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Deep within purgatory

As the wolf ghouls leapt at nova, the torch behind him flared protectively, lighting up the darkness in a flash of blinding light. With the bear having already fled, nova took advantage of the opening and broke into a mad dash, rapidly covering the last 50 yards to the bridge. From behind the screams of both attackers only served to propel him faster as the light enveloped them both, his terrified flight fueled by there screams of burning agony.

Blinded by fear and desperation, he didn't even notice as he passed between the monolithic unicorn statues that served as both anchor point and entrance to the bridge. Nor did he take the time to examine the first sets of bridge supports as he fled by, each carved into matched sets of bear and wolf statues. Unfortunately that is where his panicked foot steps finally faltered and he stumbled, falling and sliding to a stop at the feet of a mink statue who's tail barely saved him from going over the edge.

Gasping and panting hard from his run, nova found himself holding tight to the statue's legs as his position left him staring down into the inky black mass of the lake. In a detached sort of way the swirling and moving mass below him seamed almost alive, it occurring to him that there most assuredly couldn't be a single drop of water in this supposed lake. Momentarily transfixed by this sight as he recovered, nova oddly found that looking into the mass provoked a profound feeling of sadness in him, as if each and every drop of it represented some kind of failure from a very long time ago. There it was again, that shadow of a memory from his past, just as he had felt when the dream females kissed him, something so very important, but just beyond his ability to recall. The harder he tried to concentrate on that fragment of memory the less and less defined it became, until it was suddenly gone as quickly as it had come.

Still only partially recovered and now feeling very confused the human rolled onto his back, blinking rapidly in hopes of clearing his fuzzy mind. Then sitting up and leaning back against the mink statue's legs, he flicked a fearful look back along the way he had fled, hoping none of the ghouls had been able to pursue him. Much to his relief it appeared that the bear had ignored him and returned to try and save it's badly burned pets, trying to pull there melting bodies from the light even as it's own fur started to smoke.

But as nova watched, he could see that the bear's efforts where in vain. Just like the last creature who had attacked him, there bodies where already disintegrating, leaving nothing solid for the bear to take hold of. Perhaps it was wrong, but as nova watched the two succumbing to oblivion, he found himself completely unmoved by there suffering. Both of them had helped the bear to pray on others as lost and helpless as him, not only killing them, but mercilessly eating them alive. Maybe, just maybe, once they where gone the next innocent soul forced to travel this accursed path might not have to face the same horrors he had just suffered.

Finally feeling rested enough to continue nova got shakily to his feet and turned to leave, only to freeze as the bear screamed behind him. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

'Go, Just Go,' He told himself. 'You already know what happened, you don't need to see it!! Just leave.'

Even though he knew better nova found himself compelled to turn as the bear roared out once more, a sound so tinged with grief and loss that he new it's pets must have finally succumb. Seconds later, a pair of radiant golden stars rose slowly from the ground as the wolves souls where finally set free. Seeing this brought a smile to the boys face, not a smug smile of vengeance, but one of genuine happiness that two more suffering souls had at long last found peace. A moment later that smile was abruptly ripped from his face as the bear leapt impossibly high into the air, catching both souls in it's decaying paws and forcing them into it's bloody muzzle. Almost instantly the bear's badly decayed body began to glow with the golden light stolen from the devoured souls of it's companions, then in what seemed like mere seconds much of it's body rapidly healed, restoring what had been lost by it's time in the darkness.

"Dear goddess no!" Nova whispered to himself as he finally understood the unthinkable truth of this horrible place. The ghouls, the monsters, had not been simple flesh eating zombies driven by unnatural and pointless hunger, the bear had been truthful when it said this is how they sustained themselves. They used teeth and claws to rend the flesh of the innocent in order to consume there souls and prolong there forsaken existence.

But this bear, this demon among monsters!!! Nova could feel rage building behind his eyes at the sheer injustice of it having prayed on creatures it had claimed to love, preventing them from finding eternal peace. Emboldened by the sight of such an abominable atrocity and the protection afforded him by three sets of torches between himself and the bear, nova gave in to his anger and allowed it to boil over in an Infuriated scream. "GODDESS DAM YOU, MONSTER!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!!! THEY WHERE FINALLY FREE, THERE SUFFERING WAS OVER!!!"

