I do not own Chrono Crusade, it belongs to Daisuke Moriyama. The characters are being borrowed without permission for entertainment purposes only. So don't sue me, you won't get much anyhow.
This story takes place before the team leaves for San Francisco. After that it takes a sharp left into my own Alternate Universe. I will be using elements from both the Manga and Anime. Enjoy. C&C is appreciated.
Text Key:
() -- thoughts
Bold -- sound effects
Speech -- Chrono/Demons in true form
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Black Sabbath
Part One: Choices
By: Anime Otaku
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"The choice I make today will shake the very foundations of Heaven and Hell themselves tomorrow."
-Chrono the Sinner
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South Brooklyn, New York, 1924
Captain Martin Boxer had seen some pretty bad things during the Great War, but nothing was comparing to the carnage that he was looking at now. Putting a handkerchief to his mouth, he quickly made his way out of the alley to join the other police officers and tried not to loose his lunch like many others had.
"You okay, Captain?" on of the uniformed officers asked.
Boxer wanted to say that no, he wasn't all right, that he was doing everything in his power to keep himself from loosing it right then and there. Instead, he grit his teeth and nodded his head.
"You boys in Homicide ever seen anything like this before?"
Boxer shook his head. "No, never. At least, not this gruesome."
"What do you want us to do, sir?"
"Seal the area off. Make sure that nobody gets through and I mean nobody. Also, get in touch with the Chief; tell him to send the experts down here."
The uniform looked confused. "But, sir, I though you were the expert."
"Not for this. This is something far beyond any kind of police training we could ever do." Boxer paused a few seconds then snapped at the uniform. "Are you going to make that call or not?"
"Oh, um, yes, sir. Right away, sir." The uniform hurried off to carry out his orders.
Sighing in frustration, Boxer walked away from the crime scene and lit a cigarette, trying to calm his nerves down anyway that he could.
(But I wonder, can the Order really handle something like THAT.)
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Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
"Yes... yes, I understand... I'll send someone down there immediately. Very well. Good day, Chief." Sister Kate hung up the phone and leaned back into her chair with a sigh.
"Trouble again, Sister Kate," Father Remington asked from the couch, his face hidden behind the morning paper.
"Yes. Apparently there was a murder sometime last night and the police want us to help in their investigation."
"I hardly see why this should involve us," Father Remington said, turning a page.
"The inspecting officer says he believes that a Satanic cult may be involved," Sister Kate said.
"I see. And who is the closest Militia member to the crime scene?" When Sister Kate didn't respond, Father Remington peeked over his paper and saw her with her head bowed and her shoulders shaking. Smiling, he said in a cheerful voice, "It's Rosette, isn't it?"
"What choice do I have!" she cried. "Saints forgive me, there was no one else! Unless..." Father Remington suddenly had his paper snatched from his hands and found himself staring down at Sister Kate. His hands were clasped in hers and she had a pleading look on her face. "Father, you'll go too, won't you? To keep her from destroying anything, please?"
Father Remington started to sweat. "Uh... well, I..."
"Good, it's settled then," Sister Kate said, standing up. She quickly went to her desk and wrote down the address then brought it back to Father Remington. "Have a safe trip," she said smiling.
Father Remington sighed and took the paper. "Well, I guess I'll be going then."
"That woman can be scary sometimes," he said once he left her office.
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Queens, New York
Chrono grit his teeth in pain as he was thrown into a nearby building and the rubble came crashing down on him. He heard Azmaria and Rosette scream his name and he smiled to himself. They really shouldn't have to worry about him. As long as he was in his true form, he could withstand a lot more damager than his child-like form. Exploding from the rubble, he landed in front of the demon he was fighting and bared his fangs.
"We're not done yet," he said, extending his forearm blades. "Let's go."
The mission had seemed simple at first. He, Rosette, and Azmaria were to investigate a possible failed demon summoning. Simple, right? Wrong. What they thought was a lower-class demon turned out to be a Pursuer, and he was looking for Chrono. Scared bullets were having little to no effect on him and Rosette was preparing to use a Gospel when her .45 was knocked out of her hands and she was forced to release the Seal.
Chrono had to hold off the Pursuer while Azmaria and Rosette looked for the .45. The only problem was that time was almost up and they still hadn't found the pistol.
"I found it," Azmaria shouted, crawling out from a nearby hedge, the .45 clutched in her hands. "Rosette, catch!"
Rosette caught the .45 and loaded it with a Gospel.
"Bring peace to the lost lambs," she whispered to herself. "I bid thee, give rest to the fangs of the wolf. And call the hammer of death down unto the... Chrono!"
Time had run out. Chrono had reverted to his child-like form and the Pursuer was holding him out in front of him like a shield.
"Do it, Rosette!" Chrono shouted. "Fire the Gospel!"
"No way! Not until you're safe."
"We don't have time to argue! Do it NOW!" Rosette shook her head and started to lower her Colt. "Please, Rosette," he whispered. "Trust me."
"What are you going to do, little human?" the Pursuer sneered. "Will you sacrifice your little pet here to destroy me?"
"No," she said, aiming the Colt at the Pursuer, "I won't kill Chrono. But I will kill you!"
The Pursuer started to panic. "Wait, you can't! You'll kill him as well!"
"I have complete faith in Chrono," Rosette said, taking aim. "So when he tells me to trust him, I will."
(Chrono, whatever you're planning, please do it fast,) Rosette silently prayed. (I don't want to lose you.)
