Chrono Crusade Fan Fiction ❯ ChrnoCrusade: Redone ❯ Episode Two: Fear Not the Dark ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Note: Since I'm writing this not three hours after posting the first chapter, I have not had a chance to check my reviews or lack there of. Either way, I have inspiration gosh darn it and I am going to write on it.

 

So last time I introduced our three main characters. Father Remington, Sister Kate, and the Elder, along with a few other surprise guests will show up in the next chapter.

 

And a question to all of you, who has ever heard of Lacuna Coil? They're an excellent group. If you enjoy Evanescence, JoJ, or the like, you'll really like these people. My personal favorite by them is Heaven's a Lie. I give them a 9.5/10. Reason not for the .5 they need? Because, in some songs, you actually have to look up the lyrics (sweatdrop).

 

Anyway, since I left off with a semi-cliffhanger, we'll get to the next chapter, pronto. Enjoy, and remember:

 

Reviewing improves reading!

 

ChrnoCrusade: Redone to Satisfy

By: AndreahTreole

Episode 2: Fear Not The Dark

 

00

 

How was it that he was always getting into these things? How is it, that every time someone has to play distraction, he got conned into it? How is it, that whenever they were in trouble, Rosette always turned to him to get them out of it?

 

How is it that thoughts like these crossed his mind, ONLY, when he was in a dangerous position?

 

A bullet whizzed by his head, the devil barely managing to dodge the lead. Luckily he was used to dodging those two inches of metal, seeing as Rosette was always using him as a moving target. Another projectile hit the ground two inches from his foot, causing Chrno to almost lose his balance. Pushing his limits, he hopped around the compound, the security guards giving heavy chase.

 

`You better get me out of this Rosette, or so help me, I'LL get Sister Kate on you!' he thought ducking under a shaved guerilla's legs, and running from the Beretta's. `Who the hell gave these Legions GUNS?' he shouted in his mind, hiding behind a tree.

 

It didn't take the guards long to realize where he was, and soon, they were pelting the tree with bullets. He gasped when one went through the tree, nearly catching his coat in the process. Cursing his luck, Chrno ran from his haven, in search of a safer one…

 

“Rosette,” he whispered, “where are you? You said five minutes. It's been at least fifteen!” he continued to lead the Legions from the parking lot, not noticing the two bright headlights pulling out from a space.

 

00

 

Rosette waited silently, until the first gunshot rang through the distance. Glancing up, she looked around, finding the lot completely vacant of guards or valet. Standing quickly, she yanked her charge from her seated position on the ground, hauling her behind her.

 

“Rosette, are you sure it's safe?” Azmaria asked, looking around the parking lot, nervously. “It seems too easy.” Rosette turned suddenly, slapping a hand to Azmaria's mouth.

 

“Shh! Never say that aloud. On second thought, don't even think it! It's bad luck!” Rosette removed her hand and started to pull the young target with her again, “You'll jinx us!”

 

“Isn't the Magdalene Order religious? Like, you're not supposed to believe in all that hocus-pocus nonsense?”

 

“Nah, you see, the Magdalene Order is composed of many different religions. We've got Catholics, Protestants, Lutherans, witches, and we even have perverts! The Order was made to bring in all of those who were willing to fight for the same cause.” Rosette stopped in front of a silver Corvette and smiled at Azmaria's wide eyes. “Ah, I see you know my baby.”

 

“It's a Corvette Sledgehammer! How can you afford this? It's the fastest car to date!”

 

Rosette grinned wickedly, “The Order might be underground, but we're not poor. We do get payment for our work, and we do get some sweet rides.” She ran a loving hand over the hood of the car, “Like this beautiful work of art. I will never find a car that is legally allowed on the streets that'll go this fast. Marked at 254.8 mph, this thing kicks some major ass.”

 

Azmaria nodded, sliding a hand over the trunk in awe, “Zero-to-sixty in three point nine seconds and zero-to-one hundred in nine point four. It truly is a wonderful creation. Step-father has two of them.”

 

“And I have one, so in all you've seen three?”

 

“Yes, but I've never ridden in one before! I can't wait!” Rosette reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a set of dripping keys.

 

“Still wet, but I think they'll get the car started, what about you?”

 

“Yes, let's hurry!”

 

“Excited about the ride?” Rosette asked, unlocking the passenger door before running to the driver's side. As she slid in, she looked over at her charge and smiled.

 

“Excited yes, but also, I'm worried about Chrno.” Azmaria bit her lower lip, her eyes anxious.