With a snarl the bear turned and locked it's malevolently glowing red eyes on it's pray. "You thrice dammed human!! You've killed my pets. In there memory my vengeance shall be never ending. I shall rend your arms and legs from your body and claw the eyes from your hideous head. Every soul in the darkness shall revel in your screams for all eternity." With that the bear dropped back to all four paws and charged toward nova, it's dewlaps pulling back to fully expos it's teeth in a booming roar.

At first nova was just confused, then wondered if the bear's rage had driven it mad. There was far to much light between them, It would burn the monster to ashes before it got anywhere near him. Already he could see some smoke starting to rise from it's fur as it approached the first set of statues, yet It's charge remained undeterred. It wasn't until the bear passed between the unicorn statues with no flare to drive it back, that the boy remembered what the first soul had told him, a memory that came with blood curdling understanding. the soul had told him he wouldn't be safe until he crossed the bridge. What if it had meant safety could only come once he reached the other side?

Just as he realized this the bear passed between the unicorn statues, but unlike every other time he was attacked along the path, the brazier style torches did not flare to drive the ghoul back. No, even as It's fur started to smolder, it's rage seaming to empower the undead ursine as much as the souls it had consumed. This was it, nova feared he had finally met his end. No, he had traveled to far, risked to much, to be killed so close to safety.. He had to survive this, he had to find a way back to his new family and the mink he loved.

In the end that love was all he really had, all he could draw on for strength in the face of his approaching demise. When he closed his eyes he could feel it calling out to him, pushing him to go on and find her no matter what. Even with the bear's deadly charge growing ever closer nova simply closed his eyes and allowed that love to fill him with a new kind of strength he had never known before. It told him not to run, not to flee, but to hold his ground and let it be his shield.

With a deep breath nova opened his eyes once again, a feeling of peace washing over him even as the sound of thundering paws drew within pouncing distance. Although the bear was still running at full speed, to the human it looked as if the oncoming attack was in slow motion, the bear's long four legged stride leaving it completely off the ground for seconds at a time. As it made contact with the suspended walkway of the bridge one last time nova could feel it shaking beneath them both, but still there was no fear. No fear even as it leapt at him with one paw raising above it's head, three gleaming white claws fully extended with the intent of slicing him in half in a single blow.

Far above, unseen by either bear or human, the ghouls passage between the unicorn statues triggered a long dormant trap. Set into the statue's eyes four large rubies began to faintly glow, the release of energy sending ripples across the surface of the lake. Then as quickly as the ripples spread out beyond sight, they returned, changing direction and homing in on there pray. With death only a few heart beats away it's odd how the mind sometimes reacts. For nova, with a mere split second remaining before the bear's killing blow could land, the boy could have sworn that time had all but stopped. He could see every strand of the bear's fur moving, the way it's claws extended out that final fraction of an inch and it's jaws, it's horrible bloody jaws spreading wide. Infused with a sense of serenity the little human didn't even blink, showing no fear in what could be his last moment.

Just as the monstrous claws began to touch his chest, the bear's forward motion came to an abrupt stop, the undead ursine falling just short of it's target. For all the rage feeding this murderous attack, the only result was a thin red mark down nova's front where only a single claw had scratched. In the second before the bear landed flat on it's muzzle the two's eyes met, a matching look of utter astonishment mirrored on both there faces.

A heart beat later time resumed it's normal speed just as the bear was jerked back, sliding several feet away before it could react and bury it's claws in the walkway. Both nova and the undead bear looked back to see what had stopped the attack and saved his life, the boy gasping in shock as the bear screamed. "NOOOOOOO!"

With the bear's screams fading into a panicked roar a second, third and then fourth tentacle lashed out from the lake and wrapped around him, all of them working together to start dragging him to the edge. With dawning horror the bear dug it's claws deeper into the walkway and struggled to pull free. All nova could do was kneel there unable to think as more and more tentacles lashed out ensnaring there victim. To shocked to move, nova just watched as the bears claws left long gouges in the bridge right up to the edge.

