Disclaimer: Must I do this every chapter? …Fine, I don't own CC.

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Chrono Crusade

Smile Empty Soul

Chapter: 7

A day passed at the Magdalene Order, then two.

Chrono himself knew the days had passed, yet he felt as though the world before him was frozen.

It was as if he was stuck in an eternity, never to escape. Trapped.

He sighed, knowing that the action had become a very bad habit. "I don't know what to do anymore…" he said out loud to no one.

It's not like anyone can hear me…

At 9:00 A.M, all of the people at the Order were chowing down on pancakes and bacon, happily unaware of the spirit that hovered over them.

Yet once again, Chrono found Rosette as isolated as she was before. And it didn't help his guilt to know that he was the reason why.

Azmaria sat down beside the older girl, attempting to cheer Rosette up. "Is the food edible today?" she joked lightly, lifting a burnt pancake with her fork.

Rosette's lips twitched slightly at the thought. "If you like your food burnt to a crisp, then yes," she replied with a smile on her face.

But as Chrono drifted down beside them, he noticed that the smile painted upon Rosette's face never quite reached her eyes.

She was faking it for Azmaria's sake.

"Oh, come on," he growled softly. "Laugh, smile, be happy, Rosette!" Don't waste yourself on me…"

Rosette stiffened suddenly as the words left Chrono's mouth. With disbelief and mounting suspicion, she turned to her friend. "Did you hear that?"

Azmaria looked up innocently. "Hear what?"

For a small second, Rosette stared at the empty space to her right, then sighed heavily. "Nothing…" The silver haired girl next to her just shrugged and returned to her breakfast.

I could have sworn…I thought…I thought I heard him…

Great, now I'm delusional…

Rosette sighed, returning to her breakfast as though nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Chrono watched over them with building frustration.

Why can't she see me?

Why…why can't things go back to normal?

Chrono looked up at the ceiling.

Why can I not escape from this Hell?

To be within reach, yet never quite able to touch…I truly hope that this is not my fate…

Watching Rosette drive was fun, the spirit decided a couple hours later.

Now that I'm dead, I don't have to worry about crashing into walls anymore!

That's one advantage, I guess…

Chrono levitated a few inches above the passenger seat, snickering at Rosette's half-frantic expression.

Her eyebrows furrowed together as her tongue stuck out in concentration.

"I will not run over innocent pedestrians," Rosette repeated to herself with determination. "I will not run over innocent pedestrians."

Chrono chuckled softly at his contractor. "You never should have passed your driver's test…"

As Rosette narrowly avoided an oncoming car in the middle of an intersection, she laughed.

"You know," she said out loud, a distant look in her eyes, "if Chrono was with me, he'd say something about how my driving is a menace to society…" Rosette's lips turned up into a hollow smile as she pulled into the parking lot of the Order, the car's brakes screeching from misuse. "…And then I'd probably ram his forehead into the dashboard…"

"It's not my fault…You are horrible at driving," the spirit responded indignantly. But once again, Rosette did not hear his whispering voice.

Her smile became strained, and slowly melted off her face. "God, I miss him," she whispered heartbrokenly. At that moment, the atmosphere turned cold and bitter in the car, Rosette's thoughts spinning back to Chrono's death. "It's my fault too…It wasn't supposed to be like this…" The girl slumped over slightly and laid her forehead on the steering wheel, tear blurring her eyesight.

"I'm sorry…I can't protect you this time, Rosette." Anymore, it felt to him as though he carried the world. Chrono's shoulders hunched over in sadness, the invisible weight steadily dragging him down.

I'm sorry, Rosette…I can protect you from anything, anything in the world…except for me.

I can't protect you from myself…your memories.

I haunt you now even in your mind, don't I?

I'm weighing you down…

…I'm the reason you can't smile anymore.

Would it have been best if you forgot me?

At that last thought, Chrono resisted the temptation to hurt himself. He was just letting his imagination run away from him! He and Rosette were best of friends, perhaps even more. They would never forget each other, no matter what…

…Right?

Right, Chrono tried to convince himself.

But no matter how hard he tried to, he didn't believe what he thought.

But if she did forget me, she wouldn't be in such pain…pain that I caused.

Slowly, I am killing her, through her memories…

And I can't let that happen.

Chrono sighed and snapped his wings up, propelling the ghost out from the roof of the car. He flew up higher towards the sun and soared around the sky, attempting to clear his mind.

Maybe I just need to relax…

Yet while he tried to sort out everything, he was startled to notice something that only managed to further depress him.

Unlike days before, Chrono found that he could no longer feel the warmth of the sun, or of the cutting wind that ruffled his hair and clothing. His eyes widened at the realization, and it forced him to notice another.

Was he falling away from the world?

Chrono stopped in mid air, wondering if perhaps he had jumped to conclusions. But no, the sun beat down upon him unmercifully, and yet he only felt the freezing cold.

