Sora-san: Well, after all that waiting it's finally here: the 7th chapter. I tried to make it a little longer than the last chapter, but if it's still too short let me know. I have a tendency to make really short chapters. ((Just check Atsuko's Box if you don't believe me.)) 1st of all I'd like to apologize for making you guys wait so long. I had the killer cold for a while so all I could do was mindless stuff like type stuff that was already written, watch T.V., and play mindless video games ((you know, the ones where you just go around killing things: like Gauntlet)). Anywho, I'm sorry and I'll try not to let it happen again. 2ndly I'd like to say this chapter is gonna be fun. We get to see Aion's true…ness ((trying not to reveal plot details…you'll see what I mean)), A really pissed off Chrno, and a surprise visitor that Rosette's been looking for for a lonnnnnnnnng time. But is it really him? For now, you decide. Oh, and if I get flamed for this chapter…as I probably will…please flame me with reviewy flames and not just "I hate your guts go to hell". That's not nice. So don't do it.

Disclaimer thing: I do not own Chrno Crusade. I do, however, own Myre and Noia. ((You'll meet them this chapter…and yes I realize Noia is Aion spelled backwards. There's a reason for this, although I haven't decided what it is yet.))

I couldn't help it…I had to own my own characters. It makes story writing more fun for me

Shuzumo: Yeah and more fun for you means more hell for everyone else.

Sora-san: …So mean.

Why Can't Dreams Be Real?

7. How Little We Still Understand

Finally catching my balance, I backed away from where I'd landed on Chrno, my face turning bright red.

"Er…I…" I struggled to say something, but what in the world could I say? I'd just kissed Chrno! His face was turning red as well.

"I…um…I'm sorry Rosette I should've realized you were falling sooner…or…something." He said, nervously looking away.

Why is he apologizing? It's not like he did anything wrong…

"Ch-Chrno?" I said, heart pounding.

"Yes?"

"I…I love you."

Chrno's face froze in a look of surprise. He stopped moving completely.

"Chrno? Chrno!" I called, shaking him. He remained frozen, staring into space. "Wh-what's—"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Interrupted a voice from behind me. I spun around to see Aion standing at the top of the stairs. "I thought I told you not to overdo it Rosette."

"Aion! You—" My voice choked off. I gasped as I tried to speak but the words wouldn't come.

"This world isn't ready for you Rosette. Come home with me…to your brother who needs you so badly."

What the hell is he talking about? Hand shaking I reached for my gun.

"What are you going to do Rosette? Are you going to shoot me? If I remember correctly that didn't work so well the last time."

Tears fled down my face as I struggled against whatever spell he had me trapped in. Every inch of movement required a tremendous effort on my part—and I did not have endless energy.

"Poor Rosette." Aion said, shaking his head and chuckling. "But you just can't win." He disappeared as silently as he'd come and I felt myself slip and fall into the air.

How…am I standing on air…? I can't move…this is weird… And it just got weirder for I could see myself standing on the stairs with Chrno.

"Ch-Chrno?" I heard the me on the stairs say—in my voice.

"Yes?"

"I…I hate you."

Wh-what? What's going on? That's not me! Chrno! Chrno! The words were shaped by my lips, but no sound came out.

"But…Rosette…you said…" Chrno began.

"I know what I said!" the fake me cried, hurt and betrayal in her voice. "But you had no right to steal my first kiss you bastard!"

The look of complete shock and hurt on Chrno's face made me burst into tears. Stop it! Leave him alone!

"You stay out of this." Said a voice in my head. I recognized it instantly as both the fake me's and Aion's voice. So that Aion was a fake…?

"Rosette…" Chrno said gently and my attention re-focused on him. "It really was an accident…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you…Please…"

"Please what? Forgive you?" The fake me snapped.

Chrno winced. "I…I thought…You said I was your best friend."

