Forgotten Memories Chapter Six

Chrono Crusade

Date Started: November 17th 2004

Sora Kazuma

I was lying on my bed, reading through a hardbound copy of the Bible I had snatched from the chapel. It was six or seven in the evening, I couldn't tell, due to a storm that had rolled in late this afternoon. It was pouring buckets up against the glass windows and the lightning and thunder were constant. Evening mass had been canceled because it was too dangerous to trek across the grounds to the church. Rosette, Azmaria and I were bored out of our minds with nothing to do. And yet we were still on standby in this horrible weather.

I kept looking up, checking outside to see if the storm was weakening. Today had been Yugo's first day of full-time work and although I had been given an easy night in my room, he was stuck in the city.

Rosette was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Chrono had gone with Azmaria to Remington's office to see if we could find anything to do. Just as I started to get back into reading they returned with Mia. Azmaria had a triumphant look on her face.

"Look what Father Remington let me borrow!" she replied, struggling to carry the heavy object.

I sat up. "You got Father Remington's radio?"

"With a little persuasion, you can get whatever you want from Father Remington. And we knew who to let sweet-talk him." Chrono grinned, pointing to Mia.

"That's awesome." Rosette's cerulean eyes shined. "Let me see!"

"No way!" Azmaria huffed, her cheeks going red. "I was told your not allowed to touch it!"

"And why not!" she demanded.

"Maybe because you break everything?" Chrono replied.

"That's not true Chrono!" Rosette glared at him.

Mia shook her head with a smile. Glancing over at me, her chestnut eyes widened. "You look lonely this evening without your tall handsome shadow following behind you."

I nodded. "It's so weird not having him around."

He had left before I had gotten up this morning and he still hadn't come back. He had blocked me out of his mind, probably so I wouldn't be a distraction to him. I could reach out and touch the block and that was about the only way I knew he was still even there. It was way to awkward without him monitoring my every movements.

Azmaria sat the radio down on her bedside table and clicked it on. Fumbling with the buttons she finally picked up a strong station playing the sweet sound of a saxophone.

"Jazz." Chrono's crimson eyes sparked.

"It sounds better then listening to the storm." Rosette collapsed back on her bed, her foot tapping along with the music.

"I agree. That thunder crashing is way to close. It's kinda scary." Azmaria blushed.

"It's not going to hit us." I told her with a smile.

Just then a huge spark of lightning struck somewhere amazingly close by the thunder was so loud it shook the building and darkness immediately followed.

"Okay… forget what I said." I replied, removing my hands from my ears.

"Well this is great." Rosette replied, getting up.

Mia opened the door with the next strike of lightning that lit up the room and poked her head out into the hallway. "Looks like the whole level's out."

"My guess is the whole grounds just lost power." Chrono replied.

Mia's eyes sparked. "Hey!"

Footsteps led to Remington's handsome face in the doorway. "Is everyone alright in here?" he replied, scanning the room as best as he could.

"Yes Father." Azmaria nodded.

"Good. The storehouse is flooding. We need some help. Chrono, if I could borrow your assistance?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure." He replied.

"Sora, is Yugo back yet?" he asked.

"No Father, and I don't know when he will be back." I shrugged.

"When he gets here, let him know we need his help. Rosette, you and Azmaria head over to the chapel."

"In this mess!" Rosette stared out the window and back at him.

"The chapel is on low ground, and it's the last place that needs to be flooded. This storm won't be over until near morning." He replied.

"What should I do Rem?" Mia asked him.

"Stay here with Sora until we here from Yugo. I don't want anyone to be by themselves, especially in the dark." He replied. After a minute he leaned down, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. "Now, come on. We have to get moving."

"Yes sir." Chrono nodded.

I sighed. I hoped nothing had happened to Yugo, but I was starting to worry.

"Can't you try to get a hold of him? I know you both talk back and forth in each other's mind all the time?" Mia replied, crossing her arms.

"True, but he's put a barrier up to block me, probably so he wouldn't be distracted." I told her.

"Isn't there a way you can break it?" she asked. "It's only a barrier, a defensive spell."

"Maybe." I said after a moment. I closed my eyes and focused, trying to call his name. There was nothing. I tried again…and again. All I heard was my voice echoing off the sides of my mind. 'This isn't fair!' I was getting irritated now along with a major headache. 'YUGO!'

Everything in my head suddenly spun and then snapped. I felt a wall lifted somewhere along with the throbbing of a headache. But it was his voice that responded seconds later. 'Sora…? Is that you?'

'Who else would it be, moron!' I growled. 'Where are you!'

'On my way back. The train station is closed because of all the water on the tracks.'

'You're walking!'

'Not really. I'll explain when I get there.'

'We need you're help. The storehouse here on the grounds is flooding and if everything in there gets trashed, all of the food is going to be ruined!'

'I'll be there soon. Wait for me in the lobby.'

My eyes snapped open and I put a hand to my forehead.

"Hey, are you alright?' Mia asked.

"Yeah." I got up, brushing it off as nothing, even though my head was really killing me. "We need to get down to the lobby. Yugo's on his way back now."

"Alright. Let's get going then."

We stumbled through the dark halls, taking the stairs slowly and using the walls as checkpoints to make sure we were heading in the right direction.

We had just made it to the lobby and were standing in front of the glass door, watching the rain pour down in streams over the porch.

"It's pitch black everywhere." Mia replied, staring out on the grounds. There wasn't a speck of light anywhere.

I felt Yugo's presence suddenly pick up close by. 'Where are you?'

'The lobby doors.'

"Hey!" Mia replied, staring out through the rain. "I think I see someone coming."

'Do you think your friend will freak out if…I don't exactly look normal?'

'I don't know. What did you do?'

'You'll see soon enough.'

I swallowed. There was a moving shadow out in the green and it was much bigger then Yugo's normal height. As it got neared, I felt a familiar burning sensation in my head. My eyes widened. 'You didn't!'

'Not necessarily. Just, let me put up a barrier. And this time, don't fight me.'

He was gone again. But the figure continued to come toward us. Mia took a step back as it stepped through the barrier of rain. "I…don't think that's Yugo."

"It is." I swallowed. I still couldn't see him in the dark. But I knew it was him.

