Zeccaran woke up with a long yawn. Comfortably laid out in his new bed, Pixie’s wings held themselves wrapped around him. While it was unconventional, as the mare was quite literally twice his size, he was still the big spoon. He did not mind. Having the opportunity to sit snuggled inside the wings of a Stormwalker was a treat very few had the pleasure to experience. In a way he was almost annoyed he had woken up, he had not been getting much restful sleep for the last couple of days. With Luna amping up the exploration of Gusty’s mind he had been right alongside her for all of it. This amounted to getting little sleep that recharged the brain. Still, it was necessary, just as necessary as the repeated physical activity he had been engaging in with Pixie although he narrowly had the stamina to complete his tasks.

Carefully rolling over, Zeccaran took to staring at his desk from the bed. Momentarily, Pixie hummed. She rolled as well, slipping a hoof around him as her wings tightened around him, as if their feathery embrace was not complete without him. That did not distract him, however, from the strange nagging feeling that seemed to keep worming around in his cranium.

It was almost as if something was trying to talk to him. A something that he was infinitely familiar with, although said thing existing did not make sense. Laying still and keeping his breathing to a minimum Zeccaran listened to the fishy murmurs waiting for more. It seemed just as quickly as he had taken notice of them did they stop. Squinting at nothing, his suspicion remained directed at the ethereal sensation.

What the hay was that? He thought to himself. The internal commotion picked back up not a moment later. This time the sounds were clearer, but the words were unintelligible. However, it did not take but the smallest breadth of a moment for the language to send a chill of fear arching down his spine.

Shit! The curse, however, did not exit his lips as planned but instead remained locked in his mind as the sensation from before fully manifested. The thought long-dead connection reanimated and he was no longer quite so alone in his mind.

The dark feminine voice of the universe’s ultimate femme fatale grumbled another sentence in her native tongue before going quiet. Zeccaran could feel the creature of the night waiting for him to respond but with no idea what had been said he just sat there frozen in horror, wishing that Pixie would slap him awake from this nightmare.

I see that Luna has destroyed much of what my loyal followers once made. The voice of the Shade spoke in typical, but slow and seductive Equestrian.

What? Was all that Zeccaran could manage as his heart and mind raced to figure out a way to push himself out of bed and to find some high cliff to end both he and the Shade’s existence.

Your mind is not as it once was Conduit. You know not my tongue nor the undying devotion to my cause you once did. The young Princess saw to that. Fortunately, she did not destroy the part of you that made you a proper shelter for me. The Shade mulled through her words calmly, but there was a clear edge to them he could feel.

Begone, Shade! I have no business with you! He hissed internally. With an immense struggle he slid out of bed and onto the floor. It was a supremely long walk to the nearest tower high enough to kill him, and the dark beast’s presence in his mind was going to make every step all the more difficult.

So you do not even recall who I am? Nor any of the work that you did for me? I must say that I am rather miffed. A devotee such as you, my sweet zebra, deserved a honorable death compared to the existence you have been forced to suffer through. Zeccaran could sense the Shade shaking her head in dismay, metaphorically at least.

Hey, I’m not suffering! He argued back, In fact things are really starting to look up for me! And you showing up went and ruined it! Silently, he pointed a hoof at Pixie scowling angrily at the accusatory she-demon in his head. Zeccaran painfully took a few steps towards the door, doing his best to keep control of both his mind and body.

Your consort is...a dangerous choice. It was a Shadow-kin that brought me to this lowly state, and now you lay with one as if to spite me. It would seem that though your memory has been altered your personality has not changed, the Shade sighed.

Wait...she’s Shadow-kin?! Zeccaran’s mind practically did a backflip. Logically, it made perfect sense, she was the sister of Guardian Angel, and by all accounts Stormwalker genetics were clearly potent. He simply had not thought of it yet.

I see also that the Princess of the Moon has stunted your otherwise brilliant mind...or perhaps that...was your doing? This damage is hard to qualify. The shade mumbled more to herself than him.

