Disclaimer: (sobs pathetically)

Author's Note: I. HATE. EXAMS. And they are my reason for this chapter taking so long. GEEZ! How many review packets can teachers thrust upon us within the span of a DAY? I mean, I know they mean well, and I'm grateful that they take the time to help us remember this stuff, but come on. . .

Anyway, a bit of good news!

GOOD NEWS PART 1: I started a new fic! Yea! Maybe some of you saw it already, it's called Dancing in the Rain. I know the summary makes it sound awful, but it's really not that terrible . . . Least it's not angst, you know? Anyway, if you have a chance, please check it out? I'd really like some feed back on it.

GOOD NEWS PART 2: Also, I have a sexy new desktop for my laptop! Woot! It's that picture of demon Chrono (BC! XD XD XD) biting Rosette's neck all vampire-like. Ooo, it's so sexy. . . and then Rosette looks really cool too—she's got on this raggedy white dress on but my computer botches it up so it's got this cool black-n-yellow hatch mark effect. . . XD

GOOD NEWS PART 3: Here's chapter 5!

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DOUBLE TROUBLE

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Chapter Five: Green Eyed Monster

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X

X

"Ow! He hit me!"

"No, you hit ME!"

Her eye gave a slight twitch.

"Nuh uh, I just defended myself when you attacked!"

"Attacked? With what!"

"Your hand, obviously!"

Her grip on the wheel tightened.

"Well, you're in my spot!"

"Not true: I always sit in front—you're bigger, anyhow; you'd get in Rosette's way!"

"You ARE getting in Rosette's way!"

Her teeth gnashed.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Grrrrrrr. . .

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are t—!"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO TURN THIS CAR AROUND!" Rosette snapped, whipping her gaze away from the road and glaring at each Chrono in turn. Little Chrono—the one sitting beside her—whimpered and shrunk towards the window as the Sinner—who took up the entire back seat—paled, though still appeared to be furious. "Because I will! I swear to God I will if you two don't SHUT UP!"

"Um. . . But Rosette," the child pointed out timidly, "you can't. Sister Kate sent us on a mis—!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" she snarled, piercing the smaller devil with her icy gaze. "And I don't CARE what that stupid old pill sa—!"

"Rosette!" Big Chrono roared, pointing desperately towards the windshield. "Look out!"

"What the—augh!" The exorcist blanched, spinning the wheel wildly to the left to avoid three oncoming cars and a random pedestrian. "Dammit!" she panted while they wizzed dangerously passed. "Dammit, dammit, dammit—I can't wreck another jalopy!"

"Then pay attention to your driving!" the Sinner suggested in a rather sarcastic tone, crossing his arms and slouching in his seat as best as he could. It was a hard thing to do, after all, with wings that took up so much space.

Rosette made a very irritated sound in the back of her throat. "All right, YOU try paying attention to ANYTHING with a pair of rubes making so much noi—applesauce!" Slamming her foot down on the break, the nun and her partners screamed for their lives as the little car began to rapidly spin—eventually smashing into a nearby wall.

But, as luck would have it, not hard enough to do any real damage. (Thank goodness.)

"Is. . . everyone okay?" Big Chrono asked breathlessly, clutching the headrest of the front seat with swirling eyes, almost as green in the face as his smaller counterpart—who was hanging half way out the window, choking on dry heaves. Rosette, pinned behind the steering wheel with her legs sprawled haphazardly around her, moaned groggily, clutching her head.

"I think so. . ." the child groaned, carefully pulling himself back into the car. Their Contractor grunted in agreement, straightening after a moment of softly hissed curses. "Are we here?"

"Yeah," the nun nodded, previous annoyance forgotten when she managed to kick her way out the door, fixing her straps and pockets. The road around Macy's department store was oddly quiet, empty. . . as were the rest of the streets, now that they thought about it. And those vehicles and people that were near by were moving in the opposite direction. Rather quickly, actually. "This is it."

