It didn't make any sense.
That was the only thought going through Crona's mind as he sat in his seat at the theater. No one else had come with him. No summons had been made, and there was nothing to review. He had come here of his own will, because if there was any place that could provide answers, it was this.
It didn't make any sense.
The random information had betrayed him. New bits and pieces were given to him, but they were inconsistent with what he already knew. It didn't match what he knew to be absolute fact. Yet the information was no less true, he knew that much. Even so, it didn't match.
It didn't make any sense.
Crona looked up at the screen, remembering the cameras behind it. When did they turn off? Did they ever turn off? Were they being used right now? Was he being watched right this minute?
Could he see him?
Crona sighed, slowly getting to his feet. Just thinking about what could be wouldn't get him anywhere. It was a desperate attempt, and it seemed almost foolish. Yet, it was all he had. If anyone could help, it was him.
But Crona knew so little about him. Would he even be willing to help? Was he just the curious creature he made himself out to be? Or was he as cruel as he proved, time and again? Would he just leave Crona to suffer in confusion?
It was a small chance. Yet it was all Crona had.
He slowly looked up at the screen, and began to speak.
"…are you there?" Crona called out. "Can…can you see me? Are you watching me right now…?"
Crona's only response was silence. He decided to continue.
"Please…I don't know who else to turn to…this…this doesn't make any sense…you have to know what's going on. You're the only one who would…please…help me…"
There was no answer.
Crona stood there silently, waiting as patiently as he could for something, anything that proved that he was there. That he would be willing to listen. That he could and would help.
Minutes passed, and there was still nothing.
Crona sighed, turning to face the stairs. He was on his own in this regard. Perhaps it was just a delusion, a fantasy of his twisted mind, playing tricks on him and confusing reality with dreams.
The screen suddenly lit up, causing Crona to look back at it. The screen remained white, yet was now lighting up the whole room.
A loud screeching sound suddenly rang out over the sound systems, causing Crona to cover his ears in pain. It was unlike anything Crona had heard before. It was a strange, mechanical sound, yet it had an almost melodic tone to it.
The sound ended with a loud CLICK. Crona slowly uncovered his ears, eyes back on the screen.
A thin black line appeared horizontally, clearly dividing the top and bottom halves of the screen. Crona blinked in confusion, not really understanding just what was going on.
He heard a small shuffling sound come over the sound system. It was followed by a few seconds of almost painful silence.
Finally, a voice rang out.
"Crona Makenshi. At last we speak."
Crona gulped slightly, now more nervous than before, having finally got the being's attention. He noticed that his voice was a strange monotone, having a somewhat metallic sound to it. It made him sound more machine than man.
For some reason, Crona suspected that this wasn't his true voice.
"You have asked that I speak to you. Have you nothing to say?"
Crona shivered, quickly trying to think of something to say. The last thing he wanted was to make this one angry.
"W-Who…who are you…?"
A few seconds of silence followed, before the voice spoke again.
"You have started to refer to me as The Host. So, that is what I will go by."
Crona watched as the black line warbled and waved with each syllable that was spoken. It was strangely hypnotic, which caused Crona to quickly look away. The last thing he needed to do right now was get distracted.
"The situation must be quite serious for you to call out to me. Has something happened?"
Crona sighed. Is he playing games with me?
"Y-You know what's happened…" he answered. "You have to know…"
Crona looked back up at the screen. The Host gave him nothing except the same monotone voice.
"Yes, I do. The newest chapter of your story has been written, correct?"
Why is he doing this…? Crona wondered. It's almost like he wants me to explain everything…
"Y-Yes…" he began. "The others…they're all getting ready to fight Asura on the moon…but Maka…she's looking for me. She finds me back at the church…back where we first met…"
Crona started to shake, quickly pushing the memories of that night out of his mind.
"But…that's just it…"
Crona looked up at the screen, hoping The Host could see the confusion on his face.
"I never went back to the church. I never left that house. So…why am I seeing this?"
A few seconds of silence, and then a response.
"An inconsistency. Truthfully, I did not expect one to arise so soon…yet it is an inconsistency nonetheless. Therefore, I will tell you the truth, as you deserve to know that much."
