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 Eight: Tears
By: Anime Otaku
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"For the past fourteen years, I have done nothing but shed tears of sorrow. But, perhaps after today, the tears that I shed from now on will be those of happiness."
-Satella Harvenheit
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch, 1928
"NO! Absolutely not! I refuse! Do you hear me, Rosette? I simply FORBID it!
Rosette stood in front of Sister Kate and didn't even flinch at the older woman's outburst. Her Militia uniform hung loosely on her body and sagged slightly to one side from the weight of her gun holster.
"Look at you, Rosette," she continued. "You don't even fit into your uniform anymore. And you've rarely used your legs for the past four years on your own. And you're telling me that you want to go on a dangerous mission like this one, without completely recovering your former strength! No! I will not allow it!"
"I'm still going," Rosette said, her voice sounding more mature than Sister Kate could ever remember it being. "With or without your permission."
"But, Rosette!"
"Please, Rosette," Father Remington said, coming to Sister Kate's aid. "Sister Kate is right about a lot of things, you know. You really are in no condition to fight a battle right now. At least think this over first."
"I have," Rosette said instantly. "And quite frankly, I'm disgusted with myself. Four years, Sister Kate. For four years, I sat back and did nothing while everyone else was fighting. I let myself be consumed by my sadness and depression. That's why I have to do this. I have to redeem myself in everyone's eyes."
"But that doesn't mean you have to do it by going on a suicide mission!" Sister Kate shouted.
"I've made my choice. I'm going. For myself and for Chrono. Now, if you'll excuse me." Spinning on her heal, Rosette walked out of Sister Kate's office, a slight wobble in her step.
"Rosette, wait!"
But Rosette wasn't listening as she walked out, the door softly closing behind her.
"That girl... is so... STUBBORN!" Sister Kate said, leaning back in her chair.
Father Remington chuckled beside her. "Well, it's nice to know that she hasn't changed that much."
"This is no laughing matter!" Sister Kate said, slamming her palms on the desk. "If she goes after Chrono in her condition she will DIE!"
"Perhaps," Father Remington said rather calmly. "Or, perhaps not. Remember, she will have Joshua and Azmaria going with her and they will not let her come to any harm."
"But will they be enough?"
"I personally trained them both in the Militia. It will be enough."
Sister Kate looked up at the priest. "You sound awfully confident in them, Father Remington. Why is that?"
Father Remington leaned against Sister Kate's desk and crossed his arms. "Because, they all have someone that they love to protect on this mission. And that will make them stronger than they are now."
"And who's that?"
Father Remington looked at Sister Kate and smiled. "Each other."
-----------------------------
Joshua walked back to the Elder's hut in a daze. Rosette's sudden awakening had left him in a state of confusion. Questions of 'How had she woken up?' and 'How long had she been aware of everything?' raced through his mind without being answered.
The moment that Rosette had first spoke, she didn't even wait for a response from Joshua. She had simply let go of his hand and gotten out of her bed. Wobbling slightly, she had walked over to her closet and pulled out her Militia uniform. With complete disregard for her brother's presence, she had changed clothes right in front of him.
He'd tried to follow her to wherever she was going, but she sternly told him to go back to the Elder's hut and wait there for her. So, he did. What other choice did he have? Joshua hadn't even realized that he was at the Elder's hut until he nearly ran into the door. Still in a slight daze, he walked inside and headed for the back room.
"So, did you get them?" the Elder asked him the second he walked through the front door.
Joshua blinked and looked at him. "Get what?"
The Elder had to resist the urge to slap himself in the face. "Don't tell me you forgot them?"
"Forgot what?"
"The horns, Joshua! The horns!"
"Oh... right. The horns. Rosette has them."
At this point, Azmaria decided to intervene before Joshua sent the Elder into cardiac arrest.
"Joshua," she said, softly, "we know that Rosette has the horns. That's why you went to go get them."
Joshua shook his head. "No, you don't understand, Azmaria. Rosette HAS the horns."
Azmaria looked at Satella who just shrugged in return. "Joshua," she said, "what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."
"None of this makes any sense!" he yelled in frustration, raking a hand through his blond hair. "None of this at all! Rosette... she... she's... she's..."
"Standing right behind you."
Joshua whirled around at his sister's voice and saw her standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a slight smirk on her face.
"So," she said, "are we going to start this thing up, or do I have to walk all the way to New York City?"
For a whole minute, no one moved. They all just stood and stared at Rosette. Finally something snapped within Azmaria. With tears in her eyes, the Apostle rushed Rosette and crashed into her, sending both women to the ground.
"Rosette!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around the blond woman. "You're awake! You're finally awake!"
Rosette had to struggle to get into a sitting positing, but when she did, she wrapped her arms around Azmaria and pulled her close.
"Yeah," she whispered to her, "I'm awake. And I'm sorry I was gone for so long."
Azmaria fiercely shook her head. "It's all right," she said, her face buried in Rosette's shoulder and tears falling down her face. "I forgive you. I'm just so glad that you're finally back with us!"
As Azmaria and Rosette shared their tearful reunion, Satella, Shader and the Elder watched on in shock. It was hard to believe that the woman sitting on the floor and holding a crying Azmaria was the same Rosette that had locked herself away from everyone for the past four years.
Satella was the first to recover her wits. With tears at the corners of her eyes, she walked over to Azmaria as she was helping Rosette to her feet. As soon as the nun was on her feet, Satella gently moved Azmaria to the side and stood in front of Rosette.
