Disclaimer: No, still don't own Chrono...:Sighs:

Yay! I found some free time!

Smile Empty Soul

Chapter 3

"Rosette, Rosette!" A small voice bounced off the walls with childish enthusiasm.

It was Azmaria.

"Rosette, I found some bandages to help Chrono!" she voiced, opening the infirmary door with one hand. She stumbled in, tripping over the long strands of gauze. "Rosette! Chrono!" she fairly sang, happy that she had found a way to help.

Stooping to pick up the fallen gauze, Azmaria only heard silence from both Chrono and Rosette.

And that worried her. Neither person was a quiet individual. Was something wrong?

Azmaria looked up to see her normally spirited role model hunched over the bed where Chrono lied, her shoulders shaking ever so slightly.

"…Rosette?" No one answered her.

The silence pounded in her ears with a deafening intensity.

What was going on?

Azmaria noticed just then a deep wine colored liquid lazily trailing down the sides of Chrono's bed, pooling onto the floor.

"…Blood," she whispered shakily. Slowly, the singer walked up to the bed, noticing how still he was…and she knew that blood had to be his.

But nothing could have prepared her for the sight she was about to see.

Chrono's shredded chest didn't move, indicating that he wasn't breathing. His normally vibrant, golden eyes were half-lidded and unmoving. His skin, what wasn't covered with blood, was deathly white. Chrono's wings limply hung off the bed as though they were rags. The bones that had held them up so proudly were now splintered and cracked, small white shards showing through.

By then, Rosette had broken through the shell of numb shock. "Please," she whispered to him, her voice cracking. "Don't leave me here, Chrono…Please…" But as she traced the outline of his facial features, no one answered her.

Azmaria staggered backwards, all traces of happiness destroyed.

She shook her head, refusing to believe the sight before her. "No…"Azmaria said, her eyes becoming glassy with tears.

But this nightmare was too real to be just that.

"No…" Azmaria felt a torrent of crystalline tears stream down her cheeks. "It's happening again!" she cried out, her heartstrings snapping in two. "I've brought pain to my friends…It's happening again…" her voice faltered. "My fault…"

"…It's my fault!" the white haired girl shook uncontrollably, unable to accept her friend's death. She fell to her knees, Chrono's death weighing heavily on her mind, consuming her thoughts.

I knew…I knew! I knew this would happen…and I didn't do anything to stop it…

But then, Azmaria felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, catching her own tears in her hands. It was Rosette.

"It's not your fault, Azmaria." The older girl kneeled down and pulled her friend into a bear hug, hoping to be comforted herself.

Azmaria nearly broke down as she felt Rosette's arms tremble against her. Even her unbreakable (normally violent) role model was lost.

The girl returned the embrace, suddenly afraid that she was going to lose Rosette too…

"It wasn't your fault," the blue eyed Rosette repeated to Azmaria. "It wasn't…"

They cried on each others' shoulders, drowning in the comfort that came with the other's presence.

He's gone…Chrono's gone…

Yet it was around that time when the older girl forced herself to look on the bright side, for Azmaria's sake.

I can't…I can't let Azmaria hurt like this, too…

I can't fail another person.

Rosette inhaled a shaky breath after gaining a small amount of control over her emotions. "Chrono…wouldn't have wanted us to cry. He always hated it when we did…"

Azmaria couldn't help but smile. "Y-yeah," she said, sniffling. "He did."

Rosette looked out the window once more, soaking in the comforting warmth of the sun. "At least…he's not suffering anymore…At least Chrono's in a better place than here."

God, he suffered so much.

She tucked a golden lock of hair behind her ear, praying that what she said was true. "And who knows? Maybe he's watching over us right as we speak…"

That thought comforted Azmaria to a point where her trembling wasn't quite as bad. "Maybe…"

The girl looked up at Rosette, noticing all the emotions that danced within her expressions. "It wasn't your fault either, Rosette," Azmaria stated firmly.

Said nun glanced down at the stone floor, feeling another wave of tears block her vision.

Yes it was, she thought, her lips quivering.

It was my fault.

The Angel of Knowledge swallowed painfully. "How are such fragile creatures able to withstand so much pain?"

Time sighed, suddenly feeling old. "It has been their destiny since the very beginning of Time itself."

Knowledge opened his mouth to answer, but then hesitated. "Astral's back," he observed, switching subjects.

And as if on cue, the Guardian of Astral Energy materialized before them, the aqua color of her power nearly blinding her comrades before it subsided.

Astral's green eyes flashed with confusion and curiosity as she gazed at her two friends. "I have extracted Chrono's energy from the main fields," she said, holding up a glowing sphere of pure white. "But…what were you planning on using it for?"

"Not to use the energy," Knowledge corrected, "but to preserve it."

Astral glanced at her friend with hope shining in her eyes. "Does this mean…you found a way?"

