Forgotten Memories

Chrono Crusade

Date Started: April 20th 2004

Sora Kazuma

Black as night, running through a dark cavern, firing rounds into the darkness and hearing them echo back. There was a creature, powerful and fast catching up on hell-bent wings. I fell and on the ground saw the last dim light go out…

"Sora! Sora, get up!" a voice called, familiar and deep. "SORA!"

I bolted awake, looking up into a pair of beautiful golden eyes. That handsome childish face of his twisted in disgust when he looked back at me. "Get up. We're almost there." He hissed, turning to leave.

"Yugo…" I blinked, sitting up the rest of the way. "Hey, Yugo, wait up!"

He had already stalked up the train car anyway, ignoring my call.

"Damn him…" I gritted my teeth, fumbling with the seat belt and stalking after him.

I wasn't really mad at him- this was the way he acted sometimes. I had gotten used to his violent mood swings in the last three months I had spent with him. What caught my attention more were the wandering glances from the women on board the train. Most of the younger maidens had followed my partner's body as he stalked out of the train as if he was God walking casually by. I had to keep from giggling. Yugo didn't look like most people, but what was so attractive about him was the same thing that set him apart.

I slammed open the door at the end of the train car, finding him outside on the small porch, leaning up against the railing. The heavy crystalline necklace against my chest softly thumped back against me as if saying it's silent hello.

Blushing, my eyes couldn't help but glance over his lean body, golden tan skin and gorgeous face. He was in a simple white cotton shirt and khaki-colored pants, signifying that he, like I was, was coming in from the country. His hair, a long silky curtain of deep cyan was pulled back into a ponytail by a long white ribbon halfway up his head. Starting by the top of his slightly pointed ears, his hair was shaved to light teal fuzz. Quite an interesting look with the ponytail falling over it to his mid-back, it had obviously been adopted from an Asian culture, and seemed to fit his looks quite well with the spiky messy hair falling against his cheeks and the long bangs hanging to just above those intense amber eyes.

He didn't even turn to look at me, but I knew he knew I was there from my scent. "We're entering the city limits now. Shouldn't be long. We should be in New York City by three."

As we round the bend I caught sight of the massive metropolis out on the island. "Wow." I smiled, leaning on the railing. "It's so nice to be back home." My shoulder leaned against his arm, and he reached over, lighting his fingers on the back of my hand. I blushed, and ducked my head, but smiled. I knew it was his silent apology for being nasty to me earlier. I leaned my face against his shoulder, closing my eyes. Having him near was just so normal that sometimes when he got intimate it made me blush. Still I don't think I could have found a better friend in him.

The train suddenly jolted as we tried to slow down and I lost my balance, taking him down with me. Shadows went overhead, as we appeared to be entering the train station.

"Damn it woman, get off of me!" he snapped, fangs showing with his agitation. He pushed me off, hopping the railing to the train platform as the train had stopped. He glared at me, silently ordering me to follow his lead, but I turned, stubbornly heading back inside the train and getting off like a normal person would. If he wanted to act like a jerk and ruin the moment, then fine. I could play that way too.

He waited for me, his anger not getting any better. "What was that for?!" he hissed as I walked over to him.

I ignored him completely, instead heading over to the baggage claim. "Sora," he growled a warning.

I picked up his bag, throwing it at his chest. Waiting till we had gotten out of the crowd of people I let my eyebrow twitch. "Honestly," I spat, throwing my bag over one shoulder. "You think I WANTED to fall on top of you back there?!" I turned my head away, so he couldn't see that my face had gone red.

"Probably." He caught up to me without missing a beat. "You just think because I'm sealed to you that I'm your damn slave." He kept pace with my smaller strides just to yell at me. "What you don't realize is that your soul belongs to me. You ARE mine."

"I don't belong to anyone, especially not demonic scum!" I shot back.

"And you think I'd give myself up to a pathetic human woman?!"

