing, she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
"This is bad," she mumbled. "The horns are starting to become more powerful than his Apostle Factor. I wonder how much time we have before the horns take him over completely."
(I need to talk to Fiore as soon as possible,) she thought as she followed after the teenager.
-----------------------------
Lunch with the Sinners was not as lively as it usually was. Aion was deathly quite and Viede hadn't even shown up. Even Genai, who had the table manners of a two-year-old, was strangely quite. Shader tried to lighten the mood by poking fun at Joshua for having to eat his carrots. But that hadn't even gotten a peep out of anyone.
Fiore came and cleared the table and, soon after, the only sound in the entire room was those of the dishes being washed.
"I have an announcement to make," Aion said at last, clearing his throat.
All eyes turned to the demon.
"I've been thinking a lot ever since the death of Rizelle about what our next move should be. We've obviously underestimated our enemy, and that has cost us one of our own. I will not make that mistake again. So, I've decided it is time to take what is ours by using the full weight of our forces. Tonight, we will pay the Magdalan Order a surprise visit so we can acquire our guest."
Joshua's ears seemed to perk up at this. "Aion, does this mean..."
Aion smiled and nodded. "It does. You'll get to see your dear sister again."
Joshua smiled. "Sis..."
"Shader, have the gate ready to transport us to the Order by the end of dinner."
"No problem!" she said. "It'll be ready to go in no time."
Aion nodded and left the room. Genai was soon to follow and Joshua disappeared into the kitchen with Fiore.
Alone at the table, Shader used her sensitive ears to listen in on the conversation between Joshua and Fiore. He seemed to be telling Fiore about seeing his sister again and how he couldn't wait for them to meet. Shader smiled. He sounded so excited about this, but Shader had to wonder if Joshua would even recognize his sister. The last time they had been together was four years ago. And a lot could change in four years. Joshua was proof of that.
When he had first been brought to Eden, Joshua had done nothing but cried. He had cried for his sister, for all the children at a place called Seventh Bell that he had 'stopped'. And, most surprisingly, he had cried for Chrono. He had been asking them -- begging even -- to forgive him for what he had done.
Aion had come to Shader, asking if she knew of a way to stop the horns from taking over Joshua. There was a good chance of that happening if he continued to remain as week-willed as he was. She had suggested the use of a limiter, something or someone who Joshua could latch onto and draw strength from so he could push back the horns' powerful influence. It had been by pure chance that Joshua had met Fiore. She had accidentally stumbled across him as he was having one of his fits.
No one knew how it happened, but -- somehow, someway -- Fiore had calmed the out-of-control Apostle. When Aion learned of this, the decision was made without hesitation. Fiore had become Joshua's limiter and, after four years together, so much more.
Shader was brought out of her memories when she heard the talking in the kitchen stop and it was replaced with a much quieter sound. Carefully getting up, she tip-toed to the door and peeked inside. The cat-demon smiled at what she saw.
Joshua and Fiore were embracing each other and kissing. The soft noise that Shader had heard was Fiore as she moaned.
(Oh, my,) she thought, blushing, (those two are something else.)
The two separated slowly and Fiore whispered something in Joshua's ear that even Shader's sensitive cat ears couldn't pick up. But, whatever it was, Joshua must have liked it. The Apostle was grinning like an idiot and had a faint blush painting his cheeks. He leaned in and gave Fiore a quick peck on the cheek then quickly left.
Shader finally had her chance. "Fi-dear, can I have a moment of your time?" she asked, walking into the kitchen.
Fiore stopped her cleaning and turned around. "Of course, Lady Shader. What do you need?"
"I need to talk to you about Joshua," she said, leaning against the counter. "And about last night, when both of you mated."
Fiore turned red and stammered out, "I-I don't know w-what you're talking about, Lady Shader."
Shader smiled and placed a hand on Fiore's shoulder. "It's okay, Fiore, I already know. Joshua told me, plus I could tell that something was different between the both of you."
Fiore bowed her head. "I see."
"Don't look that way, Fiore; I'm not mad at you. And I'm not going to say anything to anyone else. Joshua made me promise not to."
"Thank you."
"Not a problem. Now, what I want to know is this. When you were mating with Joshua last night, did anything strange happen?"
Fiore thought for a moment then said, "No, not that I can recall... No, wait, something did happen."
Shader's ears perked up.
"Lord Joshua's eyes were a different color. One remained blue while the other was red."
"I see. Anything else?"
Fiore blushed again. "Yes, there was. Lord Joshua was rather... rough with me last night."
Shader looked at Fiore in worry.
The attendant raised her hands. "Oh, no, don't worry. It was nothing violent. He just bit me, that's all."
"Where at?"
"On the neck. It's not even very serious; it'll be gone in a couple of days."
"Can I see it?"
Fiore nodded and tilted her head, moving the collar she wore to the side a bit, reviling two puncture wounds on her neck.
Shader brought a hand to her chin in thought. (Hmmmmm. That's defiantly the mark a demon would make. And since marking is a signature of a demon that has chosen his life-mate, then it's probably the influence of the horns that made him do it.)
"Um, Lady Shader?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you want to know what happened between myself and Lord Joshua last night?"
