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In gateway station's main treatment area.

The Ladies Amalthea and Beleth, along with three other equines quickly approached the surgical table. Automatically the furs lowered there heads and placed there paws together as if praying, a common gesture of respect when in the presence of The Blessed Matriarch of The Holy Order of Light. As she reached the assembly of furs and there human prisoner she to lowered her head, returning the gesture as she spoke to Eshera. "Sister, we have come to offer our assistance."

The Blessed Matriarch then lifted a paw in introduction to the doctors, indicating a chestnut colored stallion at her side. "This is doctor Marcus Ember, he is a xenobiologist and one of our most skilled neurosurgeons. Our sister has told us that your human patient may be in need of his services if you will permit us to help."

With as rare as male doctors where, the fame of this world acclaimed specialist made the introduction almost unnecessary. His achievements in pioneering radical procedures for the treatment of brain injuries being required reading in medical school, each of the three doctors present had attended more then a few of his lectures over the course of there careers. So when he stepped forward and asked if they would allow him to consult on this case, they where quick to grant permission.

"Doctor, we would be honored to have your assistance." Doctor Riversong replied, showing him over to the terminals displaying nova's brain scans and neurological readings. Silently one of the two remaining equines fallowed behind him, a combat staff at her side. It was only then did the assembly take notice of the two guards furs.

---

An extreme minority of the equine population and the only ones not to take a vow of non-violence, the twilight guard served as body guards and law enforcement within the order. Skilled martial artists and powerful telepaths, these equines carried out the sacred responsibility of policing there sisters and enforcing the strict moral codes the order lived by. If ever an equine broke her vows and used her abilities to harm another, the twilight guard would be sent to hunt the rogue down and bring her to justice.

---

The second guards fur remained silently behind the Blessed Matriarch as she turned her attention back to Eshera. "Have you told them what you discovered in the child's mind, sister?"

"No, Mother" she replied. "I have not yet had an opportunity, they have been working very hard to bring him back from the brink of death."

The Blessed Matriarch nodded and turned her attention to Dana, looking the mink directly in the eyes. "Wile our sister was trying to alleviate your grief, she accidentally discovered that your human possesses a latent talent. This is not something we thought humans capable of. The lady Beleth and I wish to confirm this potential gift, but to do so we will need your permission as his owner to probe his mind."

Dana was not the only one to look shocked at this, the mink softly stammering. "My, my no-nova is a T-telepath?"

The lady Amalthea looked uncertain how to answer this question, so the lady Beleth spoke up. "In all honesty we are not certen what gifts the child might possess. All we know is that he was demonstrating something approximating projective empathy. Wile you where holding him, his mind was somehow reading your grief and rebroadcasting it. This is how our sister discovered that your human was still a live, as a dead mind simply can not interact with another. In light of this we ask your permission to probe his mind, we need to understand how this is possible in order to better help him."

Dana was simply thunderstruck and more then a little frightened. She found it hard to believe that nova, her sweet and innocent little nova might be telepathic. Not that she cared if he was, but it's very possibility could mean so much for there future. It was exceedingly rare for an equine to commit a crime, even more rare to be sentenced to a collar because of it. But when that happened, she could only be owned by another, more powerful telepath in order to control her abilities. If nova did prove to be a telepath, and if the order used that to challenge her ownership of him, they would have the law on there side.

Her fear of this made her very much want to refuse there request. If they could not confirm there suspicions then they could not take him away from her, but to do so might endanger his recovery. She knew that a priestess was incapable of lying or deceiving when acting in there role as a spiritual guide. This meant that there desire to evaluate him was what they honestly believed was necessary to help her boy.

In that moment the mink felt so ashamed of herself, ashamed that she could even for a second consider risking his life just to keep him for herself. She not only loved him, but just this morning he had saved her life. Confused and unsure of herself, nearly paralyzed by her fears and insecurities Dana turned to Eshera, the one priestess she completely trusted. "Mother? I need you to tell me this is safe. I need you to tell me this is what is best for my mate. I love and trust you, please I need your guidance."

With the invitation she had just been given Eshera stepped forward and tenderly touched her forehead to the minks, laying both paws on Dana's shoulders as she opened a telepathic connection between them. As the unicorn empathically projected love and comfort the two explored everything plaguing Dana's mind, soothing all her fears and worries together with the speed of thought. In there minds mink and unicorn spoke for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes until Dana's whole body relaxed.

When they separated Dana wiped away a few tears, then kissed Eshera tenderly on the tip of her nose. "Thank you Mother, I am ready to make my decision now."

"Captain, I wish to allow them to do this for nova, but mine is not the final word. Legally you are his owner, so the permission must come from you." she said, holding out a paw to her commanding officer and friend.

Kayla not being as versed with slave law did not share the same fears as her friend, the vixen bowing to the Lady Amalthea as she took Dana's paw. "My lady, we both grant our consent for you to do whatever is necessary to save our nova."

The Blessed Matriarch smiled, proud of the skill her younger sister had just shown in healing her charge's pain. She stepped forward and laid a paw on top of Dana and Kayla's as she said. "Thank you both, we shall do all within our power for your young human."

With that she and the Lady Beleth, fallowed by there guard, stepped around to the head of the table. Before doing anything they looked to the doctors, enquiring of Doctor Ember, "Brother, is his mind stable enough for us to proceed?"