As the bear's legs slipped over the edge he took a death grip on a deer statue, his claws digging in deep as he desperately tried to pull himself up. For a moment it looked as if he might make it, actually gaining a few inches before even more tentacles lashed out. That was when he looked over to nova and screamed " YOU, I should have known. Centuries, for centuries I stayed free of your clutches. I should have seen through that human disguise. But I still win, you didn't get me, you didn't ..........ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!""

The bears screaming trailed off into a roar of pain as it's grip failed and it was pulled into the lake. All nova could do was watch as waves started to converge on it from all direction, pulling it down as it's body melted away. Now with the lake moving up and over the bear nova could see that it was not in fact made of water, but the same substance that the ghouls had melted into. The lake, the whole lake was nothing but the remains of the monsters he had run from all this time.

For several long seconds after the bear ghoul's demise nova watched, expecting to see the monster's soul released. When no shining golden star appeared a feeling of deep sadness washed over him. With all that had just happened to him nova could feel tears of fear, stress and pain threatening as he got to his feet. He turned to resume his travel only to freeze at the sight of a tentacle hovering just a few inches away.

For almost a full minute nova stood there looking at the snake like tentacle hovering mere inches from his face. Very slowly he tried to move, hoping to get around it. But as he moved, the tentacle moved with him. He knew by all rights he should be terrified of it attacking him and dragging him off the bridge, but for some reason he felt that it meant him no harm. Deciding to take a chance he smiled ever so softly and stammered " Thank- thank you for protecting me."

For a few seconds nothing happened, then the tip of the tentacle started to change. Quicker then he would have guessed, it melted and reformed into the head of a mink. Once fully formed the foe head moved closer to look at him, even seeming to sniff him before licking his face. A shutter ran through him at the feeling of the cold slimy tongue running across his skin, it taking everything he had not to show the disgust he felt at the contact. Still it had licked him and not attacked, that gave him hope. Taking a small breath he reached out and pet the foe minks head as he asked "May I please pass? Someone is calling me to the end of this path and I must go to her."

The head turned to look down the path and then back at him. It moved in close to lick his face once more, then retreated to the edge of the bridge. Taking this as permission nova walked slowly, not daring to run and provoke an attack. At that slow pace it took him what felt like an hour to finish crossing the bridge. From time to time he could see more tentacles popping up to watch him, some with animals heads, some with out. None approached him, simply watching until the humans feet once again rested on solid ground. Here nova stopped and looked back over the bridge and the lake it spanned feeling as if he needed to say something. "Thank you for allowing me safe passage. May the goddess bless you and grant you peace."

Several more feet beyond the end of the bridge nova came to the foot of a massive stone staircase that climbed up into darkness. With a sigh from what he knew would be a weary climb he started up, hoping the end was near.

In gateway station's main treatment area

"I'm coming Dana," Eshara whispered to herself as she stepped out into the main treatment area, the mare summoning forth all of her strength in order to bring her full empathic gifts to bear. Even now as she projected as much love and support as she could, the unicorn could see what her matriarch meant about how strong the mink's grief was. Like waves crashing on a storm ravaged beach, her emotions seamed to echo, hitting the priestess not once, but a second time just a split second after the original one. Like walking muzzle first into a hurricane, the growing emotional intensity was so strong that it slowed Eshara's approach.

With no other choice, she was forced to raise much of her mental defenses just to reach the mink's side. Once standing just behind Dana she laid a paw on her friends shoulder, this allowing her to concentrate her abilities through physical contact, blocking out all the other living minds around her. Still the emotions bombarding her where so powerful, washing over her so strongly that it threatened to over whelm her mind. Subconsciously a small part of the unicorn's mind took note of the fact that this kind of emotional projection shouldn't be possible for a non-empath, but she dismissed it, focusing on pouring all of her love directly into the mink's grief stricken heart.