Shader sighed and took off her glasses, cleaning them on her lab coat. "The horns are starting to take over again."
Fiore gasped. "How is this possible? I thought that with me as his limiter, Lord Joshua wouldn't fully loose control anymore like he did at Seventh Bell."
Shader nodded and replaced her glasses. "In theory, yes, that's how it's supposed to work. For a human at least. But Joshua is more than just a human, he's an Apostle. Throwing something like that into the equation has never really been heard of. If my observations of Joshua over the past fore years are correct, the horns have created an entirely different personality within him. One that relies on the horns' power as an influence for his actions."
"Are we in danger because of my closeness to Lord Joshua?"
"Not at all. I think the only reason that last night happened was because Joshua and the horns both saw you in same light. That is to say, as a lifelong mate. And the horns influenced Joshua to take action in order to make sure that you became his."
Fiore looked as if she was about to cry. "So, you're saying that the only reason Lord Joshua made love to me is because the horns forced him to?"
"No, no, no! I'm not saying that at all! The horns only pushed him into taking action; they did nothing to make the decision for him. In order for the horns to make him do anything, he has to want it first. So, obviously, Joshua had thought about mating with you, he just needed a little nudge to make him actually do it."
Shader took Fiore's hands in her own and looked into the other woman's eyes. "Joshua loves you, Fiore, you know he does. And I know for a fact that the horns have nothing to do with that. You two are perfect for each other, and I can't see either of you with anyone else."
Fiore smiled and pulled Shader into a huge. "Thank you, Lady Shader. Thank you so much. That means a lot to me."
"You're welcome, dear. Now, you go and see Joshua, I'll finish up here."
"But I couldn't..." Fiore began.
Shader waved a finger in her face. "Ah, ah, ah, I won't hear another word of it. The both of you should spend some time together before leaving tonight. I have a feeling it's going to be a rough night."
Fiore bowed politely. "Thank you, Lady Shader. If you'll excuse me then."
Shader watched Fiore leave then turned to the sink.
"Now," she said, pushing up her sleeves, "how does Fiore do this again?"
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
The day was coming to an end and not once had the smile left Rosette's face. Not that she was complaining. She had a lot to smile about after all. She and Chrono were working together again and had formed another Contract that was stronger than the last one. Not only that, she and Chrono had also...
Rosette felt her face heat up when she thought about last night. What she and Chrono had shared was nothing short of magical. She reveled in the feelings that had coursed through her body when the two of them had made love. Despite being in his true form when it happened, Chrono had been extremely gentle with her. They had fallen asleep in each other arms and had awoken with the sunrise. Very reluctantly, Rosette had removed herself from Chrono's embrace and sneaked back to her room.
She was pretty sure that no one had seen her, but for some reason or another, she had a feeling that the Elder would find out about her and Chrono somehow. The old pervert seemed to know everything that happened around the convent grounds. Especially when it involved the girls and their bath time.
Rosette was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her close to a warm body. The exorcist smiled and leaned into the warmth.
"About time you woke up. I thought you were going to sleep all day."
The Sinner smiled. "I pretty much did. Sunset's real pretty, isn't it?"
"Sure is. It's my favorite part of the day."
Chrono raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought your favorite part of the day was lunchtime."
Rosette growled and reached up and pressed her fists on either side of Chrono's head, giving him a noogie.
"Owowowowowowowowow! Rosette! That hurts! Ouch! All right, I'm sorry! I'll do anything, just stop!"
Rosette smile wickedly. "Anything?"
Chrono swallowed. (Oh, boy.)
"Yeah. Anything."
"All right then." Rosette twisted until she was sitting in Chrono's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Kiss me."
Chrono blinked. "Here? Now?"
Rosette glared. "Yes, here. Yes, now. Do you see anyone else around here?"
Chrono scanned the convent grounds. She was right; they were the only ones that were out this late. Smiling, the demon kept his hold on Rosette and slid to the ground, his back leaning against the well.
"Is that all you want?" he asked, leaning in closer until their noses were touching.
"For now. I'll get the rest later."
Chrono chuckled and kissed her. One of his hands came to rest on the nun's breast and began to massage it gently. Rosette gasped and arched into his touch. Slowly, the demon pulled back from Rosette and removed his hand from her chest.
Rosette, cheeks flushed and breathing heavily, opened her eyes. "Chrono? What...?"
The Sinner smiled and kissed her nose. "Not here and not now. Later. When we won't get caught so easily."
"I'm holding you to that, buster. Don't disappoint me."
"Have I ever before?"
Rosette raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"No, I guess not."
Smiling triumphantly, Rosette turned back to face the setting sun, leaning into Chrono's chest. The two watched the sun until it was gone and the stars started coming out.
"Hey, Chrono," Rosette whispered.
"Hm?"
"Do you want to know what's better than watching a sunset?"
Chrono nodded. "Sure. What is it?"
Rosette twisted in Chrono's lap and snaked her arms around his neck. She pulled him down until their lips were inches apart.
"Sharing it with someone you love."
