Disclaimer: I own Chrono, yes I do! I'm a liar, how 'bout you!

Author's Note: See chapter one or chapter seven.

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Ticks of the Clock

Real

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He wasn't. . . real, the first time I met him.

. . . Well, that's not true—but it's the only way I can think of putting it. He simply wasn't real. Sure, he could be touched and tickled, spoken to and ignored, but. . . at the same time, he couldn't be. There was a part of him missing. A large part— like a huge section of a bridge that had been burnt to the ground. It was as if I was on one end, and he was on the other: staring, smiling, simply being.

But not actually living.

And then. . . one day, something miraculous happened. While recovering from a particularly nasty row with Joshua (in which I had stomped off to "be alone"—meaning "with Chrono"), I accidentally smacked the poor devil. I had been angrily reenacting scenes from the fight and. . . well, let's just say the bruise on Chrono's face wasn't pretty.

But— for the very first time— he seemed to come alive. He was animated. Showed true emotion (or pain, as it were). Wasn't so. . . placid. Dead.

In some strange way, it was as if I had sucker punched a god. Because that was what he was to us: an untouchable god. And yet, somehow, I had been able to reach over that gap in the bridge and smack him.

. . . It felt good.

Of course, I didn't say that or do it again. Instead I attended to the demon's blossoming wound and apologized frantically, hiding my disappointment when he reverted back to the same old monotonous Chrono by nightfall. In fact, I probably never would have said or done anything about it if it hadn't been for Chrono himself. Who, in a fit of wild guilt after Aion escaped with my brother, told me that I could hit him if I was ever angry— if I ever missed having a younger sibling to push around. I hadn't planned on taking him up on that offer (seriously, how cruel did he think I was?), but. . .

I remembered, in that instant, how much closer he'd felt after I'd hit him. And that had been on accident! If I really meant to do it. . .

I tested my theory: I whapped him (timidly) on the shoulder. In response, he smiled— the first real, true smile I'd ever seen on his face.

And in that way, Chrono sealed his fate. Bet he regrets it now!

. . . But I don't. Heh heh.

(Note: This one is dedicated to ownman114, who sent me the most entertaining and kind reviews for each chapter of this fic (Thank you!). Also, because he inspired me to write this particular ficlet with his very true and clever comment: "Yeah, the manga pointed that out too—somehow he (Chrono, obviously) went from being a mysterious devil whom Rosette and Joshua revered like a demigod to becoming Rosette's punching bag, personal bell boy, and the love of her life. Funny how so much can change in less than 5 years, huh?" Yes, very funny. I hope. ;) (PS. Yes, Chrono is a pedophile. XD (laughs))