Claimer: Hahahaha! They're all mine!

Thanks: To the young man who lives inside my dreams, for you all my
writing is done.


Across the darkened purple sky
Watch the victims set to die
A death that's nobler then life's worth
Will save them from their cursed birth

********
For many long years had he served.

Faithfully.

Without question.

And now what little he had was being taken away. Ripped from his
trembling hands by the voices that had tormented him, since he was a
young boy.

The Masters of Time.

He had been ordered to obey their command. To follow the plan
perfectly. To find the Lady and to deliver their message.

It would be the first of many messages, and in the end it would be
all he had.

He who was once the Keeper of all Time, would be reduced to nothing
more then a go-between. Left with nothing more then words and those
voices.

All else was emptiness.

But that was the result and this is the cause.

********
"Congratulations Erik, Tara."

Erik Fedora grinned "Thanks, Vincent. I just can't believe it. Me, a
father...you'll be tutoring him when he gets older of course."

Vincent nodded, "Oh, of course! I'd be honored to do so."

Tara frowned, "He? Why, Erik when did you develop this uncanny
ability to see into the future? I mean to already know it's a
boy...that's fantastic! What color will his eyes be?"

Erik scowled slightly while Vincent snickered, "Okay fine, I don't
know if it'll be a boy but I've got a feeling it will. No matter." He
drew her into his arms and kissed her gentley, "If it's a girl she
will have your beauty and grace and if it's a boy he will have my
strength and rugged good looks."

Tara laughed lightly, "But what if we have a boy with my beauty and
grace?"

Vincent laughed, "Then we teach him how to fight."

********
It was time.

He would have to tell her now, while her husband was away.

A humilating start to his new life...or his new death. 

It was all in how you looked at it.

Tara Fedora.

A wonderous creature.

How could such loveliness cause his downfall?

********
Tara gently placed the folded garments on the shelf. There were
servants to do that sort of thing but every once in awhile Tara liked
to help out. It gave her something to do while Erik was smithing in
the village. 

She turned away from the shelf and cried out.

Standing there was an avian creature with startingly light blue eyes
and long black hair. The amazing thing about him wasn't that he had
suddenly appeared in her guestroom. It wasn't the flowing cape
hanging from his shoulders that seemed to change color.

It was that his plummage was a dark shade of purple.

Tara swallowed her fear. "What do you think you're doing in my house!
Get out! Do you think just because a lady's husband isn't home you
can just stroll in their house? Well I've got news for you, I don't
need my husband here, I can break your legs all by myself!"

The stranger didn't seem horribly impressed by the outburst, "You are
Tara Fedora?"

"How did you know...?"

"And you are expecting your first child."

Tara sat down quickly. Who was this guy and how did he know any of
this? More importantly what was he doing here?

The stranger stared down at her. "Your first child will be a special
one. No matter what may happen you are to raise that child with
kindness. He is chosen amoung many to maintain the order."

Tara blinked.

She really had to cut down on the drinks. This had to be a
hallucination.

"Oh I assure you, I am very real. And this is very important. You are
familiar with the concept of time?"

"I know what time is, yes."

"No...no I don't think you do. There is a balance in the universe and
time is at the core of that balance. Without time nothing else could
exist."

"What does this have to do with my child?"

"Haven't you been listening? He will maintain the balance. You will
tell the child none of this, just  keep him safe. That rest I will
take care of, myself."

And before Tara could demand a better explanation, the creature had
vanished as swiftly as he had appeared.

********
That's what they wanted.

He had done as they commanded and set the wheels in motion.

He glanced at the pocketwatch.

Only a matter of time?

A matter of time is never to be taken lightly.

The child would mean the universes survival, but his own internal destruction.

An eternity of servitude to those who caused him to become what would
be.

Alone.

Chronos closed the pocketwatch and waited.

End Part One