Chrono Crusade Fan Fiction ❯ A Contract ❯ Chapter Three: Side Effects ( Chapter 3 )

A Contract

Chapter Three: Side Effects

By Selenity Jade

Rated: M

 

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Chrno Crusade (or any other anime I adore). Sadly, I am not creative enough to write something someone would want to make fanfiction out of.

 

Thanks: That Crazy Girl - because she put off important work just to read my updates on this fic and reviews each time. So this chapter is for her.

 

Pairing: Rosette/Chrno

 

AN: I'm addicted to this fic, I've had muse-inspired ideas and writing this down whenever I've got free time when I'm not on the computer. So I've got like another three chapters written down I'm working on getting on the computer. It's already getting interesting.

 

xxx

 

Rosette followed the demon her mentor had released, who in turn was walking just behind Minister Remington. Her mind was whirling with excitement for the first time in years. She finally had hope that she might get her brother back. She suddenly felt like laughing and crying at the same time, because against all odds, she now felt they might just get him back safely. It was all she could do not to skip around in glee at the very thought of seeing her brother again.

 

As if her mind couldn't move past the one thought, she kept repeating to herself, I have hope!

 

The violet-haired demon in front of her stumbled, then glanced back at her with a pained look on his solemn face.

 

She frowned at him. Are you listening to my thoughts? she thought at him as hard as she could.

 

He winced a half-breath before his deep voice reverberated in her mind. ::Don't yell, it hurts. I'm not meaning to listen, I can't keep you out. I don't know why. I think it has something to do with the contract, but it shouldn't have done this.::

 

Rosette fiddled with the end of the habit covering her head thoughtfully. ::You're hearing everything I think?:: she asked carefully, keeping her thought quieter.

 

::I think so. Maybe I'm simply out of practice at blocking, but I didn't have this problem when you two first woke me...:: His thought was pained and she could feel embarrassment coming through more clearly than voice tone would have allowed.

 

::Does this thing have a distance limit? Do I have to like leave the area to have private thoughts?::

 

::I don't know, I've never tested my range before. I could talk to Aion from miles away, but we were directing our minds. To do it accidentally, I usually have to be within sight of someone. With this... I can't venture a guess.::

 

::Huh. I didn't really count on having this happen.::

 

::You think I did? You're practically shouting in my head.::

 

::Sorry.::

 

He shook his head, slowing his pace until she caught up. "I was trying to put a bit of distance between us to see if it mattered. It didn't work," he told her quietly.

 

"I wondered why you suddenly started to walk faster."

 

The demon exhaled slowly, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

 

"What's wrong with you two?" the priest in front of them asked, glancing over his shoulder.

 

"Nothing," they both stated tiredly.

 

Father Remington stopped walking and waited for the pair to catch up to him, frowning at Rosette and then Chrno with a steely gaze. "What were you two whispering about?"

 

"We weren't whispering," Rosette protested.

 

The man turned his eyes to the tall demon. "What is your problem?"

 

Chrno shook his head, his expression clearing as he lifted his crimson eyes to the priest's.

 

"You two are getting along suspiciously well," Minister Remington stated suspiciously.

 

Rosette winced and felt Chrno do the same.

 

Eyes flicking from nun to demon, the priest frowned harder. "Where is that clock you had, Chrno?"

 

Chrno sighed, opened his mouth, and then paused when Rosette nudged his side with a concealed hand. Rosette pulled the watch out from under her habit.

 

Remington hissed, glancing up at Chrno. "Why did you give her that?"

 

"You know why," Chrno stated dully.

 

"Did you forge a contract?" the priest demanded.

 

"Yes," Rosette said firmly, meeting his furious gaze with her own calm ones. "Don't get angry with Chrno, I bullied him into it. I'll do anything to save Joshua."

 

Remington exploded. "You little fool! We had other ideas on how to let Chrno use his powers."

 

"And they might not be enough. This way, if those horns fail Chrno in battle, he'll have a safety net, so to speak."

 

Remington turned to the demon in a storm of fury. "Break the contract."

 

Chrno sighed. "I agreed to it against my better judgment, but she has some good points. These horns - if they work - will not be perfect and if I run out of astral in the middle of fighting Aion, I don't know what will happen. I'll probably simply die. However, as I will be using these horns if I can, I will not be draining Rosette's life until I need to. She wants her brother saved and I can get this boy back if I have access to astral. I will not go back on my promise."

 

"I'm not asking you not to save the boy, just break the contract."

 

"No," Rosette said firmly.

 

"Rosette, do you have any idea-!"

 

"Yes, Chrno explained it to me when he tried to talk me out of it."

 

"You could have just refused, Chrno!" the priest yelled.

 

"It honestly didn't occur to me," Chrno admitted, somewhat puzzled.

 

Her mentor blinked, then frowned hard at Chrno. Rosette watched as Chrno shook his head and she faintly heard his voice in her mind, almost like a conversation taking place at the edge of her hearing. ::It isn't that. It is important to her and I agreed with part of her reasoning. She will insist on fighting for her brother with me anyway. It'll be safer this way instead of me dropping dead at a crucial moment.::

 

Rosette scowled. "Stop talking in your heads! It's irritating to have people talk over you, but to only hear one half of the conversation is much more annoying."