The glass door opened and a figure wrapped in large black wings appeared. They unfolded around their protector to reveal Yugo…as normal as Yugo could look with wings. The rune in the middle of his forehead had appeared and his hands had transformed into claws, but he still looked the same as always. He stretched his wings, water dripping off of them as well as loose onyx feathers.

"Yugo!" I smiled. He had managed to successfully complete a half transformation without killing my memories.

He was wearing a white shirt that was probably in tatters by now; due to his wings bursting through the back of it, and a pair of black slacks. He had his coat wrapped around one arm, saving it from the same fate from his shirt. "Good evening you two."

"So it's true then." Mia replied after a moment. "His devil powers aren't completely contained."

"I would never use them to hurt anyone." He looked over at her, his golden eyes watching her.

"Mia…" I swallowed. "Yugo's right. He got here as quickly as he could, so that we can go help Remington. He would not use them if He did not have a purpose."

"We need to be going. Father's waiting on us." He grabbed my wrist, pulling me up close to him. "I can fly us there in no time, otherwise you two are looking at a twenty minute walk across the grounds in this weather." He held out his other hand to her. "You coming or not?"

Mia stood there watching us for a moment. She hesitantly reached out, wrapping her hand in his clawed one. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her forcefully up against him. She looked at me, her cheeks blushing, her eyes unsure.

"Here." He handed me the trenchcoat. "Wrap this around yourselves or you're going to get drenched. He walked us out of the lobby. His arms tightening around us. "No matter what," he replied, his voice deepening. "Don't squirm. I won't drop you, promise."

"Sora…" Mia looked over at me, still unsure.

"Don't worry." I replied. "Trust me, we're safe."

"Ready…set… go!"

I closed my eyes as I felt him push off the ground. Mia gave out a yelp, her hand tightening around my arm. The rain was cold, stinging on my face, and I could feel the wind on my face. I opened my eyes, looking down at the ground below. Everything looked so small…so tiny. This had only been the second time Yugo had taken me flying with him and I loved every minute of it.

"Hold on a minute girls. This might get rough."

I shut my eyes tightly, burying my face in his neck. The wind got colder, faster. I heard him groan deep in his throat and there was a moment where my mind burned and then it was gone. I felt him shield us and then there was a dim glow somewhere around us.

"You can open your eyes now."

It was his deep voice, hiding amusement. I opened my eyes, gasping at the sight. We were above the storm. The cloud cover rolled on forever, and the lightning was evident from up here as well as down there. However the night sky was more beautiful. The stars seemed brighter and the moon was a silver sliver, lighting up it's darker half.

Mia gasped, not believing we were staring at this. "You…" she looked up at him and almost fell out of his grip in surprise. "You're…!" her face went red.

"What, you were expecting my true form to be the same as my normal one?" he replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Have you even seen a Sinner in his true form?"

She swallowed, her eyes trailing down his neck to his chest. "No, I can't say I have…"

I grinned. 'Yugo, thank you…this…this is incredible.'

'I flew home in this tonight. I thought the view was so beautiful you might want to see it.'

My mind burned suddenly, causing us both to realize we couldn't continue.

"As much as I'd like to girls, we have to be getting back to the church grounds. I'm going to try and get us back as smoothly as possible. But I hope I got rid of your fear of flying Mia."

"Yeah!" she laughed. "We'll have to do this more often."

"Alright, brace yourselves." He responded. He closed his wings, falling freely down into the clouds. We were going faster as we hit the strength of the storm. Suddenly the winds were back, the stinging rain and the thunder and lightning clashing around us. I closed my eyes as we came out of the storm and Yugo opened up his wings. We stopped moving so fast and came down in front of the storehouse lightly. His wings shadowed over our heads, shielding us from the downpour. "Head inside. I'll be in in a minute."

"Okay." We nodded, entering the storehouse.

The storehouse was huge. We ran through the cellar towards the group where they had lanterns set up.

"Remington!" Mia called as we got near the group.

"Mia! Sora!" he looked up, smiling. "I guess this means Yugo's here too?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

The three of us spent the rest of the evening, shoveling water out of the basement of the storehouse. By sunrise I was numb, exhausted and trying to soothe a killer headache, but we succeeded for the most part. I stripped completely when I got back to our room, collapsing under the covers and trying to get warm. Yugo curled his body around mine, huddling close so that we could stay warm.

I awoke to find the room empty of everyone, including Yugo. Sitting up and pulling the covers up over my naked form. It was late afternoon, the sunlight shining through the windows. I got up, fished out some clothes and decided to head down to the dining hall to see if I could get some food early before dinner. I was starving.

I had barely made it to the food hall when I felt a familiar presence in my mind. 'So, you're finally awake?'

'Afternoon Yugo.' I said sleepily, walking into the kitchen. 'Where are you?'

'Getting out of the bath house. Chrono and I spent most of the day carrying firewood into the great hall. I was hoping to be back before you awakened.' He paused. 'Where are you?'

'Going after food.' I replied, pleading with the head cook for some food. She was irritated but she gave me a half of a loaf of breed and some fresh cheese. Practically drooling I left the dining hall, heading out to the green. Scarfing down the food in no time flat I sighed. Maybe I'd just crash on the green and take a long nap.

"Hey, Dog-eyes!"

I cringed, looking over my shoulder with narrowed eyes. It was Andrea, as usual. She looked like she was up to something. "Sister Kate has been asking for you. Apparently, she has a case for you out in the country. And since Yugo is working tomorrow, he can't go." She grinned and then mockingly acted as if it was upsetting her. "Oh, what a shame…for you."

I demolished the last piece of the cheese as I walked past her. "Actually," I said, still chewing on my food. "Yugo told his boss he would be accompanying me on my next case. So, to bad, so sad." I waved as I headed into the building. "Nice try though. Keep them coming. Eventually you might be able to trip me up!"

I went to Sister Kate's office without another thought on the matter. Let Andrea try to break Yugo and me apart. Never would it happen, not in an eternity.

Remington and Kate were pleased with my work on the storehouse and apologized for giving me my next case so soon. "There's been reports of a demon killing off livestock and children out in the country. Two more children have gone missing from a village close to this farm where it was last seen and have yet to be found. You are to go out there and neutralize this demon." Sister Kate stared at me for a moment. "Do you think you'll be alright by yourself Sora?"

