Rosette Christopher
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Rosette Christopher is a fictional character from the Chrono Crusade anime and manga series. She is identified as ‘Mary Magdalene’ by demons. Her brash and determined attitude makes her a very popular member within the Order and comes in handy while on missions. While with the Order as an exorcist, Rosette’s ultimate goal is to be reunited with her brother with the help of her friends and Chrono (her contractor) and to bring to justice to the demon that took him in the first place, Aion.
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[edit] Early life
At the age of eleven, Rosette lived with her brother Joshua and with the other orphans at the Seventh Bell Orphanage while being looked after by Miss Gene. Seen as a leader, Rosette instructed the other orphans to do various chores while the orphans themselves see her as a force to be reckoned with. When Joshua becomes ill due to his overuse of his power, Rosette cares for him and oversees his health and safety personally.
When Father Remington comes into the picture, he expresses the Order’s interest in Joshua. Seeing that he is one of the apostles, Remington wants to place Joshua in protective custody. Since she has a special bond with her brother and doesn't want him to leave her, she takes him into the forest, planning to hide out until Remington decides to give up and leave.
[edit] Chrono
While out in the forest, the pair accidentally stumble unto an underground tomb. Upon entering, they meet a weakened Chrono. As Chrono tells the two that he was a devil, Rosette feels pity and compassion and offers cookies to him. Graciously he accepts and from that point on, they become friends. They develop a bond of friendship and trust between with each passing day. One day they have a picnic where Chrono tells Rosette and Joshua about the Astral Line, a stream of energy in which all things come and go from (something similar to the Lifestream in Final Fantasy VII). An excited Joshua tells Chrono about exploring the lands with his sister and how he believes their greatest feat has been the finding of the Astral Line. Joshua falls asleep soon after, and Rosette reveals to Chrono that she didn’t really want to become an explorer but a doctor for Joshua’s sake.
A few days later, Rosette ran to Chrono late at night. She tells him that Joshua was going to leave to pursue his interests in the Order. Their talk is cut short, however, with the arrival of Aion in a form of a bird. Aion reveals to Rosette a part of Chrono’s past, him being a killer and how he came to be in the weaken state he was in by ripping off his horns. The horns being Chrono’s source of power, Aion offers it to Chrono on the condition that he returns with him to ‘finish what they had started.’ As Chrono refuses, Aion says truthfully that he had already gave Chrono’s horns to someone else. Turning to Rosette, Aion says to her, “My dear, your brother is most enchanting” causing Rosette to panic. As Aion takes his leave, Chrono transforms into his original form and they fly over to the orphanage hoping they are not too late.
Upon arriving, they see the orphans running away from the orphanage. Suddenly, a purple blast covers them all and turns them to stone. They then see Joshua with blood on his head and Chrono’s horns now attached. A frightened Rosette confronts Joshua as he tells her about his power, and that she didn’t need to become a doctor anymore. Saddened and scared of her brother’s madness, Rosette tells him that he is acting strangely. This action reverts Joshua back to his old self temporarily, Before the madness took hold of him again and he warns Chrono and Rosette to stay away from him. Moments later, the surrounding area turns to stone.
After the incident, Rosette inquires to Chrono about what he could do in order to save Joshua, as they were his horns that Joshua himself was using. Chrono replies that he can’t do anything as he was low on Astral Energy, and tells of the possibility of forming a contract in which he could feed off Rosette’s life energy in order to help find Joshua. He warns her of all the dangers and consequences involved, but this, Rosette forms accepts and wears a pocket watch around her neck to symbolize that contract.
Soon afterwards, Father Remington (who was near Seventh Bell at the time of the incident) brought the pair back to the New York Branch of the Order despite the protests from the higher ups. The anime does not cover the beginnings of Rosette and Chrono at the Order but according to the manga Rosette was bullied by the girls constantly because of her contract with Chrono. Her friend and mentor, Elizabeth Gransberg, was there to comfort her in those hard times and with the help of Rosette’s own attitude and determination, she found herself and Chrono became respected as well as popular in the Order.
Rosette’s mishaps (i.e.: crashing her car into various objects and buildings as well as the destruction of most buildings) caught the attention and disfavor with Sister Kate. However when it came down to it, Rosette, with the help of Chrono, got the job done.