We were practically screaming at one another, despite the curious stares we were getting from strangers, on top of the ones that usually drew us attention due to Yugo's appearance.

I heaved a sigh. "Yugo, you're so mean to me." I suddenly whimpered as we walked out onto the crowded New York Street. I hailed a taxi as I sniffed back tears.

"H-Hey," he swallowed, his eyes widening. He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder and I moved out of his touch. "Sora," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Good. I figured as much." I grinned up at him and winked.

His mouth fell open. "You were just-" he got the concept that I had guilted him into the apology and literally tried to pounce me as I took refugee in the back of the taxicab. He growled, climbing in beside me. "You-"

"The St. Mary Cathedral in Brooklyn, please Driver." I spoke up, trying to ignore the fact that Yugo had sunk his fangs into the side of my neck for a moment as punishment for being so sneaky. It didn't hurt and I had been expecting it but I couldn't help but blush. He noticed my discomfort and moved away to the other side of the back seat to give me some room. Yet his hand still rested on mine.

The car dropped us off at the front gates. I used my key to get in the huge heavy iron doors and stared at the grounds with my mix-matched eyes. "It's so nice to be home." I grinned.

I felt Yugo edge closer to me as we got closer to the buildings and I smiled. There were students and church members and staff to the school around and because of Yugo and my sudden reappearance we were getting more then a fair amount of stares.

"Sora!" It was Azmaria who confronted me when she saw me. The little choirgirl smiled, her crimson eyes wide. "Sister Kate…knows you're returned…she wants to see you…immediately…" she replied trying to catch her breath from running the length of the green.

"Aw, that's no fair." I pouted reluctantly. "I've been gone nearly three months and I get no break?" I sat my pack down. "In that case, Azmaria, can you show get some one to help you with the getting my bags to the dorms?"

"Sure." She smiled. "I'll have Felicity take care of it."

Yugo picked my bag up as soon as I sat it down. "I'll go with you. A little one such as you does not need to be carrying heavy luggage." He told Azmaria.

The girl blushed. "Thank you sir."

"I leave him in your care Azmaria. I'll come find you all soon." I replied, racing off to the chapel.

I knew where Sister Kate's office was. I had been in it many times, giving and getting orders for my next cases. Standing outside the door, I hesitantly knocked on it.

The door opened ajar and then a handsome face stared down at me. "Sora! We've been waiting for you! It's nice to have you back."

"Father Remington." My face went red. "How have you been sir?"

"Just fine. Come on in." he gracefully let me past him and shut the door behind him. "You look lovely as always."

I blushed. "Oh please Father. I'm a mess." I stared down at my mud-stained khaki pants and shirt. I knew I was going to hear it about dressing like a man, but when we were out in the country it was just so much easier to work in…

Sister Kate was looking out her full-length windows into the green, her back to me. It was something she did only when she was seriously angry. I swallowed. I knew I was in for it.

"Sister Sora…" she started after a minute, her voice restraining itself from yelling. "How could you just let Azmaria walk off with that creature?"

I blinked, and then my eyebrows furrowed in agitation. "Yugo's fine, Sister Kate. He would never hurt anyone."

She spun around, glaring at me. "If he was incapable of hurting someone, he would not have been on our list for capture or death." She snapped, her golden eyes going cold, reminding me of a time before when I had seen gold eyes on me as a hunter, a killer….

I shuddered for a second. "Sister Kate, please. Yugo's powers are sealed. He had no strength right now. He is as incapable of hurting someone as Chrono is to Rosette." I responded.

"Chrono is not the issue." She sat down at her desk, dismissing that subject with the small wave of her hand. I was surprised- Kate was worrying and doubting Chrono powers ever since I had known her. I didn't want to tell her that Yugo had the ability to break the seal and transform at any given time- she would have gone into hysterics. "Sister, I want to hear about what happened, in detail. Explain everything."

