A.K. Berry

Summery: Aion has an offer for Chrono that he can’t refuse.

Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own ChronoCrusade/ChrnoCrusade or it’s characters. I do, however, own Rosette’s bosses and T.

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Chrono held tight to himself the trembling form of his light in this world as she cried swollen tears onto his shoulder. He wanted nothing more then to make all her pain, all her hurt, go away to never return again. But… By the same token, he understood Joshua’s choice to go with the Minister. The boy wanted to be stronger, to not be a burden to everyone he knew.
And to not be pitied by others. So he had made the choice without talking to his sister first for fear that she would convince him not to do it. And that was what had hurt her more then anything else.
“Yo. Chrono.”
The sound of that far to familiar voice froze his heart even as it made his blood turn to liquid fire. Releasing Rosette from his embrace he turned around to face the bald eagle perched on a branch and silhouetted against the bloody-hued moon.
“Aion.” Chrono growled.
“Well, long time no see.”
Rosette stared at the bird, certain that she was hearing a voice was coming from it, though it’s beak did not move. Something about it set off alarm bells in her head. She was scared. Of a bird. The proud and strong girl really did not like being afraid of a bird.
“What do you want?” Chrono demanded of it.
“What no ‘hi, how have you been?’ ‘It’s been awhile hasn’t it?’ Well, you never were any good at socializing were you?”
Chrono’s scowl deepened.
“Well, either way, I’m here to make you an offer: come join me again too the fruition of my plans and take back your horns… Or I give them to a certain little boy you’ve befriended recently.”
“You wouldn-”
“You leave my brother alone!” Rosette yelled at the bird, stepping out from behind the startled Chrono.
“Well, well… Aren’t we feisty.” The bird said, turning it’s head to look at her, it’s eyes glowing.
Chrono stepped back in front of Rosette as her scowl intensified. The bird turned it’s attention back to Chrono.
“As for what you said, yes… I would.”
Chrono ground his teeth and closed his eyes. He had two chooses, one) saving one of the only friends he has ever truly had in his long life – and consequently leaving both him and Rosette – or two) stay. But that would mean condemning an innocent boy and ruining several lives. Chrono wasn’t stupid. He knew what would happen if Joshua ended up with his horns.
The choice should have been easy – it was certainly obvious – but somehow… It wasn’t. Leaving Rosette would mean destroying himself and tearing apart his heart. He didn’t know if he could survive being away from her. But he had no choice.
“Alright,” He said quietly as he opened his eyes to stare at the bird, “I’ll go with you.”
Rosette’s eyes went wide. She stared at him in horror, feeling of betrayal taking hold in her. How could he leave her too? How could he leave her like everyone else had?! He had promised that he would always be there! He was a liar like all the others!
“Chr-Chrono?” She stuttered, hoping that she had miss heard him, “What… What are you…?”
“Let me take her back to the orphanage first.” Chrono went on like he hadn’t heard her.
Rosette had no idea what had been passing through Chrono’s mind, nor the battle that going on in his heart.
“Oh, if you must…” Aion sighed dramatically.
Turning, Chrono took the stunned Rosette by the hand and walked off into the forest, intent on getting her back to Seventh Bell safely. She stumbled after him, still not quite believing that she was about to loose another loved one. First her parents, then her brother and now Chrono. Or was it her parents, Chrono, then Joshua? She didn’t know which order was right and Rosette no longer cared.
The shock started to pass and the blond twelve year old started to become aware of the emotions roiling around in her. Stomach clenching fear had a squirming fist wrapped around her gut. She stopped and yanked her hand free from his. He turned to face her, his expression neutral.
“You- your going to leave me to?” She demanded, her voice tight with the tears she was trying so hard and desperately to hold in.
“I have to. I’m sorry.”
“No your not!” She screamed, “You’re just like everyone else!” The tears fell free, “You just want to get away from me like everyone else! You think I’m a stupid, violent, bossy-”
The resounding crack of his hand striking her cheek echoed loudly in his ears. He winced. He never wanted to hurt her; he never wanted to be the source of her pain, whatever form it took.
In all the time that they had known eachother not once had he hit her, nor even made an attempt to. He was always the gentle voice and soothing hand. Now that hand had just slapped her in the and that voice was harsh.
“Don’t ever say something like that again. Not ever. Is that clear?”
Feeling slightly numb, she nodded. He sighed and cupped her face in his hands.
“If Aion gives your brother my horns… Joshua will go insane. They’re not meant for Human’s and a Human mind and body can’t cope with them…” He swallowed hard and continued, “I am so sorry Rosette. I really wish that you, me and Joshua could stay together forever… But we can’t. This is the only way I can protect both of you… I’m sorry.”His voice ended in a gentle whisper.
Smiling gently, but sadly he took her hand in his own again and started pulling her in the direction of the orphanage again. She started to cry as they walked. She tried to stop the tears, she really did, but they just kept coming. Her quiet sobs and loud sniffles tore his heart apart and pounded each little piece into a pulp. The journey through that forest was the most trying of his life and by the time it was done he felt as though he had been destroyed a thousand times over. He felt bereft and exhausted, sinking back into that dark place he had been in fifty years ago. How much this child had given him in her happy innocence and impulsive kindness…
“We’re here…” He announced reluctantly, his voice flat and eyes dead.
He felt a vague sense of horror as he wished that he and Rosette had become lost in the forest and had been blessed to wander in it forever. Swallowing a sudden lump in his throat and all his other, nameless emotions he gently pulled, then pushed her towards the looming building. She stumbled forward, but stopped after a few steps. Whirling around she ran back to him, wrapping her bony arms around him and knocking them both off their feet.
“I can’t!” She sobbed, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!… I love you…”
He couldn’t… He had to… He can’t… He must. His heart screamed denial as he sat up and gently pulled her arms from around his waist and stared her in the eye.
“Rosette… If we ever meet again it will be because you are either getting into stuff you shouldn’t be getting into… Or we will be enemies.”
She started to voice a protest, but he stopped her with a finger on her mouth.
“Rosette… Go home. Your brother is waiting.”
And with that he stood up and walked away from the little girl that had stolen his heart and become his light.