"Satella...?"
TH-WHACK
Everyone stared in disbelief at what Satella had done. Clutching her head, Rosette staggered back until she ran into the wall. Before anyone could react, Rosette's head snapped up and she glared at Satella in anger.
"What the hell did you do that for, you dumb Dora?" she yelled, her temper flaring. Veins popping out of her head, she stomped over to Satella and jammed a finger in her face. "Hey! I asked you a question! And you'd better give me an answer before I have to force one out of you!"
"That," Satella said calmly, "was for making everyone worry about you for the past four years. In reality you deserve a lot more than that. But, I was lenient."
"LENIENT? You call that being lenient?"
"Compared to what I originally had in mind? Yes, I do."
Rosette's temper deflated and she looked away from the German woman. "You're right," she whispered. "I do deserve a lot more than that."
Satella smiled and wrapped her arms around Rosette and pulled her close, a few tears escaping her eyes.
"Welcome back, Rosette," she said. "We've missed you."
"Yeah," said Rosette. "It's good to be back."
The two separated from each other and Rosette finished greeting the rest of the people in the room. Although, the greeting she gave to the Elder was a fist to the top of his head when he tried to feel her up.
Azmaria couldn't help but giggle. "It seems that Rosette is getting her old strength back."
"Yeah," Joshua said from beside her, a smile on his face. "What is it?" he asked when he realized that Azmaria was staring at him.
The Apostle blushed. "Nothing," she said smiling. "You just look happy. It's been a long time since I've seen you smile like that."
Joshua blinked. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
Azmaria nodded. "It has. I hope you continue to smile like this for me more often."
Joshua looked over at his sister, who was busy talking with Shader. "I'm not going to promise you anything, Azmaria."
Azmaria bowed her head in disappointment. "Oh. I see."
Joshua reached out and put a hand under her chin, tilting it up so he could look into her red pools.
"But I'll try. Okay?"
Azmaria looked at him with wide eyes then gave him a smile that was brighter than the sun. "Okay!"
"Hmmmmmmmm. Well, isn't this interesting."
Joshua and Azmaria turned to the sound of the voice and saw Rosette looking at them. Realizing the position they were in, they quickly separated and turned away from each other, bright blushes on each of their faces.
"D-Don't get any crazy ideas, Rosette," Joshua stammered.
"That's right," Azmaria added. "It's not what you think it is."
"Oh, really? So what is it then?"
"It's nothing!" Joshua blurted out. "Nothing at all!"
Azmaria felt a searing pain in her heart, but didn't let the hurt show on her face. Instead she just nodded. "He's right. It's... nothing." She looked away from Rosette. "Nothing at all...," she finished in a whisper.
Rosette looked between the two and shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. Now, let's get the Elder back on his feet so he can start the Gate up."
"I know just the thing to do that," Shader said. "Be right back. Azmaria, would you come with me? I might need your help getting what I need."
"Oh. Um, sure."
The two headed in the direction of the Elder's room and Satella soon left as well, muttering something about checking on the Gate, leaving Rosette and Joshua alone in the main room.
"You need to tell her," Rosette said.
Joshua stared at his sister in bewilderment. "Huh?"
"Azmaria. You need to tell her how you feel."
Joshua looked away in embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's just a friend. That's all!"
"You can't fool me, Joshua," she said, walking up to him. "I know for a fact that you love Azmaria. You told me so yourself."
Joshua's eye's widened to the size of dinner plates and his mouth dropped open. "You... you heard?"
Rosette nodded. "I know I didn't answer you or make it obvious that I heard you, but I did. I heard everything that you and Azmaria ever said to me. And I remember it all."
Joshua bowed his head. "Then you also know why I can't tell her how I feel."
"I do. But that shouldn't stop you from moving on."
The Apostle's head snapped up. "What? Moving on?"
Rosette nodded. "Chrono had the same problem, you know? He had someone that he loved very much before he met me. Loved her so much that he left Aion and the Sinners so that she could live. She died right in front of his eyes as he was trying to protect her. Sound familiar?"
Joshua slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, it does. So the grave that we found him in..."
"That's right. It was the resting place of his first love. Mary Magdalene. He had planned on staying by her side until he died, but then he met us."
"How do you know all of this, Sis?"
"Because he told me. The first and last night that we were together, he told me about Mary." She looked at her brother. "And do you know what else he told me?"
Joshua shook his head. "No. What?"
"He told me that even though the loved me with all his heart, he would still have a special place for Mary inside of it."
"And that didn't upset you?"
Rosette shook her head. "Not at all. Why would it? I know how much Chrono loves me, so why should it bother me if he wants to keep Mary's memory alive inside of him? I can't tell him just to forget her, that would be too cruel."
Rosette put a hand on her brother's shoulder and smiled down at him. "Chrono was able to move on, so there's no reason that you can't do the same."
"But I'm scared," Joshua confessed. "I'm scared that if I tell Azmaria how much I love her, I'll forget about Fiore."
"You won't. If you loved Fiore as much as you say you do, then there's no way that you will ever be able to forget her."
The conversation between the two came to an end when Shader and Azmaria came back into the room with the means to wake up the Elder. Unfortunately the method that Shader had to use involved a pair of short bloomers that the Elder had obviously stolen from some of the Sisters. It took the combined effort of both Joshua and Azmaria to hold Rosette back so she wouldn't pound the old man into unconsciousness again.