 

Rosette snorted and started the car, backing out of the parking space, she turned towards the rows' exit with a turn of the wheel, “Oh, the wet blanket will be fine. He's used to this kind of thing. I send him as a distraction all the time. Secretly, I think he enjoys it… Now, reach back and grab me a dry gun and some magazines!”

 

“Yes, ma'am!”

 

00

 

`This is not fun anymore!' Chrno thought, spinning away from a punch. Grabbing the Legions wrist, he hauled the lower class devil over his shoulder, right into the near-by casino wall. `Why does she always do this to me. If it isn't destroying buildings, it's my dignity. If it isn't cars, it's my pride. What is with that girl? She's lucky I don't have a complex.' A squeal of tires caught his attention, pulling him from his musing.

 

Smiling at the silver Corvette that pulled up next to him, he jumped into the car when the door flung open. Slamming it shut behind him, he felt the sudden jerk as the car sped off, away from the casino. “Nice of you to finally get there, Rosette.”

 

“Shut up, Chrno. We had to wait for all the guards to leave the area.” Rosette snapped, crossing into the opposite lane to avoid a green Honda. “Damn these people, they drive too fricken' slow!”

 

“Rosette, you are going one hundred miles per hour. They kind of have a right to be slo-”

 

“SHUT IT, CHRNO!” she shouted, avoiding a blue blur. “You're going to distract me and you know what happens when you do that!” Twisting the wheel to the right harshly, she sent everyone spiraling in that direction, she being the only one with a seatbelt on. (Remember, always wear a seatbelt!) “Damn it, you two, get your belts on!” Rosette yelled, once again making a sharp turn, this time to the left. Chrno, who was in the front seat with his partner, ended up sprawled out in her lap, his face pressed between her wet thighs.

 

Rosette turned red and screamed, slamming on the brakes, everyone rolling forward. Chrno found himself on the floor, next to her feet. Azmaria, on the last turn, had wisely pulled on her seatbelt, so she was relatively unharmed. Though, her head had met the back of Rosette's driver's seat kind of hard.

 

“CHRNO! WHAT THE HELL? WHEN DID YOU START ACTING LIKE THE ELDER? YOU MIGHT LIVE WITH HIM, BUT IT DOESN'T WARRANT THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR! NOW, GET IN YOUR SEAT, GET YOUR SEATBELT ON, OR WALK!” She pointed at the seat next to her, giving the devil one of the most evil of glares she could muster. He simply whimpered a `sorry', knowing that it wasn't the time or place to plead his innocence.

 

When he had finally clicked himself in, Rosette pressed heavily against the gas pedal and shifted gears, speeding down the streets.

 

00

 

Lerajie stood next to his `Master', the hotel manager and casino tycoon Ricardo Hendic, as he order the Legion about in search of his Apostle step-daughter. He could smell the death upon the man. `Or,' he thought with a sly smirk, `the undead man.' He looked at the businessman beside him with masked disgust, `Truly a disgusting creature. If Chrno the Sinner hadn't destroyed most of my power back then, I wouldn't have had a reason to make a contract with such a repulsive thing.'

 

Facing forward once more, the Viscount Lerajie suppressed a sigh.

 

He couldn't wait until his day finally came.

 

`I'm coming for you, Sinner. You and your contractor.' He noticed his Master starting to leave the room and stepped forward to follow the unworthy human. `I will see to your demise.' (Kind of sounds like the Wicked Witch of the West, ne? `I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!' … Nevermind…)

 

00

 

Rosette rotated her shoulder, sighing in relief when the joint cracked and the pain of tense muscles was lifted. She had just returned to the Order, which was conveniently concealed as a convent, and reported to Sister Kate (who was ecstatic about the lack of damages), then she had immediately went for a shower. She had instructed Azmaria to do the same; but didn't even speak to Chrno. Not a word.

 

Obviously, she was still pissed.

 

`He had no right, I don't care if I was going TWO hundred miles per hour, he should've been strapped in! He KNOWS how I drive, he was SUPPOSED to take precautions! Does he? Oh, no. Not Chrno. The little worm, I should strangle him.' Heaving a huge breath of air, she pulled a cotton shift from the small ledge of the sink she had rested it on. Pulling it over her head, she perked when she heard a hesitant knock at her door. Shoving her panties on, and letting the dress fall to her knees, she left the bathroom. Crossing the bedroom, she grabbed the handle of her door and pulled it open.