"Not yet, Mother." he answered. "Sister Eshera lost contact with his mind because of his falling core temperature. It would appear that has severely reduced his mental functions, we will need to treat it before I would advise linking to him."

"We have equipment in route to deal with that." Melinda informed them. "It should be here very soon."

The Lady Amalthea bowed her head. "Very well, then we shall take the time to prepare." She looked back to Eshera. "Sister, you have been in contact with this humans mind before. Please share those experiences with us, it will help us to know what to expect." Eshera and the two Matriarchs joined paws and touched there heads together, linking there minds to explore her memories of nova.

Since the arrival of the equines Charles Graystone had remain silent to observe the unfolding events. Wile he was happy that the boy seemed to be alive again, he was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact he was in the room with two of the Anthro leadership. As a military officer he could not help but ponder how hostages of there importance could be a tipping point in the war, but he knew better then to even try with two of the twilight guard protecting them. He and his team had been told of how dangerous they where, not even a full platoon of archangels would stand a chance fighting even one of them.

Just a glance at the closest one showed that she was ready for him, the fact that her combat staff safety was off and one of her fingers was resting on the trigger told him that if he attacked she would burn him down where he stood. Instead he turned his attention to the mink that he had beaten only hours ago. She was being held by the vixen and feline from the ship, looking lost and sad as she watched nova on the surgical table.

He found himself curious about how she had been referring to him, wondering about there future relationship should he survive this. Finally he looked over to her and spoke. "You called him your mate?"

It took Dana a moment to realize that the human was talking to her, and several seconds more before she decided to respond to him. "What of it? He is mine."

"Yes, he is your slave. But you have been calling him your mate. I will admit that I don't know all that much about Anthro relationships, but I do know your law forbids the marrying of a slave. So If he pulls through this, do you intend to just keep him in that collar or free him so that he can truly become your husband?" he asked, watching her closely for any signs of deception.

At first Dana could not answer him, her muzzle opening and closing a few times. She started to think, when had the change in her mind come? Even last night as they consummated there new relationship as mistress and slave she loved him, but now she knew in her heart that he was her mate. She could feel deep down in her soul that they belonged together, that she would provide for him and gladly bear his children, if only it was possible. In the end, that was the answer to this humans question. By law, they could never be mates, because he could not provide her with a child. As much as he might be her mate in her heart, a collar was the closest they would ever come to making it official.

She took three steps away from Kayla and Sasha, standing in front of the human as she spoke. "Our laws only allow what you call marriage, when a child can be born of that union. As much as I love my nova, he simply cant impregnate me. Because of this, the vows we exchanged last night where ones of ownership, in place of mateship. In our hearts we have been mates from the moment that collar went around his neck, in place of a traditional mateship band. I proudly claim nova snowpaw as my mate, now and forever."

Two of the guards standing behind Charles sighed at the romance of Dana's words and the human nodded softly to her. "Then I guess I am happy for both of you. I understand how much you love him now."

"That is beautiful, child." The Lady Amalthea added, having finished her sharing with Eshara. "Let us make your mate well so that you can have a long and happy life together."

The temple of judgment

The Daughter Of Judgment tried to comfort the shaking nova, tears of fear dripping from his eyes as he curled into a ball to try and hide on her lap. She laid both her massive paws over him, extending her grey mist to cover him completely in her shroud of protection. With him safely obscured from sight she leaned down to nuzzle him and whisper that he was safe, that she wouldn't allow anyone to harm him.

Rendered nearly invisible the approaching figure did not see nova as he entered the temple, limping slightly on his bleeding left leg. Obviously his travels here had been plagued by the same lost souls witch had nearly gotten the human. Apparently he had not fared nearly so well, but still he had fought his way through. Not surprising given his natural feline aggression, that the brutal slave dealer captain Carnes would not be stopped by mere ghouls.

Once the tiger entered the temple he looked around, taking in The Daughter Of Judgment on her throne and the rows of servants at her side. It took him a few minutes to slowly limp his way over to them, stopping well short of the seal. When he reached it, just as before the same light servant stepped forward commanding. " Welcome child, Step forward onto the seal of life and your judgment shall begin."

But before he could take another step, both large stone doors on either side of the throne opened. From the door to the pit The Daughter of Darkness stepped forward, dozens of glowing red eyes watching from the void behind her. "You need not judge this one, Sister. I have come to claim his dark soul personally."

On the other side of the throne The Daughter of Light entered from paradise, rank upon rank of her servants taking up a guard position just inside. "I will not have that accursed creature in my realm, Sister!"

The Daughter Of Judgment's servants looked to the respective Goddess they represented, then back to there Mistress, all of them to frightened to say a word. Never in the five hundred years each of them had served could they remember all three daughters gathered together like this, blatantly breaking the law that forbid the interference of a mortal's judgment. Each through her paws to her ears and drop to her knees as The Daughter Of Judgment roared. "SISTERS, YOU KNOW WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO INTERFERE IN EACH OTHERS REALMS. LEAVE, NOW!"

"Not this time sister," The Daughter of Darkness growled. "Mother herself has promised this one to me. I have prepared a special place for him in the pantheon of the dammed, I have such delightful torments in store for him for what he did to our treasure. My demons shall feast on his sin for centuries, even after he is purified I might just prevent his rebirth so his torment will be never ending."

