Not much to say, really. My computer's word processor has started acting up. That's why I'm super late with this update. Oh, another thing. The spells I'm using in this fanfic are from the Orphen series. This is because, while writing the story, I was originally planning to make a Chrno Crusade-Orphen crossover afterwards as a sequel to this one. But as it turns out, I never really got around to it. Do read on and continue to support me!

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

Returning, Resistance, Decision (part 20)

I took a deep breath and walked out from behind the wall column, "…Joshua."

Joshua turned around, "...Heidi?"

I shielded my eyes as a bright light surrounded him and wings burst open and lay outstretched on his back.

"Listen, I –" When I took my hand away I found myself in Joshua's arms, and went completely silent, even though I was feeling unstable inside.

"Promise me," he said, "That you'll never leave my side again...even if the world were to be destroyed and reborn..nobody will tear us apart again...because I will eliminate anyone who stands between you and me!"

My eyes widened.

"The two of us will be together...forever and ever!"

I hung my head down and pushed him away, then pulled him back forward and spoke loudly to his face, "Open your eyes...Joshua! I'm not the only one who's been waiting for you! You have to get rid of those horns and give them back! Then...we can return home..at last..to that orphanage you froze in time!"

Joshua put his hands to the horns on his head, "But..these are what granted me my freedom…You wish for me to go back, Heidi? To once again become that helpless forbidden boy?"

I gritted my teeth as you thought of what to say, "No...but those horns aren't yours! They belong...to the one filled with regret, who lives in pain and suffering every single day because of you..." I looked straight at him, "They belong to that dumb devil Chrono!"

A deafening silence and stillness followed.

"...You are not my best friend...Heidi would never utter such nasty words." Joshua muttered.

"What?" I exclaimed, "But I –"

"Since you are..but a stranger…vanish from my sight!" An energy ball began to glow in Joshua's hand.

"Wait!"

*FWAAAAASHHH*

I was pushed back on impact and went rolling head-over-heels backwards, "OW-OOF-ACK!"

*CRASH*

I collided with a wall.

"Heh...so you still have some fight left in you." Joshua commented, "Very well...let's see how much longer you can last!"

"(A fight, huh? Okay, just remember my training back at the Order with Father Remington. And my fight with Jenai.)" I wearily sat up and leaned on my hands, "(But…this is Joshua we're talking about. How can I face him like this alone? No, I can't do this. Rosette, Chrono, Azmaria, Satella...)"

*WHOOSH*

Joshua and I both gasped as if the same major feeling swept over us at that exact moment. Stillness for a while, until we noticed.

"...Fiore?" Joshua uttered.

"...Satella?" I uttered after him.

I had sensed something major, like I had lost something very important. And that something was somehow connected to…Satella.

"(What...what just happened?)"

*BAMBAMBAM*

I straightened up and turned my head to the familiar sound, "Bullets from a gun...Rosette?"

*BAMBAMBAM*

I rolled out of the way in time to see the column I sat near was covered in holes, "Rosette! Why are you –" I gasped, and speechlessly stood there when I saw that it wasn't Rosette, but Joshua using her gun.

"Where did – Where'd you get that?"

"A late present from my sister." He answered, "Give me your opinion."

"It's...you stole it off her!"

"Why are you accusing me of such a thing? I thought you were my friend."

"I AM!" I untied the cloth around my head and held it out, "You remember this...don't you?"

Joshua lifted his wrist to his face and looked at the cloth tied around it, "I don't know if I remember what we promised...but it's long gone now."

My eyes widened in response.

Joshua aimed his gun at you, "Disappear!"

*KABLAM*

I jumped out of the way and ran behind another wall column.

"Come out. Come out. Wherever you are..."

"(Geez..he seems to be sleepwalking or something...wait. Is he in a dream? Is he lost between dreaming and reality? Has he been that way throughout all these years?)"

*BAMBAMBAM*

I huddled behind the column more closely. "(I get it now...that explains everything. That smart-ass, how DARE he use Rosette's gun.)"

I jumped out from behind the column and aimed my hands in his direction, "Sword of..."

…

"You reckon we'd pull the trigger?" Rosette had asked.