 

She gasped in surprise when her charge suddenly tackled her to the floor, her young arms wrapped around her waist. “Az? What's wrong?” The young girl was still wet from her shower and smelt lightly of apples. Smiling, she pried Azmaria's hands from her, and pulled her to the bed. “Something happen?” Rosette asked, her eyes sliding to a half-lidded state.

 

“Well, this might sound stupid, but when Sister Kate showed me to the room I am to occupy, it scared me. It was far too dark, and-”

 

Rosette snickered softly, “IS THAT ALL? YOU'RE SCARED OF THE DARK? Oh, don't be such a scaredy-cat. The dark is nothing to be frightened of.”

 

Azmaria looked down, shame written plainly across her features. “I know it's something that all children are supposed to overcome, and I've tried, truly I have! But, ever since I came to live with my stepfather, my fear has escalated. Now, I can't even stand to be under a blanket, it's too dark.”

 

“I was afraid of the dark, too.”

 

“Huh?” Azmaria looked up, confusion in her wide eyes. “You, scared?”

 

Rosette nodded, facing her new friend. “Yup, I was scared, still am, a little. Not as bad though. Actually at one point, not long ago, it was so bad, I ran to Chrno like you ran for me. But I remember what he said, and it always calmed me. `Everything is the same in the darkness, as it is in the light, just a little harder to see. Even though it may seem like the dark is going to surround you forever, you have to know and rely on the fact that without light, there is no dark. Times might get you down, so bad that you might think you'll never get up again, but, there is light out there. You just have to look for it.'” Rosette smiled sadly, `And I'm still looking for it, just now, I have Chrno to help…'

 

00

 

“Lerajie, has the limousine shown up yet?” Ricardo asked his devil, twisting the many rings on his fingers, the one on his right ring finger mostly. Though simple in make, it was the sign of their contract. The sign that he controlled this devil. It showed his dominance over the fallen; this imperfect being.

 

“No, Master,” his devil responded. He could hear the hate in the cold voice, but he ignored it. Nothing Lerajie did could break their contract.

 

Nothing.

 

00

 

Azmaria, even with the pep talk from Rosette, had still fallen asleep in the blonde's bed. Sitting on the little space left for her, Rosette carefully removed the contacts from her eyes, cleaning them in a solution, before returning them to her carrying case. Blinking her blue eyes to ease herself of the uncomfortable dryness of her irises, she rubbed her hands up and down her thighs. Suddenly, the room had felt so cold, and she wasn't sure why. She knew it wasn't the thermostat, it probably had to do with the flood of memories talking to Azmaria caused.

 

Yawning, Rosette stood up. It was really late in the evening, closing in on two o'clock. Walking out of her room, she softly slid the door closed, trying not to wake her young charge. She succeeded, the young lavender-haired preteen slept on. Strolling through the chilly corridor, Rosette was vaguely reminded of the stone crypt Joshua had discovered a long time ago. She had been with her sister and Joshua at the time…

 

00 Flashback: Four Years Ago: Rosette is 14 00

 

“Come on Rosette, Joshua isn't very patient.” A tall, pale-blonde female, looking to be fifteen, looked down at a smaller blonde, who seemed to have troubled locking her roller-blades closed. Though they were the same gender, and obvious siblings, the two varied greatly. While the pale-blonde stood refined and proud, her hair swept back in a simple clip and her body covered by plain blue and white skirts and blouse, the other slouched. A helmet covered her hair, which was plaited into pigtails. She wore black jeans that were ripped to make shorts and a teal long-sleeved shirt with holes near the bottom of the sleeve for her to shove her thumbs through. Though they both wore no make-up, the younger had a band-aid on both cheeks. Her left wrist was wrapped in an Ace bandage, and her legs were covered in more band-aids. Some with heroes and heroines, others, plain brown.

 

Beauty and tomboy, as different as day and night.

 

When Rosette stood, finally, her sister sighed and started to casually walk down the cement sidewalk. The younger rolled her eyes at her sister's back, before pushing off and gliding up next to the sibling. “So, why are we meeting up with Joshua, again?”

 

The sister sighed, exasperated, “Rosette, do you know how to pay attention?”

 

“No. Do I really care to? No.”

 

Again the older heaved a giant breath, before turning a corner. “He wants to see us, wants to show us something.” Rosette groaned.

 

“Does it have to do with more flowers? I couldn't stand another boring session of what makes the grass green and the leaves emerald. Ain't they the same freakin' color? As long as they both stay green, I happy.”

 

Her sister shook her head, “Rosette, grammar.”

 

“You and I ain't no fricken' scholars, I don't have to.”

