Okay, next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews:

I do not own Chrno Crusade.

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--Chapter 2 –

Answers

Rosette stepped up to the apartment door, thankful it was on the first level and relatively easy to find. But how was she supposed to go about doing this…?

"Hi. I'm Rosette, and I'm being possessed by a vengeful spirit. Can you help me?" She asked in a sickeningly innocent smile, looking up at the air with sparkling eyes. A few moments passed, and she sighed, dropping her hands back to her sides, shaking her head. Yeah, right, like that would work. She really needs a trip to a mental hospital right about now.

Hesitantly, she reached up, pushing the doorbell as she crumpled up the index card and put it back in her pocket. This is silly… what if he's not even home?

"Coming, coming…" A voice from somewhere in the back responded to the ringing, before footsteps were heard momentarily from inside … then the sound of falling books followed suit, accompanied by a muttered curse.

'Maybe…this wasn't such a good idea…' The hesitant teen cringed slightly, watching the door as if afraid to see it open. But alas, the doorknob turned and there stood tall golden-haired man, with his white collared shirt unbuttoned to his chest, his tie sticking out in an odd direction, making him seem very untidy.

"Very sorry about that…I was in the middle of cleaning out my study…" The man said with a light voice, brushing his hair to straighten it up a bit, then looking down at Rosette with a peculiar expression. "Who might you be, young miss?"

"Ah… I'm Rosette Christopher, sir." She said quietly, looking a little embarrassed as he stared at her. "Y-you don't know me, but… I saw you on the Magdalene Order's site, and though maybe you could help me?"

The man raised an eyebrow, grinning softly. "Oh, really now? What seems to be the problem?" He asked casually, holding out his hand. "Yuan Remington. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Christopher."

"Likewise." She smiled softly, shaking his hand kindly. "It's a little complicated… I'm not sure if I should pester you about this, I'm sure you're busy… but there's something that's been bothering me for a while." She paused for a moment, Yuan waiting patiently as she tried to find the right words. "I think I may have a problem with a… something paranormal. Do you think you could help me?"

Instantly Yuan's eyes brimmed with interest, and he nodded, opening the door behind him. "Would you like to come inside? I can tell by your voice, there's more to your story. I would be glad to be of assistance, it is my job, after all."

"Thank you sir," Rosette breathed a sigh of relief, before stepping inside his apartment. Surprisingly enough, the entry way and as far as she could see, the living room was quite tidy. "Are you sure you're not too busy?"

"Oh heavens no." He laughed wholeheartedly, closing the door behind them both, gesturing for her to follow. "Like I said, I was just cleaning out my study. It's a mountain of books in there… sorry if the noise startled you. Now, why don't we sit down… and you can tell me what your troubles are."

She nodded, smiling despite her best efforts to remain calm and collected. She didn't want to seem like an obsessed occult freak like her brother. "Well… Mr. Remington…" They both walked into the living area, Yuan taking a seat on the couch by the coffee table, while she took the chair on the opposite side.

"Please, call me Yuan." He smiled, making Rosette blush faintly.

"Yuan…. I've been having these strange occurrences all throughout my life. I'm sixteen now, and… until now, I've been pretty quiet about it." The older man nodded, relaxing a bit in his seat, as if getting comfortable for a long story. "And well, my brother's concerned about my wellbeing, and… whatever is happening, it's been harming other people around me."

"What sort of occurrences, my dear?"

"….Will you promise you won't think I'm crazy? Or weird?" She asked timidly, playing with her fingers a bit as she looked up at him, hesitant.

"I specialize in the weird, Miss Christopher." He laughed softly. "Believe it or not, I've dealt with many cases like your own."

She relaxed a bit at that, and took a breath, continuing. "Well… Ever since I was little… I've always felt as though someone was constantly watching me. That I'm never alone."

"Do you feel this way as we speak?"

"Yes sir. I always feel this way. I've just gotten used to it over the years." She nodded softly.

"Do go on, don't mind me." He replied, reaching over to the coffee table, and grabbed some paper under a stack of books, and grabbed a pen from the pocket in his shirt, beginning to take notes.

"Even as a child… I grew up with the nickname, "The Possessed". Back at the orphanage… and even in school, during my job, weird things start happening. My brother has seen this happen the most, and… I'm not sure I believe him, but he says when something happens, he could swear he sees my shadow move on its own."

Remington paused in his writing for a moment, looking up at her quizzically. "Your shadow?"