Crona frowned, not liking the sound of that. What truth could he have been hiding from him?
"You may wish to sit down for this, Crona Makenshi. There is much that must be said, and I am certain you will not like most of it."
Crona definitely didn't like the sound of that. All the same, he did as The Host asked, sitting back down in his usual seat.
There were a few more seconds of silence, before The Host spoke again.
"To the point, then."
Crona leaned forward slightly, the suspense getting more and more difficult for him to bear.
"You are not the real Crona Makenshi."
For a moment, Crona thought his mind had simply shut down.
He couldn't even begin to fathom what he was just told. He'd already had to deal with being told he was a fictional character. Now he wasn't even that? What was he, then? Did it even matter anymore?
This was all too much for Crona to comprehend all at once. He simply sat there, his face frozen in shock, appearing almost catatonic to the outside onlooker.
"…hm. I suspect I should've worded that differently."
Crona snapped out of his state at the sound of The Host's voice.
"My apologies. What I should've said was that you are not the canon Crona Makenshi."
This didn't do anything to quell Crona's confusion.
"Wh…what am I, then…?"
"Oh. Well, that's quite simple. You are an alternate Crona."
"…a what?"
"An alternate. Have you forgotten what I told you about alternate worlds? Where you turn left instead of right, and so on and so forth?"
Crona frowned. He had forgotten, to be honest. It had been a few months ago, back when he first started the sessions. But it had felt like eons since that day, and there had been no mention of alternate worlds or anything since then…
"Your entire world is an alternate one, Crona Makenshi. Everyone you know is an alternate version of the canon characters. Even the people who follow you to this very theater are alternates."
Crona looked up. "D-Does that mean…?"
"Yes. You are an alternate, just like Raven is an alternate. Just like Subarashii is an alternate. You were all alternates the moment I called you to enter this theater for the very first time. After all, do you really believe your creators would allow something like this to happen?"
Crona simply stared at the screen, still utterly confused. He had to admit, however, that The Host had a point. He remembered Subarashii mentioning something about that once, and it made sense now that it was explained to him.
Even so…what does it mean? Crona thought.
He jumped slightly when he heard The Host give a loud sigh.
"However…even though you are all alternates, you are decidedly different from the other two."
Crona fidgeted slightly. This didn't sound good.
"Raven's story is complete. I could call her without concern of interfering with anything, for there was nothing to interfere with. Subarashii's story is very open. As a wanderer, there are a multitude of things that could happen to him, so him coming here was not an impossibility."
There was a brief pause, before The Host continued.
"Your story, however, was and is still incomplete. It is still ongoing right now. As such, there is still no way of knowing what your final fate will be. There are many possibilities, and many different alternate worlds that could spawn from just one of those possibilities. This was why I had to be a bit more…direct in my calling you."
Crona stared at the screen. "I-I don't understand…what happened…?"
"…I want you to do something, Crona Makenshi."
"W-What…?"
"I want you to think back to that night."
Crona blinked. "What do you mean…?"
"You know which night I speak of."
Crona froze. It wasn't difficult to figure out what The Host was talking about. And he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. More than anything, he wished that he could just forget that that night ever happened.
But, if it could give him the answers he so desperately needed…
"It will become clear soon if you do as I ask."
Crona flinched slightly. He wished that The Host would stop talking long enough for him to actually do as he asked.
He quietly leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
"Good. Think back to that night where everything changed for you."
It wasn't long before the memories came rushing back.
"Think back to the night you killed your mother."
/
The deed was done.
Blood was coating the walls and floor. Red blood, not black like Crona's. Crona couldn't see the little stick figures on the wall anymore. The red was too much. It was everywhere.
Crona looked down and saw that there was some on his own body. He rubbed his fingers on his clothes and looked at them. He frowned slightly at the red staining his fingertips.
Did his mother have red blood? Or was it black, like his? He never thought to ask. If she was his mother, wouldn't her blood be the same? But then, who was this person? This person who wrapped her arms around him and told him how proud she was?
He looked down at the mess on the floor. Wasn't it human at one point? It didn't look like it now. It looked just like a lump of flesh, something that only barely seemed like something that could get up and move around.