"I'll be fine. Yugo's going with me. He's all the back up I'll ever need." I swallowed. "Has Lena returned from her mission yet?"

"No…" Kate replied. "Not yet. But I'm not worried. She was traveling all the way to Maine."

'Do not worry dear, she is safe and sound, here with me.'

"Jo-" I started, surprised and then. Silenced myself. 'Joshua!'

"Hmm?" Sister Kate looked up from her papers. "Did you say something Sora?"

"No…" I smiled. "It's nothing."

I left the office breathing a sigh of relief. 'Don't scare me like that.'

'You should not worry. Lena will be returning home soon. She's spending some time with me.'

"Sora." I turned around seeing Father Remington leaving the office as well. "Sora, did someone try to contact you?" he asked.

My eyes widened. "Father Remington…"

"Do not hide this from me." He asked softly.

'Letting him know will not affect things for the moment.'

I swallowed. "Yes sir."

"Was it Joshua?"

I ducked my head slightly. "Yes sir."

He paused. "How do you know him?"

"He's…He's the guy…"

"Lena's been seeing." His blue eyes suddenly sparked recognition.

"Sir, you can't use this against her! I know that Rosette and the others should know, but…please."

"Calm down." He put a hand on my shoulder. "It makes no difference right now. I will overlook this matter for the time being. Remember, I can keep a secret. I'm already hiding the first half of this little ordeal. Hiding the second half is just as easy."

I smiled. "Thank you Father!"

"No problem. You and Yugo should be getting out of here soon. I went and got your ammo for you, to save you the trouble of dealing with the elder. It's in car number two in the garage." He smiled.

"Thank you so much Rem." I replied with a grin.

"Now get out of here. You shouldn't need much packing and if you don't hurry you'll end up being dragged to evening mass." He waved me off.

I ran out of the building with a satisfied grin. 'Yugo! We've got marching orders! We've got a case out in the country.'

'That's great!' his voice couldn't hide the tinge of excitement I heard there.

'We leave immediately.' I told him. 'Gather the things from our room and meet me in the garage.' I passed by Andrea and Katherine, sitting out on the green talking. I waved, shooting them a grin. "Have fun later girls."

Running into the garage, I found the car, threw open the door and hopped in. A clip full of sacred rounds was sitting on the seat along with a small box housing one gospel round. I smiled. "Thank you Father."

My rifle box was in the back along with the telephone. A bag full of food was set in the back too, filled with delicious eats and enough of it to satisfy my black hole- stomach and Yugo's for at least a couple days. "Remington pulled out all the stops. He and Mia probably did this. I owe them now."

"Hey." Yugo smiled over at me from the passenger side window, his hands resting on the door. He was dressed in all black and the trench coat- he wore it all the time now.

I smiled back. "Hello."

He grabbed my hand, pulling me over to him for a soft kiss. I blushed, pulling away. "Now is not the time for that you know." I said, trying to hide my crimson cheeks.

"Of course it is." He huffed, opening the door and sliding in beside me. "We're on a case. We don't have to adhere to the Order rules right now." He heaved a heavy bag in behind him and threw it in the back, careful not to crush anything already back there. "Clothes and blankets and such. I know you're going to miss your bed." He replied with a sheepish grin.

I put the keys into the ignition and started the engine. Shutting the door I backed out of the driveway and out of the grounds. "Right."

With Yugo as my navigator, I had no problem finding the right roads to turn onto. By the time it had grown to dark to see, we were already miles away from the city, away from the lights and the noise.

Yugo's golden eyes were staring out the window. He had put the glass down and had his head hanging partly out the window like a dog, the night breeze blowing his spiky cyan hair all around. He looked so peaceful, so happy.

When I got to tired to carry on, and impossible to navigate, I pulled the car over off the side of the road into a grove of trees. The forest was all around us; it wasn't hard to find a place to crash for the night. I went through the bag blindly, finding some food and gulping it down.

Yugo was still looking out at the scenery around us, his arm resting on the side of the car door. "Yugo…" I replied softly, collapsing on the car seat. "I'm going to get a few hours of sleep, okay?"

He looked down on me, and pulled me close. "Alright."

I sighed, relaxing against him, lying my head on his leg. "You know, you're right." I said after a moment, my eyes closed. "It's so quiet out here. Even on the church grounds you can hear the sounds of the city. The passing cars, the train…you can hear it all still. Out here, there's nothing. Just the sound of the night animals."

"I'm so used to this…that's why I have so much trouble sleeping in the city." He said softly. His fingers were running lazily through my hair, sending tingles up and down my neck.

I nodded slightly. The last thing I heard was his soft breathing as I fell into darkness. I wasn't used to his world, but I still felt well protected here.

I awoke hours later. The moonlight was shining in through the windows and dawn wasn't far off, but it was still quite dark, the car lit only by the stars glow.

What startled me was that I was alone. Sitting up, I glanced around, looking in the car and then outside of it for the handsome devil. I opened the car door, becoming familiar with a sound echoing through the trees. Footsteps, in the fallen leaves, irregular, as if it was more then one person. I got out of the car, traveling beneath the underbrush. I could hear the steps in my head as well echoing their way to me. It was a little further off from where we had parked that there was a group of fallen trees, the moonlight bathing the area in its silver light. A bunch of craggy rocks and boulders lined the center of it and on these rocks pack of wolves had gathered. They were beautiful, sleek creatures with steel coats that shined mysteriously in the glow and intense amber eyes. There was a dozen or so of them, lying lazily on the rocks or watching with interest.

Yugo was out on the forest floor, going through martial arts moves I had never seen before, or even seen him use. His long hair braided back, his trench coat and shirt thrown aside, he was moving fluidly as if what he was doing was nothing at all. With the moonlight beating down on him and the wolf pack watching on, it felt as if I was seeing something in a dream. Something I could not even begin to imagine as real.

I leaned up against one of the trees, watching, mesmerized, as it seemed the wolf pack was as well. None of them didn't even seem to realize I was there. He was blocking me out, but I didn't think he was doing it on purpose. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I didn't want to disturb him. He looked so handsome, so lost in thought…so godly.

I turned. He would probably come back to the car eventually. I would just go back to sleep and not bother him about it.

"Don't go."