She then turned to Carnes, flashing her fangs at him as she snarled. "You should have stayed lost in the darkness, male. Eventually you would have rotted away and your soul would have been released. Now you are mine and your suffering shall be eternal."

Seeing what fate awaited him Carnes turned to run, fleeing to the safety of being devoured by ghouls that purgatory offered. His panicked flight ended abruptly when The Daughter of Darkness flicked a paw, sending a cloud of black mist at him. When it hit, it lifted him off the ground and spun him around, landing him back on the seal with his paws bound to his ankles behind him. Another flick of her paw materialized iron bands around his chest, legs and tail, leaving him helplessly kneeling as the statues pinned him in place with swords to his throat. "It is far to late for that. You sealed your own fate when you laid a claw on our precious treasure."

"What treasure? What are you talking about? All my life I have worshiped you, fallowing your example. I have punished criminals, those who victimized and prayed on others." Carnes wheezed not able to move an inch with the tips of the crystal blades pressing into his neck.

To this The Daughter of Darkness laughed. "I didn't believe I could have any greater contempt for you. What you did in life was not punishment, it was childish sadism for your own enjoyment. You think I don't know your mind? Your dreams? How you lusted to violate the helpless? That you could only climax when reliving the cruelties you inflicted on others?"

She stepped next to the throne, laying a paw over the ones comforting her shaking brother. "But all of that I could have forgiven in time. No it is your final sins, your last crimes that has brought a sisters vengeance upon you."

She leaned down and licked the top of nova's head, then looked The Daughter Of Judgment in the eyes. "Show him, Sister. Show him the precious treasure that he hurt, so he will understand why he will suffer."

The Daughter Of Judgment did not wish to remove her protective grasp of her baby brother, not when he was so afraid, so terrified of the mortal before her. Instead she only slightly moved her paws, one resting on his back as the other covered his legs. When her shroud of protection retracted to the length of normal fur nova was revealed. The second he was the boy whimpered and pressed tighter into her, shaking even more with his eyes closed tight.

Seeing the human he had owned and who he blamed for his own death Carnes growled. "What is that thing doing here? And why would you care that I punished that human? It's kind have been killing furs for decades. I captured it from the wreckage of star base gamma, it was part of there military, a murderer of furs for goddess sake!"

To this The Daughter Of Light spoke, stepping forward to lay her own paw on nova. "We care because he is our baby brother. The human you so savagely brutalized was The Child Of Innocents, sent to the mortal world in order to prevent the extinction of all Anthro kind and preserve the cycles of life."

With three goddesses standing over him, willing to protect him, nova slowly opened his eyes and timidly looked to the tiger. Some very small part of him was happy to see the fear in the felines eyes and it disgusted him, ashamed that he could take even the smallest joy in another's fear. In turn Carnes was looking back at him, then in fear at the daughters. Ever so softly he whimpered, finally understanding just how yiffed he was. "He, the human was The Child Of Innocents? How could I have known? There was nothing special about him, nothing I tell you. If I had known I would never have laid a claw on him, you must believe me!"

Instead of earning him sympathy this only seemed to enrage The Daughter Of Darkness more, her shroud flaring as she snarled. "What a true coward you are. Only willing to brutalize the innocent when there is no risk to you. What of all the others you harmed over the course of your life? The males, females and cubs you tortured?"

To this Carnes said nothing, lowering his head as much as the crystal blades at his throat would allow. Seeing she would get no more out of him she looked to nova, softly reaching for him as she spoke. "Precious would you like to begin this creatures punishment here and now? I will give you claws and the strength to use them, you can slice the vile penis from his body in vengeance for all he did to you!"

Before she could touch him, nova flinched away in fear, obviously frightened by what she intended to do to him and what she expected him to do with it. "NO!" he cried, pulling away from her and hiding his face on The Daughter Of Judgment's chest.

"STOP IT!" The Daughter Of Judgment barked at her dark sister as she curled her arms around him, shielding him from her. "You are frightening him. You know that vengeance is not his way, you will not force it on him."

She pulled her paw back, a look of sorrow showing through her dark shroud. She looked at her paw, then at her cowering baby brother, tears coming to her eyes for the first time in countless centuries. "No, not you, never you. I would never harm you Precious. Please forgive me. I can live with the fact that billions of mortals fear me, but it would destroy me for you to recoil from my touch. Please!"

It took a few minutes before he calmed down enough to open his eyes, but it was not until he saw a silvery tear drip from her muzzle that he acted. He slowly extended a hand to her, holding it out until she moved her paw closer again. Tenderly he curled his fingers closed around a single one of hers, the size difference between them giving the appearance of an infant and mother. He pulled her a little closer and kissed her first knuckle, softly rubbing his cheek on her paw. "It- it's okay. I just don't like violence, it scares me. Just, Please, don't make me hurt anyone."

"I should have known better." She sighed softly, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "In all the time you spend in my realm as a cub, you where always showing the dammed mercy. I even remember a time you tried to hide some of them from my demons. You would love and comfort the most vile of them, something I could never do. "

She then looked over to Carnes, growling softly at him. "But this one, you can't tell me that you forgive him. I watched as he beat and humiliated you, he raped you as you begged him to stop. When he urinated on you I wanted to pass into the mortal realm to tear his throat out. Please don't ask me to give him mercy, not this one. He deserves all I have planned for him, more then any other soul I have purified this century. The human deities robbed me of a sisters vengeance with the others who hurt you, this is the first one I will be able to punish for all your suffering."