Crona raised Ragnarok slightly and poked the mess. No movement. He pushed forward slightly, and the sword pierced the lump yet again. How many times had he done that tonight? He had lost count after the first three. Still no movement.
Whoever this person was, she was clearly dead.
Was she ever his real mother? Maybe she wasn't. Maybe she had lied to him for all these years. Maybe his real mother was still out there somewhere, her blood as black as his. Who was this woman, then?
No one. Just an old hag. And now she was dead.
There was laughter. Ragnarok. It seemed as though all he had ever done lately was laugh. Some small part of Crona wanted to join in. It would feel good to laugh. He never had before. What would it be like?
But he couldn't. He should wait until Medusa said it was-
Oh, right. She was dead. The old hag was dead.
Crona paused while Ragnarok continued to cackle madly at seemingly nothing. What was he supposed to do now? Who was going to tell him what to do next? If Medusa was dead, who was going to give him orders?
What was he supposed to do?
Go. a voice told him. Go out into the world. There are things out there you don't know how to deal with. Go out and kill them.
Kill the things he couldn't deal with?
That made sense. He couldn't deal with this hag telling him how she was proud of him. He couldn't deal with her giving him love. And he had killed her.
He could kill the other things. He could deal with that.
Crona turned and faced the door. He could hear Ragnarok laughing. He could hear the voice encouraging him to go. It wouldn't be so difficult with them guiding him.
He stepped forward.
He wasn't alone.
Crona looked around. There was something else in the room. He saw the table, the half-eaten pasta that was his dinner still waiting for him. He saw the mess that he had left behind that had once been a wretched old hag. He saw his old drawings, the stick figures telling him how to kill.
He looked at the door. A shadow was cast over it, covering most of that side of the room in darkness.
Whatever it was, it was in that shadow.
Crona could only barely make out a figure in there. Its form was human-shaped, yet it had no features to speak of. Not only that, but the outline was constantly distorting and changing. Almost like the creature was made of fog or mist.
"Hello, Crona Gorgon."
When it spoke, it was the strangest thing Crona had ever heard. Its voice seemed to change in pitch and tone with every syllable, making it nigh impossible to figure out just what it was.
More disturbing, however, was that it knew Crona's name.
"What exactly are you planning on doing, Crona Gorgon?"
He wasn't sure why, but Crona hated the fact that it kept using his last name.
He was starting to hate that name.
"…nothing to say? Very well. I'll speak."
The creature was starting to confuse Crona. He definitely didn't know how to deal with it.
He gripped Ragnarok tightly. Maybe he should just kill it and keep moving.
"Are you leaving? But you haven't even finished your dinner."
It was teasing him now. Crona didn't know how to deal with teasing.
Just kill it already. the voice told him. It's in the way. You should just kill whatever gets in your way.
"A lame joke. My apologies." the creature continued. "A more serious question then: Are you leaving because you want to leave?"
Crona paused. Want to leave? What difference did it make what he wanted? The voice told him to leave, so it only made sense that he should.
What did he want, anyway?
"I didn't think so. Don't you realize, Crona Gorgon? You're free now. You can do what you want for a change."
Free? Like that werewolf that Medusa knew?
What did "free" mean, anyway?
"Do you even know what you want?"
Did the creature know that Crona was just thinking that?
That scared Crona a bit. He didn't like being scared. He was considering listening to the voice again.
It's in your head, reading your thoughts. the voice told him. It's dangerous. You need to kill it.
"I'm going to assume your silence means that you don't have an answer. But surely there must be something that you want. You can't be satisfied with what you have right now."
That was certainly true. There were plenty of things Crona wanted. It didn't matter, though. He never got what he wanted. He had what he wanted once, but he had to give it up, because Medusa asked him to.
What was that thing he lost, anyway? He couldn't quite remember.
"Do you know what an angel is, Crona Gorgon?"
Crona stared at the figure. Why the sudden change in subject? And why ask him something like that? He wouldn't have any idea what-
Wait. Crona had read about those at one point. Angels were supposed to be beautiful, wonderful beings. With big white wings who descended from above, covered in bright light. Beings who came to forgive those who had done wrong and to help them achieve happiness.
He probably couldn't deal with a creature covered in light.