(Come back to me.)
Rosette squeezed the trigger and the Gospels' power erupted from the .45. She couldn't watch as the Pursuer lifted Chrono in front of its body so he would absorb most of the power. The Pursuer let out one final scream before the Gospel silenced it forever.
Rosette dropped her Colt and ran over to where the demons' body had been, screaming Chrono's name. She had to choke back on a sob when all she found was the charred husk of the body and Chrono's yellow hair ribbon. She picked the ribbon up and held it close to her chest, tears slowly sliding down her face.
"I'm so sorry, Chrono. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so sorry," she said, bowing her head.
"Well then, I accept your apology."
Rosette's head snapped up and around, bringing her face to face with Azmaria and a heavily injured Chrono, who was leaning on her for support. His left shoulder was severely burned and his hair fell loosely down his back after coming unbraided. He smiled that goofy-looking smile of his and waved at her.
"C-Chrono? How...?"
Chrono tilted his head at Azmaria. "Our little Azmaria here is becoming quite a sharpshooter."
Rosette glanced down and saw that Azmaria was still clutching her Colt .32 that the Order had issued her.
"It's a good thing too," Chrono said. "If Azmaria had missed, I would be dead right now. I guess I was lucky this time."
Rosette blinked. "What do you mean lucky?"
Azmaria put Chrono on the ground and left to find some bandages for his shoulder.
Chrono chuckled. "Well... at first I was going to splash his hands with Holy Water and get him to drop me. But... I only realized that I had forgotten the Holy Water after you had shot the Gospel."
Rosette stared at Chrono in shock for a second before one of her eyebrows started to twitch and a vein popped out of her head.
"WHAT?" she screamed, grabbing Chrono by his jacket lapels and shaking him back and forth. "You mean to tell me you FORGOT the Holy Water! And that Azmaria saving you was just dumb LUCK!"
As Rosette continued to yell at Chrono for being so careless, Azmaria searched the car for the First-Aid Kit. When she found what she was looking for, she started to leave when the phone on Chrono's ammo box rang.
"Hello, this is Azmaria. Oh, Sister Kate, how are you? Yes, we just finished our mission... Another one? Where at? Okay, I got it. I'll tell her right away."
Azmaria ran back over to Rosette, who was still yelling at an injured Chrono. "Rosette," she yelled, "we've got marching orders."
Rosette looked up and let go of Chrono, letting him fall to the ground.
"What!" she shouted. "But we just got finished with one! Why us?"
"Sister Kate said you're the closest one there and that Father Remington might need your help."
Rosette's eyes went wide and a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "Father Remington is there? C'mon we have to get there right now," she said, running for the car.
Azmaria looked at Rosette in bewilderment then helped Chrono to his feet. "I'm sorry, Chrono. It must hurt to have Rosette completely ignore you like that."
Chrono chuckled. "It's Jake. I know her better than anyone, so I know how she can get sometimes."
Azmaria nodded. "I'll try and fix your shoulder when we get there."
"Thanks, Azmaria."
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South Brooklyn, New York
Father Remington arrived on the scene of the murder when Rosette had started her battle with the Pursuer. He was approached by an elderly man in his late fifties, his hair and mustache almost completely white.
"Father Remington?" he asked.
"Yes. Who are you?"
The man extended is hand, which Father Remington shook. "Captain Martin Boxer, NYPD, Homicide. Are you the only one the Order is sending?"
"No. Others will be here shortly, I was sent ahead of them."
"I see," Boxer said, not really understanding. "Well since you're here, do you want to see the body?"
"Yes. I would like to get a fix on what I will be dealing with here."
"Believe me, Father," Boxer said, leading him past the police tape and to the mouth of the ally, "this is something that neither of us has ever seen before."
Father Remington followed Captain Boxer into the alley and put a hand over his mouth when the most unpleasant odor he had ever smelled assaulted his nostrils.
The two stopped in front of a clear plastic tarp that had been set up around the crime scene to protect if from the falling rain. Captain Boxer put his hand on the tarp and stopped short from pulling it back.
"I must tell you, Father, I've seen some pretty bad things during my time in the Great War. The Western Front Trenches, the Battle of Belleau Wood... but none of that even compares to what I'm about to show you. Are you ready?"
At Father Remington's nod, Captain Boxer pulled back the tarp. The sight that greeted Father Remington was enough to make him want to scream and he had to bite the inside of his hand to stop himself from doing so.
Captain Boxer had been right. This did not even compare to anything he had ever seen before. The pentagram that he was looking at had been drawn out in the victim's blood then outlined with body parts. The arms and legs were placed at the four corners of the star, the head was placed the top point. In the middle of the star, the victim's heart had been placed. The circle that outlined the five point star had been created by using the intestinal tract.
"Mary, Mother of God," Father Remington said, crossing himself.
"There's something else, Father," Captain Boxer said, closing the tarp. "Look at the walls."
Father Remington gladly did, wanting to look at anything else besides the tarp and the gruesome sight it protected. Strange marking were drawn on the walls of the alley, all the way to the end. The text was in a language that he had never seen before and seemed to say the same thing over and over again.
"Got any idea what it says?" Captain Boxer asked.
"Not at all," he said. "Do we have any idea who the victim is?"
The captain got a sad look in his eyes and pulled out a piece of paper from his raincoat. "Found out who she was just before you got here," he said, handing the paper over.
Father Remington unfolded the paper which turned out to be a missing persons poster, the face of the victim staring back at him.