Dana so lost in her grief didn't even register the priestess's touch, the cold and lifeless body of her slave clutched to her chest as her silent tears dripped on his dampened face. As much as she wanted to hate him for leaving her, her love for him dominated all other thoughts in her mind. All of her little fantasies of a life with him now hurt so much to even think about, even the dream of her mating to him from the night before tearing at her soul. It wasn't fair, she would have been so good to him, she would have spoiled and pampered him no differently then if he had been her true mate, a male mink who was capable of planting his seed in her womb. Goddess that thought was enough to bring a renewed sob to her throat, bearing his children and raising them together in a perfect life that now could never be.

"Why my goddess, why? Did you take him from me because he was not one of your children? Did the thought of me spending my life with an alien so offend you that you had to end his life to prevent it?" Dana whispered, a lance of hate for her divine creator lashing out in her grief.

"No my child, the goddess is not so cruel. She brought him to you for a reason, it was the hate of his own kind that stole your futures. Now you must honor his love and move forward, for that love will be with you until you are together once again in The Daughter of Light's loving embrace." Eshara whispered into the mink's ear, her arms curling around them both in a supportive hug.

"It just hurts so much mother! I wanted him at my side forever. Last night I even had a dream of being mated to him with all my friends and family there to witness our love." Dana's words where so soft and strangled, her voice cracking in a barely restrained sob as she confessed her fantasy.

Unfortunately, Eshara didn't hear a word the mink said, her pupils dilating to pin points and her breath catching in her throat the second her arms curled around the pair. When her paws touched nova's body, she was instantly washed over with the memory of there last moments together in main engineering. She found herself looking through nova's tear filled eyes as he gave his final goodbye to the mink he loved. She watched as he pushed her to the ground and laid on top of her, then she released a mental scream as his back and legs exploded in pain as the first energy bolt struck.

The entire time, even as pain racked his body, his love for her grew ever stronger. Again and again his final words to her played through the unicorns mind, filling every corner of her existence until she could not help but speak them aloud. "I will wait for the day we meet again in a better place, farewell my love, my heart, my soul, goodbye my Mistress."

Accompanying those words, the memory of nova's love in those last few moments came flooding through Eshara's empathic gift, enveloping both females so strongly that it all but drowned out the grief that had been so torturing Dana's heart. Despair, Pain, Loss and Sorrow all evaporated in the shining light of such pure love, the minks tears coming to a stop as a smile spread across her muzzle. Just as the blessed matriarch had said, his love for her proved to be the key.

But even as the memory came to an end and released its hold on Eshara enough for her to regain her senses, she realized with a shock what had just happened. The grief that she and the other equines had felt so clearly did come from Dana, but she was not the one projecting it. Even now, the memory of love she had pulled from nova, was not being broadcast from the unicorn either. No, it was coming from... coming from... him!

Impossible, simply and completely impossible the mare thought. Inexplicably his human brain was somehow echoing the emotions of whomever he was in physical contact with, but not just re-broadcasting them, doing it so strongly and clearly that not even Eshara with her century of telepathic training was capable of resisting there influences. Now she understood why Dana had been suffering so badly!!!

In that very second Eshara remembered her own thoughts from days ago when she had first accidentally touched nova's mind, how she had considered having him tested for telepathic ability due to the ease with witch she had been immersed in his childhood memories. Startled by this realization Eshara released her hold on them and stumbled backwards, her breaths coming in soft snorts as she stared at nova in disbelief. There was no way he could be a telepath, humans simply did not possess such gifts. " No, no, no.. This can't be, it just can't be." The unicorn mumbled, her head shaking side to side.

"What can't be mother? "Dana asked in concern, her grief having been momentarily broken by the empathic flood of love.

Ignoring Dana's question for the moment Eshara stepped forward and laid a paw on nova's head, opening her mind fully in hopes of sensing some small sign of life in him. Even with the trace amounts of electrical activity in the brain fallowing death, the kind of power she had just felt shouldn't be possible from a deceased mind, even if he had been one of her own race. "LAWS BE DAMMED, I HAVE TO KNOW!"

