Chrono Crusade The Beginning

Hi all!

Making my debut off the mature board... we'll see if I can behave myself ;)

So, I figured the whole explanation of how Chrno got down in Magdalene's tomb in the first place was kind of glossed over, so here's my interpretation. It'll be a two-shot.

I'll eventually do one of these for how Chrno and Rosette get to the Order, but that is in the future, far away.

On with the story!

Disclaimer: SR doesn't own Chrno Crusade...

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_Those lights…_

The teenager reigned in his horse and stared at the sky, currently erupting in an orgy of swirling colors. Blues, greens, violets, and brilliant red all enveloped and then gave birth to one another as they shaded the earth from the tiny glimmers of the night stars.

His eyes widened as the dancing glow twirled itself down to join the desert ground, playfully touching it and then pulling away; flirting. Eventually the contact became more substantial, narrowing itself down to a tiny pinpoint.

In the center of this active mass was one stable shadow. Ewan squinted to try to discern it from the frenzied reflections thrown down from above, and was finally able to make out two silhouettes. Blinking fiercely, he grimaced as the passion-filled illumination suddenly intensified almost to the point of burning his eyes. He averted his gaze for a second, shielding his face with an arm lest he go blind.

_It has to be **her**._

In an instant, the entirety of the spectacle disappeared, leaving the stars to timidly shed light on the world again. The moon was bolder, brutally casting its cold gaze on the small piece of earth that had been the focus of the intense scene just a few moments ago. It harshly illuminated the same two silhouettes the young man had seen earlier, and an irrational feeling of dread quickly washed over him like a cold shower.

Leaping from his horse, the teenager raced closer, unheeding of the warning call the priest yelled after him.

He didn't get far.

As the scene came into focus Ewan's steps grew shorter until they stopped altogether. It wasn't fatigue or fear that ceased the movement of the young man's feet, but the sheer impact of the sight before his eyes.

The eerie silver-blue glow of the moon revealed a feminine form lying motionless on the ground. Long, pale locks fanned out around her, and it appeared as though she was lying on a small, round, dark blanket. From the matching dark area on her stomach and her unmoving state, though, Ewan could tell that it was blood. He recognized the dress and the hair, but was still too distant to see the face. Still, he was sure. It was Mary.

Kneeling next to the ethereal beauty was what appeared to be a child, hands wrapped loosely around one of her own and face angled up at the night sky. The teenager vaguely caught a low keening noise blowing on the wind, and guessed it was coming from this person. Squinting, he saw the glimmer of tears on the child's face.

Gritting his teeth, the boy quickly began to close the remaining hundred or so yards separating him from the two figures, resolution forcing him onward though part of him begged not to see. He moved with purpose, not hearing the approach of the older priest behind him until the man had roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, stopping his advance about 10 yards from the prone maiden's form.

"I told you to stop!" The older man hissed, digging his fingers harshly into the lad's shoulder to make sure he had his complete and full attention.

Wincing, Ewan stepped back and reluctantly took his eyes off the woman's body, bringing them instead up to meet the preacher's gaze.

"Father?" He asked, missing the reason behind the other man's tone.

"We have to approach this delicately, Ewan." He whispered, directing his gaze at the fallen girl and the crying boy with her.

Remington missed the point again and looked at the couple a bit more closely, specifically the grieving young man. The recent light show had messed with his eyes somewhat and he had to blink several times to clear the burning bursts of color from behind his eyelids.

The boy was on his knees, Mary's blood soaking his pants and pooling around his boots. He was sitting upright and leaning back, with the shreds of a dark shirt hanging off his shoulders and gently flowing in the light breeze. His face was still upturned towards the bright light of the moon, and big wet tears continued to course down his cheeks. At the priest's approach, his eyes had opened, just enough to look at the intruders. They glowed crimson, catching the light of the moon and reflecting it like an animal's would, menacingly inhuman in the uncertainty of the night. His hair was short and dark, hanging down to his shoulders and two pointed ears poked out from under the untamed mass. As the child gazed at his visitors something else caught Remington's eye, a glint of light reflecting off something around the boy's neck. He couldn't quite make out what it was, but he concentrated on the area, trying to appease his curiosity. It was then that he noticed with horror the gaping hole in the strange boy's chest. No human could live through that.

A strangled gasp issued unbidden from Ewan's throat, and he felt his knees turn to jelly. _This is… a demon? Touching Mary! _

A rage like none he'd ever experienced in his young life suddenly swooped up into his chest and threatened to carry him off. Beginning to tremble, he reached for the cross sword that always hung at his hip, wrapping his fingers around the reliable steel so tightly he was unsure he'd ever be able to let go. The coldness of the metal fueled his anger, the holy sword begging to be unsheathed and wielded once again in opposition of the forces of darkness.

The creature who appeared to be a child simply stared at Remington, face expressionless and eyes dead.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!" Ewan snarled, dangerously eyeing the motionless boy before him. "You killed her, you monster!"

At this last line a faint smirk passed over the child's face.

"I was supposed to, wasn't I?" He answered darkly, almost too quietly for Remington to hear. He slowly released Mary's hand, carefully and caringly laying it down at her side before rising from his seated position.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked in the same quiet tone, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face or the blood which continued to slowly ooze from the hole through his middle.

Remington shook, finally drawing the sword and pointing it at the devil.