"Would you like to see an angel?"
Crona blinked. Angels were real? And he could see one?
Don't listen to it. the voice interrupted. It's trying to trick you. Angels aren't real. Just hurry up and kill it.
That made more sense. Angels were always described as myths or legends. There's no way one could be real.
That disappointed Crona a bit.
"She may not be exactly as what you would expect her to be, but I assure you, this angel is no less real."
She? This angel was a girl?
Crona wasn't very good at dealing with girls. He had gotten better, though.
He just wished he knew how he did.
"You don't even have to do anything to see her. All you have to do is wait here, and she'll come to you."
That was all? Just stay in the house and he could meet an angel?
That sounded very easy to deal with. Much easier than actually going out and killing things.
It's lying! the voice told him, now very angry. You don't want to see an angel! You want to go out and kill! Go and do it NOW!
Crona frowned. Why was the voice suddenly so upset? And why was it telling Crona what he wanted? Medusa never did that. She just ignored what Crona wanted. She never told him that he wanted to be a Kishin, or that he wanted to kill people.
Who was this voice to tell him what he wanted?
"The choice is yours, Crona Gorgon." the creature stated. "You could leave this house and go cause havoc if you really wanted to. I have no means of stopping you. That said, I don't think you should miss this opportunity. Not many people get to meet an angel. It's your decision, however."
Crona couldn't deal with making decisions. But then again, he'd never really been given the chance to.
What did he want? What was it that Crona wanted right then?
He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to see this angel.
So, he turned around and walked towards the table. He grabbed the chair that he had sat in earlier and turned it around so that it faced the door. He quietly sat down in it, watching the door.
In the time it took him to do this, the creature had vanished.
The voice was screaming at him now, telling him to get up and go kill. He ignored it. He didn't like that voice anymore. Ragnarok had since gone quiet. Maybe he wanted to see the angel too. Crona didn't care.
Just this one time, he was going to try doing something on his own. Maybe he could deal with this angel. Maybe he'd be happy to see her.
He wondered if she would be as beautiful as the legends said.
/
Crona slowly opened his eyes, the realization quickly dawning on him. At first, he had thought that the figure was just a figment of his then-twisted mind. Now, however, it was very clear who it really was.
"…that was you…" he said, staring at the screen.
The room was silent for a few moments, before The Host spoke again.
"It was a few days before that night when I decided to start this project. I had already started making the preparations when it happened. It was then that I realized the dire straits you were in. That was the turning point in your life, where you could either finally grow and become the good person you truly are, or descend further into madness and destruction, possibly becoming the next Kishin. It didn't help that it was painfully clear that your mother manipulated you into committing the act."
Crona flinched. He hated to admit it, but The Host was right about that.
"All I could do was appear before you and attempt to convince you to do something different. That was the extent of my powers. And for the record, it drained a lot out of me, so I had to wait for a long time before I could officially begin the project. Six months, to be exact."
Crona blinked. Six months? Has it really been that long since that day…?
"Was I not right, however? Didn't you get to see your angel?"
Crona twitched, quickly getting very angry with The Host.
He didn't deserve to call Maka that.
"…you have changed considerably, Crona Gorgon-"
"Don't call me that!"
Looking back, Crona would be very surprised at how angry he was. But then again, it wasn't entirely surprising.
He hated that name. He hated everything that came with it, every meaning and bit of history behind it. He wanted nothing to do with that name.
"…right, sorry. Old habit. Anyway, you have changed…Crona Makenshi. The older you would've buried your thoughts, emotions, and feelings deep within himself, hoping to avoid any sort of trouble that would come with showing them. Now you're starting to show them, to let them free for the worlds to see. Starting, however, is the key term. You aren't completely open with your emotions…or your feelings."
Crona flinched. He isn't talking about…
"Even now, you're showing considerable anger and hatred towards me. Do you feel I have manipulated you? Or is it because of everything you have endured? Do you blame me for that?"
Crona didn't answer. He wasn't entirely sure if he did blame The Host for what happened. He didn't make the stories that he had seen, but he did force them to watch. He brought in his friends to experience the same, and he knew he'd bring in more. Raven thought that he took an almost sick pleasure in it, but Crona didn't know what to think.