Nova held her gaze for several long moments, then looked over to the now terrified Carnes. The tiger was shaking as much as his restraints would allow, a small puddle of blood forming around him from his injured leg. As much shame as he felt for what this tiger had done to him, the sight of someone so frightened invoked deep sympathy. "It is true that he is an evil man, but I know there must be a spark of good in him. I don't forgive him, but as long as there is the smallest chance of redemption, I just cant bring myself to hate him."

He then turned back to The Daughter Of Darkness, meeting her eyes. "I know and except you must purify his sins, but he deserves that chance. Please, for me, allow him to one day be reborn. If you can, please place him with a family that will teach him the true meaning of love."

The Daughter Of Light behind him sniffed softly, sighing at his words. "From the day you where born, You have always been our conscience precious."

The Daughter Of Darkness nodded softly, much of her anger abated. "For you, I will give him that chance. But I still must punish him for all the evil he has done in this life, if I leave the darkness within him, it will carry over and taint his new life."

"Thank you, my sister." nova said, kissing her paw again. Then in the biggest amount of vengeance he was capable of nova looked over to Carnes and said. "But when he is reborn, it should be as a girl. He used his penis as a weapon to hurt others, he doesn't deserve to keep it."

With all of the emotions of the last few minutes this last statement earned a deep laugh from all the daughters, Carnes cringing at the thought of his manhood being removed. As angry as it made him, the tiger was smart enough not to express it for fear it might endanger the small mercy he had been granted. When the laughter died down The Daughter Of Darkness was smiling for the first time since she appeared, her fangs showing as she purred. "Wile only mother has the power to seed souls into a mortal body, I think she will agree to do that for you precious."

A moment later that question was answered as a column of bright sunlight shown down from above, illuminating the seal of life and incasing Carnes within. The swords held in the statues paws disintegrated as they returned to there pose of prayer, the bonds holding the tiger also vanishing. Once freed the tiger took on a pose as if screaming in pain, his back arched and paws lifted up to shield himself from the light.

After almost a full minute of this his ethereal body seemed to explode, melting into a cloud of swirling darkness. " No, Mother! You swore to me I could have this one!" The Daughter Of Darkness roared, turning her gaze above.

"What's happening?" nova asked, confused and frightened by what he saw.

Before anyone could answer, a second beam of light separated from the main column, dragging a glowing orb over to the throne. It stopped with the orb hovering just over nova, the ball of light changing into the shape of a new born kitten. Without even thinking nova reached up and took the kitten in his arms just as the beam vanished, depositing a baby on his lap.

Back at the seal, the swirling cloud of darkness began to retake shape, once again becoming something resembling a tiger. But unlike before it was not normal, instead it was a twisted and deformed version of it's previous self, twice the size it had been before. When the form was once again solid the beam of light vanished, leaving a snarling monster restrained only by the statues around it.

"Demons, seize that creature." The Daughter Of Darkness commanded, dropping the barrier between realms. Instantly, a dozen of her largest and most powerful servants rushed out, pouncing the monster and lashing it with there tails. Resembling giant feral felines, these demons where three times the size of the mortal animals. There fur was a pure black, tails almost fifteen feet long and thicker then steel cables.

The creature still tried to attack, but with two tails on each of it's limbs, neck and torso, it was nearly unable to move. It still struggled to advance toward the throne, snarling deeply as it was pulled down. "Give it back."

Here The Daughter Of Darkness began a deep rumbling purr, chuckling as she commanded. "Drag it to the pit and place it in the pantheon of the dammed, we shall feast well this day."

As the demons sank there fangs into the creature and started dragging it toward the pit, it extended it's claws, leaving deep grooves in the polished hard wood as it struggled for freedom. To spite it's best efforts it was doomed to fail, still kicking and screaming as it vanished into the void. When it was gone The Daughter Of Darkness turned back to her brother and sisters, purring deeply. "It would seem mother has granted our treasure's wish."

She then looked down to nova, still holding a sleeping kitten in his arms. "Mother separated that spark of goodness you where speaking of, from the evil staining the felines soul. You hold in your arms all the goodness that mortal still possessed, leaving all the evil and sin for me to purify."

Nova looked the tiger kitten over, a small smile parting his lips when he realized it was a female he held. He pressed her to his chest, holding her close as he kissed the top of her head. "I can forgive you now. I hope your new life is one of joy and happiness. May you bear many cubs to bring you the joy you lacked in your old life."

For several long minutes the daughters silently watched as nova cuddled the kitten, working through and laying to rest the remainder of the pain the tiger had inflicted on him. When the kitten mewed softly nova pulled back to look at her, kissing the tip of her nose tenderly. "It's funny, but part of me wishes that you where reborn as my daughter. I have always wanted to raise a little girl, a sweet little princess to lavish with all the love I never received as a child."

Above him, the daughters shared a small smile, amusement passing between them for what the future held for there little brother. When she felt enough time had passed The Daughter Of Light laid a paw beside nova for the kitten, softly purring. "We've all felt that yearning precious, for a child to love and complete you. For the longest time we three felt that lack, until the day mother gave birth to you. Maybe one day you to will feel the joy we experience every time we hold you."