 

“Rosette, language.”

 

“Shit, damn, bitch, whore.”

 

The eldest stopped suddenly, causing Rosette to brake hard, nearly toppling to the ground. “Rosette Ann Christopher! Watch that tongue of yours! Our parents didn't die so you could grow up to be a potty mouth!” Rosette looked down, ashamed of herself. She heard her sister sigh, and glanced up, seeing the strain of the recent death of their parents and the raising of her hellion sister at the corners of her sister's eyes.

 

“I'm sorry, sis. I'll behave. I promise.”

 

“Very good, now, let's get going. And if Joshua does start speaking about how the grass is green, then you will listen and write me a report. That is your punishment for such atrocious language.” Rosette nodded, skating slowly behind her sister when she started walking again. Her sister always like to pull the `parents are dead, you better behave' card all the time. She never knew how much little Rosette wanted to grow up to be something that her parents were proud of. Or, she did, but didn't care.

 

Rosette hoped it was the former. She knew her sister wasn't vindictive. Hell, her sister was perfect.

 

While she was anything but.

 

Staring dejectedly in front of her, Rosette soon found herself in the middle of her favorite park. Glancing around, she caught sight of her sister talking to the boy that had lived next door to them, before they were thrown into child services. He was a year younger then herself, but he had always acted the age of her sister. They soon got so caught up in their conversation, they didn't notice the increasingly bored Rosette, skate away from them, chasing after a beautiful orange-breasted robin. She kept to the dirt path when she strayed from the pavement, deciding that she was plenty old enough to go off on her own.

 

Of course, her sister and Joshua found her not fifteen minutes later, on her butt, her knee scraped and bleeding. She kept hissing mild curses at the joint, even when Joshua leaned forward.

 

The two siblings gasped out rejections, but their friend did not heed them. A soft glow spread from his hands, healing the wound, and some of her previous injuries. After he pulled back, he smiled at his slightly older friend, before dropping to his knees and clutching his chest. They both rushed to his aid, wrapping their arms around him and helping him to his feet when he caught his breath. “Are you alright, Joshua?” Rosette asked, worried.

 

Joshua had always been sick and frail, but it started to get worse when he first began to use his powers. That was when the two sisters promised that he would never have to use them, ever.

 

But, now he had, and Rosette's stomach felt as if it no longer had a bottom. Swallowing tensely, she smiled at Joshua's answer to her question, before smacking ever so softly over the head, “You knuckle-brain. We'll always be here to protect you. No need to use your powers. Okay?”

 

“Yeah, Rosette.”

 

“Good.” She looked over at her sister, receiving a hidden glare for her efforts. “Uh, does anyone remember the way back?” she averted her gaze, not wanting to meet her sister's anguished look.

 

Joshua chuckled, “You know, Rosette, I actually wanted to show you guys something down this path. Do you guys have to be back any time soon?” Rosette shrugged, while her sister shook her head.

 

“No, we have three hours of free time. It would have been five, had Rosette not gotten into a fight last night.” Again, her sister shot her a glare.

 

“I didn't mean too, he was coming onto me, so I kicked him in the gonads.”

 

“Oh, dear,” her sister muttered, “I can't believe you said that aloud.”

 

“There's a problem with the truth?”

 

“No, there's a problem with your brusqueness.”

 

“So, I'm blunt. Picky, picky. I kind of enjoy the look of shock on people's faces.”

 

Joshua chuckled behind his hand, causing the two to glance over at him with curious faces. “Oh, man, I missed you two. You guys were so entertaining when you started bickering!”

 

Rosette growled, “Hey, buster, don't think for a minute-” she stopped when the boy started to go into a coughing fit from his laughter. “Joshua?”

 

He waved her off, coughing lightly into his hand. “Come on,” he stopped and coughed twice more. “It's this way. Even you'll find this cool Rosette. You can skate in there, the stone's so smooth.”

 

“`In there?'” Rosette asked, awkwardly stepping over a root that blocked her path.

 

“Yeah, it's a beautiful stone structure. It seems to be keeping something locked in, but we won't worry about that `til later.”

 

Rosette bit the inside of her cheek, “I don't know, Joshua. What if it's a vampire that had gotten too powerful so they had to seal it away in a chamber to keep it from draining the blood of innocents? It could get loose, attacking you and Sis, sucking the life from you veins as you struggle fruitlessly against his hold.”

 

Joshua shot her a flat look, “And what about you?”

 

Rosette smirked, “I would have been long gone, putting some distance between him and me with my blades.”