I blinked, looking back at him. He had stopped and was standing there, watching me. The wolves had gone, in a seeming blink of an eye and it was just him, and me.

He swallowed, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry you had to wake up without me there. I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up and take a look around."

"What were those martial arts moves?" I asked after a minute.

"I'm…not sure." He ran a hand through his hair. "They came to my head, and I just started doing them. I seemed to have known them before, but I … can't remember much now."

He grabbed his shirt and his trench coat. "Come on, let's get moving."

We walked back to the car in near silence. I climbed and went to start the car. "We'll just continue on. The sun's rising as we speak."

His hand laid on mine before I could slip the keys into the ignition. "Sora, I'm sorry I left you alone." He replied.

"It's okay." I told him.

"No it's not. What's bothering you?" he asked.

"I just…I'm sorry that I did this to you. You've been alive for a long time and you can't remember anything about it."

He pulled me into his arms. "I don't worry about it." He replied. "It doesn't bother me. Don't worry about it. It's a price I gladly gave up."

I blushed but nodded into his bare shoulder. "Alright then."

"Now, come on. We have to get going and find this village."

We reached the town by mid afternoon. It was a small place, quite timid. Most of the people hid in their homes when we arrived and no one came up to speak to us. I didn't know what to do until I found the small church.

"Bingo." I smiled. "They would know we're coming."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Yugo replied, looking around.

I beat on the house next to the chapel, guessing it was the pastor's home. "Hello? Anyone there?"

The door opened slightly after a moment and a young woman answered. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"Hi mam." I smiled. "Is the pastor in? Me and my friend here are officials from the Magdalene Order in New York City."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Yes. Come on in."

She undid the locks, letting us in to her small house. "My husband is in his study. Let me get him for you."

"Thank you." I nodded as she left. "You sense anything?" I asked Yugo.

"The entire place reeks of lower level demons and bloodlust. Other this town has been suffering like this for a long time or there's more going on here then we originally thought." His voice was low, dangerous. "You stay close to me. I don't trust any of these people as far as I can throw them."

"Good afternoon."

We looked over to see a clean-shaven bald-headed man entering, the woman before behind him. "I'm Pastor Herrington. I'm so glad someone there got my letter, and quickly. Things have been getting out of hand."

The pastor explained that for the last three months the town has been over run with demons every night and either lives or valuables get taken. Last week the sons of one of the farmer's were taken, and their bodies haven't been recovered yet.

"Where can I find the parents of the missing children?" I asked, standing up.

"They own the farm on the edge of town. If you follow the main road out a good half a mile or so, you'll find it." The pastor's wife told us.

Driving out, I felt Yugo's discomfort the moment it happened. I looked over at him, slowing the car down. "What is it?"

"This place…I don't like it. Park the car here. We'll walk the rest of the way." He told me.

We walked up to the house. The place was of couple dozen acres surrounded by forests on three sides. It was rather small, the building a one story built out of brick.

"Hello?" I asked, knocking on the front door. I got no answer. Yugo looked over to the pastures on the far side of the land.

"Someone's coming." He responded, his eyes narrowing.

"Can I help you all with something?" It was an old man, a gray beard and thin balding hair among his most distinguishing features.

"Hello sir. We're from the Magdalene Order, New York City." I replied.

"You here to find my grandkids?" He asked, hope in his voice.

"We're hoping to sir." I told him.

"Can you tell me, what you know about the incident?" Yugo spoke up.

"Well, Julius and Chris were out in the fields playing ball till well after dark. We warned them to come in, but they wouldn't. Next thing we knew, they were screaming, dragged off into the woods beyond. Their father went out on his horse to try and find them, but they were lost in the forest before he could cross the fields. We've been hoping they'll return, but the last few days, it seems unlikely." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We just want our boys back."

"What about his parents? Are his mother and father around?" I asked.

"Their mother, Clara, has been visiting her parents in Virginia for a while now. She doesn't even know her children are gone. Their father, Jack, is out in the fields somewhere. He's been working his best during the days to try and forget what's going on."

Yugo got closer to me. "I understand why this place is worse off then the town. The devil's hideout has to be around here, close."

I looked over at him. "Really?"

"They probably avoided confrontation with the people here because it would give away their hideout, until hunger for blood one night drew them to be that bold." He explained. "The scent…the air here is deadly. I can feel it. Such…hatred and loathing… They have to be hiding in the forest."

"What do you want to do?" I asked him softly.

He stared at me. "It'll be getting dark soon. Get your things. We go now."

"Right." I nodded, heading back to where we had parked the car further down the hill. Then it clicked. "Why am I taking orders from you anyway!" I shouted back to him.

He ignored me. "Gramps, can we borrow a horse, if you have one handy?"

The old man nodded. "Sure. The name's Alex. Anything that will help you save my grandkids." He headed off around to the back of the house.

By the time I returned with supplies for the trek the man had returned with an impressive bay gelding, tacked and ready for riding.

"Whiskers will get you to where you need to be going." He told us with a smile.

"Whiskers. That's cute." I smiled, patting the animal's thick neck. Yugo grabbed my hand, pulling me up onto the animal's back in front of him with ease.

"He was Julius's horse. Please. Find my family, and bring them back safe." Alex told us with a faint smile.

"If the kids are alive, we'll return them safe and sound." Yugo replied, asking the horse to move.

We crossed the fields on a canter, the horse moving perfectly to Yugo's every whim. "You've got a thing for animals, don't you wolf boy?" I asked him, looking up at him.

"We understand each other. Unlike humans, I know what its like to be used, and hunted or thrown away when you're not needed any more."

I blinked, surprised at his cold response, but he did not say anything further. I leaned back against him, holding onto the horse's mane in my hand for support.

At the forest's edge we slowed to a walk. Yugo's head pulsed and he growled. "The stench…" he fanned a hand through the air. "It's awful."

"Can you trace it?" I asked him softly. "It doesn't bother you to much does it?"

"I'm fine." He hissed, and then calmed a little when he felt me pull away from him. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay." I told him, with a smile. "Where to?"

"Ahead. They didn't think anyone would come after them, so they didn't bother to hide themselves to well. Their arrogance is sickening." He coughed.

"There!" behind the trees up ahead in the dim light of the sunset I could see a building of some kind.

"Let's check it out." Yugo replied, urging the horse into a trot.