He could only nod to that as he kissed the kitten one more time and then placed her on The Daughter Of Light's paw. He did not wish them to know that his second owner had sterilized him at puberty, forever robbing him of the ability to sire a child of his own. Still he held out hope that one day his Mistress might become pregnant and allow him to help raise her child as his own.

Unnoticed by the daughters, one of the demons did not return to the pit after dragging away the monstrous version of Carnes. Instead it slowly stalked it's way around behind The Daughter of Darkness, intently watching the human.

In gateway station's main treatment area.

Soon after Dana's declaration of love, two fleet engineers arrived with the modified thermal infuser / dialysis machine. Wile Lt. commander Charles Graystone was directing the placement of the feeds Melinda added five pints of syntha blood, preparing the device for it's life saving work. Now it was functioning at full capacity, removing his cold blood, cleaning and heating it, before pumping it back into his body. Already it's results could be seen as color started to return to his pale skin, Charles pointing out when the blue tint of cyanosis left his fingernails.

"It is working even better then I expected." The human said, holding one of nova's hands to check the pulse in his wrist. He then asked one of the doctors to check nova's toe nails for the same blue tint, smiling when she reported it gone. "That means the vascular constriction has relaxed. Soon all the remaining hypothermic symptoms should be gone. All you need to do now is monitor his core temp for when his natural metabolism kicks in. Just be careful to keep his temp under 99 degrees and everything should be fine."

No sooner had he said that, then Eshara gasped, turning from the ladies Amalthea and Beleth to stair at nova. "Mothers, he is back. I can feel him reaching out to me again."

"Patience, Sister. Do not link to him until we are sure it is safe." The Lady Amalthea advised, placing a paw on her shoulder. She then looked back to doctor Ember as she asked. "What do your scans say, brother? Is his mind stable enough for us to proceed?"

After a few moments he nodded, looking up to them. "Yes, Mother. Scans indicate greatly increased mental activity. The large infusions of Triox have also served to prevent a lot of damage. What little has occurred is isolated to the temporal lobe, witch may result in some minor memory loss. That should not effect his ability to receive a mental link."

"Very well, please continue to monitor his condition as we probe his mind." the Lady Amalthea requested as she and lady Beleth laid there paws on his head to maximize the connection through physical contact. The two matriarchs then closed there eyes and cleared there minds, trying to form a mental link with the unconscious boy.

This continued for almost a full ten minutes, both of them trying everything they knew to link with nova's unconscious mind. Eventually they where forced to stop, the Lady Amalthea softly sighing. "This is strange. We can feel him, but he is resisting us. It feels as if he is actively trying to keep us out of his mind."

She took a few moments to review the memories Eshera had shared with her, then smiled as she turned to the unicorn. "Sister, come. I think you should try to link with him. Since he has allowed you to enter his mind in the past, it is likely he will not see you as a threat. If you can link to him, then we can form a gestalt so you can bring us in with you."

"Me, Mother? Of course I am willing to try, but I must confess that I have never been very skilled with group links." She told them as she stepped to the head of the bed.

"Beleth and I will manage the gestalt, you only need to focus on your charge, Sister." Amalthea told her with confidence in her tone.

Very tenderly Eshera laid her paws on the side of nova's head as she started to concentrate. It only took her a few seconds before she inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering. "He's there. I can feel him, but its like he is very far away."

The two matriarchs then laid there paws on the outside of Eshera's, channeling there connection through hers. "Yes, your link with him is strong, but his mind has withdrawn. Call out to him, beckon him to return to you wile we probe his abilities."

Not knowing exactly what to do, Eshera simply began to mentally sing to him. She picked a song her own mother had sang to her as a cub, empathically adding her own feelings of love and safety in hopes of drawing him to her. Slowly, tentatively, she could feel him starting to respond, echoing the emotions of her song back at her.

<Mothers, are you feeling this?> Eshera sent to them.

<Yes.> They both replied. <It feels like a cub's level of empathy.>

Much to the matriarchs consternation nova's mind had begun resisting them once again, not allowing them to evaluate his abilities. It seemed that his mind, running purely on instinct, would only except someone he knew and trusted. Wile they could have overpowered his meager defenses, to do so would surely harm him in his weaken condition.

Instead they decided to join in what Eshera was already successfully doing, getting his mind to echo the abilities being directed at him. Together, all three of them sang to him, slowly adding there own emotional and telepathic projections. Surely enough, within a few minutes he started echoing there emotions back at them. When the song ended all three of them released there connection to his mind and stepped back, silencing there own projections only to have nova continue echoing back to them.

"Brother are you feeling this?" The Lady Amalthea asked aloud, unsure if what she was sensing was real.

"Ya-YES." he stammered, having stopped all activity moments before. "What is that? It feels like the emotions of several furs blended together. But it is indistinct, lacking clarity."

"I have seen this before, but only in the mind damaged. It is empathy alone, devoid of telepathy." The lady Beleth said in a deep exhale. To spite herself she shuttered, remembering the poor children she had counseled after being so crippled. Many of them had become so despondent at there loss that they attempted suicide, a few tragically succeeding. For the rest It had taken her and some of her most skillful sisters to convince them that life was still worth living without the intimate connection of sharing there thoughts with there families.

"I don't understand, is nova brain damaged?" Dana asked, obviously very confused by there reaction.

