Chrono Crusade Fan Fiction ❯ A Contract ❯ Chapter One: First Encounter ( Chapter 1 )

A Contract

Chapter One: First Encounter

By Selenity Jade

Rated: M

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade, because if I did, I'd have ruined it. ^_^;

 

Pairing: Chrno/Rosette

 

AN: I apologize now for not putting this up immediately. I had an emergency that left me with half my sites posted with the prologue. It's coming up now. SORRY!

 

xxx

 

"Remington."

 

"Aye."

 

"Why? What do you want?" he asked hoarsely, his words slow and purposeful as his thoughts struggled to form some coherence out of the chaos.

 

"Your help."

 

Chrno was surprised into cynical laughter, which turned into a hacking cough.

 

"I am aware how ironic it is," the man replied, stepping further into the tomb and towards the stone casket. He placed graceful hands on the dusty surface, head bowed. "Aion has reappeared. He gave your horns to a human boy about five years ago."

 

Chrno watched the blond silently as he nervously smoothed wrinkles out of his blue priest's habit.

 

"Not far from here and orphanage stood where this boy lived with his sister. It is now frozen in time." The man turned to look at his still silent audience. "I wish you hadn't chosen a child form, Chrno. I feel very silly discussing such things with a child, even knowing this 'child' is a demon."

 

Chrno shrugged. "I didn't really plan it. I simply panicked and in order to see her buried properly I had to use as little astral as possible. My mind apparently chose this."

 

"And instead of seeing her buried, I sealed you in here with her. I didn't want another human to die by your hand."

 

Chrno didn't answer the accusation, he wasn't going to give this priest any details on what had truly happened. He learned early on arguing with those who viewed his kind as being against God's Will was futile.

 

"I know it was Aion that killed her now."

 

The boy snapped his head up to look at the priest in surprise.

 

"Aion has been taunting us at the Order," the man replied evenly.

 

Chrno sighed. "Even if I were inclined to help you, I can't. Without my horns, I don't have the energy to fight. I suppose that is why Aion did it."

 

"Yes, I know. They fear you greatly. Chrno the hundred demon killer."

 

"Don't call me that."

 

"Why? They are terrified of you because of what you did. I think that is partly why Aion gave your horns to Joshua, so you could not retrieve them without fighting someone with similar powers to your own."

 

"Joshua is this boy?"

 

Remington nodded. "Though boy wouldn't be accurate anymore, he's about sixteen now."

 

"Why that boy?"

 

"He's an Apostle."

 

Chrno again stared at the blond priest in shock. "It is time for them already?"

 

"You've been sealed here for about fifty-five years, give or take."

 

The demon absorbed that silently.

 

"In any case, it isn't exactly your fighting ability I'm after, I know you can't use your energy without horns-"

 

"-Or a contractor-"

 

"-What I need, what the Order needs is your knowledge of demons and of Aion personally."

 

"I see."

 

Remington ran his fingers through his hair. "I know I don't have a right to ask, but you want to stop Aion too. I'm at the end of my rope here. If I don't get him stopped or that boy back soon, I'm afraid what Aion will do. Though," the priest admitted with a secretive grin. "Right now I'm more worried about what Joshua's sister will do."

 

"Sister?" Chrno asked absently as he thought over his options. He hadn't wanted to fight Aion, but after he had killed Magdalen, their camaraderie had been broken and he had always been uncertain of Aion's methods towards their goal.

 

"That is the true reason I came here now. I'm worried about Aion's plans of course, but if I don't come up with something - some plan or idea - to get Joshua back soon, Rosette will leave the Order and go after him alone."

 

Chrno snorted. "A human will not have much chance against Aion even hornless as he is now, let alone a human girl."

 

"Don't sell her short before you meet her."

 

"Meet her?" the demon asked suspiciously.

 

Remington coughed, a slight flush growing on his cheeks. "I said she was the real reason. Well, she learned I had sealed up a demon who had rebelled against Aion and she demanded I release you. Her exact words I believe were, 'Then go release him, her, it, whatever the demon is, I don't care. Just do it and ask for help.'" Remington sighed in long-suffering amusement.