"…I don't even know if you're that. This isn't the first time you've done something stupid and I'm sure it won't be the last." The fake me continued to spit at him.

Chrno…Please don't listen to her…that's not me…Chrno…Please… I sobbed.

"I'm sorry Rosette."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, is that all you ever say?"

"…I love you, Rosette." Both of me froze. "I always have. I guess I should have said something before they took you away. But it's too late for that now."

"What—" The fake me began.

"Shut up. Shut up you disgusting piece of filth."

…Now I'm really confused.

"So you love me…but I'm a 'disgusting piece of filth'?" The fake me inquired, sneering.

"No. I love Rosette, and you are no Rosette."

Chrno…

"How touching. The boy can tell the mirror apart from his true love." The fake me snarled in Aion's voice.

"Don't even play that card." Chrno snapped. "You're not Aion."

For the first time the fake looked shocked.

"Who are you…AND WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH ROSETTE?" Chrno roared.

That was the last thing I heard before I passed out. The last thing I saw was Chrno looking angrier than I'd ever seen in my entire life.

Sora-san: Please note that this scene occurs outside of Rosette's knowledge. I'm treating you readers with a little plot device known as dramatic irony. Enjoy.

"…You're late." Said a tall, blue-haired man as soon as the girl entered the room.

"I'm sorry—I was tied up." The girl apologized, "He…didn't take it very well."

"No I don't expect he did." The man said, placing a book back on his bookshelf and turning to face her. He laughed when he saw what she was wearing. "You can take the Rosette illusion off now."

"Right sorry…" The girl said, waving a hand. Now instead of a girl who looked just like Rosette, a girl with long brown hair and bright blue eyes was standing before the man. Rosette's blue outfit melted away to reveal a simple T-shirt and pants ensemble.

"Better?" She questioned.

"Much." The man said, nodding. "So Myre…"

"Hmm?"

"How did Chrno react?" The blue-haired man asked, looking away.

"…Didn't take him long to figure out I wasn't Rosette." The girl called Myre said, shrugging.

"…Did he say anything to her?"

"Not intentionally."

"What do you mean by that!" The man asked, whirling on her.

"He confessed his love for her."

"…When exactly were you planning on telling me this?"

"Now."

The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well damn…how does that affect our plan?"

"If we play it right it could actually help us."

"…What are you plotting Myre?"

"You'll see Noia…you'll see."

Sora-san: Yes, we're back to Rosette vision now. No I'm not leaving you on a cliff hanger of what happened to her…wait. I lied. Just read on and you'll see what I mean…

Unh my head… I thought, rolling over on the bed I was lying on. What hap—

"Chrno!" I yelled, springing up to a sitting position. I looked around to see myself in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room.

"Where am I..?"

A knock came at the door. "Rosette it's me, can I come in?" Called a voice from outside the room.

"S-sure…"

The door opened and a boy a little younger than me came in and sat on the bed beside me.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. I simply stared and my mouth fell open.

I pinched myself experimentally. Ow! No…I'm not dreaming… Then I pinched him experimentally.

"Ow! Hey Rosette wh—"

Before the boy could protest I'd thrown my arms around him and burst into uncontrollable sobs.

"R-Rosette…" He returned my embrace and rubbed my back calmingly.

"It's you…it's really you Joshua…"

"Of course it's me…Wow I guess you really did hit your head hard." The last part he seemed to say to himself but I didn't care or pay any attention to it. I'd found him…I'd finally found Joshua.

After my sobbing finally ceased I leaned back against the bed's headrest and stared happily at my long-lost brother. He smiled back at me at first, but Joshua's smile quickly faded to a frown and he turned to stare out the window.

"Hey Rosette?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"…Who's Chrno?"

I now stared at Joshua in surprise. "He's—" I stopped and searched my memory for some sort of clue. "He's…" A name, a flash of purple hair, and sad red eyes were all that met my question.

"I…I don't know. I don't know who he is Joshua."