…

My aim wavered, I shut my eyes tightly and gritted my teeth, "...Light!"

*KABOOM*

I looked up and saw the roof above Joshua fall to pieces, he just stood there watching.

"What're you waiting for, nitwit? Get outta there!" I exclaimed.

"Oh..right..." Joshua shot his hands in the direction of the falling pieces and they stopped falling in midair.

"(He...froze time?)"

Joshua turned and pointed his gun at me, "HA! Missed! Every single one of 'em. You're a sorcerer, aren't you? You're gonna have to do better than that!"

*BAM*

"Halo armor!" I announced.

*KRSH*

"Urgh...AAH!"

I jumped out of the way and ran down a hall full of cylinder water tanks.

*BAM,BAM,BAM* *KRSH,KRSH,KRSH*

Three times he shot, three times he hit a tank and water came splashing out. When I got to the end of the hall -

*KABALM*

The arch fell apart behind me and I had to roll out of the way to avoid getting squashed. Then I slipped into a pool of water, I covered my mouth and nose with my hands and struggled to make my way back up. Soon, I made it to the surface, gasping for breath.

I swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out of the water, panting.

"Owie...that packed one helluva punch." I huffed, "Dammit Chrono! All because of your dumb-devilled horns!"

I stood up and readied my hands at the pile of rock at the doorway I'd just escaped.

…

"Would we...land the killing blow on him?" Rosette asked.

…

"(Would I?)"

"Game over."

I gasped and turned to see Joshua behind me with a fierce look on his face.

I aimed my hand at him, "Sword of – "

Joshua smacked my hand away, then I looked at my hand and saw that it was frozen and turned into stone.

"Uh –"

"AH HA! That arm is useless now!" he declared.

"(Damn!)"

*BAMBAMBAM*

"I spin thee, armor of light!" A bright wall of light separated me from Joshua. Seeing the chance, I jumped and rolled out of the way.

*KZAANNNG*

When the wall of light disappeared, I was already hiding behind the tub of water I escaped from before.

"...Strange...where did she go?" Joshua wondered.

"(I think I know...no, I'm sure of it! He has Rosette's ability to use a gun, his speed, and being able to freeze objects with a wave of his hand...Yeah, definitely. It's no longer Jenai, Joshua...you are the strongest enemy I've battled with.)"

"Come on, Guardian. You can't hide forever..."

"(Joshua...you are indeed the strongest person alive now...but your DEFINITELY not unbeatable.)"

"ARGH...the noise...it's getting louder...gotta...keep calm...for I've already...found you."

I tightened the cloth around my head, stood up straight and turned to faced Joshua from the edge of the pool...in my soaking wet sun dress and cardigan. I looked at him straight in the eye. The Joshua I knew four years ago was in there, I just had to find a way to bring him back.

"Joshua..."

"Silly little guardian." He said, "So.. Aion's sword is the one who lives in regret every single day because of me?"

"You mean Chrono? Well, yes..."

"I've been living all these years –"

"You've been living in a dream!" I cut in.

"A dream...? Big sister and dear Heidi have always been on my mind for the last four years, and you're telling me…it was all a dream?"

"Joshua...I AM Heidi!"

Joshua sighed and aimed his gun, "The truth is..."

*KCHAK*

"You are Guardian...NO MORE!"

I gasped at what he said right before the -

*KBOOM*

Then I teleported. I panted in panic and found myself standing behind another wall column.

"You're just a useless sorcerer that is of no use to this world. I shall eliminate you right here!"

I stepped out from behind the wall column, "Somehow...someway...the dreaming masked your view of reality...causing you to end up searching for the Heidi of your dreams. I've never stopped looking for you too, but the difference is...all this while, I've been fighting, staying in the REAL world! All these years...I've gone through much pain and distress...that's why...someone living in a dream can never defeat me!"

I aimed my hands in Joshua's direction, "Now...I shall wake you up! I call thee, Sisters of destruction!"

*WHOOSH* *KRASHH*

The glass window beside Joshua shattered and water came pouring in.

*FWOOSH*

"URGH...STOP!"