I swallowed. This would be the fun part- deciding what to tell and what to leave buried in my head. "I went out to kill the wolf devil Yugo, as I had been ordered. I had been tracking him for days in upper New York, and I was convinced he had been living there for sometime. Upon investigating the area more thoroughly I found a cave sheltered by a waterfall, his den. I began pursuing him through the cavern, but I got the distinct feeling that someone else was there with us that it wasn't just him and me. I had cornered Yugo in the back of the cavern, where there was no light and I had to rely on everything but my eyes. I had injured him before with a couple of sacreds and I was pretty confident that I would have completed my mission, if a huge explosion hadn't caused part of the cave to collapse."

"An explosion?" The head sister's eyes widened.

I nodded. "The next thing I knew I was lying in Yugo's arms. I couldn't see him, I couldn't see anything, but I knew it was him, by his breathing, and by his voice. He told me I was badly injured, and he said he was too. I couldn't feel parts of my body, but when I moved myself I found my body lying in a pool of blood. He told me that he knew of one way that we both could survive, if I bound myself to him. I agreed, and then for a while, everything went blank. When I reawoke I was outside in the woods by the waterfall, and a human was by my side, the human form of the demon I had just sealed. My eyes were working again and when I looked at my self I didn't know I was going to survive. My legs would probably never hold my weight again and I could use one of my arms. But remarkably, over a month's time, I repaired what would have taken a normal human years, if they had lived at all. When I could understand what Yugo told me thoroughly about the contract, I was not upset. I know if it hadn't been for him, I would not have survived."

Sister Kate opened her mouth after a moment and closed it once again without a sound.

"Well," Father Remington put a hand on my shoulder. "We'll have to thank the lad for bringing you back to us."

"Thank you," Kate said finally, not knowing what else to say. She swallowed. "This is an unexpected turn of events Sister Sora. I cannot say I am pleased with this, but at least you are still alive. Still," she pursed her lips. "You will be given leave for a few days and I'm assigning you to Sister Rosette. She and Chrono should be able to help you."

"Thank you mam." I nodded and then turned when Remington left my side. "Father?"

"Someone's outside the door." He replied. Opening the door enough to poke his head out, he laid eyes on Azmaria, trying to beg Yugo not to interrupt the meeting. He smiled. "Good morning."

Golden eyes lifted and stared back at him, oblivious to the girl's grip on his arm. "Hello." He said calmly. "I was looking for Sora."

"She's talking with Sister Kate right now." He explained.

"I'm sorry Father. I tried to stop him." Azmaria whimpered, close to tears.

"It's alright child." He beamed at her and she let go of her watch, blushing. She nodded slightly. The priest's cerulean gaze shifted. "You must be Yugo."

"And you must be Father Remington." Those amber eyes sparked recognition and he smiled. "Sora has told me good things about you." He bowed his head. "Nice to meet you."

Remington's eyes widened and he smiled. "You too." He swung the door open past his body to view the room beyond. "Sora, Yugo has come for you."

I stared at him and then sighed. "I told you to wait and I'd come find –you-."

"I got tired of waiting."

Sister Kate's eyes narrowed and she started to open her mouth, but kept silent when I went to him. "Sister Kate, Father. If you'll excuse me. I promised Yugo a tour of the premises. I'll be back later this evening if you need me."

Yugo grabbed my hand, slipping his fingers into mine. "Come on." He said softly. "Let's go."

"Thank you Azmaria for watching him for me. Choir starts soon. I hope you have fun." I smiled at her.

"I will! Goodbye everyone!" she replied with a smile, racing off.

"She's a cute kid." Yugo said, a faint smile on his lips. "It was fun teasing her."

"I bet." I sweatdropped. "Come on." Tugging on his hand I led him down the hallway in the opposite direction. I didn't hear Father Remington close the door, but I knew a conversation was going on about the two of us, and by Sister Kate's anger, it probably wasn't a good one.

I showed him the rest of the chapel, the green, the courtyard, the schooling houses, leaving the best for last.