 

"You released a demon you despise all because of a young girl's demands?"

 

"Then she hounded me about it for three weeks and finally gave me an ultimatum: either I release you and get your help or she'd do it on her own and leave the Order."

 

"A priest of seventy years - how did you not age, anyway? - is being bullied by a little girl? The Remington I know wouldn't have let anyone force you into releasing me for any reason. You hate me."

 

"Rosette is a wildfire. Since it's partly my fault Aion got her brother, I've looked out for her since then. She's not a little girl though, she's been an adult for years."

 

"How didn't you age?" Chrno repeated insistently.

 

"I was gravely injured shortly after I sealed you and I was fused with demon parts," the priest stated in a voice that stated it was all he would say of the matter, but he did open his shirt to show the purple-haired boy.

 

Chrno laughed bitterly. "So now the pure-hearted priest Remington, guardian of the Saint Magdalen, has become what he hated most. A demon."

 

"Would you please change to an older form? Surely your adult human form won't take more energy than a child human form. In fact, I would think shrinking yourself down to this size would take more energy."

 

Chrno shrugged.

 

"It's creepy seeing you like this and hear you talk like an adult and laugh like that."

 

The violet-haired demon sighed and did as he was asked, promptly falling to his knees.

 

"Chrno!"

 

Chrno held up a hand to keep the minister from coming near him. "I'm fine, it just takes energy to change form."

 

"I should have thought of that."

 

"I won't live long, Remington," Chrno told the priest. "But I will see what information I can give you before I die."

 

"Why would you die?" a distinctly feminine voice asked.

 

Both occupants of the tomb turned their head towards the exit in surprise to find a golden-haired nun striding into the darkened tomb. Her split skirt flashed pale skin and a sparkle of light hitting the metal barrel of the handgun strapped to her thigh. Her sapphire eyes were fixed on the crimson ones of the kneeling demon and Chrno found his voice stuck in his throat.

 

There is no fear in her even knowing what I am.

 

"Rosette! What in the hell are you doing here!" Remington exploded.

 

"Should a priest curse like that?" the young woman asked curiously, her gaze flicking to the priest beside him.

 

"I told you to wait back at the car."

 

"Which was parked at the Seventh Bell. I see that scene in my nightmares, I don't need to stare at it for hours waiting for you to come back," she quipped, obviously irritated. "That was very cruel of you, Father."

 

Remington rubbed a temple absently as he shut his eyes. "I apologize, Rosette. I didn't think. I was a little preoccupied about speaking with Chrno."

 

"Chrno is your name?" she asked the still kneeling demon. "All I ever heard was "the demon" or "him" so I assumed you didn't know his name, Father Remington." The girl tugged absently at the nun's habit she wore as she walked calmly over to the pair. Her hand reached out to him as she graced him with a politely distant smile. "I'm Rosette, Chrno."

 

Chrno stared at the hand in mild surprise a moment before he took it and let her pull him to his feet. This girl had been trained by the priest who despised him and all demons and yet still she treated him this... politely?

 

"Why will you die?"

 

The violet-haired demon blinked in confusion a moment before he realized she was repeating her question. "My horns were torn off and I have no other way of absorbing astral."

 

The nun cocked her head questioningly.

 

"A demon who runs out of astral energy dies and that is what our horns do, absorb astral. Remove the horns of any demon and the demon will eventually die." He turned his crimson eyes to the priest, arching an eyebrow. "Do you not teach your clergy about demons?"

 

Remington shrugged. "I had no part in her actual training. She's in the Order's Militia now and I didn't think to question just what exactly they teach our Sisters. They can exterminate and exorcise demons and they are good at it. I simply let it go at that."

 

Chrno sighed, leaning back against the stone casket. "This might take awhile to help you then, Remington. If your Order doesn't bother to teach your warriors basic demon anatomy, how do you hope to beat Aion? I can't fight."

 

"I know," the man agreed. "Would another demon's horns work?"