A heart beat after touching him, her hopes where realized as an almost instant telepathic link started to form, bonding there two minds together just as all equine children are taught to do for training. Even more shocking, his mind was not only responding to the link, but reaching out to hers in return. There was no way he could do that if his mind was dead, only a living brain was capable of that. Others on the station having been alerted by Eshara's mental scream also took notice of this new development. Wile still trying to understand what was happening Eshara felt both the Ladies Amalthea and Beleth join her, expanding and strengthening the link. "Mothers? Please tell me you can feel this. I don't know how this is possible!"

"Yes we can child. The connection is slow and weak, but it is there. Somehow, someway the human still lives, it is the only explanation." Even as she herd the words in her mind she could feel the shock from both matriarchs. Together all three of them probed the connection, feeling for signs of life. There was something there, something very far away, very weak but as they probed a single thought crystallized. Dana. It was not her name or even her image, but nova's impression of her, his feelings of love for the mink.

With that, the connection faltered and started to fade. With a gasp Eshara jerked her paw away from his head and turned to tell Dana what she had found. However it was not the mink that her gaze fell upon, but that of a nurse who was silently collecting the used surgical instruments. The grip she took on the doe's wrist was that of iron, her eyes locking with the females as she pointed to nova and commanded in a tone soft and low, but still capable of melting the strongest of wills. "Check the child, NOW!"

The nurse, a soft lavender colored rabbit, was understandably taken aback by the near violence of the unicorn's outburst, but like a true medical professional she recovered quickly. This was something that all nurses where taught to expect from the earliest days of there training, for the grief stricken family of a recently departed soul to imagine signs of life in there loved ones. In there fragile emotional states this last bit of lingering false hope could often do a lot of harm and prevent them from excepting there loss. Here it was her duty to show them understanding and compassion, doing what she could to help them come to terms with a loss no one should have to suffer. With a warm smile of love and tenderness, the bunny laid one paw on top of the priestess's, meeting her unyielding stair with one of sympathy as she answered. "I'm sorry for your loss mother, but he is gone."

"I said check the child, NOW! " she commanded in a tone of iron, even showing her teeth as she did so. " I, we can feel his mind. Both of my matriarchs confirmed he is still here and fighting to stay with us. Check him!"

"ALIVE? He's still alive?" Dana gasped, her voice tinged with the horror, hope and shock caused by the priestess's unexpected pronouncement.

Startled herself, the nurse froze with her eyes locked on the pale human still clutched in Dana's arms. Slowly her paw extended to the monitor beside the bed, activating it with a single claw press. Almost instantly the scanners within the bed started reporting a strong and healthy heart beat, regular respiration and completely normal neural activity. Choosing her words very carefully, the nurse asked Dana to stand from the bed as her proximity would only continue to give them false readings. Just as they all feared, the moment the mink rose from the bed all the indicators dropped back to zero, his heart rate, neural and pulmonary activity all flat lining with no detectable signs of life.

"They're wrong, they just have to be wrong. Even now I can feel his mind. Our link is weak, but I can feel him reaching out to me!" Eshara gasped, one finger pointing damningly at the screen as if she where scolding a lying child.

The nurse looked at the screen for nearly a full minute before returning her eyes back to the trembling unicorn. She drew a small breath and carefully controlled her voice as she spoke, making sure to sound very sympathetic and understanding. "Grief can sometimes play tricks on the mind Mother. I can tell you cared about this human, but as you can see his heart has stopped. He is with the goddess now, in a better place."

"NO ... HE ... IS ... NOT!" Eshara replied, her eyes still locked on his body. "I can feel his mind, feel my own thoughts bouncing back to me when....."

...BEEP...

Eshara stopped speaking as the monitor emitted a single tone, the lonesome chime of a single heart beat. All three furs instantly locked there eyes on the monitor, time seeming to crawl by as there sudden flare of hope started to die again. 37 interminable seconds later there was another tone, each of them counting off the seconds before the tone came again fallowed by another and then another. A single tone might have just been a glitch, a second tone explained away by there own movements around the bed, but as a third and then fourth tone came exactly when expected it formed an undeniable pattern. The tones came at them like punches, each fur jerking as the normally overlooked sound seemed to ring out in accusation, accusing them of abandoning him, of giving up on him to soon.

