The Ending That Never Was

“Chrnooo,” Rossette called out as she looked around Magdalene Order for him. It had been two weeks since she had gotten her memory back, and of course, she was back to bugging Chrno.

“Yes?” Chrno answered as he appeared with Azumaria. These days, he was feeling rather confused, Rossette’s attitude towards him had been changing, but some time two weeks ago, it had made a total turn and she was treating him as if they were best buddies, in fact, as if she loved him. A scary thought indeed.

“You’ve been looking so moody these days, let’s go somewhere!” a bouncy, happy-go-lucky Rossette grinned at him, dragging him by his arm. “Azu, come along too!”

“Sister Kate?” he asked, feeling a little uncomfortable being so close to Rossette.

“Yea, yea,” Rossette pouted slightly, staring at him, her face about only an inch away from his. “Always so obedient to rules eh Chrno? Too bad I’m one stepped in advance, she gave us permission already! Bleeeh…” she stuck out her tongue.

Chrno moved backwards in reflex action, his face turning to a shade of light pink. He was so not used to Rossette being that near to him.

“Hee,” Rossette thought to herself, continueing to drag Chrno along. “He sure blushes easily for a guy…”

Azumaria ran up to catch with Rossette who was as usual doing things her own way and dragging Chrno towards the car, “Rossette! Chrno! Waiit…”

“Ah,” Rossette suddenly skidded to a halt and turned around to face Azumaria. “Gomen(short for ‘gomenasai’ which means sorry) Azu!”

When Rossete suddenly stopped and turned around, Chrno, who was being gripped tightly by Rossette, and dragged backwards, was suddenly flung of his feet at her abrupt movement, flying forward – his forward.

“Chrno!?” Azumaria squealed as she saw him ‘flying’, and heard a crash that followed soon after.

“Ehh?” Rossette finally realised that she was no longer holding on to Chrno, and looked towards the direction of the crashes. “WAH! Are you alright?!”

Soon, after helping Chrno back on his feet, they finally got to the car safely, where Rossette, with a look of a ‘speed demon’, pulled the clutch and started the car with a screech, protests coming from Azumaria and Chrno.

“There,” Rossette said smugly as she slammed the brakes, the car obediently screeching to a halt, a skidding only slightly this time.

Azumaria and Chrno got out a little dizzily from the car, grabbing the side of the car for support. Looking up, they saw a most breathtaking view of a lake, sparkling cheerily in the sun, and a whole lot of greenery, trees scattered everywhere.

“This was the place you brought me to cheer me up,” Azumaria breathed as she remembered the place, it’s breathtaking view, and the novelty of being there with her friends. Seemingly, the hole in the ground that Viscount blew about more than a year ago had patched up, and tufts of new grass were growing here and there.

“Yup!” Rossette had her hands to her hips and was looking smugly at the lake, a cool breeze blew wisps of her hair back as she stood there.

Chrno joined them, looking at the lake, but before he had time to ask where was this, Rossette grabbed hold of his and Azumaria’s hand, and dragging them both, ran towards the lake.

Rolling up her skirt, Rossette entered the lake, Azumaria following suit. Chrno stood there awkwardly, not very sure on what he was supposed to do. Rossette, using her hands, splashed a handful of water in his direction, wetting him.

“Bleeh,” Rossette stuck out her tongue mischievously, running off. “Catch me if you can!”

At that moment, Azumaria also joined in the fun, splashing Chrno gently and giggling. Chrno, who was standing there and getting wet, after being provoked, ran into the water as well, a smile on his face, and started splashing Rossette and Azumaria. Soon, the three were laughing happily as they splashed each other, playing in the cool water.

As they played, they got slightly rough, and as Rossette’s ‘nun cap’ had came loose with all the running and splashing, it was a matter of time before it finally fell of, floating cheerily on the surface of the lake.

“Waah,” Rossette muttered as she went off to chase her headgear which was bobbing off happily in the other direction, towards the centre of the lake.

As she went towards her headgear, the water got deeper, and her skirts began to get soaked. But as she was already wet from all the splashing, she paid no heed to it and began to paddle towards her headgear which was drifting furthur and furthur away. Suddenly, her feet slipped on a mossy rock underwater and she almost fell backwards into the water, but Chrno, who had been watching, came up just in time and managed to catch her before damage was done.

“Thanks,” the young daredevil said with a grin, continueing her pursuit for her headgear.