"Here's the boarding houses, where my room is. Come in, I'll show you." I beamed.

He nodded as we entered the lobby. "This is where I delivered our baggage to another red head a little while ago."

"Most guys aren't allowed in the boarding houses, but I think you're an exception to that rule." I explained. "This is it right here." Unlocking the door, I threw it open, just to come face to face with a young woman in the process of changing. She was standing in her underpants and bare-chested, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pink and white dress. Damp curly raven hair spilled over her shoulders and around her face and deep green eyes stared back at us. Upon seeing Yugo, she clamped the dress over her breasts. I felt Yugo turn his head away, his hand tensing in mine.

"Sora!" the girl beamed, breaking into a smile despite the situation.

I sweatdropped. "Uh… sorry about that Lena."

The girl turned away, throwing the dress over her head and smoothing out the rest of the cloth over her body. She turned to us and grinned. "It's no problem." She blinked. "You can look now. It's okay."

"Sorry we barged in." Yugo replied, hesitantly looking over, his face crimson.

"It's okay." She replied, pouncing me in a hug. "It's nice to have you back. I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it."

"I almost didn't." I admitted, pulled back from her embrace. She was so small, only coming up to my chest. But adorably, adorably cute.

"So, who's your unusual handsome friend?" she asked with a blush.

"Hirelena, this is Yugo. Yugo this is my best friend, Hirelena." I explained.

"Nice to meet you sir!" she bowed.

He smiled, relaxing his hand in mine, the blush receding from his face. "You too."

"You two will have to excuse me. I just got back from a mission a little while ago and was coming back from the bath." Hirelena replied, running back to the mirror to pull her onyx hair up into pigtails, curly strands falling around her face.

"I haven't seen a woman so fragile looking since I spent time in China." Yugo told her, watching the hyper girl dash around the room, getting ready. He crossed his arms.

"Well, I am from Japan." She winked at him.

"Even I'm Japanese-American." I told him.

"It would explain things a little better." He nodded.

"You –look- like you spent a lot of time in Asia. Your hair, your eyes, as unusual as they are it seems they would fit the culture better." Lena paused, looking at him with big emerald eyes.

"I'm native to Korea." He responded, leaning up against the wall.

"Really?" I looked back at him. "I didn't know that."

"A long time ago." He nodded slightly.

"Lena, why is Felicity's stuff gone?" I asked suddenly. It clicked that the woman I shared a bunk with seemingly had disappeared from the room. All of her things were missing.

"When they heard that you were coming back, they switched her room with Rosette's so she'll be in here with us from now on. I'm guessing it has something to do with your new friend." She replied, adjusting a necklace around her neck. "Rosette got back from a mission about the same time you did. She should be here soon."

"Where are you going this evening?" I asked, checking out her outfit. She looked gorgeous in the elaborate pink-laced dress.

"I'm off duty this evening. I'm going out to the movies." She smiled.

"I hope you have fun." I smiled at her.

"Me too." She grinned.

Suddenly Yugo stiffened and he let out a low growl. I lifted my head. "Yugo?"

"I know that scent…" Turning he yanked open the door and looked down into a pair of crimson eyes.

A blonde woman by the stranger's side blinked. "Who is this guy…Chrono?"

"It's been a long time, Sinner." Yugo smirked.

"That is has Wanderer." The scarlet-eyes man glared at him.

"Hey will you two knock it off with the macho glaring stuff?" the blonde replied, smacking the violet-haired man in the back of the head.

"Ow, Rosette!" he whined.

"Yugo," I tugged him by the arm out of the doorframe. "Let them in."

We were introduced to our new roommates, Rosette Christopher and Chrono. Rosette was hyper, and outgoing, nothing new to me and Chrono was handsome in the same way Yugo was- childishly good-looking with a deeper, darker side underneath. Unfortunately it had seemed Yugo and Chrono had met before, and not in the good way. Both devils were standing in front of Rosette and me, protectively, not trusting the other one with their contractor in the open. Finally I pushed Yugo aside and walked up to the other two. I held out my hand to Chrono. "It's nice to meet you Chrono. I've heard good things about you from Father Remington. I'm Sora Maiko."