Zeccaran took the moment to look over his girlfriend. She did not show any outward signs like her brother did, no fangs nor slitted pupils. She did fulfill the height and size requirements, however. She did not seem to be any stronger than expected for a mare of her stature nor possess the same endurance of her elder sibling. That could just be good acting, but it did not seem like it to Zeccaran. She might be Shadow-kin but she was markedly weaker in the demonic factors associated with them.

Hmm...she is indeed rather meek for her kind. The Shade mused to him, clearly one with his thoughts. But a true beauty to be sure, how did a small, ugly little fool like you manage to enrapture her interest.

Resisting the urge to comment on how she had free reign inside his head, Zeccaran started on a different topic.

You do know I aim to kill us right? He more easily made a trot over to the door from the bedroom to the lab lounge. So maybe insulting your host is not such a good idea.

I do know such, but I have no power to stop you besides words. I am but a fractured shadow of my former self. Your will is your own. Though I would prefer not to die twice. The Shade aired out her words as if she had folded her limbs in resolute acceptance.

Zeccaran paused when he reached to door that led out of his lab and into the hall. She had stopped talking just as he managed to reach it and her statement left him wary. Her re-manifestation had just caused him major discomfort and panic, not to mention locking him in place for a solid two minutes. He was going to take the opportunity of freedom to get to at least some guards, Stiff Inspection was right down the hall after all.

You are a mortal, Zeccaran. Any unwelcome intrusion into your mind would hurt. Did it not sting when Luna first used you for dreamwalking? The Shade commented as they made their way around the first corner of the labyrinth of labs. Biting his lip in frustration, he knew she was right. It had been just as unpleasant when his Princess had accidentally jumped into his semi-conscious mind those several years ago.

What does it matter, Shade? I still would rather take you with me in a blaze of glory than to have you stuck inside my head permanently. He glowered at the wall, as he could not visualize her dark form in his mind.

Nyx. I am Nyx. And you shall call me Nyx. I demand at least that vanity. She complained stiffly. Zeccaran stood stock still upon hearing her proclamation.

He knew the old stories. He knew the legends and tales: the details on Nyx and her purpose. She was the creature that Luna had sought out in her jealousy over a thousand years ago. She was the thing his once-comrades had claimed they sought to destroy. In truth all the rituals, all the death he had caused had been to summon Nyx, to be her next Conduit now that the Elements of Harmony had stripped her from the Princess. That had been what he learned that dark night those thirteen years ago, it was why he swore himself to Luna’s service. Yet, unwittingly he had completed all the processes in the Cave, not realizing it had been the final step. He had thought what had been brought forth was but another Shade, a mere echo of Nyx’s power, but now, he understood. His comprehension sent shivers through both Nyx herself and down his spine.

I do not require a reminder of what that beast did to me. Stormwalker is a malignancy of his own tier. A demon that eats magical energy. Ugghhh. Such atrocities were never meant to exist. Nyx moved about in his mind as if she was trying to hide. The feeling forced him to relax, the tension she was creating was more than he could take in conjunction with his own. It helped that she seemed to be legitimately afraid of the stallion, on that they could agree. Curiosity took him the next instant staying his hooves while he focused on his unexpected mental roommate.

How in the world are you even alive, anyway? He asked her.

You, my dear striped stallion. Nyx paused for a moment before continuing. A Conduit is in part a failsafe. Should my means to manifest outside of you be compromised I can always return to your connection to this plane, so I might not be sent back to my duties in the Abyss.

So that means when he struck you down, he gorged himself on your magic, making it impossible to reform. Zeccaran stated seeing if she would contradict her.

Astute as always, Conduit. And gorge he did, on my magic, my flesh, and my will. It took me three-hundred years to reform even this tiny trifle of a consciousness. And I believe this may be the most I can do. Nyx replied in her long, dramatic way.

Except it hasn’t been three-hundred years… the zebra corrected the voice in his head.

Time passes differently in the mind, and also in the realm between realms where I was trapped. Still, that prison is better than this fresh hell I have arrived in. Pah, I had assumed it would be my salvation. Sadly, I cannot go back. Nyx shuddered as she spoke.