 

Both men turned to Rosette in surprise. "You heard me reply to him?" Chrno asked, his voice shocked.

 

"Yes, but not what he asked you."

 

Sighing, Chrno absently ran fingers through his hair, scowling at the ground. "I am out of practice if I just broadcast."

 

"You didn't," Remington replied, watching Rosette thoughtfully. "Chrno, are you picking up Rosette's thoughts?"

 

The demon flushed. "I can't keep her out. A contract isn't supposed to work like this!"

 

"So. Basically, Chrno, you went behind my back, stole another girl I'm guardian of and forged a contract with her, and it is already having problems? And it never occurred to you to just say no to a woman you just met?"

 

Chrno shook his head, his long purple hair trailing over one shoulder.

 

"You sure you don't have yearnings for human women?"

 

Chrno gave the priest a hard look. "I know what you're implying, but no, I didn't do it to seduce her nor did I kidnap Magdalene to seduce her."

 

"You are a demon and this is the second woman you've corrupted."

 

"Hey!" Rosette protested.

 

"You be quiet. You are already in enough trouble as it is. Chrno, answer me."

 

"I didn't kidnap Magdalene for me, remember? Aion wanted her. Your theory is wrong. You have to have noticed how you go along with whatever this girl wants. She was the one who got you to unseal me against your own better judgment, right?"

 

Remington stopped a moment, frowning thoughtfully. "I forgot about that. I didn't think you'd be susceptible to it though."

 

"And you're forgetting most demons think of copulating with humans as a perversion."

 

"You don't though."

 

"Who said that?"

 

"You were with Magdalene."

 

"I cared for her, I didn't seduce her," Chrno pointed out in irritation. Rosette kept her mouth shut on that. She knew Chrno had loved the other woman, deeply. She guessed that since he kept trying to steer the subject away from him having feelings for a human woman, he didn't want Father Remington to know just how much he felt for her.

 

"Since you and Aion were so close, I figured you'd share more similarities than just rank, power, and appearance. You probably share his perversion too."

 

Chrno frowned, his ruby-colored eyes disturbed. "What perversion of Aion's?"

 

"He forced himself on a jewel summoner and he's currently fixated on Rosette."

 

Chrno glanced at Rosette, who fidgeted nervously. ::What does he mean, fixated on you?::

 

::Aion has tried to kidnap me twice since I came to the Order and he leaves messages for me occasionally after I escaped him when I was thirteen.::

 

Chrno spoke aloud to Remington. "Aion has never professed an interested in human women before, not even Magdalene. This is... disturbing. He's never been sadistic to no purpose before. He's always done what he did for our goal. Forcing himself on a woman, I wouldn't have thought him capable of that. Or even interested in a human woman."

 

The minister sighed. "It gets worse. The Order is afraid he might be losing his sanity, Chrno." Father Remington shook his head, turning back to start walking. "We'll discuss this later. Let's just get back to the car and then the hotel. I need aspirin."

 

Rosette stared after the retreating back before she moved to follow. She felt the vibrant energy she knew was Chrno move up beside her and realized she had been feeling him for a while now. "It's getting stronger."

 

"What?" the startled voice asked.

 

"Whatever odd thing this contract did. I can feel exactly where you are and that you're worried and afraid."

 

He murmured softly to keep his words from the priest in front of them, "That is why at first you were afraid to let me fly you out of the tomb. Aion kidnapped you?"

 

She nodded, images flooding her mind of the four months she had spent on Eden. When Chrno gasped, she flushed so violently she covered her face with her hands. She hadn't meant him to see that!

 

"Sheda got you out before Aion could-"

 

"Yes. I wasn't integral to the plan, so she found a way to get me out without rousing suspicions, though she didn't free Joshua. If Aion had been as obsessed with my brother though, I think she would have. She believes in Aion's goals, but she seems to have a conscious. She wasn't a bad demon at all." She glanced over her shoulder at Chrno. "Don't tell Father Remington, please. No one knows what happened to me. They already know Aion's fixated and that's enough."

 

He nodded, his red eyes concerned.

 

"Thank you."

 

"Rosette."

 

She smiled at the sound of her name coming from him. It sounded different than when others say it, maybe an accent she could barely pick up, or something. When he flushed, she realized he had picked up on that thought too. She bumped her shoulder into his side affectionately. "What?"

 

"I'm sorry about Aion. He used to be my friend, but that..."

 

"It isn't your fault. You'll help us save my brother and that's all I need. It is the whole reason I've kept going this long."

 

"Will you two stop whispering to each other and move it!" the frustrated minister snapped back.

 

The rest of the walk and drive to the hotel was in silence. Chrno sat in the back seat of the car, carefully trying to not pick up on Rosette's thoughts, while she simply tried not to think.

 

Remington strove to keep his temper.