"Well, since you appear to be very eager in showing your emotions to me, perhaps there is one in particular you can clarify for me."
Crona blinked in confusion. What does he mean by that…?
"I am going to ask you a question, Crona Makenshi. It is a very simple question. Yet it will require much thought, I am sure of that."
Crona frowned, not understanding anything he was saying.
"Are you happy?"
Crona froze. The question came out of nowhere, and it didn't make a lot of sense. Why ask him something like that?
"E-Excuse me…?"
"As I said, it's a very simple question. Are you happy with your life? Are you happy, even with everything you've experienced up until this point? Are you still happy, knowing that you are not, in fact, the canon Crona?"
Crona stared at the screen. Why would he ask him that? What did it have to do with anything? Why would he even care?
…I don't want to tell him anything. Crona thought.
"…pass."
The room was quiet for a short while, before Crona heard an annoyed sigh come from the speakers.
"I'm sorry, Crona Makenshi, but this is not a question you can ignore. Nor can you come back to it later. You must answer, here and now."
"Why?" Crona suddenly blurted out. "W-Why is it so important that I tell you now? What's going to happen when I answer?"
"…you are smarter than people give you credit for, Crona Makenshi."
Wait, what? Crona thought, even more confused than before.
"There is something at stake, and your question will help determine what happens next. This is another turning point for you, Crona Makenshi. Your answer will help decide what path not only you, but your entire world takes."
Crona stared at the screen in disbelief. It sounded far too big for him, far too much responsibility for him to deal with. But it didn't sound like The Host was giving him much choice in the matter.
"Depending on what you say, I will do one of two things. I may decide to leave your world alone. It will continue to develop and grow in its own way, as it has already started to. Your life will continue along the path it's currently on. The canon universe will not affect your world in any way from this point on."
The Host took a breath before continuing.
"However…depending on what you say, I may decide to change things. If I feel I must, I will go back to that night and prevent myself from speaking to you. In doing so, I will erase this alternate universe's existence."
Crona's eyes widened. The Host was essentially putting the fate of everyone he knew and loved into his hands. How could he possibly expect him to make a choice regarding that?
"You will still exist, in a form. You will return to the canon universe, back to that night, and the events that are set to happen will continue from there. However, your future will be uncertain once again. There's no way of knowing what will happen to you, or to anyone else. Only your creator knows that. I will have to erase the alternate universes for Raven and Subarashii as well, in order to make things even. Nothing that happened at this theater will be real. They will be erased from existence, as though it never happened to begin with."
Crona slowly lowered his head, the implications of this choice becoming very clear. If he wanted to, he could keep living this life. This false life. Canon wouldn't affect them in any way. The possibilities were endless. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about his mother returning yet again. Maybe he could just live a life of peace.
Maybe he and Maka would-
...they would be happy. Crona thought. I would be happy…
But it couldn't be perfect. If things continued as they were, they would have to keep coming back to the theater. They would have to endure more and more torture. More of his friends and loved ones would have to go through this. And Crona wasn't sure how much more he could stand to take.
If he chose to change things, to have The Host erase their universe, then they wouldn't have to keep coming back. They never would've come to begin with. None of them would've had to learn of their fictional nature, or be forced to watch countless false interpretations of themselves. They could just go back to where they were, when things seemed so simple. When they knew who the enemies were and what they looked like. When they knew who they were.
"…do it."
Crona's voice was shaking. He felt as though he was marching to his own death.
For all he knew, he might've been.
"Ch…change it back…I don't want them to suffer anymore…they'd…they'd be happier with things back to normal…go ahead. Do it."
He didn't entirely understand what he was doing. All he thought was that he was making things better for them. He didn't know what was going to happen to him next. He didn't know if he'd live long enough to even see Maka again, much less be with her.
Maybe I never had a chance to begin with… Crona thought.
When The Host finally spoke, Crona was surprised at the stern nature of his voice.
"You have misunderstood my request, Crona Makenshi."
Crona looked up, his surprise evident in both his face and voice. "W-What…?"
"I asked you to answer a question for me. That question was not "what should I do?" You will not make this decision for me, you will simply give me your thoughts on the matter. Nothing more."