Being in limbo was better than being alive? Zeccaran balked at the irony of the statement.

Yes. Now that I am once again tethered to the mortal plane I risk becoming discovered by the beast who put me in this position. If he finds me he will finish what he started, and destroy what little I can call myself permanently. There will be no return to the Abyss, only eternal suffering in a Void not meant for any creature, living, spirit, or otherwise. The once mighty devil sounded meek and scared as she spoke. Her host noted that the prospect of Stormwalker discovering her made his skin crawl. He could not begin to fathom what the demon would do to him.

Worse...I know not what to do. I...I-I feel things I’ve never felt before. Things I did not believe I possessed. Anxiety, fear, regret...these are the machinations of a weak soul! Have I truly fallen that far? Nyx’s voice had waxed self-indulgent and pitiful.

Well, you are trapped in the mind of the world’s biggest loser so...you are pretty far down the rabbit hole. He teased. In a way, Zeccaran enjoyed that the terrible dark beast that had so ruined his entire life was brought to this.

She deserved this punishment. As the old stories went, Nyx was supposed to guard the Infinite Abyss, a place lower than Tartarus. A place filled with demons, monsters, and pony and other sentient souls so evil they could not be held in Tartarus. Long had the dark sentinel yearned to escape her responsibilities, once preying on Luna’s jealousy, once on Zeccaran’s own ignorance. Her plotting and negligence had let the Shadow-kin escape into the mortal realm, let them be created after the ancient Demon Wars. To be stuck in his mind and brought to this level of existence was a just reward for her destruction of countless lives and societies. Not to mention tricking both he and Luna for the sake of shirking her duties.

Somewhere inside Nyx, Zeccaran felt a concentrated ball of sadness form. Shaking, she seemed to move around some in his mind until he figuratively stonewalled her. If she was truly powerless, he could kick her around in there. As cunning as she was, he knew her true weakness was pride. That was how Stormwalker had gotten his teeth into her, she drew out the fight into torture, unaware the beast she fought was a danger.

For the next few minutes he did just as he imagined: he insulted her, belittled her, and pushed every button his mind could fathom. Nyx writhed within his mind, screaming in pain at her soul being stressed to such a degree. Eventually, she took to begging, something an unbroken consort of darkness would never do. He relented, only after she had devolved into making mere mumbles of mercy.

So...I guess you truly can’t fight back. I suppose that means I’ll lay off for a while. He harrumphed. But give me even the slightest reason to start again and I will.

I-I-I under..understand. I understand so much now… Nyx trailed off as she stuttered. Zeccaran waited for her to finish, it took her some time to recover as he stood aimlessly in the hall.

I will not provide you any reason to do that again. I...I must admit that a comprehension of mortality has been awakened in me. Our lives are tied together too; I shall not do anything to disrupt either of them. I swear it! There was a genuine resolve to her words that the zebra found himself appreciating. Nyx was not stupid, she never had been, but she also had never been on an even playing field, much less a disadvantaged one. While he might be stuck with her forever, at least she would be a willing accomplice to the trials of life.

Good. I’m glad that’s settled. But since you so rudely interrupted my perfectly good cuddle time with Pixie I am going to go and pick up where I left off. He declared before turning about. Smiling with a bit of dark satisfaction, Zeccaran took a mental note of how good it felt to not be completely outclassed by an enemy. This must have been how Gusty and Stormwalker felt all the time. To actually be able to toss around just about anypony without even breaking a sweat fulfilled a part of him he did not realize he had.

Zeccaran took a moment to crush the pleasure out of the action. He refused to return to the haggard unfeeling asshole from before. Besides, if Nyx had the power to control him she would have done it already. Even if she needed to wait to gain power to make an attempt it was not as if she was not going to have him looking over her shoulder the whole time. If she stepped out of line he would keep his promise to thrash her about until she begged for death.

You are a cold stallion. No, more a thinking tool of destruction, not a pony. Nyx hissed meekly.

Save your breath, Nyx. We both already know that. That was how you wanted me wasn’t it? Zeccaran scrunched his nose in disgust before opening the door back into his home.