"Her name is Lindsey Baxter. She went missing two days ago from her home in the Bronx. She was only twelve-years-old."
"Family?"
"Just her mother and younger brother. Her father died in the war. Everyone who knew about it was hoping to find her, but... not like this."
"What was a missing person from the Bronx doing all the way down here in South Brooklyn?"
Captain Boxer shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know; I was hoping you could tell me. This place doesn't have any sort of spiritual significance to it, does it?"
"Not that I'm aware of. This could all just be a random act of violence, or, maybe not. I'm sorry to say that I don't know. Even in the Magdalan Order, we've never heard of anything that closely relates to this."
"I want this guy, Father," Captain Boxer suddenly said. "I have to deal with murders, rapists and thieves nearly every day in this city and I can deal with that most of the time. But... when something like this happens to a child, and in such a gruesome manner, I absolutely refuse to let this happen again. I simply refuse it."
Father Remington nodded and put a calming hand on the man's shoulder. "I understand how you feel, Captain. I can assure you that the Magdalan Order will do whatever it can to help you with this."
Captain Boxer was about to thank the Father when the sound of screeching tires and screaming men caught his attention.
"What the hell...?"
Father Remington smiled. "Ah, it would seem that Rosette is here. Excellent."
"Rosette?" the Captain asked, following him out of the alley. "Are you talking about Rosette Christopher?"
Father Remington paused. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"
"I was there when she and her assistant destroyed the Blue Moon Restaurant AND when they rammed the British cargo ship, Ava Adore, into Liberty Island."
"Yes, our little Rosette is quite accident prone, but I can assure you that you will not find a more dedicated Militia member in our whole Order."
"If you say so, Father."
"Don't worry, Captain, I doubt anything will get destroyed this time. Besides, it's not Rosette I'll be needing, but her assistant."
Captain Boxer blinked in disbelief. "You mean Chrono? How could a child possibly be of any use to us in this situation?"
Father Remington smiled at the captain. "Believe it or not, that child has more knowledge about these kinds of situations then we could ever hope to have."
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"Sit still, Chrono, and let me do this," Rosette said in annoyance as she ran her fingers through Chrono's hair, smoothing it out.
"Sorry, Rosette, but I'm still having a hard time believing that you made it here without destroying another car."
Rosette growled and resisted the urge to smack him in the back of the head. "Keep up with the jokes and you'll have more than just a busted shoulder to worry about," she said through clenched teeth.
"All done," Azmaria said, removing her hands from Chrono's shoulder and wiping away the few beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.
Chrono looked at his shoulder once Rosette announced that she was done braiding his hair. "You okay, Azmaria? You look a little flushed."
"I'm okay, really. It just takes a lot of concentration to control how much of my power I use."
"Well if that's all..."
The young Apostil smiled. "Really, Chrono, I'm okay. Don't worry so much."
"Alright you two that's enough of that," Rosette said, climbing out of the car, her Colt already unholstered. "Now, where's this demon at? I want to get this over with so I can go home and get some sleep."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Rosette," Father Remington said, stepping out of the alley, "but there's no demon here this time."
Rosette blushed. "F-Father Remington? When did you get here?"
"About ten minuets ago. You got here awfully fast. I expected to be waiting for at least thirty more minuets," he said with a smile.
Rosette bowed her head in embarrassment and shuffled her feet. "Ah, well... that is..."
"You're right about that, Father Remington," Chrono said, setting his ammo box on the ground. "You would have been waiting for thirty minuets if Rosette had been obeying the speed limit."
"Chrono!" she shouted, hitting him over the head.
"Um, Father Remington?"
"Yes, Azmaria?"
"If you don't need us to exorcize a demon, then why are we here?"
"Yeah, that's what I'd like to know," Rosette said, rubbing her knuckles.
"The reason you are here," he said, "is because I need Chrono's opinion on something."
"My opinion?" the demon asked as he picked himself off the ground.
"Yes. It's this way, follow me." Father Remington led Chrono in the direction of the alley. "You two stay here," he told Rosette and Azmaria when they tried to follow him. "This is something you should not see." He quickly led Chrono away before Rosette could start to protest.
"Is it really that bad, Father?" Chrono asked when they reached the alley.
"It is. The worst I have ever seen."
Father Remington introduced Chrono to Captain Boxer and walked over to the tarp.
"I must warn you, Chrono, it's pretty bad. Are you ready?"
At Chrono's nod, Father Remington took a breath to steady himself then pulled the tarp back. For a long time nothing happened then he heard Chrono drop to his knees. The little demon had a look of pure horror in his face and his eyes were wide in disbelief with a trail of tears flowing from them. Unable to take it anymore, the demon squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, placing his hands over his ears, as if trying to block out some unheard voices.
"Close it. For the love of God, please close it!" he begged.
Father Remington did as Chrono asked then knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"
"I heard her...," Chrono whispered.
"What?" Captain Boxer said.
"The girl," he continued, "I heard her as she died. My God, I could even see her as it happened. She... she was... ripped apart... and she was still alive when it happened."
"Son of a bitch!" Captain Boxer swore, kicking a nearby trashcan.
"Did you see who did it, Chrono?" Father Remington asked.
Chrono shook his head. "No. I didn't see anyone. It's like she was being pulled apart by some sort of unseen force. It didn't even have an Astral body."
"Is that even possible?"
