Starting note: O.K., since the first chapter wasn't really completed because of all the introductory material, I've decided to complete it. Stay tuned,

R. Dawn

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CRONO CRUSADE! However, the Characters I have made up do belong to me, so no copying please!

Chapter One (Continued)

Part Two: Rosary's Battle

Rosary slammed into the tree, slide to the ground, and just laid there. Ironically, her glasses, which had been snapped in half with the first punch from the demon, were lying about two feet from her.

The demon looked at its target with its tiny eyes. The other one had gotten away. It had looked young and tasty. No matter. Perhaps when it was done with this business, it would go on a little hunt. Something that weak could not of gone far. The demon waited for the sub-creature to move again. After awhile, the demon thought that maybe it had finally killed its target; after all, it was just lying there, crumpled. Pity. It was pretty much uneatable n-

Rosary moved. It had taken forever, and she had had to tell herself over and over to get up. But now she was slowly getting up. She couldn't see very well, and she hurt everywhere. 'Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send Rosette and Chrono away,' she thought as she faced the demon. But truthfully, it was no longer about her life or death. The only thing Rosary could think about was her job: to protect the innocent. She could probably give up now and stay alive, but that was not an option. There was no way she could let this thing run through the streets of New York. So , it didn't matter if she died as long as she took the demon with her. And so she prepared to fight some more.

The demon couldn't believe it! This- this thing was still alive! And it was just standing there! Waiting! Was it possible that something could be this stubborn? Infuriated, the demon launched itself at the sub-creature.

Rosary saw her attacker coming. It was extremely apparent that she would not be able to defeat this thing with brute force. She needed to buy time to make a plan. So, when the monstrosity came for her, she waited till the last moment, and then jumped out of the way. The demon slammed its head into the tree. While it was temporarily blinded by the splintered mass that was once a living thing, Rosary jumped behind a stone wall. She thought. The only thing she had left was the fire bird… but that would take too much energy… There was no choice… She had to use what was left of her energy… coupled with her life force…

The demon obliterated the tree, tearing what was left of it to tiny pieces. It's target was no were in sight. The damn thing was hiding! It swung around, looking for the sub-creature, its huge head almost rotating 180 degrees on its tiny neck. It sniffed the air. It walked away from the destroyed remnants of the tree. Suddenly, the sub-creature was there, jumping out from behind a slab of stone. The demon roared, everything forgotten except this infernal creature. It again launched towards its target.

"I hope to God this works," Rosary said to her self as the gigantic thing came for her. She delved inside herself for everything she could use as power. What she was about to do would surely kill her, but what did that matter now?

The Demon slammed into the body of the slender girl, instantaneously shattering her ribcage. But still, this dammed creature wouldn't die! A small ball of fire began to grow in Rosary's hands. It grew as she poured her life force into it. Then the demon felt something I did not expect: pain. It opened its mouth to howl and a tentacle of living flame went down its throat. The demon thrashed around, throwing its forgotten pray to the ground. The demon didn't know that its struggles were useless. It was already dead.

Part Three:

Paden's Gift

I

Father Remington ran after Azmaria. It was hard to leave his battle with that bastard Paden like this, but he still had a job to do. He, along with Sister Rosette and the devil Chrono, had been charged with the protection of Rosary until she was strong enough to fight for herself. If she was in danger, if she died, he was going to be in big trouble. Plus, he liked Rosary. Everyone liked her. She was just that kind of person. "How much farther?" he asked.

"Not much," Azmaria answered. The two rounded the corner of a building and came to a small park area. Azmaria gasped and put her hands over her mouth as a golithan form slammed into the body of a small, blonde girl. "Rosary…" Azmaria whispered as she sank to the ground. She couldn't bear to watch any more… But Father Remington could… Because something strange was happening.

A small flicker of flame seemed to be coming out of Rosary's body. The flicker grew, and soon became an inferno. The creature screamed and threw Rosary into a nearby stone wall.

