Just a Doll

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrno Crusade, or any of the characters from it, and so on…I do however, own this story, so…I guess it’ll have to do for now…-sigh-

Wow…It’s two in the afternoon, and I only got up two hours ago. This is sad…I really should start going to bed at a descent hour…meaning…not at four in the morning…Nah.
Just a random thought, but you know, I was just watching episode 22 of Chrno Crusade, and as much as I hate how they changed the storyline from the manga, I just couldn’t get over how nicely done Satella and Fiore’s fight scene was. The entire time I was in awe, and I even re-watched it several times, thinking…oh crap, I’m going to have to write this out, aren’t I? Ugh…But I love how they animated that. I kept thinking to myself, “Woah, go Fiore, kick her ass! Satella, you pansy!” Yes, in case nobody has noticed, I deeply detest Satella Harvenheit…Don’t know why…meheheh

The Sinner~

Just a Doll

Chapter 2: Joshua
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“…sis…?”

Her eyes lifted for the first time, a small glimmer of light reflecting in the lifeless orbs. Before her stood a small, trembling child. A young boy no older than twelve.

A long while passed as they simply stared at one another, taking in every detail. He was still quite young, there was no denying that, dressed in nothing but a set of blood soaked pajamas. The same sticky red substance clung to his thick mess of blonde hair which seemed to be trying to hide what appeared to be horns just above each ear.

“Big sister?” Came the timid voice again. Those words caught her attention, awakening something deep within her-a forgotten desire…the desire to protect what she cared for.

Fiore stood, the jewels dropping from her lap carelessly. A hand reached out towards the boy, and a gasp left her lips when he fell to his knees, tears bursting forth from his azure colored eyes.

“You’re not my big sister…where…is she?” More tears spilled from the child. His small hands gripped at his horns and his entire body was overcome with a harsh sob. Before she could think the action over, Fiore knelt before him, taking his shoulders and tugged him to her. At first he was still, but soon after he returned the embrace, clinging desperately around her petite waist.

“It’s alright.” She whispered as her left hand trailed through his dampened hair. “I’m here and I promise…I will protect you, so please…do not cry any longer…”

Her grip around him tightened while she spoke words of reassurance.

Yes, she decided. She would protect him. As long as she was alive, then she would keep watch over this boy. It was a need she had, and even though he was clearly looking to her for comfort, she also felt this action was for herself. To gain back a purpose she’d thought lost forever.

A long silence drifted over the two, blanketing them in content during the several minutes that passed. Eventually Fiore leaned back to look the adolescent in the face, and he merely stared back with wide eyes. She wiped some tears from his cheeks, tilting her head to the side while holding the calm look.

“Tell me, what’s your name?”

His mouth opened as if to reply, but was cut off by a separate voice that trickled in from the figure that leaned lazily against the doorframe.

“Joshua Christopher.” Aion began, watching the two kids gaze at him in wonder. “He got here just a little while ago. He’s one of the ones I told you about a few days ago, one of God’s apostles. I was wondering where he wandered off to…”

Fiore looked back thoughtfully at Joshua and she wondered how much power a small child such as this could hold. Her eyes trailed to the horns the grew from his head, eyeing them with question, but decided to ignore her nagging questions for the time being. Pushing from the ground with one hand, her other was still wrapped securely around his shoulders as she pulled them to a standing position, turned fully to the demon.

“Are you feeling better now Joshua?” Aion asked with a smile, gazing down at the younger male.

“Yes…my head feels okay right now…I can’t hear the noise anymore.”

Noise? What did he mean?

“I’m glad. Fiore, could you take him upstairs and help him wash up? I left some clean clothes for him in your room.”

Fiore’s head bowed some and she bent over to retrieve the fallen jewels that she’d dropped earlier, and held them out to her master in one hand. “Right away, Lord Aion.”

He gladly took them, taking a moment to look them over. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Aion motioned towards the doorway for the two to follow, waiting for them to exit before allowing the doors to hook shut.

A tiny, unnoticeable smile met Fiore’s lips as she looked down at the child again. His eyes drooped slightly from lack of rest, and his grip on her seemed to slacken.

“Please, come with me, Lord Joshua. I’ll show you where you will be sleeping tonight.”