After she had settled down, somewhat anyway, the Elder led them into the back room. After running one last check on the Gate, he turned to everyone and smiled.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Almost," Azmaria said. "Hold on." Turning to Rosette, she held out her .45 to the woman. "Here. It's yours. I took really good care of it for you."
Rosette looked at Azmaria and smiled, pushing the pistol back into her hands. "You keep it. I have all that I'm going to need right here," she said, patting her gun holster.
"What's in there?" Joshua asked.
"Chrono's horns."
"That's all you're taking?" the Elder shouted.
"That's all I need."
The Elder looked as if he was going to argue, but Shader put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.
"Fine," he said. "Let's get this show on the road."
The Elder looked at Satella who nodded in return. Spreading her arms open, she closed her eyes and shouted, "Laden!"
The four receptors started to glow and Satella had to concentrate hard so the spirits of her jewel monsters didn't escape. Everyone in the room watched in awe as the receptors gathered the Astral energy, causing the room to glow bright green.
"Fifty percent!" Shader said, looking at a gauge on the main control panel. The minuets ticked by and Shader told them how much closer they were to full power. Finally she shouted, "One hundred percent!"
"Miss Satella, do it now!" the Elder shouted.
Satella's eyes flew open and in that instant the stored Astral was released from her jewels. Everyone watched as the energy flowed from the receptors and into the Gate. When all the Astral was in the Gate, Shader pulled a switch on the control panel and waited.
The space above the Gate began to shimmer and ripple like the surface of a pond that just had a stone thrown into it. Then, in an explosion of Astral power that lit up the room, it opened. Through the portal everyone could see what appeared to be the lobby of a building.
"That's it!" Shader shouted. "The Gate's open! Hurry up and go!"
Rosette immediately grabbed Joshua and Azmaria's hands and gave them a squeeze. "Ready?"
They both nodded.
"Then let's go get Chrono!"
And with that, the three Militia members jumped through the Gate, which closed behind them in a flash of light.
"Good luck to you all," the Elder whispered.
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Chrysler Building, New York City
The light faded away and when the three opened their eyes, they found themselves in the lobby that they had seen at the Order.
"Did we make it?" Azmaria asked. "Are we in New York City?"
"We are," Rosette said from the door.
Joshua looked at her. "How do you know?"
Rosette pointed. "Look outside."
The two Apostles walked over to stand by Rosette and gasped at what they saw. The city was in ruins. The roads were cracked and had vegetation growing through. The buildings were missing most of their windows and had some vines trying to grow on the outside of them. And everywhere they looked, Fiends roamed the streets.
"Silent as a grave," Joshua whispered.
"And just as creepy," Rosette agreed.
The three turned away from the window and walked into the center of the lobby.
"So where do we go from here?" Azmaria asked.
We go up," Rosette said. "That's where we'll find Chrono."
"But how?" said Joshua. "We don't know which floor he'll be on. So how do we locate him?"
Rosette turned slightly to the side. "With these."
The two Apostles watched as Rosette's gun holster started to slightly shake and the horns on the inside rattled against each other.
"They will take us to Chrono. All we have to do is follow the direction that they tell us to go in."
Joshua smiled. "Alright, that's good enough for me. Lead the way, Sis."
The moment those words left Joshua's mouth the room suddenly went completely black. Someone screamed for a split second and then it was silent. When the darkness faded away, Azmaria was missing and her Colt was lying on the floor at the spot where she had been standing.
Joshua looked wildly around the room. "Azmaria? Azmaria, where are you? Answer me! Azmaria!"
"Crayak has her," Rosette said calmly, picking the pistol off the ground.
"What?" Joshua shouted.
"I felt his presence just before Azmaria screamed. It's hard to miss, even for a human. The evil you feel is just too much for someone to ignore."
"Well, how do we find her?"
Rosette looked at her brother and tossed him Azmaria's gun. "WE don't find her. You will."
Joshua pointed dumbly at himself. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"But how? How am I supposed to find her if I don't know where to start looking?"
"You'll find her. You're both Apostles and you love her. It'll be alright."
"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" Joshua shouted, his grip on the pistol tightening.
Rosette smiled. "Because I believe in you."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it. Just go and find her."
"Wait! Where are you going?" Joshua asked Rosette as she began to walk away.
"I'm going to where I need to be. You should do the same." Rosette waved at him over her shoulder. "I'll see you later, Joshua."
"Dammit!" he cursed. "Rosette, you're not making any sense!"
Looking down at the gun in his hand, Joshua pushed his sister's cryptic messages aside for the moment and ran for the stairs.
(Hold on, Azmaria! I'm coming. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I swear it!)
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When the darkness finally vanished from her vision, Azmaria found herself in a very different place. After surveying the area with her eyes, she concluded that she was in one of the offices on one of the upper floors. When she tried to move, she found that the only part of her body that she could control was her head. She also felt like she was floating and looking down confirmed that. Her body was suspended several feet in the air. The light form the full moon that was coming in from the window cast her shadow on the floor and she saw that she was hanging in the air crucifix-style.
"SO, YOU'RE AZMARIA HENDRIC? NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE."
Azmaria tensed up, fear flooding her body. "W-Who's there? Who are you?"
A lone figure walked forward into the moonlight and Azmaria gasped in surprise and horror, her eyes widening.
"Miss... Miss Fiore? It can't be!"
The Fiore look-alike smiled and Azmaria felt a chill go down her spine. "IT IS AND, AT THE SAME TIME, IT ISN'T."