Sister Kate forbade any activity involving Joshua despite Rosette's insistance and annoyance. Remington suggested trying out for the Militia; as they had the power to carry out their own investigations. It only took one test for Rosette to gain the rank of Militia.
[edit] Rosette’s friends
With the exception of Chrono and of Elizabeth (only in the manga), Rosette was often seen with Sisters Claire, Anna and Mary. They often tease Rosette with her daily mishaps but when it came down to do, they are Rosette’s greatest supporters. Soon Azmaria, the Apostle of Charity, became good friends with Rosette and saw her as an elder sister figure, admiring her and her abilities. Satella, the Jewel Witch, was first introduced as a rival and a pain to Rosette’s side. An event prompted her and Satella to be allies and then as friends.
[edit] Journey to find Joshua
After the incident at Central Park and at the train station (followed by the Christmas season) Rosette traveled to San Francisco with Azmaria and Chrono. Along the way the train was hijacked by Rizelle for reasons of her own. A battle with Rizelle and Rosette ensured and the group continued on its way.
The train itself was destroyed after the battle so the group continued on foot. Satella then rode up and offered them a ride to San Francisco.
It is at this point that some major differences between the anime and manga surface.
[edit] Anime Version
[edit] Rosette’s awakening
When the group arrived in San Francisco, Chrono fell ill due to a high fever and was sedated in Satella‘s villa. After Rosette and Satella visited numerous pharmacies, they came back due to the fact that Rosette caught the fever herself. After learning how to cure Chrono from a fortune teller, Rosette supposedly heals Chrono with a kiss.
As Chrono and Rosette celebrated for their recovery, there was a knock on a door. Steiner answered the door and standing there was DeFaux. He, however, had no interest in fighting and extended an invitation of alliance. Hours after as dawn broke, Rosette and Chrono gave the decision that they would join the pursers. As they met at the harbor front, DeFaux called Rosette Mary Magdalene and how she was going to receive her holy marks. Rosette dismissed this prophecy.
While Rosette took a bath, she felt sharp pains on her wrists. Upon looking, she found herself bleeding from cross-like wounds. Though wounds pained her, she kept them a secret until her she inadvertantly revealed them to Chrono; who promptly identified them as Stigmata.
Following the events of the sinner battle and Satella’s abduction, the group went to the carnival for some time off. After an event that cause Rosette and Chrono to admit their true feelings about each other, Rosette saw the same bird from the night when Joshua disappeared. Following the bird, she found Joshua with the bird. Overjoyed that she had finally found her brother but disturbed that he couldn’t remember her, their reunion was cut short by the presence of Aion and his men. Chrono followed shortly after, advising Rosette to retreat. However Rosette denied Chrono’s request in which she believed that if she did that, it would be a four year waste.
Aion then prepared for the Ritual of Atonement. As he called forth the miasma with the use of Pandemonium’s head, a sword and the apostles, Joshua prepared to shoot Rosette. As he shot, Chrono intercepted the shot and taking the full blow. As Pandemonium’s head then transformed into the Sphere of Atonement, Rosette attacked the sphere in a blind rage. As she destroyed the sphere, a pillar of light engulfed her and stripping her most of her clothes and leaving her in a state of uselessness.
Aion then explained to her that she was the 8th virtue, Justice and that she was more powerful than her brother. He offered her the chance to join him and have her wishes fulfilled in which she immediately rejected. As Aion embraced Rosette with a unwillful kiss, Chrono transformed in a rage and headed towards Aion. However, Joshua intercepted and the two battle while Rosette begging Chrono to kill Aion.
A battle between the two left the option of Chrono ripping off the horns out of Joshua’s head. After this, Chrono turned into stone. Aion Carried the weakened Rosette away.
After the events mentioned above, Aion is seen with Rosette giving her a robe which she at first refused to wear. As he explains that the robe was made by Fiore, Satella’s sister, for the reunion, Rosette asks for Joshua's location. Aion answers that the Order has him and tells her to look at the city. As Rosette looks at the city in its destructive state, Aion explains that the battle was a tribute from both Chrono and Joshua. He tells Rosette of her dreams and what she wanted which was to help people in need. Aion offers again but Rosette refuses and bites his hand.
She momentarily becomes free until Aion begins to question her life purpose, recalling Chrono’s last words for her to live. He then calls her Stigmata into question. Later, Rosette is seen with Aion wearing the robe having fallen under his sway.