Without waiting for a response, Rosette moved in and sealed her lips over Chrono's. Before the demon could begin to kiss her back, Rosette pulled away from him and nipped at his bottom lip teasingly.
Chrono chuckled. "You're right. It is better when you share it with someone you love."
Laughing, the two got up and walked towards the girls' dormitory. Chrono stayed with Rosette until they got to her room where they shared one last kiss. As Chrono pulled away, he leaned down next to Rosette's ear.
"I'll be back later," he whispered.
Rosette blushed and nodded, closing the door. She listened until Chrono's footsteps faded in the distance. Kicking off her boots, she collapsed back onto her bed and sighed. Things defiantly seemed to be going her way lately. Not only had she and Chrono made up, but just earlier that day, she had been told that the West Coast Branch of the Magdalan Order had gotten a fixed location on Joshua. She and Chrono would be flying out there tomorrow morning.
Yes, things were most defiantly looking up. Sitting up, Rosette began to remover her Militia uniform. The clothing was halfway over her head when she stopped. Someone was watching her. Thinking it was the Elder; she pulled her uniform down and drew her pistol, whirling around to face the window. What she saw made her heart stop. It wasn't the Elder she was staring at, but Aion's eagle. The bird was perched on a nearby tree limb and staring at her with its glowing red eyes.
Rosette didn't even think. Jumping up, she jammed her feet into her boots and bolted out her room. Her heavy footfalls echoed throughout the convent halls, but she didn't care. Bursting out of the dormitory, Rosette scanned the sky, looking for any sign of the eagle. She saw it as it swooped down and landed on someone's outstretched arm. The clouds covering the moon prevented Rosette from seeing who the person was clearly. All she could tell was that they were wearing a long-coat. And Rosette knew only one person who hung out with that bird and wore a long-coat.
Bringing her Colt up, she aimed in on the figure's head and clicked the safety off.
"Aion!" she yelled.
The figure turned to face Rosette, but didn't make a move in her direction. The blond exorcist was thankful that she had loaded her .45 with Gospels instead of Sacreds. She knew how powerful of a demon that Aion was and a Sacred bullet wouldn't do any damage to him at all. At least with a Gospel, she stood a better chance of winning.
Rosette started to walk towards the figure, keeping her Colt aimed at the head. As she moved forward, the clouds that covered the moon began to move away. Rosette suddenly stopped, her breath catching in her throat and her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
The person standing before her was most defiantly not Aion. He was dressed in blue and his hair was short and a light-blond color. Rosette swallowed. Short, light-blond hair. Piercing ocean-blue eyes. Just like her own. Rosette lowered her Colt, the gun falling from her limp fingers.
"J-Joshua?"
Joshua sent the eagle flying away and turned back towards Rosette, regarding her with a kind smile.
"Hi."
"Oh, my God, Joshua." Rosette slowly walked forward, her feet feeling like they were made of led. "Is that really you? Please let that be you."
Joshua opened his arms. "It's me. And it's good to see you again... Rosette."
That was all it took. With tears in her eyes, Rosette flung herself into her brother's arms, saying his name over and over again. Joshua wrapped his arms around Rosette's shaking form and tried to calm her down.
"It's okay, Rosette. I'm back now. And I'm never leaving again."
-----------------------------
Aion scowled and tightened his grip on his ever-present cue stick carrier. This was not going the way he had planned. Joshua wasn't supposed to recognize his sister. So how was it that he could? The violet-eyed demon had a suspicion that it was because of Fiore and the relationship that the two were now in. If he did not tread carefully now, it could easily become a fatal mistake for letting those two come as far along as they had.
(Oh, well, no use worrying about it now,) he thought. (I'll just have to try and use this to my advantage somehow.)
"Now, isn't this touching," Aion said, stepping into the moonlight, Fiore following close behind him. "Brother and sister reunited after four years of separation. It certainly is a magical moment."
Rosette turned around and her eyes widened. "Aion!"
She went to grab her pistol, but cursed when she saw it lying on the ground between her and the silver-hired demon. Rosette quickly judged the distance between herself and her Colt. Confident that she could make it, she bent her knees and steadied herself.
"Joshua, stay behind me."
With that, she launched herself at the gun. She scooped it up and rolled, bringing herself to a stop at Aion's feet. Jumping up, she pressed the .45 to his head and cocked the hammer back.
"I've got you, Aion," she said, smiling. "And this time, I don't need you to tell me where Joshua is."
Aion smiled back at her. "Hmmmm, that's true. You don't need me anymore, but I wonder. Can you really kill me that easily?"
Rosette grit her teeth. (What is going on here? Why is he acting so calm? Doesn't he even see the gun?)
Rosette was snapped from her thoughts when Aion wrapped his hand around the pistol and sat down own the lip of the well, keeping the barrel pressed to his forehead.
"Let's play a game, shall we?" he said coolly. "I want to test the power you have acquired over the past four years. The power of your 'Steel Fang'. If you win, my story will come to an end and you'll be free to do as you please. But, if I win... well, you'd better hope I don't win."
Rosette's hands were shaking, her finger itching to pull the trigger. But, for some reason, she couldn't get it to move. Why couldn't she do it? Aion was here, right in front of her, practically begging her to shoot him. So why shouldn't she oblige him? If he died then it would all be over. All of it.
