A few photoshopped banners were made for this story back in my early days of typing it up. You can find them in my account on the old site, or on my deviantArt. (my Homepage in my profile) This is one of the stories I transferred over from - blah blah blah - visit my profile for full details. Be aware that this was my FIRST time writing a fanfiction, EVER! So excuse me if the writing is a bit…well, 'off'. Ignore the mistakes you may find in these chapters.

Disclaimer: Chrono Crusade and all its characters rightfully belong to Daisuke Moriyama-sama. x3

You're on your own, but you're not alone (part 19)

I lay on the ground weak from all the energy that had been surging through me.

"Your brother was just perfect y'know." said Shader, "We're in his debt."

Rosette sank to her knees as she watched the screen show a scene in New York where everything was drowning in the wave of water caused by the awakening of Pandaemonium.

"Enough of the idle talk." The screen now showed Aion standing over the paralyzed Duffau. Aion held the large sword over Duffau's head, "So long, Duffau..."

*STAB*

A long silence passed between us all, while we processed what had just happened.

*CRASH*

Chrono punched the glass window through gritted teeth – stopping the music from the Oratario – and Rosette was still on her knees crying over the chaos. I staggered to my feet, still feeling a little weary.

"Rosette..Heidi..he's beyond redemption." said Chrono.

Rosette lifted her head at the broken window, "Yeah...I'm with you on that."

"Rebirth of the world? Sealed inside the jewels? THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS!" Chrono stated, "So many have suffered...because of your selfishness! A life, once lost, can never again be brought back!

I listened to Chrono in approval.

"How many more innocents do you intend to sacrifice?" Chrono continued, "To rob the people you manipulated...humanity...AND LIFE!"

"We will end your tyranny...AION!" said Rosette.

They both stepped through the broken glass.

Slowly regaining my consciousness, I stepped through after them and spoke, "That's right!"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE DOING THIS ALL IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM..." said Chrono.

"WE WILL CRUSH YOU IN THE NAME OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!" Rosette finished.

Azmaria was standing there, her face quite expressionless, "Ro...sette..."

"Azmaria!" Rosette and I called out at the same time.

*KRAK KRAK KRAK KRAK KRAK*

The floor was beginning to break apart into pieces. We all tried to keep our balance.

"Uh-oh!" I exclaimed.

"The floor!" Chrono indicated.

"Aw crap!" said Rosette.

The area of the floor we all stood on fell in, along with all the other pieces. Rosette caught sight of Joshua standing silently at the pipe organ.

She called to him, "JOSHUAAAAA...!"

Joshua heard Rosette and turned around to watch us fall into the darkness.

"AAAIIEEEEEE..!" I screamed.

I covered my face with my arms and felt myself falling..falling...drifting..LANDING?

*THUD*

"Uh - !" I sat up and looked around. I was now inside the room with the apostles, but my entrance was unnoticed by any of them. "(I must've teleported.)"

Suddenly Aion's voice boomed out of nowhere, "Let the third verse be sung! STOP HER IN HER TRACKS!"

*KZAAAAAAAAAAT*

I put my hands to my head and stumbled to the ground again. The energy inside the room went through the roof! It was too overwhelming, for all of us.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH...!" The apostles and I were screaming altogether.

*KRAKHOOM*

...

"It's here! It's here!" I ran to answer the door before Mrs Gene could. Opening the door I saw a postman holding out a parcel.

"Delivery for Heidi?" he asked.

"That's me!" I indicated.

"Oh…" he replied, "Well, here you go."

I took the parcel from him and waved goodbye as he left. I ran into the living room and tore the strings from it.

I gasped, "It really IS!"

In the box was a build-your-own kite set. I pulled out colored paper from the box and two sticks, and a set of instructions.

"Huh?" I squinted at the piece of paper, I was obviously finding it difficult to understand, "Rosette!"

Rosette came running down the stairs when she heard me, "What? What is it?"

"Can you read this for me?" I held out the paper to her.

Rosette held it in front of her eyes for a minute or so, "These instructions are far too hard for anyone your age to understand. Tell you what; I'll assemble the kite for you."

"Okay!" I smiled.

I sat by and watched Rosette assemble the kite in front of me. When it was done she held it up for me to see.

"WOW! It's so pretty!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, it is!" she said.

I made my way over to the stairs, "I'll go get Joshua!"

"Heidi."

I was about to run up the stairs to get him when Rosette stopped me at the first step, "Yes?"

"Joshua's..." she began, "Joshua's too sick to come out and play today."

The smile on my face faded, "Really? How much?"

"Just not well enough to go outside." She answered slowly, "Well, come on, let's go try out your kite!"

I turned my head to the stairs and wondered whether it would be okay. "(I've looked forward to my kite arriving so much..and I really wanted to share this day with Joshua.)"

Slowly, I turned away from the stairs and took the kite from Rosette, "He can wait...I guess. Let's go!"

"Alright." said Rosette, "I'll – "

"Rosette!" came Sarah's voice, "We need your help with the laundry here!"