"It... it... I don't even know." Chrono shakily got to his feet. "I have to get out of here. I have to get away from this."
"One more thing, Chrono," Father Remington quickly said. "These marks on the wall, do you know what they are?"
Chrono stopped and looked at the writing on the wall. He stepped closer and traced the markings with a finger, softly murmuring to himself. "This is," he said, "an ancient form of the demonic language."
Father Remington looked surprised. "There's such a thing?"
Chrono turned to look at him. "Why wouldn't there be?"
The priest helplessly shrugged. "I don't know. I just never thought about it before."
"The writings they use today are a more simplistic form of our ancient text. We simplified it so humans would be able to translate it and use it for summoning rituals. It's very rare to see the original text nowadays."
"Do you know what it says?" Captain Boxer asked after he had calmed down.
"I do."
Father Remington stared at Chrono in shock. "You can read it, Chrono? How?"
"I don't know. It's just something I've been able to do since I was a hatchling."
"Well, what in the bloody hell dose it say?" Captain Boxer said impatiently.
Chrono turned back to the wall. "It says, 'I summon thee forth, Crayak the Destroyer.' That's what is says, over and over again."
"Crayak the Destroyer? Who is this, Father? Some kind of demon?"
"I don't think so," Chrono interrupted. "I've never heard of a demon by that name. New or old."
Chrono turned and headed for the alley entrance.
"Where are you going, Chrono?" Father Remington called.
"I need to get away from this," he whispered. "Because if I don't, I'm going to start screaming and I might not be able to stop."
Giving each other a confused look, Father Remington and Captain Boxer caught up with Chrono and followed him out of the alley.
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As the trio left the alley, none of them noticed the ancient markings on the walls start to glow. Nor did they notice the soft wind that was being emitted from underneath the tarp.
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Rosette sighed in disappointment and holstered her Colt as Chrono and Father Remington disappeared into the alley.
"Well this just sucks," she huffed. "I came all the way down here to fight a demon and now I'm not even needed?" She leaned against the Order's car and crossed her arms. "This is so unfair."
As the minutes slowly passed by, Rosette started to become increasingly board. She started to pace back and forth, thinking it would somehow pass the time. Unfortunately all this did was somehow agitate her more.
(What the hell is taking them so long?) she silently fumed. (I swear, when Chrono gets out here, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!)
Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the trio walked out of the alley. Rosette cracked her knuckles and made a b-line straight for Chrono. She was ready to pound him into the ground when she saw the look on his face and stopped dead in her tracks.
Chrono looked absolutely sick.
His face was completely drained of color, leaving his skin an unhealthy ashen white. His eyes were staring straight ahead, not really focusing on anything. Rosette watched him as he slowly made his way to the car and practically collapsed against it, sliding down to the pavement.
"Chrono?" she whispered, walking over to him. "Chrono, are you okay? What's wrong?"
Chrono didn't say anything. Instead, he continued to stare at nothing in particular. At least, that's what Rosette was thinking until she followed the path of his gaze.
(He's staring at the alley?)
"Chrono?" she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Chrono, why won't you say anything? What did you see?"
"It was horrible," he finally chocked out. "There was so much useless carnage." Chrono pulled himself into a ball and rested his head on his knees. "I can't get them out of my head. Her screams, the sight of her being ripped apart... they just won't stop."
Rosette stared at Chrono helplessly. Never before could she remember ever seeing her friend look so... so... she couldn't even think of a word that described the way he looked. Cursing her inability to say anything comforting to him, Rosette slowly wrapped her arms around Chrono's shaking form and pulled him to close to her.
Chrono leaned into Rosette's embrace, seeking any kind of comfort he could get. The images he saw would be burned into his soul forever. Never before had he felt such intense pleasure from a killing. Whoever, or WHATever, had killed the girl enjoyed every minute of it. Chrono shuddered. If he and Rosette didn't find this monster, and soon, there would be a lot more scenes like the one he just witnessed.
"You okay, Chrono?" Rosette whispered, her soft voiced penetrating the demons' thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll be alright."
(Just as soon as I get away from this place,) he silently added.
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Three hours later, Father Remington told Chrono that he and the two female exorcists could go back to the convent. Rosette couldn't have been happier.
"Finally," she said, "I was getting board just sitting here."
"Don't forget, Rosette, you have to write a report about our last mission for Sister Kate when we get back," Azmaria said as she loaded Chrono's ammo box into the backseat of the car.
Rosette groaned. "Don't remind me. And besides, it was Chrono's fault in the first place!"
"Speaking of Chrono, where is he?"
Rosette's features softened a bit. "He's over there by the alley. He hasn't moved from that spot for the past two and a half hours. He just keeps standing there and staring into it. I wish he would tell me what's upsetting him."
"Poor Chrono," Azmaria whispered. "He must have seen something truly horrible if it affected him this much."
"Yeah... It's not like him to be so quite."
Rosette watched the EMS workers file into the alley with a stretcher and a body-bag. Chrono paid them no mind as they brushed past him. She was about to yell for Chrono to hurry over to the car, when he turned around and started walking in her direction. Suddenly he stiffened and whirled around to face the alley again.
"NO!" he shouted. "Get away from there!"
That's when the screaming began.
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Chrono's mind was a jumble of chaotic thoughts as he watched the EMS members walk into the alley. As mixed-up and confused as his mind was at this point, the one thing that was standing out the most was the name that was written on the alley walls.