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Rosette sighed as she pushing the trolley along. She needed to get these reports to the top floor. It had been six years since she and Chrono had parted way and four years since she had last seen Joshua. And now the blond worked at an investigative firm that looked into the supernatural. She had gotten a job at the headquarters of the firm in the hopes that it would help her find her two loved ones. She missed both of them so much that it hurt her until she cried.
Oh, she had been allowed to see her little brother for awhile, over the course of two years, but the visits had become less and less frequent until they had ceased altogether. Rosette would never forgive them for taking away her brother, even as she believed that she would never understand why Joshua had left 7th Bell. And she was still mad at him for it.
As the years had gone by the others at the orphanage had been, one by one, adopted and new children were taken in. No one had ever wanted Rosette – and that was just fine by her. But… Once you reached the age of fifteen you had to leave the orphanage and Rosette had turned fifteen three years ago. She had bounced between several jobs until she had manged to get her current one. It wasn’t quite what she had been hoping for, but it was a step in the right direction.
Thats it! I’m going to the big shots and getting apprenticed to be an investigator! No more of this mail delivery bull!
With that firm thought in her mind she went about finishing her job as quickly as possible, deciding that she would deliver the secretary’s mail last and demand to see the bosses to see if she could get an apprenticeship.

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Rosette put the trolly away in the storage room and stood there for a moment, gathering herself. Hurrying had made her deliver the mail to the wrong people several times, but she really didn’t care; after all, she was going to get an apprenticeship.
Oh, suck it up! She snapped at herself, It’ll be Jake!
With that she spun on her heel and left the storage room, closing the door behind her. The blond marched over to the elevator and stepped in. She told the guy operating it to take her too the top floor and he closed the screen, went back over to the lever he used to take people up or down as they wanted and took her up. When it stopped he opened the screen for her and she stepped out. Rosette thanked him as he closed the screen again and went down.
In front of her were rows of work desks filling one very large room, all of them occupied with men and women filing written reports. One of the unique features of the firm was that there was no discrimination between genders or race; there were native Americans, blacks, Asians, Irish and several others from different ethnic origins.
Each floor was a ’section’ that delt with the various aspects of investigating supernatural crimes. The underground floors dealt with weapons, there development, artifacts and training; the aboveground floors dealt with the public, recruits, held Devils in confinement/custody until the Duke and/or his Pursuers picked them up, investigations, incoming reports, tips, cases and requests for assistance/help and the top floor prioritized, filed and organized each report, tip, case – to decide who takes it on – and request for assistance or help. At the back of the top floor was the boss’ office. There were also the forensics labs.
They had five such buildings across New York and who-knew-how-many across the country.
Rosette took a deep breath and marched forward until she stood in front of the secretary’s desk. The woman that looked up at the blue-eyed blond was of African-American descent. Where Rosette was pretty this woman was beautiful. She had her hair cut fashionably short, straightened, given a wave and plastered against her scalp. Rosette herself had her hair short, though her’s was unstyled and was cut significantly shorter in the back – plus she had bangs.
“Yes, can I help you?” The secretary asked politely.
The blond, in her usual manner, told the woman very bluntly, “I want to talk to the boss about…”
Now Rosette Christopher had never been one to think things through all the way and this time was no exception. As such she had no idea how she wanted to phrase what she was trying to say.
“A… Uh, change in… Er… My… Employment position!” She finished triumphantly.
“And which position is it that you want to switch to?” The African-American woman asked as she hid her amusement with admirable skill.
“Investigator.”
The secretary’s amusement faded out as she scrutinized the eighteen year old in front of her for several minutes before finally nodding.
“They’re not in right now, but I’ll pass that on to them.”
Something about the her manner that told Rosette that she would follow through on it, so she didn’t press the issue any further. Instead she simply thanked her and walked off towards the elevator, intent on checking herself out of work for the day and going home to eat and rest.
The secretary – usually called “T” by her employers due to her abhorrence of her own name – watched the young woman go. Once she was certain that Rosette was gone she discreetly checked how long the blond had been working for the firm on a holographic computer – that belonged in a scifi and not 1930 – before picking up the phone to give her bosses a ring. They were either going to find this very amusing, or want to bang their heads on something very hard and very unyielding out of sheer frustration because Miss Christopher had been right under their noses for the last year without them ever realizing it. She hoped it was the former; dealing with the twins when they’re grumpy is enough to give anyone a migraine. And she had to live with one of them.