Disclaimer: They're mine. You take them and you will die.

Thanks: Aero as always, John just because and everyone on the planet. 
I don't feel like writing thank yous.


*********
"Sebastien! Where are you?", Erik's voice traveled into the forest 
to the young Sebastien. He looked up disinterested. His father and 
tutor ran up to him. He could hear them asking him questions. They 
sounded concerned. He tried to listen but the ticking was so loud. 
He felt so weak. So tired. Sleep.

"Son? Can you hear me? Sebastien look at me!", his father's voice 
was frantic. Sebastien struggled to answer him "Father...oh God 
Father. I can see! I can see everything! It's so clear! Forever and 
ever!"

Erik looked over at Vincent, concern etched on his face. "We need to 
get him home." He knelt down beside his son. "Sebastein? We're going 
home. We can't stay here."

Sebastien stared at his father. Erik shuddered for his son's eyes 
were almost dead. His voice came out in a breathless whisper. "No...
no Father. Don't you see? Don't you understand? There is no here! 
Not for you...only me. Only me! We are there! Can't you understand 
Father? I know all now. I understand."

He felt himself being picked up as he babbled on. "You can't know! 
But I do! Time! Time is everything! Oh God, it's so clear! So very 
clear! I'm sorry Father! I'm sorry!" Sebastien's voice rose in pitch 
and he sounded panicked. "I didn't want to! I didn't have a choice! 
They want me to come! I have to go to them! Put me down Father! They 
won't let me go!" He struggled in his father's arms.

Erik clutched him tighter. "It's going to be alright son. I promise. 
Everything will be alright." He stroked his son's hair and the boy 
sobbed to be let go. 

When they finally arrived home Sebastien had sobbed himself to 
sleep. Erik put him in his bed and kissed his forehead. He then 
joined Vincent in the other room.

"I'm worried Vin. He doesn't have a fever so that can't explain it. 
There is only one explanation...and I just don't want to think my 
Sebastien is crazy."

"Did you see his eyes?"

Erik shivered and nodded his head. "He's so gone Vin. He doesn't 
realize what he's saying. All that stuff about understanding. 
Understanding what?"

"I don't know Erik...what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."
********
Sebastien stared into the darkness and listened to the watch 
clutched in his hand.

Tick

Someone was born

Tick

Someone died

Tick

Laughing

Tick

Crying

Tick

Everything

Time was everything.

"Now do you understand boy?"

Sebastien sat up quickly and looked at Chronos. "Leave me alone! 
Leave me alone!"

The boy continued to shriek as his father and tutor ran in. Erik 
grabbed his son by the shoulders and shook him. "Son? Son? It's 
alright! Nobody is going to hurt you. There's nobody here."

Sebastien shook violently. "Not here. Not here. There, Oh God! He's 
there! There!"

Vincent sat beside Sebastein and spoke quietly. "Who's there 
Sebastien. Who?"

Chronos whom nobody but Sebastien could see, was beginning to get a 
tad annoyed. "They are interferring Sebastien. Get rid of them."

Sebastien's hand went to his jacket and he grabbed the watch. "I 
don't want to! Father! Vincent! I don't want to! I don't want to! 
Run, please run!'

But they didn't run. They stood staring concerned at him. They were 
concerned. Why wouldn't they run? 

Why didn't they run??

He didn't want to! Why couldn't they have run?

Oh God please no!

Sebastien threw the watch agaist the wall. The glass cracked with a 
loud clap of thunder.

Pain shot through his body as the taste of blood ran through his 
mouth.

Chronos watched knowing that the young keeper understood.

And he did.

The ticking stopped as a thousand voices screamed out. "You are 
ours. Welcome Time-Keeper Fedora"

The ticking resumed.

The End. (confused? good)

Flames, Hate Mail, and various other conformations that I'm evil for 
writing this ending can be sent to thericia@excite.com