"What's the story?" the muffled voice of the Sinner sounded from the cramped rear of the automobile—the whole car shaking as he fought vainly to escape. It seemed that climbing out over the seats wasn't as easy as climbing in. . . Little Chrono eventually had to grab his arms and yank; causing them both to topple through the doors and land back-first on the sidewalk. (Ow. But at least they were free.)

"A devil worshiper by the name of Charles Simon has—or, rather, had— been working here for the past few months," Rosette filled them in, eyes on her guns; cocking and loading them full of sacred spirits. She did pause for a second, though; just long enough to shoot the sprawled pair a warning glance, nodding mutely when they got up and began working, too: the child donning his wooden backpack and the Sinner re-hinging the doors. "He was assigned to do displays—" she pointed towards what remained of the windows: cracked glass, yellow caution tape, and puddles of dark oozing liquid — "and got a little creative with the designs, if you catch my drift."

"Blood?" the sealed one murmured, eyes widening slightly when they fell upon the destroyed window displays. Broken chunks mannequin limbs lay scattered beside the building; eerily pale in the early twilight shadows.

"Yup," the teen scowled, aiming at a near by statue and gently squeezing the trigger—but not enough to fire. Satisfied that these guns would do, she began to march towards the massive, empty building. "And little bits of the employees he took the stuff from. Authorities were on his case, but they were too late—he managed to summon a devil earlier this evening. Of course, the dumb sap got torn apart in the spell."

The Sinner frowned, trailing after Rosette—and silently fighting with his doppelganger for the privilege of walking beside her. "It took the humans here THAT long to realize that there was a murder within their mists?"

Rosette shrugged, halting at the wide double doors. Though they were made with plenty of inlaid glass, nothing could be seen inside. Nothing except darkness. Mm— comforting. "Well, he started off by hunting down those who were already on vacation or were out sick. You know, so that there was already a reason behind their not showing up for work. But then I guess he grew impatient. . ." A snort of utter disgust fell from her lips. "What a fool."

"Well, that fool managed to bring forth something marginally intelligent," Big Chrono glowered, holding out a hand to stop his Contractor from straying any closer to the front entrance. His clone shot him a meaningful glance.

"Yes. . . there's something powerful in there," the little one muttered, eyes glazing over for a moment. He quickly snapped back to full consciousness, however, a look of concern on his face. "All of those sacrifices have given the demon a surprisingly strong astral boost. And, if we enter, we run the risk of feeding the glutton some more."

True-form Chrono nodded once, though he didn't appear to be thrilled with having to agree with his other half. "He's right. The devil inside has a horn, as well. Maybe even two."

"Hm, that's great," the young woman retorted rather dryly, becoming visibly restless. "But standing here and talking about it isn't gonna do much, either way! If anything, it'll just give this abomination more of a chance to plot a counter attack. If he's as strong as you say I'm sure he's already sensed us."

The two demons winced, not really having thought of that.

"All right, then," the Sinner agreed after a moment, a look of cold determination on his smooth face. "Let's go. But Rosette, be careful—and stay behind me. I'll go first."

"Why?" she demanded, huffy. Her demon smirked slightly over his shoulder; looking amused as he took a step towards the entrance.

"Because I'm special," he teased. "And because I'm more equipped for battling with demons . . . for a few reasons."

Rosette, no matter how grudgingly, had to admit that was true. Curses. Little Chrono sidled up beside her the moment his double was out of the way, offering a reassuring smile.

"That doesn't mean you're not good, Rosette," he whispered sincerely, blood-red orbs glittering with admiration. "You're an excellent exorcist! Better than all of the others at the convent. We—mostly me! (before them, the Sinner snarled)— just don't want to see you hurt."

At this, the girl cast him a small grin, stomach twisting strangely. His beam could melt the icecaps, it really could. . .

Big Chrono, by now, was looking irritated. "Okay, you little cake-eater," he spat, whacking the kid upside the head and dragging him away from the sister, "you can shut up now. It's time to work." Taking a stride forward, the three paused— watching mutely when the front doors creaked open, as if inviting them inside.

". . . Well, that was cliché," Little Chrono drawled, blinking once into the never-ending blackness that loomed ominously before them, thick as a storm cloud. He turned to face the other two. "So, who wants to go into the big, scary building first?"