"Yes… I mean, that's what he tells me. To tell you the truth, I only noticed it happen once, maybe twice." She began to fiddle with her fingers a bit again, feeling a little embarrassed.

"What sort of occurrences take place? Do you get hurt?" He asked, his voice more serious now, his eyes gazing at her with concern.

"No, it's quite the opposite. Every time someone or something tries to hurt me…. It backfires on them. I… I sent a few people to the hospital before because of this. Boys who tried to beat me up at school… a car almost ran into me a few years back, and…. Almost killed the driver when witnesses say they veered off to the side, and drive into a building." She paused, biting her lip. "But that's not what happened. Something hit the car - There was… there was a giant dent on the side, like something had hit it, knocked it away."

Yuan fell completely silent as he listened to her story, before getting to his feet and walking to an old bookcase at the side of the room. "This sort of thing has been happening all your life?" He asked softly, grabbing a book off the shelf and began to finger through its contents. He didn't even have to turn around to see her nod. "Rosette, there are many different kinds of haunting…some may be followed by a vengeful spirit, a ghost. But they can't do much than spook the person, or maybe give someone an illness. Nothing physical like you describe. Then there are Second realm Astral projections…"

"I saw those on the website." She spoke up, hands gripping her jeans slightly as she spoke. "What are those?"

"More or less, a high class of undead. But they do not usually stay alongside one person…. Let alone help them. Would you say whatever you think is following you, has been protecting you?" He stepped over to a small box on an end table, grabbing a necklace out of it.

"I suppose…but it almost killed a few people too…"

"From what I can deduct, this leaves you with two other options… Though neither of them make perfect sense…" He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "Well, technically, three, but…it's almost impossible. There hasn't been anyone….hundreds of years…." He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts by now, and it was starting to worry the young girl.

"Wh-what's impossible?" She asked in a shaky voice. "Yuan, am I…. this isn't going to kill me, will it?"

"…. Listen…. I have something to ask you that may be a little personal…" The blond man walked back over with a book in hand, the necklace chain hanging out of his loose fist. "Have you ever had a night terror, or even a simple nightmare…. Of something watching you?"

"Yes…. Many times, actually." She replied quietly, subconsciously rubbing the side of her neck. "Because it happens so much during the day."

Remington fell silent as he watched her gesture, looking a little pale. "Rosette, is there any reason why you're rubbing your neck?"

She blinked, pausing for a moment before she retreated her hand, looking at it, dumbfounded. "N-no… I just did… I guess it's kind of a habit."

Even at her reassurance, the man didn't seem to relax, if anything, his voice became darker. "Have you ever woken from one of those nightmares… and found strange markings on your body?" He paused. "Specifically, your neck?"

Rosette seemed to blush and pale a bit at the same time, before lifting her hand up to touch the side of her neck once more. "Y-yes… I always thought I had just scratched myself though…"

That was more than enough for him. Without hesitating, he stood to his feet, and walked over to the chair where the young girl sat, who was now looking more and more nervous by the second. "Y-Yuan….what…?"

"This," He knelt down beside her, revealing the necklace he held in his palm. It was an intricate silver cross, decorated with various jewels and scriptures. "Is a cross that was blessed by Pope John Paul III. There is a possibility that whatever may be following you, is holy…." He walked to her front, holding the cross out. "But if not…"

Rosette paled, taking in a slow breath.

"May I?" He asked quietly, holding the glistening cross a slight closer.

She nodded, worry adorning her features.

"In the name of the Holy Father…" Yuan said softly, and raised the cross, about to place it on her heart.

He wasn't even able to finish the incantation, a sort of cold air seeping into his lung that forbade him to utter a word more of the holy scripture - the cross was flung from his hand, with such force that it careened to the wall at the opposite side of the room, cracking the plaster and ultimately… shattering the silver cross into four uneven pieces.

The two witnesses had paled, and the temperature seemed to drop considerably before either could even breath.

"Y-Yuan? Yuan what happened?!" Rosette said frantically, hairs standing on end as she stared at the broken cross, fear flowing through her veins faster than blood. In all her life…. Nothing like this…

The man spoke so softly, she almost didn't hear him... And as he uttered the foreboding title, she froze completely, terror rising up from the bottom of her feet, to her throat.

"….Demon."

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HAHA! Yes, sorry that was a short one. The next one will be up soon. :3

And if you haven't figured out yet who it is that's possessing Rosette, you seriously need some mental help.

Zoey