[edit] As the saint
In a mesmerized state, Rosette does the will of Aion and she starts to heal people. Aion arranges for Chrono (after he’s been free from his stone state) and Rosette to meet in an abandoned church. As Aion talks to Chrono about breaking the contract between the two, Chrono tries to talk some sense to Rosette but to no avail.
After Chrono did some soul searching and Aion wanting him to meet up with Rosette in Central Park, they meet again. Aion gives Rosette her gun and Chrono starts advancing on her. At first Chrono pretends to talk to Rosette but then surprisingly attacks Aion with his horns. As Rosette prepares to attack, she is suddenly free from Aion’s control. As the two embrace, Chrono is attacked by Aion who had broke free of Chrono’s power.
Rosette then decides to give up the rest of her life to transform Chrono into his original form. As Chrono beckons her not to, she does it anyway. A very brief battle with Aion ensures and he is defeated. Chrono suffers from some wounds of his own and Rosette calls his name.
Rosette’s friends arrive at Central Park later and only find traces of Aion’s bird and Rosette’s gun.
[edit] Last moments
In the anime, Chrono and Rosette return to Seventh Bell to use Aion’s horns to reverse the effects done on the orphanage then later place the horns in the tomb of Magdalene. They go into hiding and spend their last days together in what Chrono calls Rosette's Dream. He brought her to a far away country farm house not unlike the place Rosette wished to spend the rest of her life. Chrono and Rosette's last moments were spent sharing a swinging bench on the porch of their cottage. Rosette tells Chrono that she wants to use her watch to drain the last of her life and save Chrono. The time would allow Chrono transform into his true form and instantly heal himself, however this would suck the last of Rosette's life something Chrono was unwilling to do. Chrono wanted to spend every last moment he had with Rosette, even if it meant he would die. Rosette reminisces and tells Chrono that she wishes she had more time and that she was afraid of death. Chrono acknowledging her fear with an embrace. As the sun fades, Rosette thanks Chrono and in their last moments together, they are able to express their true feelings for one another as darkness comes to end their suffering. Chrono and Rosette are able to spend their last moments together. Slowly the clock winds down until at last it goes dark as the final life of Rosette vanishes.
Later on, the remaining members of the Magdalene Order and friends of Chrono and Rosette arrive at the farmhouse. However, all that remains of Chrono and Rosette are their bodies, sitting peacefully together on the swinging bench. Their friends bury Rosette under a tree with Azmaria placing the watch near the grave. We witness Sister Kate Valentine crying over Rosette's grave vowing she was wrong about Rosette, "I never wanted anything bad to happen to her". Sister Kate tearfully proclaims that Rosette will go to heaven; she will be forgiven of her sins, "No girl was as brave or more deserving of paradise as she was". Sister Kate's final words speak of her relationship with Rosette in a new light: she did not hate Rosette, as the younger girl often assumed, but loved her as a sister.
[edit] Manga Version
Much of Rosette's early life and exploits remain. However, the search for Joshua is where major differences appear. Aion's objectives were completely different in the manga. Thus, Rosette was not an instrumental part of it and Aion tried repeatedly to kill her.
After Rosette found Joshua in San Francisco, she also ran into Aion and several other Sinners. Unable to bring herself to fight her own brother, Rosette's hesitation allowed Joshua to shoot and badly wound Chrono. Aion continued to prod the pair, enraging Chrono to the point where he lost control of himself. Breaking the seal, Chrono healed his wounds and transformed into his demonic form to engage Aion. However, this brought Rosette to her knees and paralyzed her as her soul was being drained away. The resulting battle nearly destroyed much of San Francisco and knocked out Rosette. The Order attempted to ambush the Sinners but were roundly defeated, losing Azmaria as well.
While the Order tries to put itself back together after the debacle, Rosette recovers both physically and mentally from her loss. She awakens to find Chrono bound and comatose. After some soul searching, Rosette makes up her mind to continue the fight no matter the cost. Her first task is to wake Chrono, and to do so Rosette risks a dive into his soul.
While in Chrono's soul, she learns of his past and of his relationship with Mary Magdalene. She watched the flight of the Sinners from Pandemonium and the losses they incurred in their escape. Rosette also caught a glimpse of their search for freedom. The journey through Chrono's soul cultimates at Magdalene's tomb, where she confronts Chrono and forces him to accept the past. As Rosette is being pulled out of Chrono's soul, she begins to fall once more only to have Chrono break free of his restraints and catch her. Together, the two vow to continue the fight.