Chrono was sure that he had never heard the name 'Crayak' before. And yet, somehow, that named stirred something deep inside of him. Like a distant memory that he couldn't quite recall or a dream he couldn't, or wouldn't, remember. And his inability to remember, along with the images from earlier, was irritating him to no end.
(Why? Why? WHY? Why am I affected so much by that name? I've never heard it before and somehow it seems so... familiar. Why is that?)
Chrono shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts. Father Remington told them it was okay to leave and he knew Rosette would be just itching to get back to the Order. Turning his back on the alley, he started to make his way over to Rosette and Azmaria.
Then he felt it.
It was an upwelling of evil energy so strong he nearly collapsed. The feelings of satisfaction of slaughter and the desire to cause more carnage returned tenfold. He yelled a warning to the EMS workers, but it was too late. Their screams pierced the silence that had settled over the area, grabbing the attention of everyone who was present. Captain Boxer and Father Remington dove to the ground when something came flying out of the alley and smashed into the patrol car they were standing next to.
Captain Boxer picked himself off the ground. "What the hell was that--? JESUS CHRIST!"
Father Remington got to his feet and had to restrain himself from saying the same thing. The objects that had hit the patrol car turned out to be the remains of the EMS workers. Their arms, legs and head had been ripped from their bodies and were scattered across the pavement like some sort of grotesque confetti. The torsos had been ripped open and the hearts were torn out.
Before anyone could react to the awful sight, Azmaria started to scream and pointed in the direction of the alley. All eyes turned to see what the young Apostle was pointing at. And all at once, everyone was yelling, cursing, drawing weapons, or doing all three at the same time.
"Oh... my... GOD!" Rosette yelled, drawing her Colt.
Chrono stared wide-eyed at the creature that had emerged from the alley. It was the girl. Or, at least, what was left of her. The arms, legs and head were floating in midair, resting at their corresponding places on a body. The heart floated in the middle of the space where the torso should have been, beating as if it was still alive. Blood from the EMS crew dripped from its hands and mouth. The 'thing' scanned the crowd, as if searching for something, finally bringing its red-eyed gaze to Chrono. The young girl's head smiled at him and it sent shivers down his spine.
"AH, CHRONO, WE MEET AGAIN."
Chrono's eyes widened even further and he had to resist the urge to break down and lose it right there in front of everyone. That voice... it was so familiar. And this presence, he knew it on a very intimate level, as if it was a part of him.
"Who... who are you?" he finally managed to yell. "How do you know me?"
The creature didn't bother to respond. It tuned away from Chrono and launched itself at the crowd of police officers.
"No!" he shouted. "Stay away from them!"
"What the hell are you waiting for you idiots? Open fire!" Captain Boxer yelled.
Gunfire erupted from the crowd as the creature closed in on them. Most of the shots missed due to the small targets and those that hit did nothing more than pass trough a limb, which immediately closed up. The crowd scattered when the monster got too close but some had not been so lucky. Chrono watched in horror as the monster ripped the captured officers apart, just as it had done to the girl.
Chrono felt the rage start to build inside of him. It threatened to overflow and completely consume him, like he had let it do once a long time ago. Chrono bit down on his lip so hard it drew blood, trying anything he could to keep himself from giving into his rage and breaking the Seal by accident. Satisfied that he wouldn't be losing control, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a vile of Holy Water he got from Azmaria.
"Get away from them!" he yelled, throwing the vile at the monster's head.
The vile shattered against the head... and did absolutely nothing.
There was no howl of pain, no sizzle of melting flesh, or burn marks from where the water touched the skin.
"Oh no..."
"Move, Chrono!" Rosette shouted, squeezing off a few rounds from her Colt. The little demon dove to the ground as the bullets sailed over his head. He looked up when he heard Rosette curse and saw the Sacred bullets impact a barrier, preventing them from hitting their target.
"STUPID GIRL," the creature hissed, turning its gaze towards her. "KNOW YOUR PLACE IN THIS UNIVERSE."
Rosette barely had time to react when on of the arms launched away from the 'body' and flew straight at her. A cold, clammy, blood-stained hand wrapped around her throat and pushed her back with such force that she slammed into the convent car, shattering the window and crushing the door frame.
"Rosette!" Chrono and Azmaria shouted.
The arm shot skyward, dragging Rosette with it, finally stopping several feet about the ground.
And then it let go.
-----------------------------
It took Rosette less than five seconds to fall, the impact with the roof of the car shattering glass and bending steel with a sickening metallic groan.
But to Chrono, it took much longer. Time seemed to slow down as she descended, arms flailing as if it would somehow slow her decent. With every second of the fall, Chrono could hear the slow tick of his pocket watch echo in his ears. When her body impacted with the car, the ticks became slower and fainter.
"Rosette!" Azmaria screeched, running to her side.
Chrono stayed rooted to the spot, not able to believe what he just saw. Very slowly his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his flesh. He could feel something bubbling inside of him, just below the surface of his skin. And the more he looked at Rosette's limp form, the more the feeling threatened to rise to the surface.
"Rosette... ROSETTE!"
He felt the rage swell up inside of him again. But this time, he couldn't stop it. He didn't want to stop it. This... this... THING... had dared to hurt Rosette... to touch what was his and his alone!
It would die for it.
The dam that was holding everything back burst open and his being was flooded with all the power that the Seal held in check. With a shriek of anger and rage, Chrono lost all control over himself.