Chrno, who decided that it was best if he followed to keep her out of trouble, tagged along, slightly behind her. As Rossette reached out to grab her headgear which was nearly out of reach, Chrno, feeling a little worried, headed towards her as she looked on the verge of toppling over. He reached out to pull her back, but before he could grasp hold of her, he slipped and fell into the water, the part around him was uneven, and where he fell was a deep part of the lake. As Chrno was not too tall, it did not take long for him to be submersed in water. The worst part of this whole thing was that Chrno did not know how to swim, he struggled in the water.

“Ahh, Chrno!” Azumaria who was quite a distance away watched as he struggled, but not daring to go closer as she could not swim as well.

“Chrno, don’t play around,” Rossette said as she still tried to fish for her headgear and heard blubbing noises behind her. She did not know that Chrno did not know how to swim.

As the blubbing noises stopped, Rossette had retrieved her headgear as well, she turned around and said, “There, I’ve got it!” she stopped as her eyes widened for she did not see Chrno anywhere around.

“Rossette! Chrno…Chrno…Chrno is…” Azumaria yelled to her. Rossette, although usually a little thick in her head, managed to grasp that Chrno had possibily drowned. She, at least knew how to swim, dunking her head under the water and ignoring the fact that her clothes were know thoroughly soaked through, she opened her eyes under the water, ignoring the smarting effect as she looked for Chrno.

As she looked around, she saw the part where the ground sunk lower, causing it to be much deeper, and she saw Chrno’s limp body sinking, seemingly, his head had also hit the edge of a jagged rock poking out and a trail of blood was flowing in the water like a small red mist. She hurried towards Chrno, although her wet clothes held her back. Finally, she managed to reach Chrno, and pulling him, she finally brought him ashore.

“Chrno!” Azumaria said as Rossette reached shore, carrying Chrno, there were tears in her eyes.
Rossette grimly put him gently down as she tore off her sleeve, wrapping Chrno’s wound with it as a makeshift bandage.

“I-I’ll go get help,” Azumaria turned to run, her eyes brimming with easy tears. Even though they took the car here, the Order was not that far away, and Azumaria ran back, flustered.

“Chrno…Chrno,” Rossette shook him slightly, maybe a little more violent then she meant to, cradling him in her arms, tears filled her eyes as she wept. “Don’t die…please…no…I…I can’t bear to live without you! When I got my memory back, I decided to forget all horrible thoughts about death and Aion, even though…even though…it was really painful, just thinking about it! But because I had you, I thought everything would be alright, so please, don’t…don’t die…”

She was now sobbing her heart out as she clutched on to his body, she was crying so hard that she did not notice little green shiny dots were gathering around his head, his horns were gathering magic from the astral line and healing him.

“Mm,” Chrno stirred slightly, unknowing to Rossette who was blinded by her tears. “Rossette? Don’t…cry…” he reached out his hands to wipe her tears.

“Chrno?” Rossette started as she realised that Chrno was awake. “I thought…I thought…”

“Demons don’t die that easily stupid,” Chrno smiled faintly.

“Chrno? You…you remembered?” Rossette rubbed her tears away, her mood becoming stunned yet happy.

“Oww,” he mumbled, rubbing his head. “That knock must have helped some way…”

“You idiot! Making me worried like that!” Rossette’s mood swings were rather scary…she whacked him on his head.

“Owowowow…” he moaned.

They sat in silence under the tree, looking at the moon and the stars which had come out. Their hands found their way to each other as they held hands shyly, blushing faintly under the pale moonlight. This felt like bliss to them.

A miasma suddenly came over the both of them, covering them fully, the same thick miasma that had enveloped them at Rossette’s funeral. Rossette and Chrno linked their arms together, refusing to let go as the miasma whirled confusingly around them.

“Well done,” a voice boomed through the miasma. “Well done young ones, you have passed my trial, remained together, you deserve it, enjoy this life you have, but remember that it was not easily retrieved!”

Chrno and Rossette looked around in confusion as the miasma began to clear, whatever it was, the voice had given them an assurance and they smiled at each other, a faint tinge creeping up their faces.

“Rossette! Is Chrno alright?” someone hailed them, running down the hill was Azumaria with Sisters Anne, Mary, and Claire.

They stopped in their tracks as they spotted Chrno and Rossette holding hands, standing side by side. Smiling, they laughed in relief as they realised everything seemed back to normal.