"What's the matter?" Aion asked, his voice light and taunting. "Why don't you shoot me? After all, I was the on who stole your happiness..."
"Shut-up!" Rosette shouted, pressing the Colt harder into his head.
"...And your little brother..."
"Shut-up!"
"...And destroyed your peaceful life four years ago. Your enemy is here, right before you. Strike him down and set everything right."
"Shut-up! Just shut-up and DIE!"
Rosette pulled the trigger and the Gospel's power erupted into Aion's forehead at pointblank range. The demon let go of the pistol and Rosette fell back, panting and gasping, as she watched the wound in the Sinner's head quickly heal over, a trickle of blood flowing down to his lips.
"Hm, too bad," he said, licking at the blood. "Looks like you loose after all."
(No,) Rosette thought in anguish. (No, this can't be happening. He should be dead. But, then again, I forgot what I'm dealing with. I forgot the real meaning of the word 'demon'.)
"Big Sister."
Rosette turned around to see Joshua kneeling behind her, a slight frown on his face.
"Please, Sis, don't shoot my friends again. He's going to help us achieve our dream."
Rosette's mouth dropped open. "Joshua, what...?"
The Apostle looked to the sky. "The Astral Lines, Sis. With Aion's help, we'll finally be able to see them. Just like we dreamed when we were children."
"Joshua..."
An explosion suddenly shook the nearby girls' dormitory and the alarm started to ring. Two shadowy figures landed next to Aion moments later and one of them seemed to be carrying something.
"Did you have to make so much noise, Viede?" Aion asked the bigger shadow.
"Sorry, Aion," Viede said. "But that Magdalan Order bitch wasn't going to let us leave. So I had to take care of her."
Aion shrugged. "Oh, well. I guess some thing can't be helped. You did get what we came for, right?"
The smaller shadow smiled and shifted the weight under his arms. "Of course. She was real easy to find."
"Good work, Genai."
Rosette blinked a couple of time before she was able to recognize what the smaller demon was carrying.
"Azmaria!"
The blond-haired nun brought her gun up and started to pull the trigger when it disappeared from her hand and she squeezed thin air. She looked around, trying to find her pistol when she noticed that Joshua was standing in front of her, the Colt in his hands and Chrono's horns protruding from underneath his light-blond hair.
"I already asked you once, Sis, not to shoot my friends. Please don't make me ask you again." Joshua pointed the gun at Rosette. "Or I might have to shoot you myself."
Joshua emphasized his point by slowly squeezing the trigger then suddenly jumped away and put a hand to his head near the horns. Another figure took his place in front of Rosette and stood protectively over her.
"Chrono," Joshua whispered.
"Hello, Aion," the fully grown Sinner growled.
Aion stared wide-eyed at Chrono. The demon let his composure slip for a moment but quickly regained it. "Well, my, my, Chrono. Hit a growth spurt did we?"
"Things have changed, Aion. A lot."
"Yes, I can see that." Aion glanced behind him. "Have you come for the Apostle of Charity?"
"I have. But, I've also come to settle things between us once for all."
"I see. Then let's get started."
Aion opened the cue stick carrier and removed the sword that was inside. The demon transformed and brought his weapon to a ready position.
"Get ready, Chrono."
Chrono's mouth dropped open. "Aion... your... your horns-- Gah!"
The hornless demon rushed forward and, taking advantage of Chrono's distraction, stabbed him through the chest with his sword. The Sinner coughed up blood and went limp on the blade.
"Chrono!" Rosette screamed, her hands going to her mouth.
Aion smirked. "Heh. Just because I don't have my horns anymore, doesn't mean that I'm any less powerful than I was before." He removed his sword and Chrono's body fell to the ground, blood oozing from his wound. Aion turned to face Viede and Genai. "Take the Apostle and return to Eden. I'll finish up things here."
The two demons nodded and started to walk away.
"Laden! Take form, my brave May. Erlöschen!"
The sword from Satella's jewel monster blocked Viede and Genai's escape. Magdalan Order members, from Militia down to third class, began to muster around the demons, armed to the teeth.
Rosette blinked back her tears. "Satella? What the hell are you doing here?"
The German woman walked forward, keeping her summoned monster's sword pointed at the two Sinners. "I followed the large demonic aura that I felt coming from this place. And it's a good thing that I did, too."
Aion chuckled. "Well, well. What have we here? Little Satella Harvenheit. You've grown up quite beautifully, haven't you? But of course you have. After all, it's been ten years since we last saw each other."
"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before! And I would never associate myself with a demon like you!"
Aion tilted his head. "Really? I'm hurt that you would forget me so quickly." Aion tapped the side of his head where his horns used to be. "Think hard, Satella Harvenheit, when was the last time you saw a hornless demon?"
Satella's mouth dropped open as memories from ten years ago flashed before her eyes. Her mother and father's death and her sister's disappearance. The demon's face in those memories had always been covered in shadows. But now, now she could see it clearly. The silver hair. The violet-colored eyes. And that damn smirk. The same one that he was wearing right now.