-----------------------------
Chrono's inhuman scream shattered glass windows all around him and forced everyone to cover their ears. Dark energy erupted around the little demon's body and the ground beneath him began to shake and break apart. High speed winds picked up and started blowing debris all over the place, causing bystanders to duck for cover.
The Seal was trying to stop the enraged demon from transforming, but Chrono was pushing against it with all his might. His body began to change with the small amounts of power he was forcefully pulling through the Seal. He grew several inches taller and his hair braid transformed into his bone-like tail. His fangs and claws extended and his body began replacing his child-like features with that of his more mature form.
With a final howl, the Seal gave way and released all of Chrono's power, transforming him into his full demon form.
A bestial roar erupted from Chrono as he launched himself at the monster, only to slam into the barrier that surrounded it.
The creature smiled. "AH, HE IS BACK. THIS IS IT; THIS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR! WELCOME BACK! YES, WELCOME BACK, CHRONO! THE SON OF DESTRUCTION HAS RETURNED!"
Chrono's only response was to let loose another howl of rage and push against the monster's barrier harder. Finally the barrier shattered and Chrono grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on to.
It was the heart.
Grinning sadistically, he crushed the organ in his hand. The head looked at him for a moment before grinning. Its red eyes flickered slightly before extinguishing completely and the body parts dropped to the ground. Chrono stood over the body admiring his kill when he suddenly dropped to his knees, his hand clutching his chest. Moments later he was back in his child form, the Seal snatching away the power he had stolen from his Contractor.
Chrono shook his head and slowly got to his feet. (What happened? The last thing I remember is Rosette falling on the car... Oh no!)
"Rosette!"
Chrono quickly ran to her side and flinched. She looked like she was dead. The only evidence proving otherwise was her shallow breathing and the hand that clutched the still ticking pocket watch. He reached out to touch her and frowned in disgust when he saw that he was still clenching the heart in his fist. Throwing the organ aside, he wiped his hands on his shorts and cupped her face.
"Rosette," he whispered, "Rosette, are you okay?" Chrono let out the breath he had been holding when Rosette's eyes opened halfway.
"Chro... no...," she whispered, hissing though clenched teeth in pain.
"Don't say anything. I'm just happy to know you're okay." Jumping off the car, he ran over to Father Remington and Captain Boxer. "Father Remington, we need to get Rosette to a hospital right now. She's hurt bad."
Father Remington glanced over to the police captain, who nodded slightly. "Alright, lads, you heard the boy. Get the young lady to a hospital right now!"
Fetching the stretcher from the alley, the remaining EMS workers, quickly but carefully, loaded Rosette into the ambulance. Chrono tried to climb into the back with Rosette, but was stopped by a medic.
"Sorry, but you can't ride back here."
Chrono grabbed the medic by his coat and dragged him down so he was staring into his eyes. "Move," he said in an even tone. The medic complied with his demand. "Father Remington, please take Azmaria back to the convent. I'll catch up later." With that, the doors closed and the ambulance speed off down the street.
Father Remington watched the ambulance disappear then turned to Azmaria. "Well then, shall we go home?"
"But what about Rosette and Chrono?" she asked, tears in her eyes.
"I'll go and check on them after I report to Sister Kate. I'll let you know how Rosette is doing when I get back, okay."
Azmaria sniffed and nodded her head.
"Excuse me, Father Remington, but could I have a word with you?" Captain Boxer asked.
"Of course. Azmaria, wait in the car, this shouldn't take long." Azmaria nodded and ran off, leaving the priest alone with the captain. "Now, what is it you would like to talk about?"
Captain Boxer took a long drag off his cigarette. "Father, I'm normally a very patient and level-headed fellow. But sometimes I can lose my temper and fly completely off the handle at someone for the smallest of mistakes." He paused and took another drag. "I don't really know if it's the Irish blood in me or the Scottish. Maybe a little of both. So hopefully you won't be too offended when I ask you just WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT!"
Father Remington sighed and slumped his shoulders.
This was going to be a little tricky.
-----------------------------
Magdalan Order Headquarters, New York Branch
Chrono was exhausted. The past twenty-four hours had been spent at Rosette's side with little to no sleep whatsoever. His trip from the crime scene to the Magdalan Order was nothing but a big blur. They didn't even bother to stop at a hospital. He didn't know why, but at this point, he didn't really care. The only thing that was important to him at this moment was the woman he was sitting beside. He didn't even remember the doctors tell him of Rosette's condition all to well either. All he knew was that she had some broken ribs and her right arm was broken as well. Anything beyond that was forgotten.
"Chrono..."
Chrono looked away from Rosette's sleeping form to stare at Father Remington, who was leaning against the doorway to the infirmary.
"She hasn't woken up yet I see," he said, walking over to stand beside the demon. Chrono just nodded. "You really should get some sleep, Chrono. You're not doing Rosette any good by forcing yourself to stay awake like this."
"I know," he whispered, "but I... I just can't bring myself to leave her alone. Even for a little while."
Father Remington sighed. "You and Rosette both... you're so stubborn when it comes to each other." He turned to leave the room, pausing at the doorway. "You know... there are other ways for you to help Rosette. But the choice to do it is completely up to you."
The door softly closed, leaving Chrono alone with Rosette and his thoughts. The only sound in the whole room being that of his Contractor's shallow breathing and the soft ticks of the pocket watch.
"Other ways to help...," he whispered.
(That's a laugh. I've already tried to help, and look at what's happened. First I lost Magdalan, and now, I'm about to loose Rosette! And all because of that DAMN watch!)