X

Locking the door to her bathing room, she kneeled before the boy as she had before, loosening the buttons on his stained shirt before tugging it off of him. The horns had momentarily disappeared from sight, leaving only the dried blood to cover his face. Plugging the drain, she turned the water on and waited for him to completely undress before instructing him to climb in, taking note of the small blush plastered on his face. He was still young, not even a teen, but that did not change the fact that he really wasn’t much younger than herself, physically. As she’d found out years earlier when she had first arrived on Eden, her body was internally altered in ways that made it not only stronger and more durable, but it was also changed to slow her physical aging process so that she could last longer.

His gaze kept downwards as he took a seat in the bathtub, trying his best to cover himself and he fidgeted rather uncomfortably, making her inwardly smile at his embarrassment.

Grabbing a nearby rag and bar of soap, she wetted his hair before beginning to gently scrub the top of his head, around his ears and then doing the same to his cheeks. For several minutes the wash continued, halting when he suddenly spoke.

For the first time since they’d left the room they first encountered one another in, he lifted his gaze to hers, asking quietly. “Fiore…?”

She pulled back, a bit startled by his sudden voice. “What is it, Lord Joshua?”

“I was just wondering…what did Aion mean by apostles?”

“…It is not my place to tell you such things. That is for Lord Aion to explain.”

“Oh…Okay.” Joshua held his head bowed as Fiore went back to washing him, re-wetting the cloth and running it back over his chin. “Fiore?”

She paused again, waiting for him to finish his sentence again.

“…” A frown crossed his features and his head lowered if possible, more.

“Joshua?”

“…” A small whimper came from him and he lifted a hand, gripping the side of his head roughly, as if in pain. “Where did I come from…? Why can’t I remember anything…why…” Fiore gasped, dropping the cloth into the now filthy water, staring at the boy when he forcefully pressed her hand against his cheek, gripping it tightly as tears became visible in his eyes. “I did something horrible…I just can’t remember what it was or why…help me…I…” His voice died out, but his words gripped at her heart painfully. She leaned over the side of the tub and pulled him into a tight, protective embrace.

“Don’t worry. I will take care of you from now on.” She said in a hushed tone, stroking the back of his head lovingly.

‘What a sweet boy.’ She thought to herself, turning to grab a towel that was close by, bringing it to his head and dried his bangs first before doing the same for the rest of his hair, being especially careful around the spot where his horns had grown earlier.

The blonde sighed softly, standing, causing Fiore’s own blush to creep onto her face, but she pushed it off quickly, leaving the room immediately to fetch his new clothing, returning a moment later and handing them over.

“I will be right outside, Lord Joshua. I’ve prepared your bed for you for when you finish dressing.” Avoiding eye contact, she left the room and wandered over to her bed that she would be giving up tonight for him. Taking a moment to pat down the wrinkles, the sound of the door opening behind her caused her to turn and hold back suppressed laughter.

Joshua stood there, dumbly holding out his arms. Apparently the clothing he was given…was more than two sizes too big.

Fiore motioned for him to take a seat on the bed, and he did so while she bent down to roll up his pant legs then did the same for his sleeves.

“Is that better?”

He nodded.

“Alright. You should try and rest.” Pulling back the covers, she stared at him expectedly and waited for him to climb under and get comfy before tucking him in securely. “I’m sure that Lord Aion will come to wake you in the morning.” Just before she could walk away, he stopped her, lightly gripping the fabric of her sleeve.

“Will you be here in the morning?”

She paused pulling away from him some and bowed a bit in politeness. “If that is Lord Aion’s wish, than yes. Now please try to get some sleep. I’m sure tomorrow will be a busy day for you.”

Joshua bit his bottom lip nervously but obeyed. He snuggled deeper into the covers, and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep mere minutes later.

Fiore peered at him from the door, just watching him before she walked out into the chilly night air.

X

“Mmmmmmmm, Fiore, this is delicious!” Shader squealed, popping another biscuit into her mouth. “I swear, it gets better every morning!”

The jewel summoner stood off to the side while unconsciously running a hand through her now chin-length hair. Earlier that morning, Shader had practically assaulted her with a pair of scissors, insisting that the new hairdo would be adorable. Of course, the only reason she allowed it to be cut was so it would no longer be in her way.

In the corner of her mind she could hear the disgusting slurping noises made by the cat’s vicious attempt at eating, along with muttered words of something having to do with Genai and Rizelle being too stubborn to eat…

One thought however, kept coming up.

“Excuse me.” She said quietly, “But do you know if Lord Aion has already come up this morning?”