Tears started flowing from Satella's eyes. "You! It was YOU! You're the one who killed my family! You bastard!" Satella moved her jewel monster from Genai and Viede to face Aion. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Are you now? That really isn't a good idea," Aion said, walking in Satella's direction.
Satella held her ground while the Order members aimed in on the advancing demon. "And why is that?" the Jewel Witch inquired.
Aion completely ignored the jewel monster and came to stand in front of the German woman. "Because I can reunite you with your sister. She's still alive you know. In fact, she's right over there," he said, pointing to Fiore.
"You lie!"
"Really? Let's find out then. Fiore!"
Fiore curtsied. "Then I shall begin." The woman plucked the red jewel from her ear and held it above her head. "Laden!"
The magic was released and Fiore's arm was covered in a metal gauntlet. A scythe appeared moments later, completing the spell. Satella didn't have time to react before Fiore was right in front of her, the point of the scythe lightly pressing against her throat.
"Please stop," the attendant said. "Send away your monster and don't move. I don't want to have to hurt you."
Satella did as she was told, staring at the woman in front of her with wide eyes. "Sister..."
Aion smiled and walked away, not even bothering with the Order members. As long as he had Satella and the Apostle of Charity held hostage, the Order would not endanger them by shooting at him. Especially since one was a civilian.
"Viede, Genai, don't you have somewhere to be?"
"All right, all right, we're going already," Genai grumbled.
The two turned to leave when a bolt of energy came shooting down from the sky and hit Viede, creating a hole in the demon's chest. The Sinner dropped to his knees and started coughing up blood.
"VIEDE!" Genai shouted, dropping Azmaria.
Viede looked to the sky just in time to have another bolt of energy hit him again; blowing his head from his shoulders in a spray of blood. The body dropped to the ground, blood pouring from its wounds and pooling at Genai's feet. Genai looked up and felt his blood boil at what he saw. Duke Duffau hovered over the entire scene, a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Sinner Genai, Sinner Aion! In the name of Pandemonium, you are hereby sentenced to death for your crimes."
Genai transformed and leapt into the sky, his arm changing into his weapon. "DUFFAU!" he raged, swinging at the Pursuer. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Duffau easily blocked the enraged demon's swing. "You're a couple hundred years too young to defeat me, child! Accept you fate and surrender."
"Never!"
As Aion watched the two demons battle in the sky, he let his guard down and failed to notice Father Remington as he moved in for the attack.
"Aion!" the priest yelled, swinging his crucifix-sword at the demon's head.
Aion brought his own sword up just in time to block the priest's Astral-blade. The two exchanged blows until Father Remington scored a hit and sent the demon staggering.
"Freeze!" he commanded, the blade mere inches away from the Sinner's head. "Checkmate, Aion."
Aion smirked. "Not yet. I still have one more move to make. Joshua!" The Apostle looked away from Rosette and Chrono. "This man is trying to stop us from helping you achieve your dream. Are you going to let him do that?"
Joshua's hand tightened around the Colt. "No! No, I won't let him do that! I'm so close! So very close!"
Joshua brought the Colt up and aimed it at Father Remington. The priest leapt away just as Joshua fired, the Gospel's power impacting at the spot he had been standing at. Aion appeared in front of him an instant later, swinging his sword. The blade caught Father Remington in the chest and sent him flying back to land next to Rosette and Chrono.
"Father Remington!" Rosette shouted, crawling over to him.
The priest was still breathing, but was loosing a lot of blood from the wound in his chest. Rosette looked up and watched as Aion walked over to Azmaria.
(No! This can't be happening! It can't!)
Unknown to Rosette, or anyone else, Chrono began to stir beside her. Dark energy began to pulse off his body and his eyes started to glow bright red.
"Aion..." he muttered.
-----------------------------
After Aion had stabbed Chrono through the heart, his Legion had been working feverishly to repair the damage to his body. Even with his newfound powers, something as deadly as a sword wound to the heart was still quite a shock to the system. And while Chrono waited for his damaged body to be repaired, he dreamed.
He dreamed of a time, not to long ago, when he had made a very important promise to himself. To not repeat a mistake he had made in the past. To not make someone he cared for ever cry again. But, it was happening again. Rosette was crying, he could tell. And it was all Aion's fault.
Aion.
It always came back to Aion. But not anymore. He would settle everything between the two of them here and now. No more pain. No more regrets. And no more tears for Rosette. Or for Mary. No more.
Chrono felt the repairs to his body finish and again reached out to his new power. It would all end tonight. He would make sure of it.
-----------------------------
On Manhattan Island, at the Grand Plaza Hotel, Gabriel and Lucifer had just finished eating dinner when they both felt it. Crayak's power was surging again. Without even hesitating, Gabriel threw open a nearby window and, spreading his wings, took to the sky and headed in the direction of the Magdalan Order.
Lucifer quickly dressed and followed close behind him, the white feather in his hat glowing brightly.
-----------------------------
Aion was ready to pick up Azmaria when he stopped and looked back in Rosette's direction, his eyes wide. It took Rosette a moment to realize that Aion wasn't looking at her, but at something beside her. Rosette looked over and saw Chrono on his feet. Dark energy was erupting from around his body and his eyes were a bright red.