It was. And now I foolishly expect mercy. The balance of the universe seems to enjoy irony as a form of penitence. She sighed.

Join the club. Though I’m still working on a jacket design, He shot back smugly as he shut the door behind himself.

Nyx fell silent and a semblance of solitude returned to Zeccaran’s mind. The freedom made him want to relax and in an instant he was tired again. He plodded clumsily past the lab tables and the lounge and into the study-bedroom. Pixie had not moved, her breaths deep and quiet just shy of a snore. Quickly slipping back under the sheets Zeccaran cuddled up in between her wings again with a blink he was out.

He snapped open is eyes after what had seemed like a moment to find a lack of pleasant wings around him. He blinked a few times to see Pixie stretching like an oversized cat.

“Sorry didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered as if he was still asleep.

“No big deal,” he responded to his lover waiting to see if Nyx would make a move, or if perhaps earlier had been a dream.

“I was planning on taking a shower...since you’re up I wouldn’t mind if you joined me. I have several...hard to reach places I’d love help with.” Pixie did not need to bite her lip to be playful but she did anyway. She stood up from her stretch with a shake of her hips leaving Zeccaran to pant involuntarily.

“I’ll..I’ll be right behind you in just a minute. Get the water the way you like,” he responded lingering on each word as it came to him. Pixie gave him a devious grin and a wink before strutting out of the room and onto the bath.

By my black heart...that mare is something else! Nyx commented with a trill. Zeccaran scowled, if interjections like this were going to be common his “guest” was going to be exceedingly annoying.

Do not assume I am aware of all of your experiences, Conduit. I’ve missed the length of time between my encounter with Stormwalker and now. And while you assume such with an insulting frequency, I can only hear your active thoughts and not any memories I haven’t personally experienced. Nyx pouted.

Groaning the zebra rubbed his temples. He barely had to think it before the once-Shade-of-Shades plied him with questions sensing his thoughts and emotions as fast as he had them.

Just how did you get her? Tell me. I must know: knowledge is all I have anymore, Nyx pleaded.

I don’t have time to explain it all, I would like to go ahead and enjoy the fact that I have her, he countered quickly standing up.

Your mind is powerful, we can have this entire conversation in the scant few seconds it takes you to walk to the bath. Focus and it will be easy. He could practically feel the ethereal creature tossing its non-mane over a shoulder.

Only if you promise to shut up for, like, the next four hours. Zeccaran took his first step as he responded.

A generous offer, my gracious host, I accept. Nyx acquiesced. Time slowed as he focused on her question and the sensation of his eager breaths. Concentrating harder the flow of seconds seemed to stop leaving Zeccaran almost surprised how easy it was for him to accomplish the feat. A rambunctious exasperation escaped his accomplice as if she could not believe he had not realized this ability sooner.

Hey. You're not the one who had three-quarters of your mind deleted so you didn’t go on a giant insanity murder rampage, he scolded.

A fair point, but please, to the current matter, Nyx goaded merrily, an emotion that did not suit her.

Well...I don’t know how to explain it. I saw her many times before we formally met. She actually was working in this lab at the same time I was assigned to it. She basically teased me from a distance for about six months before just disappearing altogether. Zeccaran started the story of he and Pixie. The spirit emitted waves of confusion but did not interject waiting for him to continue.

A couple years go by and I’m drug off on some foolhardy adventure and finally after I get back everything returns to normal. I wake after sleeping in my own cot for the first time in a month and she’s in the lab, finishing the project I had been working on for nearly a year. Closing his eyes he recalled the moment, sending it to Nyx as he explained. It was so surreal. Here I am this small little welp standing in front of this gorgeous mare, who I know is a fellow researcher. So she’s smart, and knows about my projects, which just makes me all the more nervous. And I don’t know what compelled her, whether it was simple hormones or because she was looking for a guy who couldn’t say no, but small talk lasted all but a few seconds.

That is strange indeed. However, I can only assume this means that you perform coitus quite adequately, a mare of her breeding is not easily satisfied, she commented playfully.

