"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

[One of my favorite verses for this story!]

Chapter 8

"Here we are," Remington spoke to the young man sleeping in his arms as he laid Joshua down on a bed next to Azumaria. "Now I can watch over you both," he softly spoke.

The two apostles before him slept on unhindered in peaceful sleep. Their vitals were strong and bodies intact, yet they didn't waken from their dreams. They had been checked numerous times to ensure a demon's hand wasn't involved in their current states, but besides from that there was little they could do. It was too soon for them to know what was going on.

"Father Remington!" Sister Anna called as she walked into the room. She had forgotten he preferred no title.

"Good morning to you dear Sister Anna," he warmly greeted.

"Did you hear the news?" she asked brightly. "Chrono's now awake as well!"

That caused the angel to raise a brow of surprise. For some reason he imagined they would have to wait longer than a week to see him become conscious. He was truly intrigued as to how that individual was doing. No being in history had just undergone what he went through.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll head right over now. Would you mind keeping an eye on Joshua as well?"

She smiled and tilted her red head, "Of course!"

Remington left, quietly shutting the door behind him. His strides along the stone corridors were slow and evenly paced. He could imagine half the compound would be crowding around the dining hall right now in hopes to see a mystery revealed. He couldn't help but be one of them as well. He had no idea what was going on and knew they would be looking to him for answers.

Shaking his head slightly, he stopped outside the doors, stood a bit straighter, added a smile to his face then entered the room.

"Well since you are both doing so much better," Sister Kate was speaking. "Then how do you feel about the baths? I know you both could use one."

Rosette smiled at such politeness. "I have been laying here for a week haven't I?"

"Today will be your fifth day here," one of the by standers spoke up.

Remington looked around. Nothing was a miss. Rosette was sitting up while Chrono was still lying down. He wasn't sure if the demon was awake or not until, that is, he weakly smiled at Rosette's comment. It was only then Remington felt free to interrupt.

"So he's awakened after all," he spoke bringing the attention to himself.

"Oh Father Remington," Kate mused. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you all," he greeted back.

"Remington?" Rosette called over.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked as he moved to stand next to her.

"You wouldn't know why we are blind by any chance would you?" she asked knowing he was the closest to answers she could get.

"No I'm afraid not," he solemnly answered. He was about to say more, but his inner turmoil was interrupted.

"How is Joshua?" Chrono asked suddenly. His deep voice surprised the audience around him, but Chrono was simply changing the subject until they could be alone with God's messenger.

"He was doing better," he somewhat answered. "But is asleep right now."

It wasn't really a good answer, but Rosette knew when a question was being dodged, but also knew now wasn't the time to get into that either. It hadn't been lost to her that her brother hadn't visited yet.

"Hey," she now barked, but with a smile. "So when are you all going to tell us what happened? No offence, but we died. I remember. So when you wake up to find yourself not- dead, it does causes one to wonder." Her lightheartedness helped set the tone for the others.

"Claire," Kate called over.

The brunette stepped forward and answered. "Yes. Well, Mary, Anna, Azumaria, and I had taken two cars up to the country where we had a possible sighting of you two."

"Well go on!" Rosette encouraged.

It was an awkward feeling recounting something like this. She took a deep breath. "We found the two of you deceased, sitting side by side on a bench swing. We were overcome with grief. We had hoped to find you alive. But, to our amazement you also were both smiling and holding hands."

Rosette turned to Chrono's prostrated form. "You smiled too?" she asked him in wonder.

"I couldn't help it," he muttered. "You had smiled… so I had smiled."

There was so much more to it than that, but Chrono would not divulge more than that with present company.

Everyone else was just left in awe and wonder.

Claire continued. "Well, then Azumaria seemed to have lost it." Claire searched for the words she needed. "She smiled too!"

"What?" Rosette hollered out.

"See," Chrono mumbled to his own amusement.

Everyone gave a light chuckle. It was a needed, all be it brief, lighthearted moment.