"No, not exactly." The Lady Amalthea explained. "When we equines communicate telepathically there are two components to it, thought combined with emotion. Think of it as the way you use both sight and vision to experience the world around you. Your nova is like a cub blind from birth, forced to try and understand the world around him simply by hearing it."

The Lady Amalthea reached out and took Beleth's paw to comfort her as she continued. "Wile this would be considered a disability for an equine, in the last few generations it is becoming common among other Anthro races who have been developing psionic abilities. For your human, this might be the normal extent of his gift, we simply can't know for sure without conducting a deeper evaluation. That will have to wait until he is awake, but for now I think we have what we need to help him."

"But first I will need your assistance, child." she said, turning her attention to Charles Graystone. "The shock and trauma this young male has suffered caused his mind to withdraw. In order to restart his high level functions, we will need a baseline image of an active human mind to work from. If you are willing I would like to use you as the template to guide our efforts."

"O, hell no!" He said, taking a reflexive step back from her. "Helping with medical training is one thing, but you stay the fuck out of my mind, bitch."

From behind him one of the guards snarled, striking him from behind and forcing him to his knees. "How dare you speak to The Blessed Matriarch with such disrespect!"

At the same time Dana took a step toward him, growling deeply. "You're going to help my nova if I have to crack your skull open and rip your brain out for her to use."

"STOP!" The Lady Amalthea commanded loudly, halting everyone. She took a second to eye the guards and Dana like poorly behaving cubs before she spoke again, much more softly. "I will not allow any of you to force this child to give assistance against his will. The highest law of our order is that we DO NOT enter another's mind without consent."

With Dana and the guards looking appropriately contrite she looked down to the man who was eyeing her distrustfully. "Child, I believe you misunderstand what I was asking of you. I don't wish to read your thoughts or probe your memories. I simply wish to take a mental image of the way your brain functions, no more invasive then a medical scan. I give you my word as the leader of my order and a servant of The Goddess, that I will do no more then that."

He slowly got back to his feet and locked eyes with her, searching for the lie he believed must be there. Not finding it he sighed as he spoke. "It isn't that I don't want to help. But you have to know that as an archangel I took an oath to protect classified information. I can't risk divulging military secrets, especially to one of the enemy leaders. A court-martial is the least I would deserve if you used that information to harm humanity."

"I wish you could see the value of my word child, but I truly understand if you must fallow your moral beliefs. Integrity and strict adherence to our moral codes is all that saved my race from extinction. Do you know the history of the mind war?" She asked the human before her.

"Mind war? No. We did learn about the history of your past wars in order to better understand the Psychology of how your people fight, but I don't remember reading about that conflict." He answered her, taking notice of how uncomfortable this subject seemed to be making the non equines around him. Several of the guards had shifted there gaze away from The Lady Amalthea, almost guiltily he thought.

She reached up and softly laid a paw on the side of the humans face. "Seven centuries ago, my race used our gifts for very selfish reasons. We would dominate the minds of others, strip them of there free will, enslave and even murder them. We believed ourselves enlightened and superior, but in reality we where cruel and savage. In the aftermath of the predator / pray war, many of the most powerful among us decided to telepathically enslave as many of the survivors as possible in a misguided attempt to ensure it would never happen again."

The alicorn sighed softly, true sadness showing in her eyes. "What would come to be known as the mind war was short and brutal. In the end we lost and the other races hunted down and exterminated over 99 percent of equines. The only reason enough of us survived to repopulate was because of my order. Not only where we isolationists living far removed from others in a remote temple high in the mountains, but a core tenant of our faith strictly forbid the entering of another's mind without there express consent."

The Lady Amalthea turned to look at Beleth, Marcus, Eshera and the two twilight guard furs, all of them sharing the same pained expression. "Thankfully, this was enough for us to be granted mercy. To this day, we all bear the shame of those long ago sins. Never again will we allow a return to the ways that nearly destroyed us, never again will we use our gifts to harm another."

"Never again." Charles repeated, lowering his eyes. "You might not know this, but those words also hold a special meaning to those of my faith. There was a time where all of us Jews where also hunted to the point of extinction. It took a world war and millions of deaths to prevent it."

For what seemed like a long time he said nothing, searching his soul. When he did look up to her again he spoke in barely a whisper. "Swear to me. Swear on the ashes of your ancestors, on all you hold sacred that you will only take that image. Swear that If you see anything else, anything at all, you will take it to your grave. Swear on the genocide that will never be forgotten."

As soon as he said the word Genocide, every Anthro looked away, not able to meet the eyes of an equine. The order where not the only ones to feel shame in the actions of there ancestors. To be reminded that your foremothers had nearly wiped out an entire race of furs was a hard thing to be reminded of. The guilt of those long ago actions cut both ways, rippling through Anthro society in ways that would be hard for anyone to articulate.

She solemnly laid a paw over her heart and the other one to the middle of his chest as she touched her forehead to his, the slender horn resting on top of his head as she spoke. "I so swear. On the blood and ashes of my ancestors, on the sins that may never be forgotten."

He took a deep breath and whispered. "Do it before I come to my senses."

Both of them closed there eyes as Charles felt a sensation of peace and tranquility wash over him. A few seconds later The Lady Amalthea opened her eyes again and leaned back, sighing softly. "Thank you. I have what we need to help the child now."