I’m not going to discuss the details. Point is she stayed and it stopped being casual sex and became a committed friends with benefits arrangement, but now we pretty much are dating. I planned to take her on an actual date today instead of doing another work date, but then you showed up. Because I was getting just slightly too happy I assume. Zeccaran glowered at Nyx.

Well, I am known for my excellent timing. Though I sense some apprehension about her on your mind now. What for? She is an excellent mate even if she is Shadow-kin, especially if she is as mentally and physically stimulating as you describe, the ghost questioned the budding thought that was quickly becoming a consistent dark reminder to Zeccaran.

There is one other thing about her that you need to know, he started, Pixie’s full name is Pixima Stormwalker.

What? Nyx murmured nearly impossible to hear even in his mind.

She’s his younger sister. Dangerous for us both, right? Zeccaran laughed in spite of himself as he let his focus go and his perception of time resumed its normal function.

How many are there!? I shan’t be bothering you nor your demonic lover for any reason unless we are going to die. Have your fun, Conduit! You crazy fool. Farewell! With that Nyx receded into the deepest part of his consciousness with her tail tucked between her legs. It was almost like her presence vanished entirely. If he did not know she was there, it would have been impossible to notice the vague empty shadow that seemed to match the waves of his consciousness perfectly.

It was time to move onto much more pleasant things, Zeccaran jogged to the bath on the other side of the lab proper, a confident smile on his lips that had not been there in years.

Several hours later, Zeccaran sat across from Pixie at a malt shop. They had spent some time mulling over what to do and had simply settled on snacking and chatting the morning and afternoon away.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you: where did you go for the last two years?” the zebra asked the red-maned mare.

“Oh, yes,” Pixie mumbled through her straw before swallowing the malt she had in her mouth. “I was petitioned by an affluent young filly overseas to perform weapons research.”

“Damn, that’s pretty shady,” Zeccaran teased.

“Well...yeah It was,” lowering her voice she leaned in close to him. “It was mostly explosives and magically enhanced steel. But, most interestingly a device that could fling lead pellets with startling accuracy.”

Raising his eyebrows in surprise before positioning his snout parallel to hers he responded just as quietly, “I was kidding but it seems you Stormwalkers have your hooves in all sorts of dirty little places.”

“Skill in espionage and secrets has always been a family trait. Not the most desirable thing in my opinion.” Pixie retreated from her hover over the table her face pensive.

“You can’t pick your family,” Zeccaran tried to provide some solace for the increasingly disgusted mare. They sat quietly for a little while longer before making small talk over the busy day and bustle of many ponies. Pixie’s mood lifted quickly from the general conversation and a curious look, somewhere near a pout grew on her face.

“What about you Zeccaran?” she asked. “I know you are an informal servant of Luna’s but how did you land the job with the A.R.D.? Especially with how you somehow garnered my brother’s ire. Your skill at your craft is unmatched but that isn’t enough for him to overlook the…*ahem, flagrant rage.”

“Oh fuck, is that a loaded question...uhh…” he looked around the shop they were in, but determined any potential listeners was too many.

“I’ll tell you but, we should go home or like to a deserted graveyard...anywhere there are no ponies. It’s a pretty high-level state secret.” Zeccaran felt himself unconsciously twitching in fear.

“Ohhh, juicy. Alright let’s go, I know a place that’s very private and not nearly so dreary as a cemetary or as far removed as the lab.” Pixie stood up and rushed towards the counter to pay before he could object.

By the time he had slid out of the seat and caught her, she instantly put a wing around him. The larger mare ushered him out of the malt shop and onto the street where she stopped him and rushed around next to him.

“Alright, hop on!” she chirped an excited grin on her face as she bent her knees.

“Pixie!” Zeccaran stopped his scream mid-call of her name, whispering the rest in relative horror his stripes turned red and black. “We’re in public!?!”

“No, not that you dirty-minded zebra! I’m going to fly us there!” his marefriend grinned smartly. She even managed to reduce the tiny little blush he thought he had seen at first.