"You deserve death for this!" He cried, ready to rush forward and sever the demon's head from his shoulders before the older priest's hand tightened around his upper arm. Twisting back, the teen's eyes met those of the older man, who shook his head, a grim expression on his face. Remington balked, what did he mean no?

"Father!" He yelled desperately, "Look what he did! We have to destroy him!"

The other man's resolve deepened, and he shook his head again emphatically.

"Ewan, I don't think he did this." He stated evenly, trying to calm the almost-hysterical youth out of doing anything rash.

Remington's eyes widened in disbelief, unrealized tears of rage and despair rising, but refusing to fall.

"Have you lost your mind?" He whispered, adrenaline pumping relentlessly through his veins, heart pounding like he'd just run a marathon. "How can you be sure?" The priest began to answer, but Ewan didn't notice and cut him off, "You're willing to let this… thing live? What about Mary? Didn't her life mean anything? Doesn't she deserve justice!"

"That is not for us to decide." The older priest replied quietly. "I know that you were very close to her Ewan, but you must remember your faith in times like this."

The youth shook his head, incredulous. From Mary's side, Chrno watched the pair of holy men argue. He inhaled deeply and looked down at her form, admiring her beauty and grace, even in death.

"Death… yes. That is the place for one such as myself." He murmured softly, running his eyes lovingly over her face like his hands used to do, soaking up her essence.

She was gone.

He should be gone too.

Bringing his bloody gaze upwards, he saw the younger of the two suddenly and harshly smash his elbow into the older one's ribs. The bigger man went down like a sack of potatoes and clutched his stomach, doubling over and gasping. Ewan turned towards him, screaming at his fallen form.

"I have to!" Ewan yelled, breathing ragged. "I have to avenge her!"

Chrno delicately walked around Mary and towards the boy, stopping a few feet away from him. The teen was too worked up to notice, and Chrno briefly thought about how easy it would be to kill them both right now.

Humans were so fragile… his beautiful maiden was broken by the injury Aion had delivered her. The demon glanced down at the hole in his own body, cursing himself for being made of tougher stuff. His horns were gone. He would die eventually, body devouring itself to get at the last vestiges of astral left in his cracked frame. Why couldn't he at least die with her? There would be some small seed of happiness in that… he could at least be content with it.

But no.

He was still alive.

But there was a solution to that, he thought, eyeing the blond boy who was still desperately trying to explain and exonerate his actions to his mentor.

Soundlessly, the demon reached out and grabbed the youth's sword hand. He gave a sharp pull, spinning the boy around and brought the cool metal cross up to point at his throat. Ewan blinked in surprise and tried to yank his hand away, but Chrno's grip was too strong.

"Do it." The demon cooed, locking the boy's blue gaze with his own. "I am evil. I have done so many terrible things… I deserve to die."

Ewan opened and closed his mouth several times and started to struggle against the devil's grasp again, fear flooding his young eyes. Chrno watched passively, not letting go.

Before Mary he would not have understood the boy's actions. Five minutes ago he was dead set on terminating the demon's miserable life. But now, faced with an opponent begging to be sent to the hottest and most torturous depths of hell, he resisted.

Before Mary, Chrno would have never asked to be put down. If he was ordered to, he would die like a dog, but he would never seek out his own end himself.

Before Mary, he would have killed both of these humans as soon as he had first smelled them without remorse, like so many flies.

But now, he was different. And Mary was no more.

"Are you afraid?" Chrno asked, setting his feet determinedly against the teenager's dwindling resistance. "You don't have to be."

Remington shook his head, trying desperately to break eye contact, but failing miserably. The demon's eyes were mesmerizing… urging him to look. Ordering him to act.

"N-no…" He said weakly, swallowing nervously.

"I want death." The demon murmured, a tiny, humorless smile turning one corner of his mouth up. "I don't have anything left anymore." He blinked slowly, waiting for the boy's response.

Nothing.

"Is it because I look like this?" He asked thoughtfully, noting that right now he appeared very much like a human child, one who was a head shorter than the boy who held the sword. Killing a child would be a difficult task for anyone.

"Is this better?" The demon asked, transforming into his true form, armor, claws, fangs, and blades forming from his skin, his frame growing in size by close to three feet, and his eyes shifting to the brilliant gold of pure amber. As soon as he had completed the metamorphosis the wound in his chest healed over. He now towered over the teenager, whose eyes grew to the size of saucers at the devil before him.

"You see?" He purred. "It's your job to destroy creatures like me. Serve your God and perform your duty… it should be easy now."

"Wait!" A gravelly voice called, and Ewan felt something grab his leg. He twitched at the contact and glanced down, seeing the priest supporting himself on an elbow and looking up at the demon.

"We cannot do this." He ground out, slowly pushing himself up with a grimace. As soon as he was up high enough he grasped Ewan's sleeve and tried to pull his arm down, never breaking eye contact with Chrno. The demon felt the light tugging and after a few moments, he sighed and released the boy's arm, convinced that the young man didn't have the guts to end his wretched existence. Remington stood dumbly for a moment, trembling before sheathing his weapon.

Chrno closed his eyes, letting his head droop slightly.

"Humans are completely useless." He muttered, and then slid back into his child form and slumped to the ground, shaking from the exertion of holding his true form without an astral source.

"I refuse to leave her." He whispered, looking down at the pocket watch on his chest. "So if you won't kill me you must be prepared to deal with my presence."

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That's it for part 1.

Happy, ne?

Please Review and have a happy day!

SR


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