He blinked his dark red eyes and a faint blush came onto his face. "It's nice to meet you too." He replied, shaking hands with me.

I felt Yugo's anger grow, but his understanding was showing as well. When he got a touch of emotions, how I wanted Rosette and her partner's help and how happy I was to not be the only one in a similar situation, I felt his frustration dissipate. Still the feelings of distrust radiated from him, but he did not show it when he shook hands with Rosette.

"There, everyone is friends." Lena replied with a grin. "I have to get going but I will be back later everyone."

"Bye Lena, nice to have met you." Chrono smiled back, as she left.

"Well I'm glad that's outta the way." Rosette smiled. "I know its going to be difficult for you guys, but we were ordered to work together and that's the way it's gonna work."

I saw a flash of Yugo's irritation and decided it would be best to get him out of here for a while. "I agree. But now that that's settled, I'm going to go get in the bath, I'm a mess." I snatched some clothes from my bag, which was still lying unpacked on my bed. "I'll see you all soon."

Yugo pushed away from the wall. "I'm coming with you."

I nodded. "Alright."

"See you all soon." Rosette replied, crashing on the bed next to mine. Apparently the fact of Yugo coming with me hadn't registered, or she understood it completely. Chrono however blushed and gave me a slight nod.

Yugo locked the doors to the bathhouse while I started the massive tub. He stood in the shadows of the candlelit room while I undressed and waded into the steaming water. Turning my back to where he was standing, I waited for him to join me. He had respect for me and I for him, although I wasn't sure it really mattered anymore. Yugo had taken care of me while I was sick, nursing me back to health. He had seen most of my body before and I his when his outfit lay in tatters when he brought me out of the cave that day.

At the sound of him quietly splashing into the water, I turned grinning at him. "This kind of thing isn't allowed on the grounds. I could get in serious trouble for this."

"The place is locked and I can hear for miles around if I need to. We're safe." He replied, leaning his head back on the side of the tub.

"I guess." I couldn't help but giggle. "Every time we do this it almost seems like we're lovers."

He looked up at me, rolling his amber eyes but didn't argue. Suddenly he winced, holding his head in his hands. I was at his side in an instant. "Yugo?"

"I'm alright." He assured me, his voice deepening. "Just trying to remember."

"You shouldn't worry. You're memories will come back to you." I told him.

"Yeah, while you lose yours." He countered bitterly. I lowered my head and he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just…I don't remember anything before you. My life has been bits and pieces since we were bound."

"But you recognized Chrono's scent when he was at the door. And you remembered you were from Korea. You starting to get there." I smiled.

"But I don't know if I have family back in Korea. If I have anything there, or anyone. I picked up Chrono's aura and his smell true, but I can't remember more then his name. It seems we were rivals at one time or worse, enemies, and I can't remember anything about it, about him." He sighed. "It seems hopeless."

I laid my head on his chest, sliding into his lap. He tensed up, but wrapped his arms around me. "All I know is you Sora, and I would be lost with out you."

I closed my eyes. Yugo had become a major part of my life. Before him, I had no one either, my friends at the cathedral, but no family. They had been killed in the war. Lena and Mia had been my life for a while, people to protect, but I felt as if I was outside of everything, watching my life go by with every mission I was assigned. Having Yugo close to me was different. I felt safe when he was beside me and I got the feeling that he felt the same. Sometimes I wondered if it was the contract that had brought us together like this or simply because I felt a need to protect and be protected by this man.