"It's a house." I replied, getting off the horse to check it out myself. "Or what's left of it."

The left wall was all that was left, sheltering the iron-rought doors that led to the cellar.

"Keep it down." Yugo told me. Getting off the horse, he tied him to a nearby tree. "They're sleeping below us."

"Then let's do this while we have the advantage." I grabbed one of the cellar doors and carefully opened it. The hinges squealed a moment and I held up my gun to the darkness underneath, but as seconds passed, nothing emerged. "Ladies first."

Taking the steps two at a time, I entered the small room. It was a storage room, from the looks of it. The sunlight above lit the room in a small patch at the bottom and the wall across from the entrance. The boys were chained there. The first was in his teens and had long ash brown hair pooling over his shoulders, as he lay slumped to the wall. The second had to be no older then ten with messy reddish-brown hair. His shackles were a little less severe. His feet were on the ground, his wrists held by thick iron bars. Both children were barely clothed, what was left of the cloth in tatters. They were dirty from being chained here for days, bruised and wounded. The older boy's face was a mess, his legs a mass of bruises and cuts, his thighs greatly torn up. My heart stopped when I realized he had probably been used for some wicked sexual game. I wanted to cry for them both, but I knew that now, was not the time.

My first thought upon seeing them was that they were dead. Everything else in the room was. The place smelled horribly of rotting bodies and death, the floor littered with bodies and dried blood. But after watching them for a second, I saw the older boy's head move slightly and he looked up, his amber brown eyes looking at me in a haze but regarding me with surprise. My heart skipped a beat. Golden eyes. Like Yugo's eyes.

I went to him then. He raised his head as I started to move, looking around for any one else, probably his captors. "Miss, you shouldn't be here." He said softly, his voice the sweetest thing I had ever heard.

"I'm here to save you and your brother." I told him, looking at the bolts they had him latched to the wall with. There was no way I could break them without making a great amount of noise.

"It's a gallant effort Miss, but the creatures that have us here…" his voice gave out suddenly, his body ready to pass out again from pain. "They're not human. Me and my brother…are better left off to die."

I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, to steady him. "I'm not leaving you here for that. What's your name hon?"

"Julius." He responded, his eyes still closed.

"And how old are you Julius?" I asked softly, glancing over at his brother. The little one was passed out from the pain, but still very much alive, and in better condition then his older brother.

"I'm sixteen Miss." He tensed his arms trying to raise his head up above the thick brace they had around his neck, trying to stay awake. He looked at me and for the first time I got the fact that he actually saw me and not in some haze. Despite the current situation I saw his cheeks flush. "You're very pretty Miss. I'm rather embarrassed that we're meeting like this."

I blushed as well. "It can't be helped." I told him. "Now to find these creatures worthy of dying." I looked off into the darkness. This place was a maze, a maze I didn't want to get stuck in.

"They're still asleep." The boy told me softly. "I can tell when they're up or not. They usually sleep through twilight and go out to feed. My brother and I…prefer to be asleep when they awake. If we attract attention to ourselves in any way we end up getting a beating. I've learned never to speak out of line again." His face went red and he ducked his head. "The she-devil…she looks real enough to be human, but its always dark so I can't tell. She's come up with nasty little ways to punish me."

I ran my hands through his tangled chocolate-colored hair, over his chin. He trembled at my touched and looked up at me surprised, as if he was amazed that I could touch him and not cause him pain. His eyes…it made me want to bury my head in his chest and cry. "It'll be alright now Julius. You and your brother both. I'll get you out of here and take you home, back to your father and grandfather." I told him in a whisper; afraid my voice would crack with tears.

He looked so hopeful it melted my heart. "What's your name Miss, if I may be so honored to know it?"

"Sora." I smiled. "Sora Maiko."

"Well, Miss Sora Maiko." He managed a faint smile amidst his pain. "You've just become my new savior." He glanced up suddenly, his eyes widening in fear. "They're up. One of them is moving."

'It's just me.' The voice was in my mind before I could react.

I let out a held breath. "Don't worry, it's not one of them. It's my partner, Yugo."

"He gives off the aura of a devil?" he asked, worriedly. Suddenly his emotions changed to curiosity. "Wait…its devil but it's not evil. What is this?"

"I'm surprised you can pick up on the aura of dark creatures. Not many humans can do that." I told him with a smile. "Yugo's a devil but he's contracted to me. Besides, he doesn't have the power to hurt anyone. There's no need to worry. Him and I will protect you."

'You're getting all romantic down there with him, aren't you?' the voice was accusing, bitter.

'Yugo, the boy has been beaten an inch or two within death. He's frightened. I'm just trying to comfort him.'

'Sounds like mush to me.'

I let out a small agitated sigh. 'Where are you?'

'Coming down the steps now. Where are you?'

'Towards the back of the room.' I lifted my head. All of a sudden something didn't feel right.

"I don't think that's your friend." Julius whispered.

'Yugo-"

'I felt it too. Be on guard.'

'Are you armed?'

'About as well armed as I can be. …Be careful love. I'm right here, should something happen.'

I smiled. "Yugo…" Shaking my head, I grabbed my gun. "Julius. Wake up your little brother. I'll need you both to be conscious if we have to escape all of a sudden."

"Are you going to leave us?" he asked, his eyes widening.

My heart crumbled. "No, of course not. But I can't stand here and hope to battle a devil with you too so close. You could get hurt even worse then you already are. If something happens, call for me, or call for Yugo. I'll come to you, no matter what."

I grabbed the bag off my shoulder, digging through it and finding flares. Not much use then for a few moments of light, they were the best I had to manage searching through this gigantic black cellar.

"There's two of them." He spoke up after a minute, as I rifled through my bag. "A devil and his turned-demonic lover. Though technically…" he blushed. "I'm her lover too." He shook his head slightly.

"Julius…" I smiled at him, lighting my fingertips on his bruised shoulder. There was less of a startled reaction this time. "You are anything you want to be, and nothing if that's your decision too. I would hardly call you her lover." I tugged lightly, playfully, on a piece of his hair. "I'll be back." I winked. "Be patient."

Striking a piece of the flare to light it I walked into the darkness. There was a corner there to the right and I followed. The red glow from the flare stick showed me a narrow corridor. I was worried for the boys, more then I was for myself. That hallway led me to another, and then another. Suddenly I heard an evil giggle erupt from the darkness, seeming to come from all around me. That was about the same time I heard a gun shot go off. 'Yugo…!'