Feline ears perked up at the question, and their owner swallowed down another mouthful of food so as not to choke on it while she spoke.

“Oh yeah, he said he had to go into town for a bit. Didn’t say why, but he’s like that some times…” Shader reached out for a piece of toast while she explained.

Fiore seemed to be lost in thought as her eyes kept to the wall opposite in a blank stare, watching a small insect crawl into a crack before she decided to voice her question.

“And what’s become of Lord Joshua? Did he go along for the trip as well?”

“Nah, I guess he wasn’t feeling good when Aion went to get him, so he’s still in bed. How come, kitten?” Shader’s eyes flashed deviously, setting her food aside for the moment. “Got a date?” She giggled at her own joke, only to be met by a cold stare from the other girl. “Ye-ouch…What a scary look…”

“Please excuse me.”

“Wha-heeey, Fi, I wasn’t serious…” She pouted and watched the young girl leave the kitchen calmly.

Fiore made her way back to her room, taking careful steps down the winding staircase that had frightened her so much as a child.

She could hear a faint cough coming from the door just ahead, and her pace quickened considerably. A few steps later, she reached for the knob, turning it and pushing. She peeked her head inside, laying her eyes on the person that occupied the bed.

Joshua’s breathing was harsh-almost painful sounding. His eyes clenched shut, and Fiore noticed that the horns were visible again as his hands clamped onto them tightly. Another pained cough sounded from him, and with that, she was instantly at his side. She pulled up a chair and took a seat, keeping close watch over the boy. Then, one eye opened to spot her, soon followed by it’s azure twin.

“Oh…Fiore…It’s you.” An uncertain smile met his lips, the hold on the horns loosening with his words. “You’ve cut your hair. It looks very nice…” He lifted a hand to feel the softness of her hair.

She blushed, averting her gaze from his. She jerked away from him quickly, rushing to the bathroom and grabbed a clean cloth, getting it damp and returned soon after, placing it on his forehead.

“How are you feeling?”

“I feel good, honestly.” He sounded more like he was out of breath to her… “I told Aion that too, but he said that I didn’t look well and that I should go back to sleep. I feel fine, really I do.” Joshua sat up shakily, sweat dripping from his brow but his smile never wavered.

Fiore shook her head and urged him to lay back, only to find that he was more stubborn than she’d first thought, and refused. She leaned back with a frown.

“Lord Joshua…”

“Can I go outside today? Ms. Jean hardly ever lets me go outside, and it’s such a nice day today…”

Ms. Jean? Who the…

“Maybe we could go fishing…I had a lot of fun when we went with Chrno. But my sister Rosette isn’t here yet…I keep calling out for her, but she won’t come. Maybe she’s already left…?” His voice held an odd tone, much different from the one she had heard the previous day. Then, suddenly she sensed a faint pulse from the horns, and it all made sense.

Of course the first time she had lay eyes on him, it did seem rather odd that a human boy, one of God’s apostles none the less, would possess horns that resembled a demons…Or perhaps they did belong to a demon? Either way, they appeared to be the cause of his agony and verbal nonsense.

His smile shifted abruptly, drooping, giving him the appearance of a sulking infant.

“Funny,” He mumbled softly to himself. “I can’t seem to remember what my sister’s face looks like…I saw her just yesterday, didn’t I? How strange…”

Even though she had no part of his kidnapping, Fiore could feel guilt ripping at her insides as if the great sinner himself were tearing her apart internally.

“Lord Joshua, please try to rest a little longer. Later tonight perhaps, I can take you outside, but please rest first.” Her hands pushed gently against his shoulder, urging him back down and this time, he complied without fuss. “Thank you…”

A sigh left the blonde’s lips as Fiore ran the wash cloth over his forehead once more before setting it off to the side.

“Is there anything I could get you?”

He shook his head silently, lifting his eyes to meet with hers in a blank stare.

“…Very well. I should return to the kitchen. Please excuse me…”

“Fiore.”

Just as before, gripping fingers laced about her wrist, stunning her momentarily, but succeeding in stopping her.

“Yes? Have you thought of something?” Tugging the chair up, she took a seat again and watched for instruction.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He relinquished his grasp on her a moment later, before lacing his hands together over his chest and averted his eyes to the ceiling. “A story would be nice…I’d prefer reading more, but there doesn’t seem to be any novels around here…”

Fiore looked taken aback at his odd request. “I’m sorry…but I don’t know of any stories.”