Rosette's face changed into one of annoyance. I grinned back awkwardly.

"Coming, Sarah!"

"Are you gonna be long?" I asked Rosette.

"Well...yeah."she said, "I'm sorry, Heidi."

"…It's okay."

"Are you gonna be alright on your own?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'll just hang around the meadow outside the forest."

"Take care of yourself okay?"

"Mm-hm."

"Rosette!" Sarah called.

"Alright, I'm on my way!" Rosette left the room, leaving me alone with my kite.

I walked to the front door and closed it, clutching to my kite, "(Looks like I'm the first person to fly a kite on this windy day.)" I walked into the forest and out into the meadow. I made my way into the middle of it, held up my kite, clutched to the handle and the string and ran forwards letting go of the kite.

"Wheeeeeeeee...!"

Turning around and carefully flying my kite in one area in the sky, I watched its rainbow streamers flutter in the wind. The dragonfly-shape decorated in glitter and cellophane and other special paper looked beautiful flying in the air.

"This isn't so bad after all..."

Though I still felt a little lonely without having Rosette or Joshua there. I sighed as the kite steered to far the right and ended up landing on the ground.

After a long afternoon I heard thunder-clouds rumble in the sky.

"Uh-oh!" I began reeling my kite back towards me, with that I took the kite and went to stand under a tree, "Oh no! I didn't bring an umbrella! ACK!"

Rain started pouring through the branches of the tree I was standing under.

"I gotta get back!" I turned and realized I had forgotten which way to go. The meadow was completely surrounded by the forest so it was hard to tell which way I came. Suddenly, I saw a figure coming towards me through the rain, they were carrying an umbrella with them.

"Heidi! What are you doing out here!"

I sighed in relief, "Joshua! I thought you were sick."

"I'm never sick to you, am I?"

"Well..."

Joshua walked up to me until I was under the umbrella with him, "C'mon, you're soaking wet."

I blushed as I realized how long I'd been standing in the rain, "Ah..ACHOO!"

"Bless you. You must be cold, let's get out of this rain." Joshua put his arm around me and placed his hand on my arm pulling me closer under the umbrella, despite how wet I was.

I felt strange, and kind of embarrassed, "Uh..."

"Come on..." he said.

I walked back with him, under the umbrella in the heavy rain.

...

I gasped, "Joshua!"

I awoke in the room again behind a wall column. I walked over to its side and dashed back behind it when I saw Joshua...with Fiore! The woman in the conspicuous maid outfit!

"Gah!" I let out.

Fiore was sitting on the floor; Joshua was resting his head on her lap.

"Urh..." he opened his eyes, "Oh, Fiore."

"Lord Joshua, I am relieved." She said.

"(Hmph...my ass you are...wait – I'm not jealous!)"

Joshua sat up, "The sheer exertion from singing the Oratorio must've knocked me out..How goes the battle?"

"Lord Aion has already left." She replied, "He intends to get to the core of Pandaemonium before it regains its bearings..."

"And the other apostles?"

"They have yet to awaken, the mistress Shader is doing all she can to buy us more time...but she told me…'bail out of Eden at the first sign of trouble, kay?'."

I stood behind the wall column and watched closely, careful not to be seen.

"I...have to go. I will defend everyone to the best of my ability...So, please..excuse me." Fiore bowed and walked off, but Joshua stopped her.

"Fiore!" Joshua called, "Please...stop this charade. You're acting on Aion's orders, right? With these horns..I may fall under Pandaemonium's influence at any time...my body isn't the issue here, but the spirit is."

Fiore stood there, her face quite expressionless.

"Should the time come, Fiore..you would..."

"Milord..you are mistaken…" said Fiore, "Fiore's heart is that of a stone..that is why..no tears flow from my eyes, and no smile creases my face."

I scoffed, "(Well, you did smile when you said Azmaria reminded you of someone at the dinner table...everyone saw that.)"

Joshua put his arms around Fiore from behind. I put my hands to my mouth and my face went red and puffy as I held my breath, trying to hold back my explosion of jealousy.

"However..." said Joshua, "I can still tell..."

There was a distant rumbling noise in the background.

Fiore pushed him away, "That is why...I must leave." She reached out her hand and adjusted his tie, thus pulling him closer.

My face went even puffier and I tried harder to hold back my jealousy.

"Before I go milord," she said, "I have one last request..."

"(YOU PROMISCUOUS TRAMP!)"

"I wish to hear once more...what you called me when we first met."

"...Ah, yes." Joshua replied, "That day, my mind was in utter disarray...I called you...'sister'."

I swallowed my jealousy immediately and started punching my chest at the overloaded air I'd just swallowed.

"God-speed, my sister." said Joshua.

"And to you." Fiore walked off and out of the room as Joshua waved goodbye.

"(I see...so that's why.)"

I saw the chance and stepped out from behind the column wearing my white summer dress, "...Joshua."

Joshua turned around, "...Heidi?"

So all this time Fiore was replacing Rosette? Will Heidi ever be the guardian she was trying to be? Will Joshua ever change back? Stay tuned, y'all!