As the fifth tone sounded the nurse shook herself and turned to call the doctors, her voice cracking as she all but shouted. "Um, Doctors? I don't understand these readings, please come take a look at this."

As if the simple act of calling for the doctors was confirmation of nova's continuing life Dana snatched Eshara up in a bone crushing hug, new tears of hope and joy pouring down her cheeks as she cried out. "He's alive, he's alive, he just has to be alive."

On the other side of the room doctors Riversong and Swiftdash paused in there treatment of the only other human on the station, both with matching expressions of surprise on there faces.

"Alive?" Malinda gasped, all the color draining from the insides of her ears and beneath the thin fur on her face. The dermal regenerator dropped from her paw as she bolted across the room, the stations elderly chief medical officer slowly fallowing behind.

"What is the meaning of this?" doctor Riversong demanded as she and Malinda reached the surgical table.

Before anyone could speak Eshara looked both doctors in the eye and said in a firm tone. "The child is alive. I can feel his mind, it is weak, but still active. Both of my matriarchs have confirmed this and are on there way here to help. "

For her part the nurse held up a paw and counted down "3, 2, 1, Now." As her last finger fell the readings on the screen flickered. "Doctor I don't understand this. Every 37 seconds exactly there is a heart and lung spasm."

"Neural activity?" Melinda asked more to herself as she checked the readings. Just as it had shown when she pronounced his death, there was nothing, only the expected residual impulses."

Badly shaken by this sight Malinda reached out and touched the control panel, bringing the bed scanners sensitivity up 200%. Wile she had been looking for any activity from his mind, On the next flicker she saw that it was his heart and lung suddenly relaxing, but there had been no sign of the preceding constriction.

Frowning at this doctor Riversong called up the last few minutes readings and compressed them into a few seconds running time. In this new format it was easy to see that nova's heart and remaining lung where still functioning, but at an extremely reduced rate. Knowing this could not possibly be enough to support him she turned to the bunny and asked "Melinda what is his current blood oxygen level?"

Running her claws over the nearby panel Melinda shook her head, even more confused by what she saw. "This is very strange, the oxygen levels in his head and chest are at 55%, but less then 15% in his extremities. Something is causing severe vascular constriction, keeping the oxygen to his vital core systems."

"That is a hypothermic reaction." Came from the other side of the room, drawing all eyes to the bound human both doctors had been treating mere moments ago. He then added " But it is not cold enough in here for that to happen, what is his core body temp?"

In Purgatory

The climb was hard, nova feeling the ache in his legs when finally he reached the top of the stairs. He had tried to keep count but had given up somewhere in the mid thousands. Now laying at the top landing to try and catch his breath nova looked around, Seeing what challenge he might next have to face. Much to his relief he could see what he thought might be the end in sight.

About 200 yards away the path opened up into another large circle lined with torches, much like the one he had woken in. With a renewed sense of hope he slowly got back to his feet and made his way over to it, all the wile looking around for threats. As he approached, a large stone gate came into view just beyond the far side. Carefully he walked over to it, his eyes widening at the 30 foot high doors. On each where breath taking murals carved in the stone, the carved line inlayed with gold to make them stand out.

Wile studying the carvings he did not at first notice the soft sound of weeping coming from his left, he only taking notice when the kneeling figure spoke. "So you've finally come for me? But why have you taken the form of a human, why when I have killed so many of them?"

Startled nova jumped back and pressed himself to the pillar across from the one she knelt by, keeping close to the torch to guard from another attack. "Who, Who are you?"

Still on her knees, the nude figure lifted her tear soaked face to look at him, revealing herself to be a normal red and white furred vixen. Nova carefully looked her over for any signs of rot or decay, trying to see if she was yet another of the creatures who had attacked him. He was still trying to make up his mind when she spoke again. "My lord you don't have to pretend with me. I - I am going to face judgment and except my punishment, I'm just so scared. We have been at war for so long and I have done such horrible things. I know my victims are waiting for me in the darkness, so many, so many waiting for there vengeance....."