Rosette humphed, positioning her arms to shoot. "It doesn't matter— Let's just get a wiggle on!"

And so they entered the darkness together.

X

Cold.

Everything was cold inside the deserted Macy's: the air, the ground, the racks of clothing and accessories. In fact, it was positively frigid. Shivers raced down Rosette's spine, her breath rising in small puffs. Where was this demon? They'd split up, searched the entire store—each floor, each display, each fricken' nook and cranny in the walls. Hell, if it hadn't been for the obvious demonic aura, they might have gone back home by now from a lack of evidence regarding the unholy.

"Where could it be?" the girl asked, frustrated, a few minutes after they'd regrouped; squinting through the shadows towards her devils. "We've checked the entire damned place!" Neither answered right away, seemingly deep in thought. Had they heard her? She opened her mouth to speak again—

But, at that moment, the child replied. Careful, quiet—as if listening for something. "Well," he started softly, peering swiftly left and right, "it's highly possible that this demon is more intelligent that we originally assumed. . . much more. He could have taken on a different form."

"What. . . ? What sort of form?" Rosette demanded to know, stopping mid-step. The sudden lack ofechoing 'clop-clop-clop's let her know that both Chronos had paused, too. "A human one, like you two?"

". . . Yes and no," the Sinner replied carefully, voice a low growl. "There are other guises this creature could take on. . . Like that of a mannequin, for example."

'Manne. . . quin?' The nun felt herself stiffen, suddenly aware of all of the life-sized dolls hanging around this haunted place. There were quite a few. ". . . Oh."

"We must be careful," BC continued, tawny eyes glowing; slicing through the darkness like the sharpest of swords. "This devil could be any one of these. . . things. . . "

They proceed a few paces into the unknown, more in tune with their surroundings than ever before. Until the exorcist—who could have sworn she heard a muffled thumping sound— suddenly broke the deathly silence that had plagued them during the majority of this job. "What was that?" she hissed, pivoting on her heel and pointing her weapon into the blackness. "Who's there?"

Both devils froze, rushing over to their Contractor's side. "What is it?" The sealed one inquired, sounding worried. "Is anything wrong, Master?"

"I—Master?" She blinked, but shrugged it off. Little Chrono had always been a bit strange. "I thought I heard something over there. . ." Her face hardened as the Sinner turned towards the indicated direction. "Let's go check it out."

"Yes, let's," Big Chrono agreed firmly, talons lengthening in preparation for battle. "I can sense something of great power in tha—"

But he cut himself off rather suddenly when a small hand wrapped around his wrist, a hand identical to the one that gripped Rosette's shoulder. The Sinner's stare hardened immediately, lip curling; moving away. "What is it, brat? Scared?"

"No. It's just that there's no need to do that," LC informed, smiling slightly. "Go over there, I mean. There's nothing of importance to see."

Rosette gave a small double take. "Huh? What makes you say that?" Another tiny noise punctured the silence. "There! I knew I heard som—!"

"No," the child shook his head, still grinning patiently. "It's nothing of importance. Trust me, I checked it out earlier."

BC scowled, glaring down at his doppelganger and yanking his fingers from the nun's arm. His amber pools glittered through the gloom, the emotions behind them unreadable. "I'm sure that the devil has legs," he pointed out icily, enunciating each word like he was talking to a dunderhead. "And that he could move."

". . ." Little Chrono flushed, turning away momentarily. "Heh, I guess you're right," he then beamed, embarrassed, releasing a nervous laugh. "I hadn't thought of that. With all of the mannequin talk and all. . . the sound came from this direction, correct?" Clearing his throat and tugging himself from his other half's grasp, the child led the way—easily dodging shelves of shirts and hangers of dresses. "C'mon." Rosette followed him soundlessly, a feeling of trepidation welling up in her stomach.

Something was wrong. . . Very wrong. Did anyone else feel it?

"Chrono. . . ?" she whispered. "Uh . . . does it feel like it's getting colder to you?"