A thoughtful expression covered his face. “That’s okay. Then I’ll tell you one instead.”

‘He really is a strange boy…’ She thought to herself, but stay sat none the less.

“Have you heard about the astrallines, Fiore?” Of course she knew what they were…She’d known that since the age of seven…but hell, why not let him tell his story? He needed some form of loosening up, she figured…

“Not at all. I would like to hear.”

He beamed at her, sitting up on his elbows and began his story, leaving no detail untold. He talked on for a near thirty minutes, repeating every word he’d previously heard from Chrno, and even threw in his dream of being the first to explore the astrallines with his beloved older sister. None of this really thrilled Fiore…but she would listen, if it made him happy…

So she merely watched the enthusiastic boy.

“You see,” He exclaimed, his voice growing louder with every passing word, “We want to be the first ones to actually find and investigate them. Sure, anyone can explore the world if they had the right way of getting around, but there are very few people who really know of the astrallines! Oh, hey, come to think of it, why don’t you come with us, Fiore? I’m sure Rosette wouldn’t mind…It could be fun…”

Blinking in surprise, her eyes stay plastered on him for several minutes before responding, her voice keeping its repeated tone. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

“Great! As soon as Rosette gets here, I’ll be sure to ask-ugn…” A hand clasped the front of his shirt as another threatening wave of coughs wracked his frail body.

Fiore’s eyes widened, and she peered over him-concern evident on her face.

“Lord Joshua, Lord Joshua, are you alright? Here…” She tucked the blankets back around him. “Would you like a glass of water?”

“Ugn...my head…It feels like it’s going to…burst…”

Frowning in worry, the girl set the damp cloth over his forehead and took one of his hands in her own. “Do not worry, Joshua. I will stay with you, and do whatever I can to make you better…”

“Perhaps sleep would be the best thing for him right now.”

Fiore turned to see who had spoken, eyeing Aion and Viede standing in the doorway.

Pushing his glasses back up on his nose, Aion waved for Fiore to join them at their spot, and she did so reluctantly pulling her hand free from the child’s.

“Oh, Lord Aion,” She murmured, wandering over to him with a polite greeting. “When did you get back?”

“Just a few minutes ago. How’s he doing?”

“He was fine just a little while ago, but…” She nodded back to his form, that was still writhing upon the bed, soaked with sweat.

“Still, it’s better than he was earlier. I’m leaving him in your care from now on, Fiore. He seems to be calmer around you.”

It was then that she wondered just how long the devil had been standing in the doorway, and at his statement she had to fight back a blush. Surely it wasn’t true anyway…

“Yes, Lord Aion. I shall do my best.” She curtsied politely then looked back to Joshua.

She’d do her best…but she knew easily that her best wouldn’t be THE best in this situation, but she would do whatever it took…

“Joshua…”

BANG

Her eyes snapped open, staring up into the face she’d just seen in her dream of memory. Impossible…when had she fallen asleep?

Instantly she sat up, a wave of dizziness overwhelming her and she clamped her eyes shut.

“Were you dreaming, Fi?” A now fifteen year old Joshua smiled, offering a friendly hand to her. “I heard you say my name in your sleep.”

She stared at him as she pushed herself up, ignoring the hand entirely. “…oh…yes, I’m sorry, I did not mean to fall asleep…”

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. I am the reason why you didn’t get any sleep, after all…”

Her face burned scarlet at the memory of the previous night…

She had come into his room to check on him, only to find that he had collapsed from one of his fits while taking a shower. So, as any caring ‘maid’ would do, she helped him up, and proceeded in helping him finish his wash…Sure, when he was younger it wasn’t such a big deal…but certain things about him now…

Her blush deepened as her thoughts trailed further.

Were different….

“Fiore? Is something wrong?”

His voice snapped her out of her temporary daze, and instantly she was sober. “No, not at all…What was that noise I heard?”

He smirked, shaking his head slightly with an amused laugh.

“Oh, apparently Rizelle found her hairbrush in Genai’s room…That’s just him learning his lesson.”

------------------------

Author note: It amazes me how many people dislike Joshua. Huh. That was a really random thought, I know, but it’s true…he’s not a very popular character…strange. Anywho, tell me what you think about chapter 3, and just be warned, that there may or may not be some...adult matter in the next chapter...not much, but I haven't even decided if i'm going to put it in there yet... Chapter 4 should be up sometime soon, so don’t go away!