For what felt like a long time nova just looked at the vixen on her knees just outside of the flickering torch light, trying to understand her words. It frightened him the way she talked about killing humans, but also moved him that she felt such sadness and regret for her actions. Even more confusing was that she seemed to think he was someone who held the power to judge her for what she had done. "Mistress I don't understand what you are talking about. I'm just a lost slave searching for my Mistress. The last time I saw her we where docking with Anthro gateway station, can you tell me how to get back there?"

It was the vixen's turn to look confused, tilting her head slightly to the left wile starring at the human before her. At first she had been convinced that the child of innocents had finally come to guide her to judgment, but this human did not even seem to know he was dead. She started to move toward him only to stop when he shrank back, pressing to the pillar just under a torch. Seeing his fear of her she stopped, not wanting to frighten him off. "Your really not him, are you?"

"Not who?" nova asked. "Please Mistress I don't know who you think I am, I just want to go home."

"O, you poor thing. You don't know." she lifted a paw and softly waved him toward her as she spoke. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you can't go home. You, I'm sorry but you died."

"No!" he said, shaking his head. Slowly he fell to his knees, as he said more to himself. "I can't be dead. I can still feel pain. And, and those creatures, they said they where going to kill me."

The vixen scooted herself forward very slowly, speaking in a tender tone. "I'm sorry, but It's true little one. What's the last thing you remember before you woke up here?"

Nova dropped his head as the tears started to flow. "There where humans who where going to kill my Mistress. I, I threw myself on top of her, to protect her and then, then I woke up in this place."

Hearing the honorable way this strange human lost his life, the vixen reached out and laid a paw on the top of his bowed head as she answered. "That was very brave of you. You must have loved her very much."

Nova began to shake and sob at her touch. "I love her with all my heart." Then as the vixen pulled him to her in a supportive hug he asked "If I died and my Mistress is not here, does that mean she is still alive?

Not having been a very religious fur in life the vixen thought about his question for several long seconds. She did not want to lie to him, not on the door step of judgment even if it was what he needed to hear. Instead she comfortingly rested his face on her chest as she rubbed his back. "I remember a story my father told me when I was a kit. I don't remember it all that well, but It was about how two lovers died protecting the city of Mr'Lara. In the story they both traveled the path of light together and stood as one to face judgment. So if she is not here with you, it is possible that she did live."

Nova said nothing for a long time as he cried out all of his pain and loss. It hurt so much that he would not get to spend a long life with the mink he loved. But he knew deep down in his soul, that if his love was still alive, he would be able to endure his eternal punishment in hell with peace in his heart. When he did eventually speak it was in a soft and choked whisper. "Then I guess I did not die for nothing. I just wish I could be sure she's safe."

Wile she had only been trying to comfort this little human, the vixen realized that his story had somehow allowed her to feel better about her own death. She had been so scared about facing judgment for her actions in the war, that she was not thinking about all the good things she would be leaving behind. She had two hundred years with her 4 wonderful mates and cubs, all of witch would morn her, but one day they would all be together again.

Thinking of that gave her the answer to what she could tell this human, what would give him hope in the ordeal to come. "I'm Miranda. What's your name little one?"

Still with his head on her chest, he whispered back. "My name is nova, Mistress."

She smiled at that, nova was her older brothers name. "Well nova, the answer to all your questions is right on the other side of this gate. When we face judgment, we will see all the events of our lives. You will get to see how you died and know that she is safe."

He slowly nodded to her words then sighed. "Knowing my Mistress is alive and safe is all I can really hope for. But to be honest I would rather those creatures along the path had torn me apart, then have to remember most of my life."

This got a confused frown from the vixen. But before she could ask what he meant by that nova asked another question that shocked her. "Mistress what's going to happen to me? I.. don't know anything about your religion. I've known for a long time that I would burn in hell when I died, but I'm here now and don't know how people are punished in your afterlife. Will, will I suffer in torment for all eternity?"