"Colder? Why do you ask?" The child sounded far away; the Sinner didn't answer at all.

Her brow furrowed in exasperation. That was a stupid question. "Because I think it is, stupid. What do you think?"

"That there's a reason for that," a soft voice in her ear sounded, "my Master."

"Eh—!" Eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, Rosette spun around in shock. 'Wha—how did he get behind—?' "Aaaa!" Her stomach dropping, she released a loud cry of surprise; feeling herself trip over something from behind. Something warm and squishy. . . that released a piteous, muffled squeak. What the—?

Oh, God. A gasp of horror lodging itself in her throat, the girl stared blankly at the "thing" she had tumbled over.

Chrono.

Bound and gagged and writhing helplessly on the floor, tears sparkling in his ruby eyes.

Removing the legs that were still draped over his side from her fall, Rosette quickly began pulling on the ends of the rope, trying to free the child. But the evil devil was too close by to give her much of a chance. His reverberating footsteps made this fact all too clear.

"Hello, Sister Rosette Christopher, first class militia member the Magdalene Order," Chrono's child-like voice greeted, a dark element that hadn't been there before tainting his tone. Rosette nearly gave herself whiplash when twisting around—eyes falling on what appeared for all the world to be her devil's sealed form.

But his eyes. . . his eyes were now a luminescent green, like a cat's—twin neon emeralds shimmering through the shadows. Lacing his fingers together behind his back, the Chrono-wannabe began to leisurely pace the perimeter of an imaginary circle; a circle that Rosette and the real ½ Chrono kneeled at the center of. The exorcist felt a growl work its way into her mouth, body tensing. "Who the hell are you!" she snarled, pulling out her gun and pointing it directly at the boy's heart.

He grinned wildly, displaying all of his sharp white teeth. "Why, my darling sister," he spoke in a manner so sinfully smooth that it almost put her into a trance. "Is that any way to greet me? Your loyal slave, Chrono?" A chuckle bubbled up from deep within him, frothing at his lips. Taking a few graceful paces forwards he crouched before the sister, fingers darting out to play with the pocket watch on her chest. "And here I thought we were friends. . ."

Little Chrono gave a ferocious wiggle, trying his best to break free. His imitator simply rolled his eyes, oblivious when Rosette snatched the seal away. "Oh, stop your whining, you pathetic excuse for a devil. Really, slayer of hundreds? You couldn't even protect yourself. Though I suppose. . ." the demon considered thoughtfully as he straightened, sauntering back in the same direction they'd come, "that could be because you seem to have been. . . divided? That was you, back there, wasn't it? The true you. . . the strong you. Pity he couldn't join us."

Rosette stiffened. "What have you done to Chrono!" she demanded harshly, still pointing her gun at the impersonator. "Where is he!"

"Oh, he's just outside my barrier," the imposter shrugged, looking bored. For some reason, the prospect of being stuffed full of holy ammo didn't seem to phase him. 'He must know something I don't. . .' "And if he hasn't broken through it by now, then I doubt he ever will. Pathetic, really, if you think about it. Though. . ." he paused, licking his lips with a long pink tongue. "You won't be around to consider it much longer, Rosette Christopher. For in just a few moments, you'll be nothing but an empty shell—frozen in time." The already low temperature dropped twenty more degrees to emphasize his point.

By then her insides had turned to ice. But not from fear—no, from anger. Raging, red-hot fury had (Ironically enough) encased her heart in icicles. Not that it mattered. Either way she was going t— '?'

Sixth sense flaring, the girl grew rigid; glancing around and subtly trying to loosen her partner's knots while keeping a firm hold to her weapon. 'What was that cracking sound?' Whatever it was, it didn't appear the devil could hear it. Sealed Chrono did, though; and even during this dire circumstance he managed to make an irritated face. That could only mean one thing. . .

"Chrono. . ." she breathed silently, feeling a smirk tug on her lips. The green-eyed devil stopped for a moment, cocking an eyebrow.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked flatly, jutting out a hip and crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you have something to say?"

Rosette grinned slightly—innocent, with a touch of smugness. "Yeah, actually, I do," she informed him lightly. "Look out."