It took Charles a lot longer to open his eyes and release a long, slow breath. "Your welcome. Now if you don't need me anymore I would like to say goodbye to my men before they." He stopped and gestured to the guards. "Do whatever they are going to do with me."

She turned her head to the Doctors and asked. "Do you still have need of him?"

All four of the doctors quickly conferred before confirming the human could go. With that The Lady Amalthea nodded and addressed the closest of the twilight guard. "Go with this human and see that he is treated properly. After you take him to see his fallen friends and given him time to properly grieve for them, accompany him to the processing facility. They are to know what he did here today."

There was no hesitation on the guards part, The Blessed Matriarch's duel role as a high governess allowing her the authority to give such an order. The guard simply bowed and walked over to the human, lifting a paw to the door. Without another word she and Charles, fallowed by his original guard detail turned and left.

Once he was gone she returned to the head of the table and joined paws with Beleth and Eshera, sharing the mental image with them. She then sent the same information to Doctor Marcus as she laid the plan out for them and the other doctors. "Wile the doctors administer medical treatment and monitor our progress, we three will open a conduit into this child's mind. With the love of his mate as a beacon, we will call him back from the darkness he has fled to."

She held out a paw to Dana, motioning the mink over to them. A little nervously she came, taking a second to lay a paw on nova's face, leaning down to kiss him. "What do you need me to do, Mother?"

"Simply love him, Child. When we connect you to his mind, concentrate on how much you wish him to return to you. Call out to him with your love, use it to guide him back into your arms." She told the mink, smiling softly.

Wile the doctors gathered the medications and equipment they would need, Eshera and both matriarchs took the opportunity to telepathically bond with Dana and prepare her mind for the coming ordeal. They showed her how to focus her thoughts and feelings, blocking out all distractions and ignoring the rest of the world. When all was ready Eshera, as the only telepath nova would readily except, was the first to extend there gestalt to him, opening a pathway for the others to fallow.

The temple of judgment

Slowly the demon stalked forward, intently watching the human creature on The Daughter of Light's lap. Wile it could smell a delightful buffet of guilt and sin on the human, there was something else that compelled it to draw closer, licking it's lips in anticipation. As it reached The Daughter of Darkness's side, it took a moment to purr, lovingly rubbing against its Mistress's legs.

Having been so focused on the rapidly dwindling time remaining with her baby brother, it took this physical contact for her to notice that one of her servants had remained. When she looked down, it lightly bumped her hip, purring even more deeply. She smiled and reached down to stroke the demon's head as she chuckled. "You where supposed to go home with the others, pet."

To this the demon lovingly licked her paw, releasing a small whine before locking on nova again. It took a few steps closer to the throne, sitting down to look at him with a hungry growl. Before the Mistress could scold her own servant, The Daughter of Judgment returned its growl with a more threatening one. "No demon, this one is not for you. Harm him and I will destroy you!"

As frightening as the demon was, nova found himself intently looking at it, watching its eyes as something niggled at the back of his mind. There was something about its cold, flat black eyes, something he knew. For some reason he did not immediately understand, this demon invoked a similar feeling of familiarity he had gotten when first seeing the Daughters in his dreams.

It wasn't until he noticed the white spekals in its eyes, much like stars in the night sky that it came to him. "I ... I know you. Your name is ... Your name is... I can almost remember." Then it came to him in a flash. "Calara!"

All three Daughters softly gasped in shock, there shrouds flaring as the demon whined again, moving a little closer and lifting its head toward him. It was The Daughter of Judgment who first found her voice, softly asking. "Precious, how did you know that? Mother locked away all of your memories when you where seeded into a mortal body. You shouldn't remember anything, especially this demon's name."

Nova seemed to have taken on a dream like state as he reached out to the demon, extending a hand to it as if he had done it countless times before. "I, I'm not sure. It's just, I know... she is mine."

Seeing him reaching for it, the demon placed one paw on the throne, lifting up to extend its height until nova touched the side of it's muzzle. The second he made contact, a purple shroud much like his sisters burst forth. The purple mist shifted and changed, wavering from the human form he had been trapped in for nineteen years, to his true form and back.

This small burst of The Child of Innocent's power only remained with him for a few seconds, quickly flowing down his arm and over the demon. It staggered back away from him as it's body started to change, shrinking and reforming. Wile the demons themselves had no true gender, the will guiding this transformation resulted in it being changed into a female, blending together several Anthro races.

The overall body shape was a mix of fox and wolf, the fur patterning of a white tiger and the long fluffy tail of a mink. When the transformation finished, the nude young cub fell to her knees, panting deeply. It took her a few seconds to recover, looking up to the throne still panting. "Master! You have returned!"

"Servant, explain this. How have you broken through mothers binding to take our treasures form!" The Daughter of Darkness demanded.

The cub, so young as to almost be sexless, looked up to the goddess she served. "Mistress, do you not remember? When the Master was born, you empowered me as his nursemaid and protector wile in your realm. When the goddess granted his powers, he rewarded me with this body in gratitude for my faithful service. I have always been his when he wished it of me."

Hearing this The Daughter of Light tossed back her head in a deep rumbling laugh. "Ha, I knew it. We all suspected that he had a companion among our servants. Both of you insisted it had to be one of mine, but it would appear she was a child of the dark all this time."

The Daughter of Judgment also began to laugh, hugging nova to her. "If I had known I would have selected her for service in my realm when you left us. Any demon special enough to earn your love deserves an honored place at my side."