Chrono sucked in a deep breath, realization hitting him full force in the face.
(Th-the watch! But... if I did that, then it would mean...) Chrono entered an inner battle with himself, weighing out the pros and cons of the choice he had before him. A soft moan made him turn his attention back to Rosette. (But... if it works... Rosette might...)
His decision made, Chrono snatched up the watch and headed for the exit. Casting one last glance at Rosette, he quietly closed the door and left.
-----------------------------
The air of the workshop/living quarters the Elder used was thick with the smell of gunpowder and cleaning oils as Chrono made his way inside. Mechanical parts and ancient tomes on demons and their powers were strewn all over the place, making the already cluttered workshop even more cluttered. Picking his way through the poorly lit room, Chrono finally found his way to the Elder's bedroom. He could hear the old man's snoring through the door and felt bad for what he was about to do, but, he need to do this now before he had a chance to change his mind.
Drawing in a deep breath, he raised is fist and pounded on the door. "Elder!" he shouted, mentally thanking God that the workshop was far enough away so no one could hear him. "Elder, wake up!"
Chrono pounded on the door for a few minutes more before it was finally yanked open, reviling the Elder in a rob.
"Who in the name of St. Peter woke me up?" When he didn't see anyone in front of him, the Elder looked down. "Chrono? Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Chrono shifted uncomfortably. "Um... not really. But I really need to talk to you. It's important."
The Elder sighed at the pleading look on the demon's face. "All right m'boy, what do you need?"
Chrono's hands clenched on the pocket watch. "I... I need you to reverse the effects of the watch."
The old man blinked behind his red-tinted glasses. "Reverse the effects? Is that even possible? I thought it only worked one way."
Chrono shook his head. "Not like that. I'll still draw power from somewhere, but... it won't be from Rosette anymore. I'll get it from another source."
"Another source...? Chrono, no! You can't do that! We have no idea how doing that would affect you!"
"I don't care! Rosette... Rosette nearly died today... I drained her soul twice, Elder. Twice! In one day, too! I've never done that before. And I'm... I'm sick and tired of it! So tired of it... Please, Elder, if getting my power from this new source helps Rosette live a little longer, I'll gladly take the risk."
The Elder looked at Chrono, the demon's face set in grim determination. (He's really serious about doing this. But, I should have known. He'd do anything for her.)
"Alright, Chrono, I'll do it. If that's your final decision."
Chrono nodded once. "It is."
"Very well then," the Elder said, taking the watch. "It's been a long time since I last examined that watch of yours. Four years if I remember correctly." Walking to his workbench, the weapons developer turned on a light and opened the watch, exposing the gears on the inside. "I'm not really sure how long this will take me, Chrono. So I suggest that you get some sleep. I'll wake you when I'm done."
Chrono didn't even bother to try and protest. Walking over to a nearby wall, the demon propped himself against it and slid to the floor, falling asleep almost instantly.
Turning his gaze back to the watch, the Elder rummaged around in a nearby toolbox until he found what he was looking for.
"Alright then," he mumbled, "let's get to work."
-----------------------------
Joshua Christopher's Beach House
Aion paused in his reading to stare at Fiore. "I see, so he had another fit, did he?"
"Yes," the soft-spoken attendant said. "Lord Joshua's been having them more frequently and it's starting to worry me."
"Where is he now?"
Fiore glanced down the hall. "He's in the shower... drowning out the noise." She looked as if she were about to say more, but quickly stopped herself. This did not go unnoticed by Aion.
"What is it?"
"Forgive me, Lord Aion, it's just that... well, he's been screaming for his big sister again."
Aion waved his hand in a dismissing manner. "That's nothing new. He always screams for her whenever he has one of these fits. You've told me so yourself."
Fiore bit her lip. "Yes, but, this time it's different."
Aion raised an eyebrow. "Different how? The reason you're here is to be his 'big sister' and calm him down after one of these fits."
"It's different because he didn't ask for his 'big sister', he asked for Rosette specifically."
Aion looked mildly shocked. "He called her by name?"
"Yes. He even went as far as to ask me to go and look for her so I could bring her back and help stop the noise."
Aion's brow creased in worry. (This is a problem. I've been able to come this fare because I've had Joshua's complete cooperation. If he becomes more forceful in his request for his sister and decides to look for her on his own, then everything I've worked for will be in jeopardy.)
"How long does he usually stay in there?"
"Anywhere from thirty minuets to an hour, depending on how serious the fit is."
"I see...," Aion mumbled.
"Fiore... is that you? Did you find Rosette?" A new voice echoed from within the hallway, sounding extremely tired and hopeful at the same time.
Joshua Christopher stumbled into the room moments later, his body soaking wet. His pajamas and hair were plastered to his skin and Chrono's ivory-white horns protruded from underneath his light blond hair. Fiore could see that his eyes were a shade of dull grey -- an obvious sign of his 'madness' -- and not the bright ocean-blue that she was so used to seeing.
"Oh, Aion, I didn't know you were here," he said, once he noticed the demons' presence. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all. Fiore and I were just talking about you. Tell me, how are you feeling? Does your head hurt anymore?"
Joshua shook his head. "No, not anymore. I was finally able to make the noise go away. I feel much better now. Would you like some coffee? I can have Fiore make us some."
Aion rose from his seat. "No, it's all right. I have to see Shader anyway." He walked by and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Try and get some sleep. You look exhausted." With that Aion disappeared down the hall and into Shader's basement laboratory.