'I'm fine. I'm the one with the gun my dear.' He responded. 'The male found me. One thing I hate about lower-level devils: they're all so ugly. And this guy's no exception.'

'If you're fine enough to make wise cracks, I'll leave you to your demon slaying.'

'I'm no good in a human form. I'm just enough to stall this guy with sacred rounds till you can come and finish him.'

'I'll release the seal if I have to.'

'Not necessary.'

'Yugo, Julius and Chris are still chained to that wall. If we can eliminate the threat we won't have to worry about protecting them.'

'Alright.' He growled. 'I'll save your new little boyfriend.'

'Yugo, stop. You know the only one I feel for is you. And now is not the time for this.'

I closed my eyes, asking for power to be released. The gem on my neck glowed blue, the silver coiled around it prying open like the bars of a cage. There was a growl in my head and then his deep voice. 'Find the female and take care of her. I'll go to the boys when I've taken care of this garbage. And Sora…?'

My head ached, but I answered, brushing it off. 'Yes?'

'When we get back to the city, I want you to teach me the proper way to shoot a gun. If I can get good, I want to be able to protect you with that. I feel weak, having to revert to my true form all the time.'

I smiled. 'Sure. It's no problem Yugo. Once we get back.'

"That was unexpected." A female voice cut in. There was the sound of footsteps suddenly, coming toward me. "I hadn't been expecting a devil working with an exorcist."

"You just made my job real easy lady. I was getting annoyed with having to find you, but you just showed up right in front of me. Dumb move." I replied, my gun pointed straight at her.

"Bold move really. Because as pretty as you are, I can't have you taking my toy away from me. I love him to much for your dirty holy hands to touch him." She grinned. Julius was right- she was pretty, with long crimson hair and brown eyes. But her aura was that of a true demon.

"You're disgusting. If you loved that boy you wouldn't have him chained to the wall, beaten and bruised. He doesn't deserve it. Your stupid for bringing yourself before me and stupid for even believing for a minute that you cared about him." I growled. How dare she try that?

"And you're stupid church lady." She grinned, fangs showing. "Because you're flare's going out." In the next instant it got pitch black. I heard her charge and moved, firing rounds in the direction. With no light I could only guess her position by feeling her aura and with all the decay and evil filling this place is was hard to detect a moving one. Still I heard her groan when a sacred hit her and she charged again. I moved, but slowly compared to her and she nicked me in the shoulder with her claws. Scratches that would probably bleed, but nothing compared to what those kids had gone through. I went for my arm to see what she had done and probably would have gotten hit again if not for the blood-curdling scream that filled the halls in the next instant.

"Miguel, no…" she whimpered. She hissed. "That blasted devil... he couldn't have…no matter. I'll finish things here…the right way."

And her presence was gone in that instant. She had teleported away. I went for another flare. Quickly lighting it I headed back out the way I'd come. 'Yugo, she's after you.'

'Not me Sora. The kids.'

My heart stopped. No… I dashed down the hall as quickly as I could. Grabbing the clip I threw it out into my bag. I grabbed another clip, shoving it into my gun. One more turn. One more hallway and I would be there. 'Julius…Chris…please God…let me reach them in time…'

"Sora!"

It was Julius's voice calling out for me. I could see the light ahead, faint, as the sun had just about set, but still there. I turned sharply on one foot, coming around the corner. That's when I was sure my heart did stop completely for a moment. The devil had undone the braces around Julius's neck, arms and legs and had his head forced back against the wall, holding him there with her claws. She grinned wickedly at me as she brought her hand up, her talons slicing through his throat. His eyes closed and he slumped to the floor as she took her hand out of what was left of his mangled body.

"Brother, no!" Chris cried, pulling on his restraints, his eyes filling with tears. "Brother…"

She laughed, licking her hand, her tongue lapping up the blood. "I wanted you to see this holy woman. See how close you were to saving him. But if I can't have him, no one can! No one can have what's mine!" she grinned. "And you standing there dumbfounded, little flare in hand. How weak. How stupid."

"I told you before lady," I said softly. "I'm not the stupid one." I threw the flare straight in her face. She hissed, wiping her cheek where the fire had hit, but it was to late. I had already gone for my gun that she thought I had lost in our little scuffle when she took out my shoulder. "I wish you could find peace. But I really want you to go to hell, where you belong." That's when I began to silently cry.

The gospel shot hit her in the chest, disintegrating her into nothing but ash particles. I dropped my gun, going over to Julius's lifeless form. Blood was pooling all over the place but he wasn't dead. Not yet at least. He would be before we could get him out of here and to a doctor. I lifted his head into my lap. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, tears running down my cheeks. "I told you I'd save you but I…"

"You did save me." He said, his voice barely audible, barely a breath. "You saved me from her, being bound to her. I can't thank you enough. Please. Take Chris back to my father. He should at least have one of his sons back."

I dropped my head, my body racking sobs. If only I could enter a contract with this boy… if only I had the power of the devils… the ability to save others if they desire.

'You don't love.' It was Yugo's soft sweet deep voice. 'But I do.' He was next to me that moment, his hand on my shoulder. One of his onyx feathers drifted off his wings, tickling my nose as it fell to Julius's chest. He looked at me. 'Is this what you want?'

I stared back at him. 'If there's a way I can save him Yugo… tell me what I have to do.'

He took my hand and raised my wrist up to his mouth. His fangs cut deep into my arm and I winced, but I never made a sound. He took my hand to Julius's mouth. Opening the boy's slack jaw he drained my blood into his mouth for a few moments before giving me back my hand to take care of the wound. He bit into his own wrist, repeating the same. Then he closed his eyes. He began chanting in some language I didn't know. It was hypnotic chanting, his voice beautiful as he seemed to sing the lines for a few minutes in this cryptic tongue. A crimson conjuring symbol came up underneath us, filling the area with its ruby light. It began engulfing everything in a white glow, Julius's body the brightest of all the lights.

I felt dizzy, weak and sick all at the same time. Yugo's arms steadied me as I held the boy's lifeless body in my arms. "It's working Sora," he said softly after a moment, trying to get my mind off of this disorienting spell. "It's healing him."