Claire continued to recount the events of that morning the best she could. It wasn't until she was getting to the end of her tale that she was getting emotional from the memories. Her voice had started to shake. She was trying to explain as basically as possible to keep her emotions in check, but she couldn't do that anymore. It had been a traumatizing experience for the three sisters who sat on the side lines watching. And the torture and pain that Chrono himself had endured wasn't something easily retold especially with so many eyes on her.

"Its fine," Chrono spoke up suddenly. His memories were murky at best but he didn't want to burden anyone just to satisfy his curiosity.

"No, it's alright," she said mustering up strength. "I really don't know what was going on to tell you the truth." She admitted. "The Angel had his back to us, blocking the view. But, when he left you, your horns were gone and you had a cross on your forehead and… and a lot of blood."

Rosette's brow was nit together as she held her emotions bottled up inside. That's when Kate clapped her hands. Chrono winced at the sound.

"All right, there are chores to be done," Kate ordered. "If you don't need to be here then it's time to get going."

Everyone filed out obediently. A few murmured their get well wishes to them both as they left. Now all that remained was Sister Kate, Remington, the elder, and Claire. It felt a little easier to breathe with fewer people in the room. In the very least Chrono hoped the pounding in his head would lessen with few people chatting around him.

"So that's it?" Rosette asked softly.

"That's the short version," Claire stated. "Mister Raphael left right after that and then Father Remington showed up and took Azumaria away leaving the two of you to Mary, Anna, and my care."

Rosette lay back down. Wasn't there more to it than that? Why had they been brought back? And what happened to Chrono?

Remington then spoke to Claire. "Can you mimic Raphael's motions when he was working on Chrono?"

Claire thought about that then did as asked. She held her hands out, brought them together, then pressed down.

"Raphael can change what is," Remington offered. "By the looks of it Chrono that cross on your forehead is your old horns… relocated and transformed."

Chrono's head had been pounding ever since he had become conscious. Now it all made sense. The area around his horns was where he was most sensitive.

Rosette squeezed his hand silently seeking reassurance. He squeezed her hand back and lightly rubbed his thumb back and forth over her palm and wrist to comfort her.

"How do you feel?" the elder asked.

Remington thought it was amazing to think such a thing had been sanctioned.

Chrono smiled weakly. "Honestly… awful. But I think the worst is over if that helps."

"And you can see me too?" Remington had to clarify. It was odd carrying on a conversation with two people who had their eyes shut.

"Yes." Chrono stated simply.

"Ugh, this is so weird! Why does everything in my life have to be so complicated?" Rosette suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs. Chrono was wincing again.

"Patience," Kate had to say. "In the very least, I'm glad you are recovering your strength each day," she added.

"Well, I guess it is nice to be able to see something," Rosette added. "Or this could be really scary."

Remington had to marvel at her strength.

Suddenly Chrono cringed as he threw his arm over his eyes and pivoted to bury himself into Rosette's shoulder.

"Oh wow that's bright!" Rosette instantly exclaimed as she brought her hand up to shield her eyes for a moment. It took a second to adjust to the lights intensity.

Kate, Claire and the elder had no idea what she was talking about.

"So who's the new Angel?" Rosette asked those in the room as she slowly lowered her hand as she grew accustomed to it.

"Excuse me?" Kate spoke. "What new Angel?"

"The guy standing right over there!" Rosette pointed to the exact spot where Chrono was turning away from.

"Rosette," Claire said. "No one is there."

"Yes there is!" she defiantly argued. "Oi! What's your name?" she asked as she sat back up looking over Chrono and into the void of her blackness which was the corner of the room.

Remington sighed. "You might as well step forward and show yourself," he said in mild wonder. "She can see you."

Those in the room thought the conversation had gotten bizarre, then in a blink of an eye another man equal to Remington's stature was standing opposite of him.

"Well, I haven't been found out by a human since the old testament days," Raphael said in some small astonishment.

"And you are?" Rosette asked again.

"No one of too much consequence."

Claire spoke up. "That's him. That's Raphael!"

The man in the dark blue trench coat only then realized that he had crossed paths with that brunette before.

"Thank you Claire," Kate stated. "You can return to your duties as well now."