Crona was furious. He was tricked, he reasoned. The Host had tricked him into thinking he could do something, that he could make a difference, and instead just yanked his collar some more.
"You-"
"However, you have introduced a possibility to me. The possibility of you lying to me to protect or save your friends. Rest assured, I am now ready for that, and I will not let you do such a thing."
Crona looked down and noticed that his hands were shaking. Whether it was out of fear or anger, he wasn't entirely sure.
"I will ask you the question again. And you will answer truthfully. If you lie to me, whatever your reasons are, then I will punish you. I won't tell you what I will do to you, if only to let you create scenarios in your mind. I will tell you this much, however…"
Crona shivered as The Host's voice changed to one filled with malice.
"If you think I've been cruel to you before, you will find that I can be much worse when I don't get what I want."
The room filled with silence once again, Crona trying as hard as possible not to give in and finally speak.
"Once again…are you happy?"
Crona clamped his mouth shut, determined not to speak. If he couldn't lie, then he just wouldn't say anything. He would have to give up sooner or later, and then Crona could just go home and move on. Maybe he'd come back, maybe he wouldn't. It didn't matter, he just wanted to be as far away from The Host as possible.
I won't tell him. he thought. He'll have to let me go eventually.
No, he won't. He could keep me here forever if he wanted to.
How do I know he can even do that?
You don't know WHAT he can do! You have no idea what he's capable of!
He's not willing to lock me up here until the day I die!
You don't know that! He's invaded your world and changed things to his liking, he can do whatever he wants!
I'm not going to give in! I'm not going to be manipulated by him! I'm not going to be manipulated by anyone!
You don't have a choice! This isn't the time to be worrying about your pride, your life is at stake!
It doesn't matter what happens to me!
Yes it does! Maka won't be happy if you get yourself killed for nothing! This isn't protecting her or anyone! It's just answering a simple question, so just tell him what he wants to hear! It's the truth, you know it's the truth, SO JUST TELL HIM!
Crona got to his feet, his head lowered. His entire body was shaking violently, realizing that he had to give in.
"…what do you think…?"
Crona raised his head, showing The Host the tears pouring down his face.
"Happy? Of course I'm happy."
The Host didn't give any response, so Crona continued.
"I'm the happiest I've been in my entire life. I'm not out killing people just for the sake of it. I don't have to worry about Medusa coming back and making me betray the city again. I have friends who care about me. I'm…I'm with Maka every single day, and it's the greatest thing I've ever experienced."
Crona gave a shaky breath, all of the stress that had been building up over the months now pouring out.
"And you know that…you know that's the case. You know how I feel, you know what I think. You knew the answer to the question. So why even ask it? Why make me think I can make a difference and then make me tell you what you already know?"
Crona's voice had risen considerably, shaking with a combination of grief and frustration.
"What are you trying to accomplish? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you doing this to my friends? Why can't you just leave us all alone? Just what are you?"
Crona glared at the screen, breathing raggedly. He didn't expect The Host to respond, and was surprised in the calm nature of his voice when he did.
"My dream is to understand everything. You already know that. That is why I am doing this. I plan on connecting all of the possible worlds together. Even if that does make them alternates, that does not make them any less real. Their…your interactions will be real. Your growth will be real. And I want to see it all happen. I want to see what would happen. For I have a curse, a curse that someone close to you possesses as well. The curse of curiosity."
Crona flinched. Close to me?
"Nothing can be gained without giving something in return. Equivalent Exchange and all that. You will have to suffer more in order for this dream to come true, but you will gain much as well. The mere fact that you can call a teenage superheroine your friend is proof of that. You will gain more friends as this goes on, of that I am sure. And isn't that what you want, in the end?"
"Stop acting like you know me…" Crona whispered.
"I don't know you personally, Crona Makenshi, but I know humans. Humans are social creatures. None of them want to be alone. And after everything you've been through in your life, I imagine that that's the last thing you want. I don't want to make you suffer anymore, but I will have to. I will not allow anything to stop me from completing my dream, now that so much progress has been made."
The Host then sighed, leaving Crona to wonder why he sounded so relieved.