I appeared in front of Joshua behind the water and charged at him. The water was distracting Joshua and altering his focus.

"Blast! Accursed water!"

*FSSSS*

He began to freeze the water in its place, then I grabbed his gun and tried to point it away.

"So what if I can only use ONE hand?" I said to him, "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

…

"Would we land the killing blow on him?" Rosette had asked.

…

"Hades statue, in my hand!"

*BWOOM*

Joshua was knocked over to the side by my attack.

…

Rosette turned to face me, "…Would we?"

I didn't know what to say, "What's your answer?"

Rosette paused momentarily, "...Yes, I would. Would you?"

"If…if he's really beyond redemption." I said, "Then I'd do it. With my own hands!"

"Heh...then when the time comes, strike at the horns." She replied, "I can't guarantee anything...but...should we harbor hopes of him coming back to his senses. That is perhaps...the only way!"

"...Who told you this?" I asked her.

"...Chrono."

"Ah, right." I remembered, "They are his horns after all."

…

I put my hands on the side of Joshua's head where the horns were and cast my spell, "I release you...Sword of Light!"

*KABOOMMM*

All my memories of him flashed through my mind in an instant.

"(I'm sorry...Joshua...)"

Joshua fell to the floor, unconscious. Then, all was silent.

I huffed, "Joshua?"

He didn't move, didn't make a sound. A wave of fear swept through me.

"...Joshua!" Tears streaming from my eyes, I felt his wrist and checked for his pulse. "(...No good.)" I put my head to his chest to see if he was still breathing. "(Still no good...no...HE'S DEAD?)"

Suddenly Joshua's eyes flickered open and he flinched violently.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH...!" He screamed, sat up and put his hands to his head; blood was flowing out from where the horns were.

"His eyes..." I said, "Joshua! Get a hold of yourself!"

"AAAH! My head! It hurts!"

I sat in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders.

"I don't wanna..be alone..."

Hot tears were flowing from my eyes as I didn't know what to do.

"Sis...Heidi…Where are you?"

My eyes widened.

"Help me...please...stop the pain...! HEIDI!"

I pulled Joshua in and held him close to my chest, "It's alright...Heidi's here..."

"Didn't we make a promise?" he asked, "It has come back to my mind..."

*PING*

"We promised we'd be there for eachother." I reminded him, "Always..."

*PING*

Suddenly Joshua screamed so loudly I had to pull away from him, "AAAAAH! What's happening? What's going – "

…

He takes the blanket off me and tears off a strip from the corner and hands it to me.

"You're giving me this?" I asked him.

Joshua nodded, smiling. "Yeah! Let it be a token of our friendship."

I tear the strip in half and hand the other half to him.

"Here you go, you can take it with you when you become an explorer. That way you won't forget!" I smiled back.

Joshua took it and tied it around his wrist, before holding his out to me. "Friends?"

I finish tying my half around my head as a headband and take his hand. "Forever!"

…

A tear fell from Joshua's eye and splashed into the water (from the wave I caused from breaking the window earlier).

"Yes..." I heard him say, "I can't keep relying...on these things..."

Joshua wrapped his fingers around the horns on his head. And with one painful tug, he yanked them out. Blood spattered everywhere. I stood there with my hands to my mouth, waterfalls of tears burning down my face. Joshua wearily walked over to me.

"Because we promised to stay together..." He put his hands on my shoulders, and looked at me with clear eyes, though tears were also streaming down his face. He forced a weak smile. "Right...? Heidi...?"

I was so overjoyed that I hugged him – no – tackled him over and held him tight.

*SPLASH*

"To think...I forgot all about it...it was your words that jolted my memories." His voice cracked, "I'm sorry...so sorry."

I cried into his shoulder and spoke between sobs, "It's alright. Welcome back...Joshua!"

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! That was the teariest - maybe even longest - chapter I've ever written, wouldn't you agree? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Anywaaay...unfortunately that is NOT the final chapter. There are more questions to be answered!

So Heidi found Joshua and returned him to normal, but just where are Rosette and the others?

What about the rest of the apostles? Will they forgive Heidi for not being a good-enough Guardian?

Next chapter, coming soon! ...Once I get my life back on track.