"Crayak!" she whispered, staring into the doppelganger's black, lifeless eyes.
"CORRECT."
"What are you doing with Miss Fiore's body?"
Crayak gave a little twirl and laughed. "NOT BAD, EH? THOUGH I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY OWN WORK, I DON'T PLAN ON KEEPING THIS BODY. I'M SIMPLY BORROWING IT FOR THE MOMENT. WITH IT, I'LL BE ABLE TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE."
Azmaria swallowed. "What?"
Crayak smirked. "WHEN YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR COMES TO RESCUE YOU, HE'LL FIND NOT ONE, BUT BOTH WOMEN THAT HE LOVES IN THE SAME ROOM. UNFORTUNATELY, HE'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO SAVE ONE. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, HE MUST SACRIFICE THE OTHER. AND WE ALL KNOW WHICH ONE HE'LL CHOOSE. DON'T WE, AZMARIA?"
Azmaria shook her head. "No! I know Joshua! He would never do that! Never!"
Crayak tilted his head. "REALLY? ARE YOU SO SURE ABOUT THAT? YOU KNOW HOW MUCH JOSHUA LOVES FIORE AND HOW MUCH HE MISSES HER. WHAT'S TO STOP HIM FROM DOING ANYTHING TO GET HER BACK?"
Azmaria was silent.
"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU DON'T KNOW. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU KNOW JOSHUA AS A PERSON, YOU DON'T KNOW HIS HEART. BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT HE REFUSES TO SHOW YOU." Crayak smirked evilly. "BUT, I KNOW IT. I KNOW THE DARKNESS THAT RESIDES DEEP WITHIN IT. AND USING THAT DARKNESS, I WILL MAKE HIM DO MY BIDDING. RIGHT BEFORE I KILL HIM."
"NO!" Azmaria shouted, tears in her eyes. "I won't let you do that! I won't!"
Crayak chuckled. "REALLY? I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO BE TELLING ME WHAT I WILL AND WILL NOT DO. BUT, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. I'LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T INTERFERE."
With a wave of his hand, Crayak moved Azmaria away form the window until she was hovering in front of him. The doppelganger grabbed the young Apostle by the chin and forced her to look into its eyes. Crayak closed the distance between them and sealed his lips over hers.
Azmaria's eyes widened and she tried to pull away, but Crayak kept a firm hold onto her. It was then that she noticed that she was getting very tired and it was becoming hard to keep her eyes open.
Finally, Crayak pulled away and released his hold on her. "SWEET DREAMS, LITTLE ONE. YOU WON'T BE WAKING UP ANYMORE."
Azmaria tried to find the energy to stay awake, but she couldn't. Crayak had drained her. The last thing she saw before she slipped into unconsciousness was the Fiore look-alike's smiling face and those hideous jet-black eyes.
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The adrenalin that had been pumping through Joshua's blood started to give out when the reached the fifth floor of the building. But the Apostle refused to stop. And he wouldn't, not until he found Azmaria. But, how was he supposed to find her? For the past five stories, he had been asking himself that same question without any answers. That is, until he reached the next floor.
The moment he sat foot on the sixth floor, Joshua felt Azmaria's presence. The aura of kindness that always seemed to radiate off her in waves was everywhere and he felt a little more at peace. The same way he always felt whenever Azmaria was by his side. But he wouldn't feel completely at peace until he found Azmaria and he knew that she was all right. Following Azmaria's presence, Joshua found himself in front of an office door and kicked it down, running inside with the .45 at the ready.
"Azmaria!" he shouted when he saw her limp form suspended in the air.
When she didn't answer him, fear gripped his heart and he ran forward. (Please! Please be alright, Azmaria! Don't leave me, too!)
Joshua skidded to a stop when he noticed that someone else was in the room besides himself.
"Who's there?" he demanded, bringing the pistol to bare. "Show yourself!"
The figure walked into the moonlight and Joshua dropped the pistol. "F-Fiore!"
Fiore smiled sweetly at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Hello, Lord Joshua."
The Apostle slowly walked forward until he was standing in front of her. Reaching out with a badly shaking hand, he touched her cheek and gasped when he felt the warmth through his gloves.
"How?" he asked. "How is this possible."
"BECAUSE I WILLED IT."
Joshua jerked back and looked around the room, trying to find the owner of the voice that seemed to come from the darkness that surrounded them.
"Crayak," he hissed.
"VERY PERSPECTIVE."
"What kind of game are you playing!" Joshua shouted. "Why did you bring Fiore back?"
"NO GAME," Crayak said. "I SIMPLY WISH TO RETURN TO YOU WHAT GOD DEEMED FIT TO TAKE AWAY."
Joshua blinked. "What?"
"I KNOW YOU, JOSHUA CHRISTOPHER. I KNOW WHAT LIES WITHIN YOUR HEART. HOW YOU LONG TO SEE YOUR PRECIOUS FIORE AGAIN. AND HOW YOU WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE HER WITH YOU ONCE AGAIN. I CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN."
"How?"
"AN EXCHANGE OF SORTS, YOU MIGHT SAY. I CAN'T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT WITHOUT GETTING SOMETHING IN RETURN."
Joshua clenched his teeth. "Well, what do you want?"
Crayak smiled to himself. It was working. Just a little bit more. "WHAT I WANT, JOSHUA CHRISTOPHER, IS THE LIFE OF THAT GIRL. AZMARIA HENDRIC. TAKE HER LIFE, AND I SHALL RETURN FIORE TO YOU."