Remington watched as the creature backed off, then stumbled forward. It collapsed to its knees as fire consumed it from the inside. It collapsed further in on itself, more and more of its body turning to ashes. Its head rose to the night sky as it tried to howl once more. But no sound came out. All that came out was flame.

II

"Azmaria, get up! It's dead," Father Remington said. The girl looked up at him, disbelief in her eyes. "I know it's hard to believe. I hardly believe myself… but look, all that's left is a pile of ashes…" Remington trailed off as he looked toward the park. Azmaria looked in the same direction. Remington was right. A pile of ashes slowly burned down as the last of the fire was extinguished in the rain. And next to the ashes was…

"Oh no…" she gasped.

"Come on," Remington said, the urgency clear in his voice. The two ran to the stone wall. The crumpled body of the girl that, not two hours ago, had been playing a game of soccer with some of the orphans at the Abby, lay at the foot of the cracked and crumbling wall.

Remington gently turned her over. It was terrible. There was not an inch of her body that was bruised, broken or scratched. The rain was still pouring down, turning her blood, which was everywhere, into small red rivulets. But, incredibly, she was still alive. 'Stubborn to the last,' Remington thought as tears mixed with the rain pouring down his face.

"I guess—I – Sending Rosette-ah— Away wasn't— such a good idea," Rosary gasped. She coughed and more blood came from her mouth.

"Don't talk…," Remington said. Then, from behind him, Azmaria collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. " Azmaria!" Remington said, instantly concerned. He turned to the girl.

"Ah!" Rosary shouted in pain. Remington stopped, on one knee, undecided. Azmaria desperately needed comfort, but he couldn't just leave Rosary as she lay there dying. He just sat there, not knowing what to do. And then, someone pushed past him.

III

Paden had run after Remington, hoping to catch up with him and make him continue the battle. But when he rounded a building, he stopped. He was in a small park area. Except it didn't look like a park anymore. It looked like a battlefield. Benches were overturned, the grass was ripped up and a tree was lying next to its splintered trunk. He spotted Remington and the girl running towards a stone wall. Paden ran after them.

As he got close, Remington was turning over the body of a blonde girl. Except it wasn't exactly a body. The girl was still alive…

Paden stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that girl… He pushed past the girl Remington had called Azmaria, who was on the ground, and then past Remington. He kneeled next to the girl.

IIII

Remington almost fell over as Paden pushed past him. "Hey!" he shouted as Paden kneeled beside Rosary.

Paden ignored him. He remembered, wandering between worlds, seeing a figure, pulling her into his arms…

Azmaria looked up, her sobs dying. Something strange was happening, but Azmaria didn't know what.

Rosary had her eyes closed… breathing as best she could. She new she was dying. And she didn't care. She opened her eyes… and he was there, beside her. That was good.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Remington shouted. He started to reach over to stop Paden… but then Rosary was saying something.

Rosary reached up and put her hand against Paden's cheek. She smiled and whispered, "It's you…I'm glad…" The girl sighed once more and then her breathe stopped.

Paden felt her hand falling away from his face. He reached up and grabbed it, ignoring the trails of blood left by her fingers. He couldn't let her die, just couldn't. He began to search inside himself for his gift.

Remington stepped forward again, reaching out a hand to stop his adversary. But then something started to happen.

A light began to flow down from Paden's arms and into Rosary's hand, which the dark haired man was clasping. The light spread slowly down her arm and across her chest. Soon, it was all over her body. It pulsed. Paden leaned forward, clenching his teeth. Then the light seemed to dissipate. Paden gasped, and dropped Rosary's hand. He coughed, and blood dribbled down his chin. He sighed, and fell over the blonde girl, unconscious.

Father Remington and the girl he had called Azmaria sat there staring as the rain poured down.

End Note: Okay, so this one was reeeeeally long, so here's a question: Should I keep the chapters like this, or should I split then into smaller parts?

R and R please! Just don't hurt me! Bu bye now! No, seriously…

Note 1: This would be the second time Rosary has died.

Note 2: The wall is cracked and crumbling because Rosary hit it… hard.