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.” Clambering on as he finished, he waited for Pixie to stand up to test his balance. Once the two of them were certain he was secure she took to the sky, slowly beating her wings, flying towards an outcropping of heavy clouds.

Moving with a simple grace, Pixie skirted the edge of the fluffy water balloons. She selected a spot that faced away from the city where she swooped down into the bank and landed. Zeccaran moved to dismount but then realized a crucial issue.

“Uh...I can’t stand on these…” he let his voice trail off.

“You can just sit on me, it will be fine. Besides its nice and private here.” She motioned to the overhanging chunk of snowy cloud. Leaning down into the surface, Pixie hummed in a way that made Zeccaran just a little bit nervous.

His apprehension came with good reason too. Not a moment later, and with that precise movement of a Shadow-kin, Pixie bucked him off her back and into the air. Letting out a rather shameful sounding yelp, Zeccaran flailed his hooves about as his mind told him turn himself into an eagle. However, before the active part of his brain could follow the order he landed on his girlfriend’s stomach, legs perfectly wrapped around her barrel.

“Gotcha!” she declared merrily, her wings folding around him to make sure he could not fall.

“That was...unnecessary,” he shuddered out a haggard breath.

“Oh, you big baby. Even if I didn’t catch you you could have just turned into an bird or something,” she teased his fear.

“How did you know that?” Zeccaran paused surprised Pixie knew anything about his more magical abilities.

‘How do you think?” she countered immediately.

“Your brother.”

“Nailed it!”

Rolling his eyes while she laughed at him, the zebra relaxed some. Pixie had him held safely and it was time to get down to the real story. At least as much of it as he could remember that is.

His mare listened intently as he began to recount everything that had happened. They spent the better part of the afternoon like that; him sitting on her lower abdomen and she, eyes sparkling, listening as she laid out, occasionally stroking his hooves.

He explained how he had left his homeland in the far south. How the Cult of Nyx had taken him in as a pre-teen and convinced him of their plight. Things jumped to Luna and the rituals, the empty portions of his memories, and the shame he felt for the horrible things he had done. When Zeccaran recounted the first night in the Cave and what he had done to her brother, Pixie’s face darkened. She did not seem angry, but instead held an emotion that was a rough combination of disgust and captivation.

“You knew magics I could not begin to understand. Those circles...they really used the pain of the ponies’ souls?” she whispered an interruption.

“As far as I can recall, yes. I can not tell you more than that. The memories are just gone.” He grimaced.

“I understand. Not much you can do when Luna just removes most of your mind. She did a good job though. You are quite amicable these days,” she smiled trying to comfort him.

“Just because I don’t remember everything I did, doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilt,. Zeccaran folded his forehooves looking at the cloud instead of her face.

“Well then I will have to fight you over it. You are literally a different zebra, Zeccaran. You should not feel guilty at all. In fact, you’ve recently completed a device that will literally revolutionize communication, that’s amazing!” Pixie did not let up on her point of view. It was a fault of hers that he was beginning to recognize. Mostly her stubbornness was actually rather charming, it definitely proved to be a touch annoying in conversation, however.

“Good deeds do not purify such sins,” he admonished.

“You’re impossible.” This time Pixie turned her face away her brow knitting into a frustrated line.

The pair fell silent for a time, unable to gain distance without throwing the zebra from the clouds. They both pouted unwilling to argue but also unwilling to budge on their views. Eventually, however, Zeccaran idly pressed a hoof into Pixie’s ribs to which she giggled and complained. Tension broken she poked him back and before long they were shouting at each other to stop. They were forced to cease as Zeccaran nearly lost his balance as Pixie arched up her back in protest. After overcoming the moment the couple elected to save that debate for another time in favor of the continuation of the zebra’s story.

And continue he did. He recounted his life as a drifter, feeling like he had not fit in for some eleven years. He even got through meeting Gusty and the second soirée in the Cave. Pixie listened intently, absorbing the information as if she was analyzing every last detail. Zeccaran appreciated her attentiveness, it had been longer than he could remember since somepony took him seriously. However, the subject of the last-pony-who-had-listened quickly cropped up and the red-maned mare asked him who that was specifically.