"At what cost?' I asked, looking up at him.

"You've entered a contract with him. It works different for humans then it does for us. His pain will become yours and yours his. Your minds will be linked, not like ours, but through the feelings and emotions you share. As much as I don't like this, it was the only way." He explained. "I'm not sharing you with anyone."

I smiled, leaning up slightly to kiss his neck. "Of course not."

He tensed in surprise but responded with kissing my shoulder, the shoulder that had been wounded.

The symbol faded, the glow leaving its host's body. Julius's cuts and bruises were gone, the slash to his throat nothing but a light pink scar now. He was breathing normally, his lashes closed as if in a sleep.

"Why isn't he waking up?" I asked.

"The contract was hard on his body too, probably rougher then it was on yours. He'll probably be out for a good day or so." Yugo explained, standing up. "He's your responsibility now Sora. No one else's."

"Two men to take care of…I better be careful or I might end up owning half the male population of New York." I grinned.

He glared at me, obviously not finding it funny. He looked over at Chris with a surprised smile. "Come on buddy, let's get you out of those." He broke the iron shackles with ease.

"Are you an angel mister?" he asked, his garnet eyes trusting.

I giggled. Yugo looked at me, his wolf ears twitching and then at the boy. "Far from it. Do you think you'll be okay riding home on a horse with Sora?"

"Yes sir." He nodded.

I took off my jacket giving it to the small child. "Put this on kid, or you'll freeze."

He slipped it on over his bare body with a great big grin. "Thank you Miss. I've been cold the last couple of days."

"Well, we'll take you back to your Papa now." I told him.

Yugo left the room and returned minutes later in his human form. The child was speechless and Yugo just shrugged. "You can't expect me to walk around with wings all the time can you?" He kneeled beside me, wrapping Julius in his gray trench coat. "I'll take him Sora." His voice was soft, serious. "You're weak, and he's almost as tall as you. There's no way you could carry him."

I nodded, standing up. "Come here Christopher." I replied, picking him up in my arms. "We'll get you out of here."

The child's eyes widened when he saw the horse. "Whiskers!" he gasped. "You're here!"

"We're taking him home with us too." I hoisted the kid onto the saddle and then myself. I almost fell once and I was surprised at my lack of strength. Gathering the reins I watched as Yugo emerged from the cellar, shirtless, wings protruding from his back.

"It'll be better if I follow you all back by flying." He told me. "It's getting to dark to see."

I nodded, trotting off in the direction that I came in. "You lead us out of here Yugo. I'll need your help."

Chris snuggled up close to my chest, resting his head on my blouse. "I still think your friend's an angel Miss."

I smiled. "You just might be right kid."

The lights were on at their house and their grandfather and father came running out to see us as we returned. "Daddy!" Chris called when he saw him. "Grandpa!"

"Chris! Julius! Thank God!" both men were crying as Chris dropped into their arms.

"I was so scared…" the child was crying too. "Brother was there for me always."

Yugo landed by my side. The grown men looked at him, swallowing.

"Don't be afraid of him Daddy!" Chris said. "He saved Julius. He's an angel."

The father stepped over to him, looking down on the boy. "Is he…alright?"

Yugo smiled. "Just sleeping."

The man put a hand on Yugo's shoulder his body racking sobs. "Thank you sir." He said between sobs. "Thank you."

Yugo blushed, surprised, but nodded. "It was no problem."

"Sir," I started, hopping off the horse. "Now might not be the best time, but we need to talk. I think you need to know what happened."

We were led inside. Chris was sent upstairs to get a bath and Julius was put to bed. The two men showered Yugo and me with hot food and drinks.

"We really, can't thank you enough." The father replied. "You all can call me Jack."

"Sora." I held up a hand between gulps of hot tea and warm muffins.

"Yugo." He said, resting against the doorframe to the living room, his arms crossed.

"Jack," I started, setting my cup down. "I'm not going to hide anything. Your sons were beaten. We found them shackled to a wall by their hands, Julius by his neck, knees, and elbows. They probably haven't eaten in at least three days, and I know Julius was the victim of sexual assault. Chris was probably only saved because he's so young."

Alex put a hand on his son's shoulder but Jack continued to look off. "Do you know who did this?" his voice was calm, but the definition of rage.

"There were two devils. Demons. A male and a female. Don't worry about them. They're both already very dead. Yugo took care of one and I the other."

"Something I found out from making Miguel squirm-" Yugo started.

"Miguel?" Jack looked up at him.

"The male devil. He informed me that his partner in crime on this the woman Clara. How much do you want to bet it was your wife, sir?"

My stomach turned and I suddenly felt like I was going to be sick. Because as pretty as you are, I can't have you taking my toy away from me. I love him too much for your dirty holy hands to touch him. Had she really known that was her son?

Jack hid his face behind his hands. He got up after a moment and staggered out of the room. Alex sighed. "Miguel's family used to own most of the land around here. Until the county took control of it about ten years ago, we were living in a crowded house with another family. But the county gave us this land if we could make it profitable. Clara was always on Jack's case; he could never make enough money for her. At first when they first got married it wasn't like that but lately it was all they ever argued about. She told us she was going to go live with her mother for a while and when she came back she would sort out their marriage. I never dreamed…"

"Most likely, she was after Miguel's cash. If she became like him and helped him with his scheme at getting revenge on the town that had humiliated his family, she could have just about anything she wanted." Yugo explained.

"But the boys? Surely she would have known her own flesh and blood." He said firmly. "How could she do that to Julius?"

"Not necessarily. If a devil is consumed with killing, the bloodlust will change them, slowly and surely from whatever they were to an unfeeling, killing machine. Eventually she would have turned on Miguel as well, trying to take his own life. As far gone as she was, she probably only recognized Julius as a handsome young man, not as her own son."

'She might not have, Yugo. I remember what she said to me-'

'I'm trying to comfort these people, Sora, not scare them with demonic twists. I know as well as you do what Clara thought of her first-born. These people do not need to know that.'

"Well," Alex got up, bones creaking as he got to his feet. "I'm going to call the doctor and get him to check up on the boys. Julius is probably in need of immediate medical attention-"

"Chris is the only one who needs it. I healed Julius myself." I told him.