Knowledge rubbed the back of his neck. "…Not yet." The smile on Astral's face instantly disappeared, forming a deep frown.

"I don't understand," Knowledge said, frustrated. "I've checked everything. Every book in the library could only reveal one hint: that only Time will tell."

But…I already knew that, Knowledge thought begrudgingly.

At that moment, the Keeper of Time suddenly felt an idea vaguely tease him in the back of his mind.

And then…it hit him.

A genuine smile of pure happiness lit his face. The Keeper glanced between both his friends. "You said Time would tell, yes?"

Knowledge furrowed his eyebrows. "…Yes…" What are you getting at now, I wonder.

"Well, what if we reset time?"

Sister Kate sighed dejectedly as she stared out her office's window.

The entire Order had fallen into a hushed depression since…the incident. Silence reigned over everyone. Especially Rosette.

And that was what worried her.

Rosette was never quiet.

The nun had yet to fully understand the relationship that had formed between Chrono and Rosette, but she knew their feelings ran deeper than what she first thought.

However, if there was one thing Kate knew, it was that Chrono's death was exactly was Aion wanted. Just by knocking off Chrono, Aion managed to defeat the base of the Order's defense system. And without Chrono, the Magdalene Order wasn't much of a threat to Aion, Sister Kate admitted with a grudge.

Her eyes landed on a freshly dug grave in the outskirts of the Order's lands. The grave…was Chrono's. Right next to a beautiful magnolia tree, the place was once the demon's favorite spot. Everyone at the Order believed it was the perfect spot to bury their friend. And, although she would never admit it, Sister Kate couldn't have agreed more.

"How will the Order defeat Aion, now that Chrono has…passed?"

Startled by the voice, Kate jumped, placing her hand over her heart. She turned around to see Father Remington leaning against the wall, a frown apparent upon his features.

"Don't do that!" Kate scolded lightly, her heart still beating erratically.

"Pardon me for scaring you, Sister Kate," Remington said absentmindedly, his normally smooth as silk voice infiltrated with untold emotions.

After somewhat regaining a sense of calmness, Kate began to question her companion. "Did you need me for something, Father?"

Remington ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I was just walking around the Order, and figured you should know…"

"Our warriors seem to have lost their drive, their ambition," he explained with a heavy heart. "They think since Aion defeated Chrono that they stand no chance."

Kate sat down at her desk, her head in her hands. "I…don't know what to do about it. I just don't know anymore."

The priest sighed despondently. "You're not the only one with that feeling." He glanced over at Kate. "…How's Rosette doing?"

"Worse. She refuses to eat." Remington winced. If that girl couldn't shove something down her throat (Like she normally did), then it was obvious something was seriously bugging her.

"…Reset time?" Knowledge inquired skeptically.

"Yes," Time responded, his deep gray eyes flashing with determination. "As the Keeper of Time, it is possible that I could do that."

"…Reset time…" Astral repeated, obviously not believing her companion's words.

Time caught on to her tone. "What? I said that I could. Did you not hear me?"

Knowledge sighed tiredly. "It is not whether you can reset time, but whether or not it should be carried out."

"There are too many risks," Astral reluctantly agreed. "Resetting Time could severely damage the Continuum."

The feeling of self-accomplishment slowly ebbed away from Time. "Yes, I suppose so…"

"And not only that," the Angel of Knowledge said, "but resetting Time could continuously alter everyone's actions. It would be as though an alternate Universe ran parallel to the Universe before it, opening doors opposite of what a certain mortal would normally take."

"So," Astral asked inquisitively, "every decision a mortal made until now would be changed into its alternative action?"

"Yes," Time answered for Knowledge. "It…would."

I had forgotten about that side effect, Time thought absently.

"And I suppose that was our last idea," The Guardian of Astral Energy stated miserably, feeling as though she had failed somehow.

"But there has to be a way," Knowledge uttered, determined. "It has been done before."

He turned to his comrades, an idea forming in his mind. "I shall return soon. It is possible that the Archangels are guarding the secret."

"And for good reasons too," Astral warned. "They might not want us to know."

Knowledge smiled brightly. "I will find an answer." And in a flashed of eye blinding light, he was gone.

"…Do you think he'll find our solution?" Time asked, turning towards the Guardian.

Astral sighed. "I wish I could say so, but I am rather unsure."

Time rubbed the back of his neck. "The pathetic thing of this all is that the answer is probably right in front of us."

"Probably," Astral agreed.

So, before you go and hit the back button or choose to review, I have a few questions to ask of you:

1.) Did you think the people were out of character? If so, how could I improve that?

2.) Did you think any part of this chapter lacked in detail or lacked a fluid flow of words?

3.) Did you think the transition from the first chapter to this one was okay, or too choppy?

Thank you for reading and I would really appreciate it if you dropped off a review for me:)

Holographic Shadow