Claire wanted to stay and run away all at the same time, but her option had been made for her. "Yes mam." And she walked briskly out.

When the door closed once more all eyes shifted back to the new Angel with expectation.

The elder spoke. "My, my. What brings another heaven sent to our door step?" Things were getting interesting again for the old man.

"I came to check on my work," Raphael answered honestly after a look from Remington. Raphael then walked up to Chrono. "Although, I'm surprised to find the likes of him in a place such as this." He then forcefully grabbed Chrono's arm and wrenched it from his face and lifted his bandana up to see his forehead. Chrono bared his fangs and hissed in pain, and although his legs twisted and flexed as he writhed in agony, he made no other sound of protest from being exposed to such high intense heavenly light. He didn't say a word.

Raphael quickly grasped the situation of this mysterious sight and smirked. "You are a strange one," Raphael exclaimed as Chrono squirmed. "Even the weak little demon's attempt to put up a fight. You just lay there as say nothing."

Remington was about to put a stop to him.

"Please," Rosette spoke up before him. "Please let go of him," her voice wavered uncharacteristically.

Raphael looked at the woman then around the room and saw everyone on edge with concern, so he let go of the arm. Chrono instantly covered his face again with the crux of his arm, yet still said nothing.

"Thank you," Rosette said with a sad smile. No one in the room knew how much Chrono had been crushing her hand with his iron grip as he attempted to cope with the burning pain. The blinding golden light Raphael was emitting was too excruciating for him to look at right now and he had no way of shifting his vision like he had been able to in the past.

Raphael had never seen concern for a demon before found in believers. This was definitely an oddity.

"So you brought us both back," Rosette continued as one stray tear fell down her face. She wiped it away quickly. "Can you tell me why? And why we're blind, yet able to see?"

Rosette's politeness was actually scaring the three standing beside her more than she would know. Raphael took a step back from Chrono's side of the table and put his hands back in his pockets.

"Honestly I don't know all of it," he began unenthused. "The girl, Azumaria's faith and prayer to our Lord God is what started all this. I just stopped by to make sure you both hadn't died and ruined my efforts. And well… to check up on this sinner's cross… see how it was coming along."

"His cross?" the elder asked.

"I turned his horns into a cross on his forehead there, but there are other changes going on inside him right now that I'm not at liberty to reveal yet. However, if you look at it you can see tiny fancywork being etched into the cross. Once the design of the cross is complete… so will be the changes he's facing."

Raphael then moved to lean over Chrono and reached out to grasp Rosette's face firmly in his hands as he looked at her closed eyelids out of curiosity. He didn't originally know anything about the blindness and certainly didn't know why Spirit Sight had been given to her.

A deep dark reverberating growl began to form from Chrono as a clear threat. Raphael let go of Rosette's face and stepped back suddenly on edge. Chrono then became silent once more. He hadn't moved at all. This demon wouldn't raise a finger or make a sound to protect and defend himself, but would muster up strength to protect a Christian whom he no longer had a contract with? And a growl like that, albeit low, surly sounded pure evil from the very pit of hell and should scare any sane person, yet no one around him was worried for their own safety in the slightest. Rather they seemed worried for him!

Rosette still had so many questions. "But what about-"

"-That's all I can say," Raphael quickly interrupted. "I must be going." He looked at Remington then back down at the demon and after a moment shook his head and vanished.

The moment he was gone Rosette's head fell. She had been hoping to find out about Azumaria as well. She quietly lay back down dejectedly. The elder chose to leave then.

"Sister Kate," Rosette softly called.

"Yes, I'm here," the older woman spoke solemnly unsure of what would be asked of her.

"I think we need to rest before taking a bath," she weakly smiled. "Maybe in two hours?" she asked.

Kate almost laughed from sheer pent up nerves. "That's fine. We will leave the two of you alone till then," she agreed warmly.

"Will you be coming back later Remington?" Rosette had to ask.

He was breaking apart inside, but knew how to appear strong. "Of course. I'll see you this evening," he managed.

The two made a silent exit and the door closed once again leaving Rosette and Chrono alone to recover and contemplate their futures.