 

"I don't know. I don't think it has ever been tried. Probably not for long if it does work."

 

Flicking hair out of his eyes, Remington continued almost hesitantly. "Would you be willing to try another demon's horns until we can get your horns back from Joshua?"

 

"Those were his?" Rosette asked suddenly.

 

"Yes, Aion removed Chrno's fifty years ago."

 

"There's one thing I just don't understand," Chrno interrupted.

 

"What?"

 

"Why did Aion give the kid my horns? An Apostle has enough ability to be useful to Aion, why would he need one with my horns? He couldn't have known what exactly would happen to give a child demon horns, let alone give an Apostle child demon horns. The result could have destroyed him. So why?"

 

"I don't know," Remington admitted.

 

"Shouldn't we go back to the Order now that you've freed Chrno?" Rosette asked. "Or at least our hotel before we hash out all these details? I don't know about you two, but having a conversation like this in a tomb seems kind of disrespectful. And creepy."

 

"The hotel, yes. But we can't take Chrno straight back to the Order just yet," Remington answered.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because Sister Kate has no idea I was planning to release Chrno and ask him for help."

 

"Oh, boy," the blue-clad nun breathed. "You're in for it now."

 

The priest sighed. "Probably. You are right though. Let's just get to the car for now."

 

The blonde woman nodded, glancing over Chrno quickly. "We'll need some clothes too."

 

Chrno blinked ruby eyes at her, then looked down at his rags.

 

Remington exhaled again. "Why did I agree to this again?"

 

"Because I threatened to go after my brother alone?" Rosette reminded him sweetly. "Not to mention, don't you owe Chrno?"

 

Both Chrno and the priest stared at her in surprise.

 

"You did tell me you sealed him because he had killed the Saint, right? I heard Aion boast that he had killed her, so you sealed him for a mistake."

 

"Rosette, he is a demon."

 

"So?"

 

Chrno frowned. Did she truly not fear or hate demons? Was she simple in some way?

 

"A demon did still your brother," the priest pointed out.

 

"Yes, and I'll kill that demon."

 

"When have you seen a nice demon?"

 

"Actually, once before this and Chrno doesn't seem so bad."

 

Chrno stared at the girl. "What?" Remington finally asked.

 

"You don't know my whole life, Father," the girl pointed out soberly.

 

"Well, no." The priest obviously bit back further questions. "Rosette, demons aren't normally nice to humans."

 

"As much as I hate to agree with Remington on this, demons do think of humans as little more than intelligent animals. It would be best not to trust any."

 

The pretty blonde nun smiled at him. "See? You aren't so bad if you're going to warn me off other demons."

 

Chrno was so stunned at the brilliant smile she bestowed on him that Remington laughed. "She doesn't smile often, but when she does, it is like a kick in the face."

 

"What does that mean?" Rosette demanded suddenly, eyes lighting with liquid fire.

 

"It means, my dear Rosette, that you smile so innocently and with your whole being that it hurts us jaded old men sometimes."

 

"I am not innocent and neither of you are that old."

 

The priest's laughter erupted further. "Not innocent exactly, but a type of innocence. You smile the way a child smiles before life teaches us to be a little more careful."

 

The woman shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know what that means, but we really should find a way out now."

 

The priest frowned. "Find?"

 

The perplexing blonde woman blushed. "The tunnel caved in just after I went through."

 

"Rosette..."

 

"I didn't do anything!"

 

The priest gave the young nun a hard stare.

 

"I really didn't!"

 

Sighing, Remington took pity on the girl. "Okay, we'll find a way out. While we're doing that, shopping for clothes for the demon, and getting to the hotel, you need to think of a way to convince Sister Kate we can control him."

 

Chrno bristled immediately, opening his mouth but Rosette beat him to it.

 

"Chrno," she stated firmly, "has a name and unless he suddenly proves dangerous, we don't need to control him."