 

Her two companions sighed, “Rosette,” her sister spoke finally. “You watch too much television.”

 

“What? I do not! Billy's always putting on those stupid vampire movies, and they can't all be fake. They're based off true things, I'm sure.”

 

Her sister groaned, “Rosette, you are too gullible. There are no such things as vampires.”

 

Rosette looked over at her sister, “Have you ever seen one?”

 

“No, and that proves they don't exist.”

 

“That, or it proves they do exist and are very good at keeping it secret.”

 

Again her companions sighed, it was going to be a long walk.

 

00

 

It took a total of one thousand sixty-four seconds to finally get to their destination. Rosette would now, she counted every single one of them. But now, the three stood in front of the largest mausoleum the two girl's had ever seen. “Shoot, Joshua,” Rosette murmured, “this thing is huge!”

 

“I know, and I haven't even begun to explore it, yet.” He grinned widely, before wrapping an arm around each girl. “You two remember our promise, right?”

 

Rosette nodded enthusiastically, “Yup, we'll become explorers! The most famous ones in all existence! We'll discover everything! You'll write all about it, I'll take care of the transportation, and Sis gets food and clothes!” she giggled, even when her sister reached over and smacked her over the head. “Ow! That hurt!” and still she dissolved into laughter, Joshua and her sister not far behind.

 

They entered the tomb silent though, after a few minutes of getting there hyper-ness out. The sounds of Joshua and her sister's footsteps, mixed with the rolling of her wheels, echoed across the cold stone. There was no light, except the two flashlights on the sister's key chains. Those two small streams of light cast eerie shadows, the walls taking faces, and the floor growing arms.

 

Rosette gulped, “Joshua, this place is creeeepy.”

 

“You think?”

 

“I don't like this feeling I'm getting. It's like, I've been here before.” Her sister chimed in.

 

Rosette shivered. “We should head back. Maybe next time we'll bring flashlights, bright ones.”

 

Joshua nodded, though the action wasn't seen in the dark. “Yeah, that's a good idea.”

 

Little did they know, that when they returned, everything for them would change…

 

00 End Flashback: Fast Forward Four Years: Rosette is 18 00

 

She sighed, even as the chilly stones crept up her exposed legs, freezing the bone and blood within the limbs. Making her way down a flight of steps, she found herself out in the courtyard, rain pouring from the heavens. She smiled at the sky that perfectly reflected her mood. Taking a step out into the downfall, she followed the barely-seeable-in-this-rain stones to the front of the Elder's. Trailing around to the back, she caught sight of the window she wanted. Tapping it softly, so not to wake the other occupant of the lab/house, she whispered her partner's name softly. “Chrno! Chrno! It's Rosette!”

 

She stood waiting for a few minutes, before letting out a puff of air that turned into a puffy cloud of white in the cold. Turning to leave, she gasped when she heard her devil called out to her. “Rosette, get your soaked butt in here! You're going to catch your death out here!”

 

She spun, narrowing her eyes at the purple-haired boy, “I was trying to get your attention. Obviously, you don't want my company!” She shoved her blonde hair from her face, her blue eyes catching his ruby gems and refusing to let them go.

 

Chrno sighed, “Rosette, I had to deal with something for the Elder. I just got into my room.” Rosette blinked, well, that was a plausible reason for him to ignore her. But-

 

“You ever order me around like that,” she muttered, having him help her into the small storage room that barely passed as a livable space. At least it was warm. “I'll noogie you into oblivion!” she threatened, even though she was smiling.

 

Chrno shook his head, before going into the back and pulling a towel from the trunk that held all of his possessions. “Here, dry off. You have clothes in the trunk, change them.” He tossed her the towel, before sitting on the cot next to her.

 

Rosette smiled, “Uh, Chrno?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you mind if I stay here, tonight?”

 

Chrno reddened, “W-why would you want to?”

 

“'Cause Azmaria took my bed,” she replied. `And the dark is growing…'

 

“I'll sleep on the floor, you can have the cot,” he stood tiredly, intent on grabbing a spare blanket from the trunk.

 

Rosette looked away, “Thanks, Chrno!” she smiled happily towards him, before grabbing her spare clothes she kept in his room, and running behind his screen to change.

 

Chrno shook his head, `Rosette, you'll never change, will you?'

 

Author's Note: Ah, all is good in the land of Oz. Now we have to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West and his flying monkeys (Ricardo and the Legions). So, who all like's the story so far?

 

(sees the lack of reviews and cries) No one likes it! Wah!