The demon blinked, giving a small start as he began to turn—but too late. Sinner Chono had bashed him soundly over the head before he even had a chance to react.

"Ah. . ." BC sighed happily, dusting off his hands as the lower class devil crumpled. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that. . ."

Little Chrono shot him a nasty look from the ground, making very rude sounds through his gag. The Sinner, though, ignored him completely, turning his attention instead to Rosette. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly, worried. She beamed in reply, reestablishing the proper hold on her gun.

"Never better."

He smiled wildly in return, never once taking his eyes off of her as his bone-like tail whipped around, easily slicing through his clone's bindings. (LC let out a hacking cough, thankfully digging out the cloth in his mouth and removing the severed cords from around his limbs. "Rosette. . ." he rasped, trembling slightly. "Rosette, are you. . . I. . . can you. . . Rosette. . . ?") Lifting out a large, tanned hand, the devil gallantly helped Rosette to her feet, looking amused. "Then shall we kick his sorry ass into next week?"

The nun cackled in what most would consider an evil fashion, casting the groaning devil an excited glare. "Yes, let's."

X

"And did you see when I got him inside of that angels barrier?" Rosette guffawed loudly, trying to choke down her roll while talking. "That was so damn awesome!"

Big Chrono grinned widely, just as thrilled as he excitedly waved his arms around. "Oh, I know! That was fantastic—but my favorite part was when you did that jump-twist thing—"

"—and you caught me?" the girl finished, slapping her hands happily against the table. Azmaria, who'd joined the three for a late supper, giggled behind her fingers at her friends' animated antics. Little Chrono, on the other hand, simply continued to play with his food; eyes downcast. "Oh my God, that was so cool! And the look on his face was just perfect, you know?" Rosette sighed blissfully, dipping her spoon into her stew with a dreamy expression on her face. "That was the way an exorcism should go, you know? Smooth as butter. . . hell, that was even borderline fun!"

The Sinner snorted, leaning across the table to flick his Contractor's nose playfully. "You sadist, you."

Rosette's face turned bright red. "Dry up!"

"Make me!" he laughed, winking.

"Oh, you don't want that. . . !"

". . ." Little Chrono shifted slightly in his seat, limbs pulled as close to his body as possible. Az, who had been watching him from the corner of her eye, turned to ask him if he was okay—but he shrugged away when she touched his shoulder. Knowing better than to make a scene, she simply returned her attention to the others; a sweet smile on her face—trying to keep her concern suppressed. "Wow, that certainly sounds like it was an exciting mission. . ." The apostle paused, casting the smaller devil another worried stare before glancing back at Rosette. Didn't she notice his expression, hidden beneath his purple bangs? What was going on? "But was it really so simple? I've heard that shape-shifters are classified as some of the highest leveled demons."

"Hmm, that may be," true-form Chrono smirked smugly, leaning his chin against his palm, "but not as strong as Rosette and I. We were truly fantastic today, weren't we?"

The nun's beam grew, blue eyes sparkling and a pink tinge to her cheeks. "Yeah, we were."

Skkrth. . .

"?" Rosette, Azmaria, and BC gave a simultaneous jolt, turning around just in time to see Little Chrono stalking silently away: braid bouncing off his back, coat flaring out, hands stuffed in his pockets, and head hung low; not bothering to push his chair back in. His Contractor blinked, confused. "Chrono. . . ?"

Frowning, she turned back to Az. "What was that all about?"

The apostle cleared her throat softly, trying to keep her tone light and blameless. "I'm not sure, but. . . well, what part did sealed Chrono play in all of this?"

"Nothing," the Sinner retorted curtly before Rosette had a chance to open her mouth. "The idiot had gotten himself captured before the real job even began."

"And. . . uh. . ." the pale-haired girl became suddenly and unexplainably interested in the tablecloth. "After that. . . what did you two beat up with such a relish?"