 

The blond man held up a hand. "I meant a way to ease Sister Kate's fear of having a demon loose at the Order. I don't think anyone could really control Chrno if he had his horns anyway, we've never tried it with a higher level demon. I simply meant she is not going to let Chrno wander around the convent freely unless we can convince her he is controlled. I honestly don't feel he'd be a danger to us, otherwise I'd have never unsealed him, no matter how much you batted those pretty blue eyes at me." Remington took a deep breath. "I already have a headache just thinking about it. The legends surrounding Chrno are enough to put the head of our branch into seizures at the thought of him free."

 

"Legends?" Rosette asked, glancing toward him.

 

Chrno also had no idea what Remington was going on about, what legends?

 

"Later, Rosette," Remington stated with finality. He turned to Chrno. "Do you have enough astral to fly?"

 

The demon frowned thoughtfully for a moment then nodded. "For a bit, yes."

 

"We don't need long. There are holes in the ceiling all over down here. If you can take Rosette up there, she can secure a rope for me."

 

"Why doesn't he fly us both?"

 

Remington put a hand on the young girl's shoulder, silencing her.

 

Chrno didn't protest. He knew why Remington didn't want a demon flying him anywhere. Those demon parts of his might react to his legion if he were using astral while in contact with him. He had no idea what that effect would have on him, so he didn't push and he wasn't sure if anyone at this Order knew about Remington merging partly with demon legion. So instead, he asked, "You trust me not to eat her?"

 

Remington shrugged. "You're honorable, for a demon, and Rosette can take care of herself. She isn't one of the best exorcists we have for nothing. Besides, I think you actually dislike killing."

 

"Who said that?" Chrno asked irritably.

 

"No one. In fact, to demons you're like a boogie man. They fear your name because of what you've done. Yet no one speaks of any time before or since when you've killed."

 

Chrno decided not to answer the implied question. He had always been the softer one among his kind, but there was no need to explain that to this priest. He didn't need more people attempting to take advantage of the weakness. "Well, you're right. I won't eat her. Let's find a hole and get out of here." He started toward the tomb door with the other two following behind. He stopped shortly after exiting what had effectively been his prison in a stream of sunlight from an opening in the stone above him.

 

It was big enough to fly through, so he simply waiting with his head upturned, savoring the warm of the sun hitting his face for the first time in what felt like eons as he waited for the humans to catch up to him. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes.

 

"Ready?" the soft voice he was beginning to associate with that woman Rosette asked. He could feel her eyes on his back. If he had wanted, he could have heard their thoughts. He didn't. He never liked how powerful his telepathy was and while he did want to know if the priest was planning to betray him and had no compunction about reading him, the girl was a problem. She was so obviously without guile even as she radiated a deep sadness. He knew she wasn't planning anything detrimental to him and his skills were rusty enough he just might pick up on her thoughts too. She didn't deserve it yet.

 

"Yes," he answered, releasing his natural form with relief. The familiar joy in the sheer power of this form flooded his heart. He opened slitted ruby eyes, glancing over his shoulder at the humans behind him. "Do you have rope near here?"

 

"It's in the car," the priest answered.

 

"Where is it?"

 

"A few minutes walk from here," Rosette replied.

 

"Rosette, please tell me you did not drive," Remington said with an odd voice filled with dread.

 

"I sure didn't walk."

 

The priest gave the young nun a pained look. "Is the car still in one piece?"

 

"Yes," Rosette replied with a dangerous light in her eye as she turned those brilliant blue eyes to her mentor. "Demons weren't chasing me this time, so of course I didn't wreck it!"

 

"Thank God for small favors," Remington muttered in a tone too low for the girl to hear but Chrno picked it up easily. "Rosette, Chrno, if you would fly there and bring back the rope, I would be extremely grateful."

 

"Fine," Chrno agreed before the woman could speak again.

 

Rosette sighed. "Alright. So what do I do?"

 

xxx

 

AN: ...Well it'll follow some things in the original manga/anime but I need to get some of my 'lore' out of the way, too. Not an exciting chapter, but ah well.

 

Fic of the Week: Innocent Contract by Le-Chan1 (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2335964/1/Innocent_Contract). It's a darker read than normal but I loved it!

 

Lovies!