He saw the cutting wind, heard it even, but could not feel it on his skin.

It was as though he had lost contact with reality.

The spirit felt panic rise within him as he gently landed on the rooftop of an old office. Just last night, I felt the warmth in the air dwindle as the sun went down. But now, I can't.

It's like I'm not even here anymore…

No, that can't be right! But…

I feel like I'm…fading away…

"How's Chrono doing?" Astral questioned the Archangel of Reason as she walked into to the room. It had been almost a week since the demon had been cursed as a wandering spirit, and the Angels were starting to get restless.

"He has started to realize that he doesn't belong in Earth anymore," Reason observed, "yet, he still refuses to accept his death…"

Astral sighed. "He is so stubborn…"

"True, but I still have hope for Chrono. After all, he is no longer in the same frequency with Earth."

The Guardian's interest spiked. "What do you mean?"

Smiling slightly, Reason explained, "Chrono has begun to realize that he no longer belongs, and that has started to change his connection with the world around him. He can not feel his surroundings anymore; the world is frozen to him now."

"And that means….?" The Guardian asked, noticing how Reason's speeches kept running around in circles.

"His subconscious realizes what he won't admit," the Archangel replied. "He has started to accept his death."

Another night passed, the world surrendering to the fading light.

Chrono had grown to love the sunsets during his time of being a wandering spirit. The serenity of it all more or less calmed him.

And calmness was something he was in desperate need of.

I need to figure out…what's happening to me…

Just within the past twenty-hours, the spirit found that the voices of others around him had softened from loud booms to faint whispers.

Maybe I really am losing my reality.

The once vibrant world around him had lost some of its color, and slowly Chrono felt a dampen on his spirit. (Pun intended.) He could only perceive the world in shades of gray.If this keeps up, I don't know what I'll do…

This world is losing its meaning to me.

Yet, I still can't leave Rosette here alone. That would be like admitting defeat.

But then, he wondered, would defeat be so bad? Would it be so horrible to escape from this Hell?

Would it be so horrible to let Rosette move on without me, and let her be…happy?

You haunt her, Chrono…

Would it be so horrible?

Chrono looked at his hands, seeing the ground through them. I…I don't even exist anymore…How could I ever help her?

He sighed once more. I'm useless to her now…

I might as well be dead, for all the good I am…

The spirit watched as the world grew dark once more. Maybe I should have gone along with the Astral lady.

I guess…maybe Rosette and I weren't meant to be together…

He held his head in his hands, and for the first time, wished that he was truly dead.

Reason sighed. "His deepest desire is Rosette's safety…"

Chrono is a rather odd demon…His cares for her actually outweigh his own concern for himself.

Astral glanced at the looking glass, her eyes trained on the barely visible spirit.

"He's willing to accept his death…for Rosette's sake," she said softly, her voice barely carrying to her companion's ears.

"So it begins," Reason whispered. He stood up, stretching his great wings. "Go and find the Angle of Knowledge and the Keeper of Time," he ordered. "Their power will be needed also."

Astral nodded in determination, and snapped her wings up, flying away.

Hold on a little longer, Chrono…

Within minutes, she spotted her friends who had been conned back into their work, and eagerly waved them over. "The Archangel has found a way to resurrect Chrono!"

Time and Knowledge both instantly dropped the Guardian Angel reports they were holding and flew towards Astral, demanding for her to lead the way.

The Archangel of Reason smiled, his purple eyes crinkled in happiness. After all, he never got to do much during these crazy days….

I'll need the Angels' energy to carry this out, though. Resurrection is such a large order to fill, even for me.

He cleared the golden-washed floors of clutter with a flick of his hand. The looking glass that connected Chrono to Heaven was placed in the middle of the room, the power itself pulsing in anticipation.

Reason stepped backwards and lifted his hands to call upon the Winds of the Earth. In no time at all, all four directional winds fell silent, waiting for the Archangel's command.

It was at that time when Astral chose to enter, her comrades at her right and left. "We are ready if you are," the Guardian said calmly. Reason nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good; you'll need to be ready for something such as this." He turned to face the looking glass. "All I ask of you is to lend me your energies. My abilities will allow me to heighten the power and control it too, do not worry."

The three minor Angels glanced at each other before nodding. They had pooled their energies in the past, and knew it to be effective. Perhaps even more this time around, with an Archangel on the receiving end… Time, knowledge, and Astral called forth their energy from within, ready to give Reason the vast majority of it.

Glowing gold, aqua, and silver rivers of power appeared over their heads and shot into the Archangel. The Angels, now powerless over their namesakes, cut off the flow just before they were fully drained. "Thank you," Reason said to them, his body glowing a bright white.

"With our energies combined, I can recreate almost anything."

And with that said, the Archangel laid his hands on the looking glass and closed his eyes in concentration. He forced raw power through the glass, a screeching whine emitting from the portal.

I Call Forth…Chrono.