A long silence settled between the two before Joshua finally broke it. "Fiore, did you find Rosette?"
Fiore bowed her head. "No, Lord Joshua, I did not. I'm sorry."
Joshua shook his head. "It's all right; I know you tried your best. Maybe you'll have better luck next time." Stretching his limbs, the teenager collapsed onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Fiore," he whispered, "would you bring me a change of cloths and some blankets? I don't think my room will be serviceable for a while."
When he didn't hear the girl acknowledge him, he glanced out of the corner of his eye. She was still standing there with her head bowed and her hands folded in front of her. "Fiore?"
"Forgive me, Lord Joshua," she said, "but I will not allow you to sleep on the sofa. Please, use my room instead."
Joshua straightened up. "There's no need for that, my dear. I'll be perfectly fine right here."
"Out of the question," Fiore said sternly, her voice rising slightly.
Joshua was surprised. This was the first time he could ever remember Fiore raising her voice to him. Even if it was only slightly.
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you, Fiore?"
Fiore shook her head.
Joshua chuckled. "All right, my dear, you win. I'll use your room until mine is fixed. Is that satisfactory?"
"It is. Thank you, Lord Joshua."
-----------------------------
"Very impressive, Shader."
"Isn't it though?" the cat demon said. "And it was all thanks to Joshua that I was able to come this far."
Aion smiled. "Yes, he has been most helpful to bringing us as close as we are to our dream. A world without a Heaven or a Hell. Where neither God nor Satan has any control over us and our desires are not considered a sin."
"And all we need now is the Apostle of Charity." Shader pouted, her cat ears drooping. "But unfortunately she's in the hands of Chrono and the Magdalan Order."
Aion stared up at the five cylinders that held the captured Apostles. His gaze then shifted to a heavy metal door that the head of Pandemonium was kept in. It finally came to rest on the holographic sphere that Shader's machine had created. All the pieces were in place for the Ceremony of Atonement, all that was left was to acquire the final piece and the puzzle would be complete.
"So why don't we go and get her?" Genai grumbled form the doorway. Viede stood behind him, quite as usual. "If everything's all set up, what's the point of just waiting here? Let's just go and get her!"
"Why the rush, Genai?" Aion asked. "We have all the time in the world to wait."
Genai ground his teeth in anger and smashed his fist into a nearby wall. "Because I'm tired of waiting, damn it! If you won't get her, Aion, then I will!"
The blind demon turned to leave the room, but was stopped by Viede's hulking mass. The demon only stared down at his fellow Sinner and said nothing.
"Move, Viede," Genai growled out. Viede shook his head once. "If you don't move right now," Genai said, bringing a threatening fist up between them, "then I'll move you myself. Either way, I'm going to New York to get the Apostle."
Genai visibly twitched when Shader stated to giggle behind him. "What the hell is so funny, Shader?"
"Oh, I just think it's really cute when you get mad, Genai, that's all. And you really shouldn't worry about getting the other Apostle anyway."
Jenai whirled around. "Why not?"
Shader shrugged. "Rizel went to New York to retrieve Joshua's sister, so it's more than likely that she'll bring the Apostle back with her."
"And you let her go alone?" Genai raged.
"She said she wanted to do this herself," Aion said calmly. "She's not a hatchling, Genai; she can take care of herself."
"Then you're not going to help her?"
"No, I'm not." Aion narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And neither are you."
Genai started to sweat. He knew that tone of voice and the look that usually went along with it. It was Aion's promise of pain and suffering to anyone who crossed him. Turning on his heal, Genai stalked out of the basement and into one of the empty spare bedrooms. He may have been stubborn and hot-headed, but there was one thing he had learned from his long life.
Never cross Aion.
As much respect as he had for his friend and fellow Sinner, he did not want to make him mad and end up like Chrono because he let his emotions get the better of him.
Transforming into his demon form, Genai proceeded to take his anger and frustration out on everything in the room.
-----------------------------
Shader flattened her ears to her head as the noise that Genai was making increased in volume.
"He sure is noisy, isn't he?"
Aion smirked. "He's always been like that. Genai prefers the direct approach to things rather than waiting and planning."
Shader sighed when she heard several breakable objects, well, break. "Poor Fi, she's going to have a big mess to clean up because of him."
"Never mind about that. How long will it take you to get ready when the last Apostle gets here?"
Shader smiled. "I could be ready to go in two minutes. That is, if Rizel succeeds."
"If she doesn't that will cause problems for us in the long run." The Sinner looked over his shoulder at Viede. "Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't leave."
The silent demon nodded and left.
Shader shut down her machine and smoothed out her hair. "So now what?"
Aion adjusted his glasses. "Now we simply wait. We'll base our next move on Rizel."
"Oooooooooh, I can't wait," Shader squealed. "Our dreams will be coming true so very soon! I'm so excited!"
Aion smirked to himself. (Sooner than you think, my dear Shader, sooner than you think.)
(End of Part One)
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Author's Rant: Whew, there's the end of part one. Many thanks to those of you who took the time to read this little piece of work. I hope it was to your satisfaction.
Anyway, this is my first attempt at a Chrono Crusade fic, so, once again, your C&C is greatly appreciated.
Next chapter:
-- old friends reunite
-- Crayak has a little fun with his puppet
-- Chrono talks about his reason for joining Aion's rebellion
See ya next chapter.