Chrono transformed and turned his right arm into a sword. The demon launched himself at his brother and swung at his head.
"AION!"
Aion blocked the enraged demon's sword with his own and took to the sky, Chrono not far behind him. The two streaked across the heavens, coming together only to exchange blows with each other. Aion heard someone yell in the background and realized that Duffau had killed Genai, the body hitting the ground next to Viede. But he paid it no mind. His attention was on Chrono and Chrono alone.
"That's it, Chrono," Aion taunted. "Show me the extent of your rage. Strike me down before I take away everything that you care about again."
"You'll do no such thing!" Chrono shouted. "I won't let you!"
Their swords clashed again, sparks and demonic energy exploding from the connected blades as the two brothers set out to finish the fight they began fifty-four years ago.
-----------------------------
The moment that Chrono had transformed, Joshua had collapsed to his knees and started screaming. This had grabbed the attention of Rosette and Fiore. Both women were beside him in an instant, leaving Father Remington and Satella unattended to.
"Joshua, what's wrong?" Rosette asked, gripping his shoulder. Fiore placed a calming hand on his other one, her face etched with worry.
"The horns!" he wailed, doubling over, his hands clutching the horns and his head pressing into the cool stone around the well. "Their screaming! Make it stop! Please, Sis, stop the noise!"
Rosette watched in horror as veins started to bulge out of Joshua's skin. They appeared on his hands, his face and even on the horns. The veins throbbed and pulsed with each beat of his heart and he let out a whimper with every slight move they made.
Moving in front of her brother, Rosette cupped his faced and forced him to look at her. She tried not to show her fear when she was met with a pair of grey eyes instead of ocean-blue.
"Joshua," she whispered. "Joshua, look at me. Please."
"Sis... is that you?"
"It's me," Rosette said, blinking through tears. "Listen, Joshua, I'm going to help you stop the noise. But you have to trust me. Okay?"
"I trust you, Sis. Just, please, stop the noise! I can't take it anymore!"
"Okay," she said, nodding. "This might hurt, so, please, don't be angry with me."
Steadying herself, Rosette's hands trailed away from his face and slowly came up, wrapping around the horns. The exorcist gasped at the power that she felt coming from them. Raw Astral energy flowed through the horns and she could feel it as it came into contact with her. Every cell in her body suddenly felt as if it was on fire, but it wasn't painful at all. In fact, it felt rather nice.
Rosette shook her head. This was no time to be admiring the power that coursed through her body, she had to help her brother. Gritting her teeth, the teenager tightened her hold on the horns and pulled back with all her might. The sickening sound of crunching bone and tearing flesh assaulted Rosette's ears just before Joshua started screaming in pain.
The two teens fell away from each other, Joshua clutching his head and Rosette clutching Chrono's horns. She quickly discarded them and moved to her brother again who was bleeding from where the horns used to be. Rosette grabbed his wrists and tried to pull them away from the wounds, but Joshua refused to move them and started to trash violently.
As Rosette tried to think of a way to calm Joshua down, another pair of hands appeared and lifted the screaming teenager's head, placing it into a lap.
"Please, Lord Joshua," Fiore whispered, running her fingers through his light-blond bangs. "Your sister is trying to help you. You must be still."
"Fiore... Sis..." Joshua whispered through the pain.
Rosette blinked in surprise as Joshua calmed down, a content smile coming to his face. Seeing her chance, she pulled the boy's hands away from his head. With no bandages to cover his wounds with, Rosette improvised by using his tie, loosening it and retightening it over the gashes. Joshua hissed in pain, but made no other moves.
Releasing a sight of relief, Rosette looked at Fiore. "Alright, just who in the hell are you? And how do you know my brother?"
The attendant ignored Rosette, keeping her attention on Joshua. This made Rosette angry and she grabbed the front of Fiore's dress, getting her attention.
"Hey!" she snapped. "I asked you a question!"
"Sis," Joshua said, weakly, a bloody hand wrapping around her wrist. "Don't be upset with her. She's been taking care of me." The hand left Rosette's wrist and came to rest on Fiore's hand. "Sis... this is Fiore. I love her..."
Rosette's mouth dropped open at Joshua's confession and Fiore blushed dark red. "WHAT?"
Her shout fell on def ears as Joshua slipped into unconsciousness. Rosette considered -- for a moment -- to try and shake her brother awake in order to get more information out of him, but dropped the idea when a thunderous 'BOOM'brought her attention to the sky.
Chrono and Aion were still locked in battle, the clashing of their swords sounding like thunder to the people on the ground below. Rosette suddenly remembered the horns, but was reluctant to leave Joshua alone with this strange woman. Even if he said that he did love her.
(We're going to have a serious talk when you wake up,) she promised her brother.
Looking around the grounds, Rosette found what she was looking for. "Hey, Satella! Get over here!"
The German woman ripped her eyes away from the sky and hurried over to Rosette. "What?"
"Watch Joshua for me," she said, getting up and running away from her the moment she kneeled down.
"What? Why me? What are you going to be doing?"
Rosette bent down and picked up Chrono's horns. "I'm going to give Chrono his horns back."