Thanks to Satella's help, Chrono and Rosette make their way to Eden, the home base of the Sinners. There, they face not only the Sinners but also the Pursuers of Pandemonium led by Duffau. Rosette makes use of a new weapon, the Tetragrammation against Genai and blow off part of his body. The two fight past the army of Pursuers and enter the Oratorio, where they find all the Apostles gathered.
The fighting intensifies as the Legion within the other demons begin to grow out of control. After meeting up with Satella, they head for the center of Eden, but are soon mobbed by the sheer number of demons. Miraculously, the Magdalan Order appears and blasts a hole through the demons, allowing Rosette, Satella, and Chrono to get through.
The trio finally enter Pandemonium, the source of all demons and their home. Inside they find a vertible paradise quite unlike the "Hell" that Rosette imagined. There, Satella leaves them to confront her sister while Chrono and Rosette continue on. They engage the masses of demons, now all completely out of control due to Aion's actions. The pair are ambushed and Chrono pushes Rosette through a door before being impaled. In her desperation, Rosette releases the seal once more and collapses. However, she is soon taken by Joshua. A battle ensues when she tries to make Joshua remove his horns. With one arm frozen, Rosette manages to shoot Joshua and knocks off one of his horns. He then regains his senses and tears off the other one, finally back with his sister.
The pair go off in search of Chrono but when they reach him, Rosette falls. Her time is up and she collapses in Chrono's arms, trying to put his horns back on for him.
As Joshua and Chrono mourn her, Azmaria appears and presents a way to revive Rosette. However, she states that the demon queen Pandemonium must be kept alive or else it might seek Rosette's empty body to use as a host. Chrono goes off to keep Aion away while Azmaria calls out to the Astral Line, searching for Rosette's soul. However, Aion has already severed Pandemonium's head and when he realizes Rosette might become the new Pandemonium, goes off to kill her.
Rosette finds herself on a train of the dead and gazes out the window blankly. When another passenger asks if she really has no regrets about her life, Rosette is forced to reconsider. Wanting to return to Chrono, she jumps off the train and sees Mary Magdalene reach out to her. Rosette awakens and seizes her gun and with Chrono blasts Aion. Afterwards, Chorno freezes her temporary because that was the only way he could keep her from following him. However, he promises to return and Rosette accepts his words and waits for him.
It is here that is most obvious how Chrono and Rosette felt about each other.
[edit] Last Moments
In the manga, Rosette survived for much longer and had even gone to live and work at Seventh Bell. However, her conditions continue to worsen and she is soon bedridden. In what appears to be her last moments, she wishes to see Chrono one last time. Chrono makes it back, missing an arm and with bandages around his face. After their reunion, it is unlikely Rosette survived for much longer. It is confirmed she died at 24, due to the dates inscripted on her gravestone (1908-1932). Chrono's fate is uncertain, though in the epilogue of the manga, flowers are left on Rosette's grave each year, even though the location of the grave was not left in her will.
[edit] Anime Rosette vs. Manga Rosette
While initially both versions appeared to be the same, because of plot changes made by Gonzo there are signifigant alterations to her character. Manga Rosette remained resolute to the end and was never considered a reincarnation of Mary Magdalene, nor was she a saint. Anime Rosette incidentally appeared to lose her strength of will when Aion manipulated her. Though most of the differences can be attributed to Gonzo's interpretation of the story, many fans of the manga find the anime version of Rosette as somewhat lacking.
[edit] Timeline Differences
The majority of the manga actually takes place in 1924. However, for unknown reasons, the anime decided to push the timeline forward to 1928. In both versions though, the story still starts with her being 16. This is proven by the inscriptions seen on her gravestone in both the anime and manga. In the anime the gravestone reads, Rosette Christopher, 1912-1928, with her death being at 16. In the manga her gravestone reads, Rosette Christopher, 1908-1932, with her death being at 24.
[edit] Notes
It should be noted that the Mary Magdalene in Chrono Crusade is not the Mary Magdalene of The New Testament. The Mary in Chrono Crusade was actually an orphan with no memory of her past, and the name was bestowed upon her by The Order, meaning her real name is unknown.