Joshua gasped and looked Azmaria. He shook his head. "Never! I won't kill her!"
The Apostle stiffened when he felt arms encircle him and Fiore pressed herself against him. "Please, Lord Joshua. Don't you want us to be together again? Don't you miss me at all?"
"Fiore...?"
"It's so easy. Just take her life and we can go back to the way things were. Just you and me. Together forever."
Joshua stood as still as a statue. His body was shaking and his hands kept curling and uncurling into fists.
"DO IT, JOSHUA," Crayak said, clearly becoming annoyed with the teenager's lack of action. "DO IT AND BE REUNITED WITH FIORE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE."
"Do it, Lord Joshua," Fiore whispered to him.
Joshua stopped shaking. Reaching up, he gently removed Fiore's arms from around him and walked forward, drawing his crucifix-sword and activating it.
"EXCELLENT," Crayak said. "YOU HAVE MADE THE CORRECT CHOICE."
Azmaria was lowered until she was level with Joshua. Looking back at Fiore one last time, he gripped his crucifix-sword tighter and raised it above his head.
-----------------------------
Azmaria didn't know how she found the energy to open her eyes, but she did. And what she saw when she opened them made her heart leap into her throat. Joshua stood before her, his crucifix-sword raised above him and his head bowed, causing his bangs to hid his eyes.
"Joshua...?"
When he didn't answer her, Azmaria became scared.
"Joshua," she tried again. "Joshua, please don't do this. Please, don't."
The young Apostle felt tears come to her eyes when Joshua still refused to answer her.
(So, this is it,) she thought. (He's made his choice. I should have know that he would choose Miss Fiore. But, I have to tell him something before I die.)
"Joshua, I... I just want you to know that... that I..." Azmaria felt her cheeks heat up. Jamming her eyes shut, she shouted, "I love you, Joshua! And I always will!"
Silence. And then, "...Forgive me."
Joshua swung his sword.
-----------------------------
Rosette didn't know how many stories she had climbed and quite frankly, she didn't really care. All she knew was that with each new floor that she came to, Chrono's horns shook a bit more each time. That meant she was getting closer to him and that alone gave her the strength to reach the next floor.
Finally, Rosette came to the end of the staircase right before it reached open air where construction had been going on.
She looked at the floor she was on. "Guess this is as far as I can go."
Rosette searched the floor until she came to a set of double doors. The horns were shaking more violently than before and it felt as if they were trying to break free of her holster. She looked back at the doors.
"In there, huh?" Grabbing the door handles, Rosette took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm here, Chrono."
Rosette threw the doors open and walked inside.
-----------------------------
Screams of pain caused Azmaria to open her eyes just as the Fiore look-alike disappeared after being sliced in half by Joshua. The Apostle had his back turned to her and was breathing deeply, his crucifix-sword held in a white knuckle grip.
"Joshua..."
"YOU FOOL!" Crayak raged. "I GAVE YOU THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH THE WOMAN THAT YOU LOVED AND YOU THREW IT AWAY!"
"I didn't throw anything away," he said, deactivating his sword. "I already am with the woman that I love. I was just to scared to admit it to myself."
Crayak growled and the whole building seemed to shake with his anger. "YOU INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE INSECT! I'LL SIMPLY KILL YOU BOTH MYSELF!"
The shadows in the room seemed to come to life and rushed forward, closing in on Joshua and Azmaria. But before they reached the two teens they stopped. For a long moment nothing happened then they heard Crayak chuckle.
"SO, SHE'S FINALLY HERE."
In an instant, Crayak's presence and the shadows disappeared from the room, leaving the two alone. The force holding Azmaria in the air went away and she dropped to the floor. Joshua ran over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, dropping his crucifix-sword.
"Azmaria! Azmaria, look at me! Are you okay? Azmaria!"
"Joshua...," she whispered, her shoulders shaking.
"Azmaria?"
"Joshua!" she shouted, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. "I was so scared! So scared..."
Joshua wrapped his arms around her as well and pulled her close. "I'm so glad that you're all right."
The two stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other. Azmaria, crying into Joshua's chest and Joshua, doing his best to comfort her.
"Joshua?" Azmaria sniffed.
"Yeah?" he whispered.
Azmaria pushed away from him slightly and lifted her tear-stained face to his. "Joshua, did you mean what you said earlier? About me being the woman that you l-l-lo..."
By now Azmaria's face was flaming red and she bowed her head, unable to finish what she was trying to say. But Joshua knew. Smiling to himself, he gently lifted her chin up so that he was staring into her eyes. Without word or warning, Joshua closed the space between them and kissed her.
"Does that answer your question?" he asked after the kiss had ended.
"Say it," she said, her eyes never leaving his. "I want to hear you say it."
Joshua couldn't help but smile. "I love you, Azmaria."
When Azmaria heard those words, she couldn't help it, she started to cry again. "Thank you," she said, burying her face into his chest. "I love you, too."
(Now and forever,) they each thought as they shared another kiss.
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Rosette felt her heart speed up as she walked into the empty conference room and saw Chrono standing at the other end of it, looking out of a window that took up the whole wall. The being inside him, Crayak, turned his body to face her and smiled.
"AH, WE MEET AGAIN, ROSETTE CHRISTOPHER."