"However, you did answer my question. So, I have decided. Your world will not change. You will continue living your life as it is. I will expect you to keep attending sessions, but should you choose not to, I can find a replacement."
Crona twitched. The Host was playing with him again. As much as he would like to just give in and go home, never having to come back here, it wasn't fair to make someone else take his place.
"…I'll…I'll come back…" he muttered.
The Host gave a small hum before responding.
"So self-sacrificing…I actually admire that about you, Crona Makenshi."
Crona looked up in surprise, not expecting the compliment.
"Your willingness to put others' needs before your own is a quality I find very fascinating. I wonder what drives you to want to protect people you may not even know? Whatever the case may be, it shows that I made the right choice when I picked you for this job."
"…why me?" Crona asked before he could stop himself. "…why did you pick me?"
The Host gave another sigh, this one more sad than the others.
"I am sorry, Crona Makenshi…but that is a question for another time."
Crona sighed. So, that's it? It's over? I'm free to go?
"I suggest you hurry home now. I am certain you'll want to."
Crona blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about…?"
"Did you forget? You aren't the only one who has seen the canon universe."
Crona frowned, before his eyes quickly widened in understanding.
Oh God! Maka!
He quickly ran for the stairs, scaling them and heading out the door, not waiting for any goodbyes from The Host.
/
How could I have been so stupid? Crona wondered as he dashed for Maka's apartment. I should've brought her with me! She had to have seen it too! And I just disappeared on her!
He ran up the stairs and came to a halt in front of Maka's door. He quickly fumbled for his key, temporarily forgetting where he put it.
What if she thinks I ran away again? What if I betrayed her trust again? Why couldn't I just tell her where I was going instead of running off in a panic like-
"Crona!"
Crona looked up, turning to the source of the voice.
Maka was standing at the other end of the hallway, having just ascended the stairs herself. She was breathing heavily, her face red from what Crona assumed was her running around.
Before Crona could say anything, Maka dashed forward and wrapped him up in a hug, whispering frantically into his ear.
"Oh thank God…you're here, you're OK…Oh thank God…"
An immense surge of guilt welled up inside of Crona. Just like he suspected, he made Maka worry about him. Worry when he could've just as easily gone to her before leaving, but instead panicked and acted without thinking.
Maka pulled away to get a look at his face, her hands on his sides.
"Crona, what happened? I saw the new chapter, but that didn't actually happen! I found you at Medusa's house, so why did it say differently? And where did you-"
Maka stopped when she noticed Crona staring at her, looking directly into her eyes.
"…Crona? Crona, what's wrong?"
Crona looked at every feature of Maka's face that he could see. Her deep, olive-green eyes. Her light blonde hair that reminded Crona of sand. Her small, yet very cute nose. Her lips that he wanted to touch with his own more than anything.
He was so close to giving her up. He almost did it, in some attempt to make her happy. To save her from the torture that was that theater. If The Host had listened to him, it would've been done, and they'd be separated again.
He viewed himself as selfish for thinking it, but he believed he just avoided making the biggest mistake of his entire life.
With that, he pulled Maka forward and wrapped her up in a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder.
Don't cry. he ordered himself. Don't you dare cry. You can't cry. You absolutely cannot cry now.
"Crona, what is it?" Maka whispered. "What happened? Is everything OK?"
"…I'm so sorry, Maka…" he replied, his voice very shaky. "I should've told you where I was going…"
"Where? Where did you go, Crona?"
"I'll explain…I'll explain everything…in a moment…"
He gave as gentle a squeeze as he could, giving a shaky sigh into Maka's shoulder.
"I'm just so happy to see you right now…"
It took a few seconds, but Crona felt Maka squeeze back. When she spoke, he could practically feel the relief in her voice.
"I'm happy to see you too, Crona…"
/
Author's Saving Throw, go!
So, yes, now you know the truth. This is an alternate continuity to the manga.
I initially planned on doing this in the event Crona was killed in the manga. However, the plan I had made was pretty concrete, and the latest chapter does things a bit differently. So, I had to enact it earlier than I expected.
Anyway, now there shouldn't be any more confusion. I hope.
For those of you who care, the Teen Titans spinoff should be starting very soon, so keep an eye out for that!
See you soon!