 

After the three of them entered the hotel room, Rosette paused. They had two beds, three people. Maybe they'd have to see if another room was free.

 

"I can sleep on the floor," Chrno interrupted.

 

Remington actually jumped in surprise. "Don't answer questions we haven't asked yet. You and Rosette really need to get a handle on that. It's unnerving."

 

"Sorry," the both uttered.

 

"Look, Rosette and I have camped out in places no humans had the right to be, we can share a bed and Chrno can have the other."

 

Rosette was about to agree but Chrno beat her to it. "No, it's fine. I'm not used to a bed and will probably stay up a little later anyway. I'll sleep in the middle so you can keep an eye on me, Remington."

 

The priest nodded. "Alright, I'm going out to get some clothes for you, Chrno. Rosette, show him how a shower works if he doesn't know, and I'll be back in an hour."

 

Rosette nodded, watching her mentor leave.

 

He's worried.

 

Glancing at each other, neither knew whose thought that was.

 

xxx

 

Chrno stepped out of the steaming bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Rosette had pointed out he was going to be getting new clothes soon and that dressing in the rags from before was counterproductive.

 

She glanced over at him, looking thoughtful a moment, her thoughts flitting through his mind. ::Now about that hair...:: "Ah!"

 

He sighed, as he found himself doing a lot around her. "I don't need it braided."

 

"Oh, come here," she ordered, pointing to the floor at her feet.

 

Simply deciding it was best to give in to her demands, he walked over and dropped to the floor near her bed, resting his back against the mattress. She spread her legs just enough that his back was able to fit. Her gentle hands pulled his damp hair off his neck and bed, running a brush through it.

 

Closing his eyes, he relaxed as she worked. He had almost fallen asleep when the hotel room door opened. He didn't turn to look at the priest; he could see him carrying four good-sized bags through his contractor's mind. "I don't need that much," Chrno said without even looking at the man.

 

"You need to stop this connection of yours before we see Sister Kate," Remington grumped, setting the bags on the small table.

 

"We're not doing it on purpose," Rosette spoke up as she continued to braid his hair.

 

"Maybe not, but when what you see Chrno can too, that 'unexpected side effect' is growing stronger. It must be stopped."

 

Chrno felt Rosette's resentment, though she held her tongue.

 

"What are you doing to him? He's a demon, not a doll."

 

"His hair needs to stay out of the way and a braid is the easiest," Rosette answered.

 

"Then don't put a bow in it."

 

"I don't have anything else to hold it right now."

 

Chrno just sighed. He knew he was in for it with this girl. She was just so strange. An odd mix of sad desperation and determination, and yet she also went about putting his hair into this strange arrangement with a bright bow with an almost unholy glee.

 

He could effortlessly see what it looked like in her mind. He frowned suddenly. Shouldn't he be extremely worried about this? He glanced over his shoulder at the woman. "What are you doing to me?"

 

"Braiding your hair."

 

"Not that. Why am I letting you?"

 

Remington was surprised into laughter. "You just now noticed you two are acting like an old marr- erm, siblings?" he said, changing his words in mid-sentence at Rosette's darkening look.

 

"I should be seriously disturbed by this," Chrno admitted, glancing at Remington. "Of hearing her and seeing images going through her mind. It is always there now, and I'm treating it like they're my own thoughts. I should be panicking."

 

Remington turned a pointed look at Rosette. "And you should be angry about it."

 

She shrugged a shoulder, releasing his hair finally. "It wasn't on purpose."

 

"Can you hear Chrno's thoughts?"

 

She nodded. "Though not like he can hear mine, I think. His are clear only when he's speaking with them or emotionally charged, otherwise it's just background noise to me and I have to concentrate to hear him."

 

"Did being in separate rooms help?"

 

"Separate rooms?" Rosette asked blankly.

 

"Please tell me you didn't stay in the bathroom when he was in the shower."

 

Rosette flushed such a vibrant red Chrno was surprised a human could change colors like that. "Oh. No, I waited out here."

 

"It didn't help," Chrno clarified. "It felt like we were in the same room, now that I think on it."

 

The priest looked like he was about to tug on his hair in frustration. "We'll see how distance affects this problem later. Here, Chrno," he said, handing the demon the bags. "Just go change in the bathroom. Sorry if you don't like it, I don't really know what demons wear in this day and age."

 

Chrno took the bags and went into the bathroom, shaking his head.

 

xxx

 

AN: Yeah, I do have a plan. Really. Right now though I'm very much traumatized by a fic I just read. It was excellent, but traumatizing. So my mind is just blank coming up with an author's note for you. I'm going to have to do that fic as my plug this time.

 

Fic Plug: Fair warning to all of you, this is not for the faint of heart and is probably not to be taken very seriously in the whole "This is how the author views Chrno Crusade" type way. It is very mentally disturbing but it was a very nice piece. If you can read it without letting the actual subject cloud your judgment on the story itself. Questions by Maiden of the Moon (http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2459625/1/Questions)

 

Lovies!