She looked at him unable to find her words for several long minutes. When she could speak again it was in a very soft and tender tone. "O Nova, little nova. I to believe that punishment awaits me on the other side of that gate, but I take heart that it will not be forever. We are taught that the daughter of darkness will purge us of our sins by making us relive the events through the eyes of our victims. After my penance I will be reborn to live life again, hopefully to be a better person and atone for my actions in this life. But what makes you believe that eternal punishment awaits you? You seem so young, what could you possibly have done in such a short time? You don't even seem old enough to have fought in the war."

Hearing how there goddess punished sinners nova lowered his head and started to cry again." Now I know why I am here and not in the human hell. There will be so many Anthros waiting eagerly for there vengeance upon me. I've wondered so often about how it felt for them to die, now I will get to experience it millions of times, over and over again."

"Tell me." The vixen said, her tone noticeably less tender this time. Millions? He somehow killed millions of her fellow furs?

"You have to understand." Nova began, his voice choked by a sob. "For the last several years of my life, I was the personal slave to Admiral Jonathan Keegan. I am told that your people called him The Butcher. He forced me to do such horrible things, forced me with fear, pain and humiliation. But I endured them because it sometimes help to spare others from his anger. I witnessed things that broke me on so many levels. But the thing he made me do, the choice he forced me to make that has condemned me, it was by far the worst. Do you know what happened on Revella?"

The vixen pulled herself violently away from this human and stared at him with burning anger in her eyes. Revella was the first populated Anthro colony world to fall to the humans. They had used 3 entire fleets, over 150 ships, to beat down the worlds defenses and capture it. Even when the world was helpless they would not surrender, threatening to repel any landing forces in hopes of stalling until Anthro reinforcements could arrive.

They knew that if the human invaders where able to secure a foothold on the ground they could use the population as hostages to hold off the forces coming to liberate them. In the end, after three days, the human fleet put an end to the standoff by bombarding the whole planet with heavy mass drivers. 37 million anthros, females, males and cubs where incinerated, the planet plunged into a nuclear winter that would leave it lifeless for centuries to come.

"Most of my family died on Revella, the only reason my mates and cubs survived was because they where with me on the home world." Miranda said coldly, a deep growl building in her chest. " What part did you play in that atrocity?"

Nova cowered away from her at hearing that, his heart hurting even more now that he was facing one of his victims. Even though he feared she would start his rightful punishment hear and now he still felt the need to confess to her and except whatever she did to him for it." On, the last day. I made the mistake of asking my Master what he was going to do if Revella did not surrender to him. I was trying to appeal to him for mercy, but that only infuriated him and he beat me for it. Then he told me that since I seemed to love the animals so much he would give me a chance to earn mercy for them. He brought up a tactical interface and targeted the capital city."

Nova shuttered hard remembering that horrible day, remembering his failure and the terrible price innocent people paid for it. "He then gave me the choice. If I ordered the strike that destroyed the capital city he would spare the rest of the world. He told me that there was only two million Anthros in that city and it's destruction would end the fight."

Hear nova broke down incoherently sobbing for several long minutes as Miranda glared at him, forcing herself not to attack. Her family had been among those two million, if he had been the one to kill them, she would savage him, venting her long buried rage with her teeth and claws until he was utterly destroyed. When it seemed like he had calmed down enough she snarled at him. "TELL ME WHAT YOU DID, HUMAN!"

Nova felt so emotionally drained that he didn't even react to the murderous tone in the vixen's voice as he answered her. "I just knelt there, staring at that light, that evil, blinking, red light for the full hour he gave me to choose. Two million or thirty seven million. Either way, either choice was unforgivable. In the end, it was my shameful cowardess that killed Revella. I just couldn't make that choice, I couldn't kill two million people to save the others."

He then looked up to the vixen, his wet eyes meeting her wide ones as he finished. "Master punched me in the face and spit on me when I told him that I could not do it. He berated and beat me for my weakness, then ordered the planetary bombardment. Worst of all, he.." Nova dropped his eyes in shame as he all but whispered," he bent me over his desk and raped me as the bombs fell. I had to watch it all as he used me.. I still don't know witch of the two was more painful."

More to come...