"The demon. . . " Rosette replied carefully, the bewilderment painted on her face slowly melting away as two and two made four. "The demon that. . . that looked. . . oh my God." Bolting to her feet so quickly that her seat toppled over, the exorcist turned to Big Chrono. "We've got to go find him," she breathed desperately, fingers clenching. "We've got to go tell him we're sorry!"

True form Chrono snorted, bored. "We do?" he asked monotonously, drumming his fingers to an unheard tune. "Funny. I didn't think so."

The girl instantly became livid, his attitude lighting the fuse of her temper. "Listen here you—!" she began hotly, attracting quite a few stares when she reached across the table and snagged the devil's lapels, giving him a harsh shake, "You— devil, you! How can you be so unsympathetic towards yourself?"

He grimaced, carefully removing the sister's fingers from his jacket. "He's not a part of me anymore, Rosette," he informed her in a firmly gentle voice. "And I plan to keep it that way. In any case, he should know better than to get all uppity about a single stupid case—it was for the good of the mission, he knows that. Not destroying that thing simply because it looked like his sorry ass wasn't an option. You know that."

And she did. Which probably explained why she got so frustrated. But even if it was true, he couldn't just say it! That wasn't how— Chrono never acted— argh! "Oooh—" she snarled after a moment of fighting for words, "go jump in a lake!"

That highly intelligent and very witty comment shared, Rosette ran off—following (what she hoped were) the sealed Chrono's tracks.

X

"How'd you find me?"

Rosette smiled weakly, her run having slowed to a trot, then a walk—gingerly plodding the last few feet between them at the irregular pace of 'pause. . . step. . . pause. . . pause. . . step. . .'. "Because I always find you here."

His mirthless chuckle echoed quietly through the velvety night, disappearing among the silvery sparkles in the sky that helped illuminate the blackness. The moon was no where to be found, but its light was unnecessary— starshine reflected against every surface, making it glow. A breeze leisurely fluttered through, rustling the long grasses that grew beside the dry stone fountain, the one Chrono always visited when he needed to think.

Coming to a definite stop when she was right before the boy, the nun grinned guiltily, hoping he'd glance her way and know without words that she was sorry. Like usual. But he didn't—only continued to stare towards the ground, knees pulled to his chin, arms wrapped tightly around his legs.

A soft sigh fell from his lips. "What do you want, Rosette?" he inquired, voice so quiet that it barely made a sound at all. "Have you come to rub my weaknesses into my face some more?"

Her lips turned instantly down into a scowl; though it would have been a harsher one had she been able to completely ignore the pathetic quality of his shaking tone. It was definitely harder to be mad when she heard it. "Wow, a pity party," she arched an eyebrow, seemingly annoyed. "Am I invited?"

Another cold laugh, shifting away when she sat down beside him. "Why would you want to come?" he asked sourly, still refusing to meet her gaze. "Wouldn't you rather continue the victory party you and my other half were having at dinner? I'm sure there were a few stories you forgot to relay to Azmaria."

Rosette blew out her cheeks, leaning back on her arms and staring up at the inky-black heavens. The milky way twinkled cheerfully down at her, reminding her of the nights she'd spent stargazing with Chrono in the woods—back before. . . everything. "Look. . ." she then murmured, trying to sound understanding. "I. . . didn't mean to hurt your feelings, if that's what I did. You know, by. . . by blowing up the demon who took on your form. But Chrono, I was mad at what he did to yo—. . . everyone, and if we hadn't—well, you know—and I. . . I. . . what is it?" She paused, baffled; watching blankly as the trembling devil slowly shook his head 'no'.

"That's not it. . ." he grumbled, tightening his hold on his legs and pressing his nose to his kneecaps. "I don't care about the damn. . . well, maybe a little, but. . . but. . ." He stiffened, breath escaping in a loud exhale of surprise when the girl placed her hand on his shoulder; causing him to glance up, taken aback.

She smiled gently, tilting her head. "Chrono. . ."

That was it. All she did was say his name.

And he crumbled.