Rosette noticed that Chrono's body was in his human disguise and that his headband and shirt was gone. She was somewhat relieved to see that his braid was still intact.
"And for the last time, Crayak," she said. "I'm sending you back to wherever it is that you came from."
Crayak chuckled. "THOSE ARE SOME RATHER BOLD WORDS COMING FROM YOU." The Destroyer glanced at Rosette's shaking gun holster. "HMMMM, I SEE THAT YOU HAVE CHRONO'S HORNS. WERE YOU PLANNING ON USING THOSE TO DRIVE ME OUT OF HIS BODY?"
Rosette's eyes narrowed. "That's the idea."
Crayak laughed at her. "THAT'S QUITE AN IMAGINATION YOU HAVE. HOW DO YOU PLAN ON GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO ME TO USE THEM?"
"Like this!"
Rosette's hand was a blur of motion as she pulled one of the horns out of her holster and threw it at Crayak. The Destroyer caught it and smirked at her.
"PATHETIC. DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD SIMPLY LET YOU-- ARGH!"
Crayak screamed when the horn flashed brightly and burned his hand. When he let go of the horn it moved on its own and found its way onto the right side of Chrono's head. The flow of Astral energy going into Chrono's body sent Crayak to his knees in a scream of pain and anger.
"HOW?" he raged.
"Chrono's entire body has been consumed by your dark power. Anything that uses God's power is going to hurt you, no matter where it touches you," Rosette explained.
Crayak's eyes widened. "HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?"
Rosette smirked as she pulled out the other horn. "I didn't. I just guessed."
"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Crayak screamed, his right hand transforming into claws. He tried to get to his feet, but the Astral energy coursing through his body made him cry out in pain again when he moved and he was sent back to his knees.
"Now," she said, walking forward and standing in front of him. "Give me back my Chrono."
Rosette reached down to place the other horn on Chrono's head when she felt a mind-numbing pain explode throughout her body. Looking down, she saw Crayak's claws sticking into her chest and coming out her back. Blood leaked from the wounds and dripped down her Militia uniform to fall on the floor. Rosette slowly looked into Crayak's black eyes and saw him smiling.
"SORRY," he said, "BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM. HE'S MINE."
"Chrono...," she whispered, her vision starting to blur.
Her strength leaving her, Rosette acted quickly. She placed the other horn on Chrono's head and screamed in pain when Crayak jerked back, his claws ripping from her body. She fell on her back and stared at the ceiling as the whole building started to shake. There was a bright flash of white light and Rosette blacked out.
-----------------------------
Joshua and Azmaria separated from each other when the building started shaking and an inhuman scream of pain echoed throughout the whole building. Looking at each other, they immediately knew where the noise came form. Getting up, they ran out of the room, Azmaria scooping up her pistol on the way.
-----------------------------
Somewhere, deep within the most tiniest corners of his own subconscious, Chrono hid from the darkness. The darkness that had assaulted his hiding place for the past four years, trying everyday to break into his little sanctuary and destroy him. But, somehow, he had stayed hidden, untouched by the evil that lurked just beyond the stone doors of Magdalene's grave.
Unfortunately, his hiding place did nothing to block his memories. Everyday they would mercilessly play across his mind and he would have no choice but to sit and watch them. Slowly but surely they ate away at his sanity and drove him to the brink of madness. The only thing that kept him from succumbing to the madness that threatened him was his promise to Rosette. That he would never leave her. And so, he pushed back. Because he knew that once he gave in, it would all be over. The darkness would move in and completely consume him, erasing his very soul from existence.
Chrono looked up when he felt something. Something was different, he could tell. It was as if the darkness was somehow getting thinner. Getting up from his sitting position, he walked over to the stone doors and gasped in surprise when they started to creak open and white light filtered through the small opening.
He watched, mesmerized, as the light began to push back the darkness. He could feel Crayak's presence being forced out of his body. The Destroyer fought against it, but it was futile. Chrono smiled. This was it. This was the moment that he had been waiting for. Placing both hands on the doors, Chrono pushed them open and walked into the light.
-----------------------------
At the Magdalan Order, Sister Kate and Father Remington watched as a pillar of light erupted from the direction of New York City and shot into the heavens. The pillar stayed there for a few minuets then vanished.
"What just happened?" she asked.
"Crayak," Gabriel said, coming to stand beside her, "has been banished."
-----------------------------
Chrono shook his head as he pushed himself up on all fours, trying to clear his vision. Being given control of his body again for the first time in four years left him feeling weak and disoriented. The first thing that he noticed was that he had his horns back. The constant flow of Astral energy that came into his body was proof of that. When he got enough strength back, he pushed himself to his knees and took in the area around him. The moment his eyes landed on Rosette's body and the blood that surrounded it, he felt his heart drop into his stomach and his whole body go cold.
"Rosette!" he shouted, hurrying over to her side and gently lifting her into his arms. "Rosette! Wake up, Rosette! Please, open your eyes! Rosette!"
Chrono felt tears in his eyes when she didn't react and jammed them shut. "No. This can't be happening. It just can't!"
"Chrono..."
Chrono's eyes flew open and his heart lodged itself into his throat when he heard Rosette's voice and felt her hand on his cheek.
"Rosette!"
Rosette smiled up at him. "I'm... so glad... that you're back, Chrono. I've... missed you."
"Don't talk," he said, covering her hand with his own. "Save your strength. I'm gonna get you out of here and get you some help."
"No... please. Just let me stay here a little longer."