“Chrysanthemum. She was the High Priestess of that group. I had almost forgotten to mention her,” he explained.

“So she was your last marefriend, kinda surprising.” Pixie gently prodded his snout as a means to tease him.

“In retrospect she wasn’t terribly nice. Nor was the relationship very healthy...but I was a devout follower of Nyx at the time and I didn’t even realize it so...I sorta treat it lightly,” Zeccaran explained. “In a way I had forgiven her for leaving me to die back then, and for manipulating me. She had been manipulated too after all. I saw it on her face the night your brother, Gusty, Bunker, and I stormed into her ritual.”

“Did she survive?” came the fateful question.

“She was captured by some of the troops that had accompanied Guardian Angel to Hallow Shades. I haven’t seen her since,” he admitted.

“Oh. If my brother headed her tribunal...I’m sorry,” Pixie apologized for something well out of her control.

“Not much to be done about it. To be honest, I can hardly blame him wanting revenge. We did ruin some ten years of work removing his Shadow-kin powers...and slowly murdered his fiancé right in front of him.” Zeccaran rubbed his mohawk nervously. Knowing what he had done was more than enough to upset him, even if he could not recall the details.

“Poor Sure Strike...she meant everything to him back then. It’s hard for me to even imagine you were the guy who did it,” his mare murmured.

“If only it were imaginary. But at least I have a name for the face that haunts my dreams…”

Their voices hushed to a uncomfortable quiet. Zeccaran felt the urge to cry build its fire on his cheeks and clench his throat. Opening up like this was not something he had ever done, not even for Gusty on the odd occasion she actually took him seriously. He blinked his eyes rapidly trying to fight the sensation, angry and disgusted with himself. There was no reason for him to be alive, no reason for Luna to take pity on him. Even Guardian Angel had let him live, and Zeccaran knew better than to think it was to make him suffer more. He had quite literally been having the time of his life since he had been assigned by the stallion to the Advance Research Division. Worse yet it had taken him two years to realize who his benefactor, G.A.S., had been the same stallion he had committed atrocities against. It would seem that the demon was much softer than whatever act he put on, not that it mattered at this point.

However, it was with that nihilism that the raging river of emotion he had dried up to a desert. He looked up at Pixie, she was about the only thing that mattered to him right now. Divulging most of his personal details that were otherwise state secrets to a mare he had only spoken to for the last two weeks seemed insane. Zeccaran just felt like it was unfair not to warn her that he was not worth more than the base functions of mechanics he could perform. That was all he was now, and even if she thought he was great the words still needed to be spoken. Now they had been uttered, hopefully the karma of the universe would not smack him into the ground about a dozen times like it usually did. There was one test he could use to find out.

Lightly placing a hoof against Pixie’s beautiful face, Zeccaran gently pushed her to face him fully. In a move that even made Nyx jump in surprise deep inside of him, he practically shoved his whole muzzle into her mouth and he went for a very deep kiss.

Pixie reacted by throwing her forehooves around his neck and meeting him with equal vigor. They stayed, lips locked for a long time. Long enough that Zeccaran swore that they would be struck by lightning and sent plummeting to their dooms, but somehow that did not happen. By the time he and Pixie paused for breath her cheeks were as red as her mane.

“That was...different…” she puffed, “did I unlock some sort of switch in your brain? Like where did that come from?”

“Who knows? Does it matter? You liked it-no, loved it didn’t you?” he responded, letting his desire drip into his voice. Pixie stared back at him with a brief vacancy before her pupils dilated quickly.

“Then take me big boy, I won’t bite...much.”

I had forgotten you were a mad-stallion, Conduit. Nyx whispered just barely at the edge of his mental perception.

Get used to it, I don’t have anything to live for anyway. I’m going to take all I can get. Zeccaran snarled at his roommate as he pressed his hooves into Pixie’s extended wings, making her moan.

Can I go back to being dead?

No! Now shut up, you are making it hard to enjoy myself!

Next Chapter: Act 4: Chapter 2 - Better Left Forgotten Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 6 Minutes