I pulled out of his embrace, leaning back in the water to wash my long crimson hair and my body. Yugo kept his eyes closed or averted his gaze from me. I went under the water then came up, brushing silky strands of scarlet of hair from my face. It was then that I realized Yugo had been watching me, for how long I did not know, but his golden eyes had fallen on me and were staring back at me with the most intense gaze I had ever seen. The amber seemed to be burning my skin and when I tried to read his emotions I was startled to find a twinge of jealousy, lust and caring. I took a step back in the tub, my hands coming up to try and shield my breasts although the jets in the water were more then enough to conceal my body that was submerged. Somehow it felt like his eyes could cut straight through me, straight through the distance and the water between us and he could glance at everything and anything he wanted. I swallowed. "Yugo."

He jerked his head, blinking and the minute he looked back at me, he had returned to normal, those eyes of his shining in embarrassment. "Wow…did I get caught staring?" he murmured, his face red. "I'm sorry Sora. I didn't mean it."

I headed for the side of the tub. "Actually Yugo, I think you did." I said climbing out.

He ducked his head, waiting until I had gone into one of the small dressing rooms and climbed out himself. "What do you mean by that?" he replied, trying to pull on a pair of clean pants and stand outside the door to my stall.

"I was reading your emotions at the time. You were lusting for me." I told him, my face completely red. I was thanking the lord there was a door between us.

"I was…" he went silent.

My face got redder. "It was weird Yugo. Your emotions, your eyes… they were dark. I've only sensed it before when you've turned completely demon. I didn't mean to be frightened. You're true form does not scare me at all. You're actually handsome for a devil. I just wasn't expecting the feelings I was radiating from you."

"You weren't expecting me to feel for you the way I do."

I raised my head, my eyes widening. The jewel against my bare chest had begun to glow. That voice…it was his true voice. That deep, seductive gorgeous voice I had first heard in my head when I was lying near-death in the caverns.

"You weren't expecting me to feel for you at all."

"Yugo…" I put my hand on the back of the door, wishing I could ease the pain I heard in his voice.

I heard him move, the lock on the bathhouse door click and the door open. The glow in the jewel faded. "You don't have to accept my feelings for you Sora," he responded, his handsome childish voice returning. He sounded emotionless, trying to force a smile into his words. "Or even return them. Just believe in them. Believe they are there. That I have a heart enough to care for you. That, is all I ask of you."

The heavy door slammed shut and I knew I was alone in the bathhouse. Alone. It was the first time he had willingly left my side. I tried to reach out and touch his emotions, but I felt nothing. He had blocked me off. Fighting tears I got up, got dressed and headed back to my room.

It had been devils that had killed my older sister when I was younger. She was the reason I had decided to take this kind of life. I had ruled out the possibility that demons could have feelings, could have emotions, and could want anything but bloodshed. My own feelings for Yugo were still jumbled; I didn't know how his were. I thought our time together; our closeness had been created by the power of the contract and not by our possible feelings for one another. I wanted him near me, I needed to know that he was okay and I worried about him when he got in the mood to help me fight. Was that the magic or me?

'Does it matter?'

'WHAT?'

'Does it matter that the contract was the one that bound us together for eternity or our feelings to one another?'

'Of course it matters. If it was the contract then-"

'Even if it is the contract, it still doesn't change the fact that I care for you more then anything else in this crazy world.'

I bolted up, gasping for breath. It was still night, although I could tell by the sky out the window that daybreak wasn't to far off. My blankets were pulled around me and everything in the room seemed to be still. Yugo was asleep by my side, his dark teal hair spilling over his shoulders, neck and down into his face, those bright golden eyes of his closed. I smiled at him, tucking pieces of his hair out of his face and behind his ear. Laying back down I leaned into him. I felt better knowing that he was with me again. The words…rang in my head. Had he said them out loud, or in my dreams? I couldn't tell. My fingers drifted across the covers, locking loosely with his. I was still exhausted. Crying earlier hadn't helped and neither had the tossing and turning all night. My eyes were getting heavy fast. The last thought I had before drifting off was his voice, a mix of his true voice and the childish one I had come to know so well speaking to me in a whisper.

'Goodnight, …love.'