Bursting into silent tears, he fell against his Contractor, hugging her tightly while spasms of emotion shot through his small body. "Y—you didn't even ca—care. . . !" he sobbed, curling as close to her as he possibly could, oblivious to the expression of shock on Rosette's face. "I couldn't m—move after—the ropes and. . . and then when I got loose. . . and after. . . I couldn't help! I tried, Rosette—I tried so hard. . . but I just— just. . ."Little Chono trailed off lamely, ending in a soft hiccup.

After a moment he swallowed, glancing up at her with watery eyes. "Am I. . . that useless?" he asked, shivering. Fear shone like a fire in his ruby pools; a fear ignited by jealousy and a feeling of worthlessness. "Am I that much of a bother? Do you really. . . really. . . like him more that me?"

"Wha— ?" Completely dumfounded, the exorcist blinked wildly, staring into those endless maroon depths in a stunned sort of bewilderment. "Of course not! I don't like him more that you! What makes you say that?"

His bottom lip quivered, letting his head droop. "You haven't talked to me . . . you haven't smiled at me. All you've done is chatter about how easy and fun it is to win with my other half. Is that the way it is, Rosette? Will you only care for me until I become completely useless? Do you really like my demon form better?"

She stared at the crown of his head, speechless. Then:

". . . IDIOT!"

With a startled yelp, Little Chrono straightened, vigorously rubbing the newly formed lump on his head; cowering under Rosette's enraged gaze. "What. . . ?"

"I called you an IDIOT!" she roared, eyes flashing as she held up her fist again. "How DARE you even IMPLY something so STUPID? How long have we been together?"

"Um. . . o—over four years," the child stuttered, stuck in a state of semi-shock. She grunted her agreement.

"That's right, we've been together four years—and I thought you would have known me better by now! I couldn't care less about how powerful OR pathetic you are! I assumed that would be obvious. Hell, if I cared about power, doncha think I would have made a contract with a devil who still had horns?" She snorted at his embarrassed appearance, noting how he instinctively lifted a hand to touch the appendages which were no longer there. "God, Chrono, get a clue. Sure, I made a contract with you to find Joshua, but I also wanted to help you. You think I didn't notice that food didn't cure you? I care for you, Chrono, no matter how weak or powerful you are—and I always will! So stop being such a dramatic sap and—!"

But the rest of her rant died of her tongue—for at that moment Chrono flung his arms around her again, head landing against her chest. She froze at the initial embrace but soon relaxed; hugging him back as he, again, began to cry.

"I— I'm sorry. . . !" he whimpered, staining the front of her habit with his salty sadness. Rosette, knowing he'd gotten the point, softened; making a soothing noise in the back of her throat. "I just. . . I don't want to share you. . . and. . . and I. . . and. . ." He gulped loudly, pulling away just enough so that he could stare into her sapphire eyes. "Don't. . . let him fool you, Rosette. . ." he whispered severely, a hint of over protectiveness in his gaze. "Don't let him fool you. . . he's not what he seems."

'. . . Huh?' Rosette faltered, perplexed by the seemingly random statement, but let it slide without comment as the demon in her arms collapsed once more— drinking in the needed comfort she provided until he drifted off to sleep.

X

X

X

And now, our second favorite portion of the chapter (after, I'm hoping, the chapter itself)—the FAQ section!

Q: Why are Big Chrono's eyes constantly refereed to as tawny and yellow? Aren't they red, like little Chrono's?

A: I used to think so, but if you take a close look at most of the colored CC images, Full Devil Chrono is frequently portrayed as having golden eyes. Don't ask me why, he just is. XD

Q: SHOW US! SHOW US THE LYRICS TO WINDY GIRL, DAMMIT!

A: (makes a cross with two fingers, backing away) Okay, okay! Here you go!

NOTE: I don't know of anywhere you can download this song, but you can buy it from anime247 (dot com) under the Chrono Crusade section—it's found on the Chrono Crusade Museum Radio Drama OST, and, as I said, is sung by radio drama Rosette and Azmaria. In addition to containing Windy Girl and a kareoke version of it, the CD also has radio drama BC and Joshua singing one of the most beautiful songs in the entire world, Castle in the Air (and its kareoke track). Even more wonderfully, it has a hilarious 10 minute long radio drama scene, as well as 30 tracks of hot radio drama background music. XD It's one of my all-time favorite CDs!