No sooner had the words left her mouth an explosion shook the ground and threw Rosette back, knocking her into Satella. The two women groaned as they sat up and Rosette yelped in surprise when Satella roughly shoved her off her lap. The rebuttal she had ready to fire at German woman died on her lips when the dust settled.
Aion stood in the middle of a small crater, his cloths ripped and burned in some places. The demon was leaning heavily on his sword for support and had blood dripping from his head.
What happened next, Rosette would remember forever. Someone yelled in the background and, at the same time, Chrono appeared in front of Aion, running his sword through the demon's chest. The Sinner's eye's widened and he coughed up blood, the sword slipping from his limp fingers. Rosette watched as the two demons seemed to talk between each other in hushed whispers. Finally, Aion closed his eyes and Chrono jerked his arm upward, splitting the Sinner in half. Blood sprayed in every direction as the body fell backwards, hitting the ground in a growing pool of its own blood.
Chrono returned his arm to normal then dropped to his knees, his shoulders shaking. Rosette slowly walked forward then stopped when she came within an arms reach of her partner.
"Chrono?" she whispered. "Chrono, are you all right?" The demon ignored Rosette and rose to his feet, stretching and cracking his neck. This just made Rosette mad. "Hey!" she fumed. "I'm talking to you, Chrono!"
The demon chuckled. "CHRONO? I'M SORRY, MY DEAR, BUT THERE IS NO CHRONO HERE ANYMORE." Chrono turned around and Rosette gasped, her hands coming to her face in horror. "THERE IS ONLY CRAYAK."
-----------------------------
Gabriel and Lucifer arrived at the Magdalan Order just as Aion was slammed into the ground. The Devil watched as the Sinner struggled to his feet then immediately began scanning the grounds for Chrono. He found him just as the demon was streaking towards Aion, his sword out in front of him.
Lucifer yelled, "Chrono, no! Don't do it!"
His warning came too late. Aion was run through then split in half. The ex-Angel staggered, gripping his chest.
Gabriel looked at him in alarm. "Lucifer? What's wrong?"
"We're too late," he moaned as Chrono turned around, feeling the evil energy that radiated off of him. "We're too late..."
-----------------------------
Chrono looked at Aion as he coughed up blood, sorrow filling his amber eyes. His brother didn't miss this.
"Hey," he said, smiling, "Don't look so down. You won. I'm not going to be a threat to you anymore."
Chrono didn't say anything, but continued to stare at his brother.
Aion snorted. "You always were... such a softie. You should be happy. Today, you will start a new chapter in your own book. One without me in it." Aion closed his eyes. "Now, kill me, Chrono."
"I can't." Chrono finally said, a single tear falling from his eye. "You're my brother."
"This is exactly why you should do it. Because if you don't, I will destroy everything that you care about and more."
Chrono grit his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, Aion was right. Unless he was killed, nothing would stop. Squeezing his eyes shut, Chrono readied himself for what he was about to do.
"Please forgive me, Brother," he whispered before yanking his arm upward, splitting Aion in half.
Blood sprayed everywhere as Aion's body fell back, and Chrono dropped to his knees, his arm returning to normal. He stayed there a few moments, silently mourning the death of his brother and close friend. Chrono started to get to his feet when he suddenly became dizzy, his vision blurring. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision, but started to panic when it suddenly started to get dark.
He tried to fight against it, but it was no use. Something was dragging him down into the inky blackness. Chrono felt another presence within him and realized that it was replacing him. He tried to force back the presence, but it was no use. It was so much stronger than him. As he fell deeper and deeper into the blackness, Chrono saw a flash of Rosette. It would be the last time he saw her as the darkness finally overtook him.
(Rosette...)
-----------------------------
Rosette slowly backed away from Chrono, shaking her head in denial. The demon's once amber eyes were now the deepest shade of black that she had ever seen, making him seem almost lifeless. Chrono -- no, Crayak -- stretched once again, his wings fanning out behind him.
"AHHHH," he sighed, "IT FEELS SO GOOD TO HAVE A BODY AGAIN. WELL, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? IF IT ISN'T MY OLD FRIENDS GABRIEL AND LUCIFER. HOW HAVE THE BOTH OF YOU BEEN?"
"Crayak!" Gabriel hissed. "You scum!"
"NOW, NOW. IS THAT ANY WAY TO GREET SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN OVER A THOUSAND YEARS? IT'S RATHER RUDE."
"Hey!" Rosette shouted. "What have you done to Chrono?"
Crayak returned his gaze back to the screaming nun. "AH, YOU MUST BE MY SON'S MATE. ROSETTE CHRISTOPHER, CORRECT? I KNOW THAT OUR FIRST MEETING WAS RATHER SHORT, BUT I WAS BUSY AT THE MOMENT."
"Enough of the bullshit! Answer the question! What did you do to Chrono?"