"Rosette..."
She smiled up at him. "It's too late for me, Chrono. Even... even I know that."
"But it's not supposed to end like this!" he chocked, tightening his hold on her. "Not like this."
"I know," Rosette said, tears in her eyes. "I don't want it to end like this either. But, I... I want you to be here with me until the end, Chrono."
A few tears rolled down Chrono's cheeks. "Rosette..."
Rosette felt the last of her strength leaving her and knew that it was almost time. Looking up into Chrono's maroon colored eyes, she smiled for him one last time and let her own slowly drift shut, never to open again.
Chrono pulled Rosette's limp body close and buried his face into her shoulder. His body convulsed as he sobbed into her neck, repeating over and over for her to come back. Azmaria and Joshua ran into the room at that moment calling Rosette's name, but he didn't even notice them. He didn't notice anything around him except for the woman that he held in his arms.
Outside the window, the sun was just starting to rise, signaling the beginning of a new day to their part of the world. But for Chrono, it wouldn't matter anymore. His whole world was lying in his arms.
And it had just come to an end.
-----------------------------
Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
"So what will happen now?" Sister Kate asked, looking across the convent grounds.
"This event will be erased from everyone's memories," Gabriel said. "No one must know what happened here."
Sister Kate turned to him. "Including ours?"
Gabriel shook his head. "No. You and your Magdalan Order members will be allowed to keep theirs intact. But the rest of humanity must not know about Crayak."
"Why?"
"There are certain things in this world that must happen in accordance to the flow of time and the Father's plan. Crayak's return almost threw history off course and destroyed the Plan. Those who live on Manhattan Island will return to find it just as they left it before Crayak. For those who lost family and friends because of it, a sudden outbreak of the influenza virus will explain their deaths."
Sister Kate sighed. "And history will continue on as if nothing had happened."
Gabriel nodded. "Yes. Yes, it will."
"I see. Thank you, Gabriel. I hope you'll excuse me," she said, walking toward the door. "There's somewhere I have to be right now."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Where?"
Sister Kate smiled sadly and wiped a few teardrops from her eyes. "I have to say goodbye to a very dear friend of mine."
-----------------------------
Rosette's funereal was the biggest one that the Magdalan Order had ever had. Both the West Coast and Central Branches had stayed to pay their respects to the fallen Sister. To everyone's shock and amazement, Duffau and his Devil Legion had stayed as well. Everyone who had known Rosette the best took turns speaking and saying their goodbyes. All, that is, except one.
Chrono kept his distance from the gathering. The Sinner just couldn't bring himself to be there as they lowered her body into the ground. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. In truth, he was scared. Scared of what Joshua and Azmaria will think of him. He had let Rosette die. There was no way that they would ever forgive him. Just as he could never forgive himself.
The crowd began to break up and soon the only ones left by Rosette's grave were Joshua and Azmaria. As some of the mourners passed by him, Chrono recognized one and grabbed them.
"Shader," he said, startling the cat-demon.
"Don't do that, Chrono," she said, wiping at her eyes. "You scared me to death."
Chrono ignored her and thrust something into her hand. "Get rid of it."
Shader looked at her hand and then back at Chrono. "But... but, Chrono, this is--"
"I know what it is!" he growled. "And I want you to get rid of it. Dismantle it, destroy it, I don't care! Just get it out of my sight!"
Shader looked at the pocket watch then back at Chrono, who seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears. "Okay, Chrono. If that's what you want."
Chrono nodded.
"Alright. I'll destroy it tonight."
"Thank you," Chrono whispered as Shader walked away.
Chrono turned to walk away from the graveyard but stopped when he felt a familiar presence behind him.
"Sinner Chrono."
Chrono turned around to find Duffau standing behind him with two Pursuers at his side. Even in their human disguises, Chrono recognized them. Carv and Gurio.
"What do you want, Duffau?"
"I've come for you, Sinner. Aion is dead and the situation with Crayak has been resolved. It is time for you to receive Pandemonium's judgment."
"Fine," Chrono said. "Just hurry and get it over with."
Duffau shook his head. "Not here. Pandemonium wants to see you personally."
Duffau motioned with his head and the two demons moved forward, each one taking Chrono by an arm. Then, in a surge of demonic energy, they were gone.
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Pandemonium, the Demon World
Chrono stood in front of Pandemonium with a transformed Carv, Gurio and Duffau surrounding him. He glanced around and noticed that the egg chambers that had burst into flame after Aion had killed Pandemonium were full of brand new eggs. All the damage done by him and Aion had been undone with the return of Pandemonium's head. The Light no longer tried to invade and the Darkness was returned. All was as it was supposed to be.
All around him, demons crowded into Pandemonium's chamber to witness the fate of the most feared and powerful of the Sinners. They pushed and shoved against each other trying to get the best view. Some even tried to fly but that turned into a miniature air battle when a demon would get in another ones way. The pushing, shoving and fighting came to a stop and silence filled the chamber when Pandemonium's voice rang out loud and clear.
"Bring the Sinner before me."
All eyes watched as Chrono was roughly grabbed by Carv and Gurio and brought to the top of Pandemonium's throne, where he was forced to his knees. Duffau grabbed him by his hair and pulled back, making him look at Pandemonium as she spoke.
"Sinner Chrono," she said, "for your involvement with Aion's plan and the death of more than one hundred of your brothers and sisters, you were stripped of your rank and branded a Sinner. The punishment of receiving such a brand is death."