"Thank you lassie." He told me after a minute with a smile. "Thank you both."

"Mr. Alex," I swallowed. "There's something I need to ask you and Mr. Jack. If you don't mind, when you get through calling the doctor, could you get him for me?"

He nodded. "Sure thing."

When I had them both gathered in the living room again. I let out the breath I was holding. "I was hoping to not have to break this to you, but I have no choice. I'm sorry, but I'd like to ask if you would let Julius come with us."

"What?" Jack looked at me in disbelief. "I just got my son back I-"

"Shhh." Alex replied. "Go on lass."

I gulped. "While Julius and I were talking for the first time, he let me know of his ability to sense otherworldly presences. He could feel where his enemies were and if they were awake or asleep. He could tell when Yugo entered the area or not. As you may or may not know, in my business as demon slayers, it's a very usual ability to have. It's also a very sought after ability as well."

"You want to train my son to hunt these things?" Jack hissed. "He just got out of a life and death experience with one and you want him to-"

"Jack, be quiet." Alex snapped. "Sorry miss, please continue."

"We want to protect him." I told them. "So that others don't find this power of his and use it for their own will. The next time it might be worse for Julius then it was this time."

"I don't believe this." Jack replied. He got up, heading back out the front door.

"I'll go talk with him." Yugo said, heading out after him.

I sighed.

"Don't be so upset Miss. You handled this situation very well." Alex told me with a smile.

"I'm sorry for what I'm asking. I know it's a lot." I managed a small smile.

"You are fine. You are only thinking of what's best for Julius. It's his father who now has to do the same." He stood up. "Jack was never understanding of devils and magic. He never had the ability to sense either. You can say Julius gets his talent from his grandpa."

"You." I smiled. "You're the one it runs through. He gets it from your blood."

"Devil hunters run through my family Miss. There hasn't been one in four generations now. It only seems fitting it starts with Julius again. When do you leave?"

"Huh?" I blinked, startled by the sudden change of conversation. "Oh, tonight hopefully. I don't have a lot of time. I'm needed back in the office."

"It's understandable." He gave me a smile. "Just…take good care of him."

The door opened and Yugo entered. "He's given consent." He told me. "Now come on, let's get moving."

We headed up the stairs, Alex in tow. He helped us pack some of the kid's things while Yugo lifted him carefully, blankets and all from the bed.

"Has Chris gone to sleep yet?" I asked.

"Sadly, yes." Alex replied. "But I'll bring him up to see you all regularly. Do you have room on the grounds for a horse?"

"Uh…yeah. We do have a stable." I replied.

"I'll bring Whiskers up to stay with him then. He'll probably like that. Send word soon, when you get a chance." He said as we headed back down the steps, bags and boy in hand. "And take this." He handed me a small hardwood box I had seen him pick up by the boy's bedside table. "It's his favorite."

We headed out the front door, Yugo stopping as Jack stood up. He eyed his son and leaned down dropping a kiss on his forehead. "Goodbye, Jul. I'll come see you soon, promise."

"Thank you sir. We appreciate it." Yugo said softly and then continued on. Alex followed us to our car and helped us load things inside before he said his goodbyes. I got in the car just as Yugo laid the kid's head on my lap.

"I'll drive," he said, taking the keys from me. "You watch over him."

It had been a few hours since we left and yet Yugo wasn't tiring. I was in and out of sleep for a while before I finally woke up and stayed awake for a few moments to actually have a coherent conversation with Yugo.

"You should probably call the Order. It's going on two in the morning. Remington should still be awake." He told me, watching the road.

"How do you know where you're going?" I asked him after a minute, looking up. I was running my fingers through Julius's long chocolate brown hair.

"You might not be able to see much, but I can. And I never forget a smell." He said. "We should be back to the city by morning if we don't stop."

"Really?" I leaned up, grabbing the phone in the back. "I'll call then."

Three rings and I got Sister Kate. "Hello?"

"Hi Sister Kate, it's Sora." I smiled.

"Sora! Thank God! How was your mission? Are you alright?"

"We're just fine." By her voice, something was up. "What's going on?"

"Where are you?" More questions.

"On our way back. We should be there by morning."

"Great!" she sighed. "I need your help. Rosette is on her first case as a militia member and already she's wrecked a car. I need you to meet up with her and help her out before this becomes a complete disaster."

"But-" I started, but she just laughed.

"Call Remington later to find out where was Rosette has been. Goodnight dear."

"Goodnight." I mumbled.

"Wow. That sucks." Yugo replied, still driving steadily.

"I know." I sighed, resting back into the seat. "I know…"

When I awoke again we were in the city. Yugo was on the phone with Remington, although he didn't need to be. We parked beside a crime scene.

"Rosette's over there." He pointed, the phone slipping from his ear. "Go check what's going on."

"Right." I hesitantly left Julius's side to slide over to the alley. "Hey everyone, good morning."

"Sora!" Azmaria smiled.

"What's up?" I asked looking at the back of delivery truck. Or, what was left of it and the mass of body parts from a couple humans. Blood was sprayed six feet up the walls and out onto the street. I wrinkled my nose. "Lovely."

"What do we have here?"

A lovely female voice cut in, heavy accented with German. I looked over seeing a beautiful red-haired woman standing there in a yellow dress, her crimson eyes watching us.

"You!" Rosette's eyes narrowed.

"Who's the broad?" I asked Chrono. He just gave me a sheepish grin and shrugged.

"Broad!" she scoffed, running her hands through her hair. "I am Satella Harvenheight, I'll have you know. The legendary Jewel Witch. And you, Miss, are in my way."

Author's Notes- The longest chapter to date. Yay! It dwarfs the others by eight pages. Damn, I'm good-victory dance- Anyway, who liked Julius, raise your hands-raises her own- I was only planning for a background character, but I like the guy way to much. I'm way to soft on cute bishounen I didn't mean for the mission to be so long, but it ended well. I was supposed to introduce Satella AND Sieg, but that will have to wait till the next chapter. (Sorry Sieg! I still love you-hug-) Warning, the next chapter will be upsetting: Aion comes to Manhattan for a visit and things don't end well. And cutie Julius starts his training as a devil hunter, begins to heal over his traumatic experience and develops a crush on one of the Order's exorcists! Till then, later all!

-Sora Tokumi Kazuma