The demon stood at the crest of the mountain looking down at the once lush valley. Once this place had been a great forest before the humans came and began farming the land before the structures became taller and the river had been tamed and the mountains mined, and the land infested with them... humans.

The plumes of smoke from the factories hovered just underneath the layer of clouds poisoning the clouds. Just beyond the dark haze of smoke the city's lights twinkled as they prepared for nightfall.

Humans were afraid of the dark, afraid of what they could not see with their eyes and feel with their senses. His thoughts turned dark as the metal collar slowly started to constrict against his airway telling him not to venture down that road. A single hand delicately reached up and pressed against the cool steel. "I should be back down there in that hole, Doctor." He casually reminded the odd human sympathizing creature that he was dealing with a demon from pandemonium herself and quite unlike his former companion.

"Oh hush." The man walked up the rise warming his hands by rubbing them together as he surveyed the scene. "They've come quite far haven't they?"

"I hate them."

The man looked over and stared for a moment wondering exactly when the demon had changed so drastically. He used to be an agent for God, fighting against demons that would seek to destroy the world. "You don't mean that."

"I find myself longing for the taste of their death, to eat that fear when they realize there is nothing they can do to stop it."

A hand found its way on his shoulder, "I know you Chronos, you're not a lesser demon."

For a moment the resentment against the Doctor ebbed away, being trapped in a place and time that was not yours did not bother him. There was a time he looked up to this man, followed him blindly and learned from him. That time had come and gone. He shrugged his shoulder causing the hand to slip off before he turned around and stared at the dark eyes of the one called Doctor and narrowed his own as a growl reverberated through his spine causing his wings to furl upwards. His mouth opened exposing long fangs in a display of territorial dominance as his eyes glowed black.

The Doctor calmly stood long after the demon had sharply turned away and stalked back down the hill staring at the grass that had singed with his momentary rage. He bent down and knelt on the grass touching the ground and pulling his fingers back when he felt a physical shock. The grass was cursed forever it seems, even a thousand years no life would ever grow here again.

Chronos was obviously still upset for what he had done, leaving him stranded a hundred years in the past. He knew the younger demon he had was a creature of time so the span of those years should not have been the problem. Perhaps it was the act of desertion, or the fact Chronos found Lunar...

... and the fact the two are related...

How did this fact slip his mind, he had no idea Chronos and Lunar shared the same father. For all the randomness he traveled, for all the places he discovered, people he carried with him... the universal law of metaphysical paradoxes. Throw in enough variables and you'll end up with the entire works of Shakespeare in braille from putting together all the shot up road signs.


Chronos stood in front of the box that stood so innocently out of place among a broken church. When he was 'younger' and without horns he always reverted into the form that required the least amount of astral, the forces that his horns gathered to give him eternal life. His younger self always followed after the odd man, never questioning, always following.

Now... well he was unable to return to his childlike state, he could barely revert to his more human like form. Chronos turned at the sound of the Doctor returning. He reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and took out a key holding it out to him.

Chronos looked at the keys and shook his head, "Unnecessary." The door was opened and the demon watched as the man entered inside he ducked his head folded his leathery wings. He stood once inside, able to spread his wings out with the massive space accidentally hitting a set of wires causing them to sway back and fourth.

The place changed, copper took over the rich woods, wires replaced tapestries. Did it always have the musky smell? He shook his head, the nostalgia rich and almost too overwhelming. Still he clung to the anger and opened his eyes seeing the Doctor standing against the console, red hair and dark eyes so close to his daughters.

The Doctor stared at Chronos wondering about the almost smile to his face before he tightened his jaw and glared at him. He knew the TARDIS could stand against the whole army beating down at the door but a curse? He was playing with fire coming back for him but it was necessary for what he had to do... or undo.

Chronos stiffened and his eyes took a red tint as he was instantly in front of the Doctor, hands fisted around his collar holding him up, "We're not alone."

The Doctor put his hands on the Demons fists and eventually his feet found the floor again. "She was lost."

"You said you wouldn't take children again. Stop screwing up the future!"

"She had no parents, no siblings, the orphanage she's from didn't even bother looking for her. She would have died out there in the forest. She's of no consequence." He pried the claws off his coat and sighed at the lapels with the large holes in them.

Chronos sneered, "You're still looking for a mate aren't you?"

"It's not like that Chronos." He shook his head at the demon. "I cant explain why but I did."

The two of them turned to the sound of feet scuffing along the metal floor. A teenage blond girl stood at the metal archway, the over sized shirt and clothing were torn and ratted. She was rubbing her eyes yawning loudly.

"Doctwooo... wha... loud... yea..." She muttered between yawns.

Chronos' eyes widened and he took a step back when she lowered her hands and blinked a few times staring at him with glassy tired blue eyes. His heart stopped, time stood still and the universe suddenly ceased.

"Rosette."