Shrill cries of 'Kill the Sinner!' and 'Death to Chrono!' echoed throughout the chamber. And everywhere, the demons began to get riled up, the thought of seeing Chrono's blood being spilled exciting them.
Chrono closed his eye in acceptance. (Yes,) he thought. (Kill me. Kill me and end my pain.)
"Also," Pandemonium continued, "due to recent events in the human world, you sentence of death has now become one of the highest priorities. However..."
Chrono's eyes flew open and the chamber became silent.
"However, due to other circumstances, death, I have concluded, would be more of an escape for you rather than a punishment. And you will not escape punishment for the crimes that you have committed. Therefore, as punishment for what you have done, I will not grant you the peaceful slumber of oblivion that you are begging for right now. Instead, you will receive the one thing that you do not want. Eternity."
The chamber exploded in outrage. The Sinner was to be spared? His blood was not going to be spilled? Unacceptable! Totally unacceptable! But despite their obvious objection to the punishment, the horde watched on.
The Pursuers kept a firm hold on Chrono as Pandemonium walked forward, her hands transforming into claws. She placed a hand on his head and he felt his horns appear, even though he was still in human disguise.
"First, on your horns," she said as she drew a clawed finger down each horn, creating a scar. "So that they may never be removed again and allow Crayak into this world."
Chrono grit his teeth in pain as powerful demonic magic was poured into his horns through the scars. The magic made his head feel as if it was on fire, but he refused to cry out. He would not give those around him the pleasure of seeing him in pain. No matter how much it hurt.
"Next," Pandemonium said, kneeling in front of him and moving his jacket aside. "On your body and soul, so that neither may be destroyed, no matter what is done to them."
Pandemonium ran a clawed finger across his chest, creating a horizontal scar. Again, demonic magic poured into the wound. But this time, I just wasn't his body that was affected, it was his soul as well. Chrono tried not to show any signs of pain, but the magic on his soul made him fell as if he were being torn apart form the inside out.
The pain soon faded away and Chrono gasped in relief. He glared at Pandemonium with all the hate that he could muster.
"You brought this upon yourself, Sinner," she said, smugly. "You have no one to blame but yourself. Take him back to the human world. He is no longer any concern of ours."
Bowing slightly to Pandemonium, the three Pursuers vanished with Chrono in tow.
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
Joshua and Azmaria worked in silence as they cleaned out Rosette's room of all of her possessions. While Joshua was cleaning out her closet, he came across a pink cocktail dress that had been put into a box and shoved into a corner.
"What the hell is this?" he asked, pulling the dress out of the box.
Behind him, Azmaria giggled. "That's the dress she wore the first time that we met."
Joshua's eyes widened. "What was she doing wearing something like this?"
"She was undercover in Las Vegas," Azmaria said, coming to stand beside him. "She rescued me from my foster father and bought me to the Magdalan Order. It was so funny. I had been hiding from Ricardo's men and she came out of nowhere, jumping into the same laundry basket that I was hiding in."
Joshua sighed sadly, putting the dress away. "So many memories are here. And I missed every one of them."
Azmaria took one of his hands. "I'll share them with you, Joshua. All of them. Whenever you want me to."
Joshua gave Azmaria's hand a squeeze and smiled at her. "Thank you, Azmaria.
The two resumed their work and drifted off into silence again until a thought struck Azmaria's mind.
"Hey, Joshua, do you know where Chrono is? I didn't see him at the funeral."
"He's probably hiding somewhere," he said.
Azmaria blinked. "Hiding? Why would he hide?"
"He's scared," Joshua said, closing a box with some of Rosette's clothes in them. "He's afraid that I'll hate him for the death of my sister."
Azmaria gasped and her hands went to her mouth. "You don't hate him, do you? Please, Joshua, you can't hate him. It wasn't his fault."
"Calm down, Azmaria," he said, taking her hands in his own. "I don't hate Chrono. Quite the opposite. I love him like a brother. He's the only family I have left."
Azmaria let loose a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I'm so glad. So, do you want to go look for him when we finish up here?"
Joshua shook is head and picked up the box. "No, lets just leave him alone for now. I think he needs time to say his final goodbyes to Rosette."
Azmaria nodded. "Alright."
Gathering up the last of Rosette's possessions, the two Apostles left the room and locked it behind them, leaving no evidence that Rosette had ever lived in there.
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Chrono groaned in pain as he pushed himself up to his knees after being dumped on the ground by the Pursuers. Sitting on his hunches, he looked at the red scar that stood out alike a sore thumb against his tanned skin. Gritting his teeth, he pounded the ground in frustration and anger.
Pandemonium had been right, this punishment was more fitting than any other that could have been given to him. Because now, not only would he have to live for all eternity with the pain of loosing Rosette, he would also have a constant reminder of it. The pain from the scar to go along with the pain in his heart.
Glancing up, he noticed that the Pursuers had dumped him in front of Rosette's grave. Crawling over to it, he placed his head on the cool headstone and cried. Rosette was gone. She had died saving him and he would never be able to die to escape from the pain. Life for Chrono had now become the closest thing to Hell that there was.
And he would be forced to live it everyday for all eternity.
(End of Part Eight)
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Author's Rant: Okay, who's gonna be the first one to throw a randomly sharp object at my head? Give it your best shot; I'm expecting a lot of them. Let me know what ya think. I can't wait to hear from ya.
Next chapter:
-- Epilogue
See ya next chapter.