(Yes, before you ask, the scene is in Japanese. But if enough people express an interest in hearing about it, I can post a summary of what's going on and stuff.)

WINDY GIRL

Direct English Translation (Found on the Internet)

Who is it calling me inside of the wandering wind?

It's nostalgically painful

Now, today, this moment

A thing with no substitute

The passed-through smile spread its wings and disappeared

Tomorrow, when, to somewhere

I believe in the future

Bridge 1: If they forget even the power to dream

People will fade away

So don't forget!

Refrain 1: If there's horror, anxiety, sorrow

Just hold your right hand aloft and they'll change into courage

With the speed to live, I go to see you

Someone is waiting for me inside of time: Windy Girl

The stars among the bewildered night shine in a gentle song

A melody from my young days

Now, today, this moment

Everyone is journeying

At the ends of the days time goes, to whom does God smile?

Until the day my life runs out

Tomorrow, when, to somewhere

I want to be able to reach my heart

Bridge 2: Two hands connected to each other won't separate

Until the day they search for

The door that opens destiny!

Refrain 2: Separations and encounters, tears and such

If you hold your right hand aloft, they'll change into memories

With the strength to believe, I go to meet you

Waiting for me inside of time: Windy Girl

Refrain 1: If there's horror, anxiety, sorrow

Just hold your right hand aloft and they'll change into courage

With the speed to live, I go to see you

Someone is waiting for me inside of time: Windy Girl!

AN EXTRA FOR GOOD KIDS:

If you're anything like me, you love to sing Japanese songs. . . but singing English songs once in a while is fun, too. So here ya go, the best of both worlds! For your musical enjoyment, I present—Windy Girl, English Version (meaning that the lyrics fit the rhythm and you can sing them along to the kareoke track. XD)

WINDY GIRL: ENGLISH VERSION

Written by: Maiden of the Moon

Who is it calling me inside the air?

A fleeting whisper of an ancient prayer

It strikes a chord of longing in my heart

Right here, right now; this place, this time

A worn-out toy with no replacement

Your gentle smile left me alone one day

Spread out its wings, took off, and flew away

I need to catch it, hold it— bring it back

Someday, somehow, someplace, someway

A future that I will believe in—!

Bridge 1: If one day humans lose their hopes and dreams

The power of mem'ries

The world and those we love will fade away

So don't you dare forget!

Refrain 1: If horror and sorrows keep you tightly bound and chained

Just raise your hand, then close your eyes—

And courage will replace your pain

With a reason to live and try I race to touch the sky

There's someone there— Inside of time—

Waiting for me: Windy girl

The stars shine endlessly when darkness falls

Bewildered nighttimes blanket; someone calls

I hear a melody from long ago

Right here, right now; this place, this time

We all are searching for a reason

To whom does God smile when the sunset's gone?

Where does the time go when the days grow long?

Until the moment when my life must end

Someday, somehow, someplace, someway

I'll search to find my heart in the shadows

Bridge 2: Two hands, when locked together, won't break free

You'll stay with me

Together we will locate and unlock

The door to destiny!

Refrain 2: Encounters and separations, tears that flow and flow

Just raise your hand, then close your eyes

And memories will replace your woes

With the strength to believe in believing I find my way to you

There's someone there—inside of time—

Waiting for me: Windy girl

Refrain 1: If horror and sorrows keep you tightly bound and chained

Just raise your hand, then close your eyes—

And courage will replace your pain

With a reason to live and try I race to touch the sky

There's someone there— Inside of time—

Waiting for me: Windy girl!

Yea! So sing along next time!

NEXT CHAPTER: Confusion is confusing. . . but not as confusing as the confusing confusion of conflicts Rosette has been cast into. Nothing is making sense anymore— If she's Chrono's glue factor, why do they keep drifting farther and farther apart? A surprise visit may bring the answers. . . but even the answers are confusing!

Well, I defiantly think that's enough for now. XD I hope you enjoyed! Please R&R!