Crayak smirked. "MY, AREN'T WE A FIERY ONE? BUT, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CHRONO IS RIGHT HERE," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "AND I MUST TELL YOU, IT'S QUITE AN ANNOYANCE TO ME. WHEN I TOOK OVER HIS BODY, HIS SOUL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DESTROYED IN THE PROCESS." A frown crept onto his face. "BUT, SOMEHOW, THAT LITTLE DEVIL WAS ABEL TO SEAL HIMSELF OFF FROM ME. BUT I'LL FIND HIM SOON ENOUGH. HE CAN'T HIDE FROM ME FOREVER."
Rosette's mouth dropped open. "What? What do you mean possessed? Just who the hell are you anyway?"
Crayak smiled. "A VERY GOOD QUESTION. AND I COULD TELL YOU, BUT, YOU WON'T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER."
Leaping into the air, Crayak hovered above the Order and raised his hands above his head. A ball of dark energy began to form in his hands and the amount of power it was giving off created winds strong enough to uproot nearby trees.
Gabriel reached over and grabbed Lucifer by the shoulders. "Do something!"
Lucifer blinked at him. "Me? You're the Angel here, you do something!"
Gabriel looked away. "I can't. I'm not strong enough. You're much stronger than any Angel that the Father ever created. I need your help."
Lucifer scowled. "Well, what do you want me to do?"
"I don't know!" Gabriel shouted. "Bind him to something!"
The Devil cocked his head to the side. "To what?"
Veins popped out of the Angel's head. "ANYTHING!"
Lucifer saw the ball getting bigger and frowned. "Damn it! No time to be picky!"
The ex-Angel stepped forward and pulled the feather from his hat, pointing it at Crayak. He started to mumble words and the feather glowed brighter and brighter by the second. When it was finally bright enough, Lucifer yelled and sent a ball of white light in Crayak's direction. The spell hit its target, encasing Crayak in a ball of whit light. The power above Crayak's head disappeared and, moments later, Crayak disappeared as well.
Lucifer replaced the feather in his hat and dropped to his knees, sweat pouring down his face. He didn't get a chance to fully catch his breath before Rosette was in front of him, snatching him up by his jacket lapels.
"Where's Chrono?" she screamed into his face. "What did you do to him?"
"I... I did what Gabriel asked me to. I sealed him away," he said in between breaths.
"Sealed him away? Why?"
"Because, young miss, he was no longer the demon you know as Chrono," Gabriel said in a calm voice. "He has become Crayak the Destroyer."
Rosette let go of Lucifer and looked at Gabriel. "What? What do you mean he's no longer Chrono? And who is the Crayak person? I don't understand any of this."
"And nor should you. This is something that goes far beyond anything that you humans could ever begin to understand. But, given the circumstances, I will have to tell you."
"Hey, Gabriel," Lucifer said from the ground. "Before you start your little story, you might want to evacuate everyone from Manhattan Island."
The Angel raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"
"Well, when I sealed Crayak away, I bound him to a building in New York City. The Chrysler Building to be exact."
Gabriel's mouth dropped open and he yanked Lucifer off the ground, veins popping out of his head. "You did WHAT?"
"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. It was either do that, or get killed. And, I don't know about you, but I don't want to die yet."
"How long will the binding last?"
Lucifer shrugged. "Don't know. A year, maybe less. I used as much power as I could without killing myself in the process. Actually it all depends on how fast Crayak pulls the rest of his power from his prison."
"A year," Gabriel whispered. "We don't have much time. We must act now. While he's still vulnerable."
"Hold on! Wait one minute here!" Rosette said, jumping in between the two. "When you say 'act now' just what are you planning on doing to Chrono?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Christopher," Gabriel said. "But we are going to have to kill Chrono. He is no longer the demon you once knew."
Rosette ferociously shook her head. "No way, no how! I won't let you do that! Not gonna happen!"
"Sorry there, sweet cheeks," Lucifer chimed in. "You got no say in the matter. Besides, your beloved Chrono is as good as dead anyway."
Rosette turned to the Devil. "What do you mean?"
"It's just like Crayak said, Chrono may be able to hide from him now, but when he's found -- and he will be -- his soul will cease to exist."
The exorcist dropped to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. "No. It's not true. It can't be!"
Lucifer nodded. "It is. By our hand, or by Crayak's. Either way, he's going to die."
Rosette put her face in her hands, the tears spilling past her gloves. "No. He can't do this to me. He promised me. Promised me he would never leave me again."
She began to sob, her shoulders shaking violently. "Chrono... CHRONOOOOOOO!"
Rosette's scream of agony echoed throughout the entire Magdalan Order Headquarters and, some would later say, the whole New York countryside.
(End of Part Five)
------------------------------
Author's Rant: Oh, the evils I can do. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get burned alive because of what I've done to Rosette and Chrono. As this fic stands, I would estimate that I'm about half-way done. I can't tell you for sure because it's more-or-less writing itself. I don't have a plan on how may chapters it will take to complete it. All I can say for sure is that there will be an epilogue. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. So stick around if you like. Things are about to get interesting. At least I hope so.
Regarding the above quote: it was taken from the fic Ticks of the Clock by Maiden of the Moon, chapter 18, title: Dark. Rosette actually does speak this line in the fic. The quote was used with her full permission. And if she happens to be reading this, I would once again like to thank her for letting me us this quote.
Next chapter:
-- Time marches on
See ya next chapter.