"Don't you even think about it, Sister!" The Daughter of Darkness teasingly growled. "If spending time with my servant encourages him to come to my realm more often, then I will keep every advantage I can."

Wile the Daughters laughed Calara stood and walked over to the throne, laying her head on The Daughter of Judgment's lap just to be closer to her Master. She smiled and licked his hand tenderly as he touched her. "I have missed you, Master. Have you returned to stay? I kept your den exactly the way you left it."

"Den?" The Daughter of judgment asked. "You created a den in the pit for you and this demon to share?"

"I, I don't know." he said, softly shaking his head. "Its like remembering a dream, from a long time ago."

"Its okay precious, wile mothers binding faltered for a moment, it is still in place. But the next time you return to us, it will be as your true self. I just wish we did not have to wait so long for your task in the mortal realm to be completed." The Daughter of Judgment told him.

Just as she finished speaking he gasped, a shock running through his body. "I can .. Feel .. My Mistress."

He whipped his head up as a new beam of light shined down on the seal, a ghostly apparition of Dana appearing upon it with her arms outstretched. She said nothing and did not leave the seal, just standing there, beckoning him to her. Slowly, tears started to come to his eyes as he cried. "Mistress? No, I wanted you to live. I died to protect you."

Seeing him becoming upset, The Daughter of Judgment was quick to comfort her baby brother. "No, precious, she is not dead. She is here to guide you back to life, back into your mortal body. Sadly this means your time here with us is over, but we will still see each other in your dreams."

Nova found himself torn, a large part of him desperately wanted and needed to go to his Mistress. But another part of him, the part that was starting to remember this place wanted to stay. Here he had family, loving sisters that would do all in there power to protect him. Here with them he would never be hurt again, safe and loved for all eternity. But to stay here also meant abandoning the mink he loved.

In the end, that was what decided it for him. Wile these goddesses loved him, his heart belonged to the mink waiting for him. He would go to her, live his life with her and complete the task laid out before him in the mortal world. When that was finished he knew that his immortal sisters would still be here waiting to welcome him back into there loving embrace.

Slowly he stood, curling his arms around The Daughter of Judgment's neck in a loving hug. "I wish I could stay longer, I don't want any of you to be sad when I leave."

"I know precious, but so much in the mortal realm depends on you. As much as we don't wish to be separated from you again, you must go back and preserve the cycles of life. Wile I know you will not remember us once you leave, you will always carry our love with you."

She hugged and kissed him one last time, then placed him on the ground. The Daughter of Light went next, carefully cuddling him with the sleeping kitten still in her paws. "I will miss you, my precious treasure. Remember to allow love to guide you, it will never take you from the path."

The Daughter of Darkness went last, seeming to have the most trouble of all letting go of him. She not only hugged him, she clung to him with a soft sniffle in her tone. "It is a sisters duty to protect her brother. That has been the worst part of you leaving us, that I have not been able to keep you safe. I curse the dark souls who make it necessary for you to return to that realm. If only mother would allow me to simply destroy them, I could keep you here and prevent you from ever hurting again."

"Strength comes from enduring the unendurable, my sister. No matter what happens, know that one day we will be together again." he hugged her around the neck, wishing there was more he could do to comfort her. Then, as he caught sight of Calara standing behind The Daughter of Darkness looking sad at his impending departure, a smile parted his lips. "But wile you wait for me, you will not be alone this time."

He pulled slightly back from her and motioned the transformed demon over to him. "Calara, you said that you belonged to me. If I ask something of you, would you do it for me."

"Yes, Master." She said, bowing her head submissively.

He reached out and touched the side of her face, tenderly stroking her muzzle. "Then I wish for you to remain as you are now. Stay with my sister and love her as I would, cuddle and comfort her when things are at there darkest."

Calara smiled and licked the side of her goddess's muzzle. "Yes, Master. It will be my pleasure to serve the Mistress if she will allow me."

Moved to tears for the second time that day, The Daughter of Darkness pulled Calara into there hug. "Of course my pet, how could I refuse such a generous gift from my precious treasure."

He softly kissed them both, then turned and walked over to the seal, right into Dana's waiting arms. Human and mink, Mistress and slave, mates of the heart embraced again, there bodies slowly melting into one of pure light. Together, they lifted off the seal, flashing away on there journey back to the mortal world.

The daughters all watched the streak of light until he was gone, once again taking away what was most dear to them. The Daughter of Darkness then stood, lifting Calara into her arms, much like she had always carried her baby brother. She cuddled the demon to her as she returned to the pit, softly sniffling. "Come pet, lets see if we can find a nice cubphile to share for dinner."

Seeing how sad her Mistress was, Calara hugged her tenderly, nuzzling the side of her neck with a deep purr. "I'd like that, Mistress. But I will just keep you company, the master fed me all of his sin and guilt when he transformed me. I'm so full, I don't think I will be able to eat again for a long time."

The Daughter of Darkness stopped at the doors to the pit, looking down to the demon in her brothers form. "Revella?"

She giggled and leaned up to softly lick the underside of her Mistress's muzzle, just as she knew The Child of Innocents would often do. "Yes, Mistress. But that was just an appetizer compared to the guilt he felt for killing one of his owners. That will plague him no more, now that it is in my belly."

This got a genuine smile from The Daughter of Darkness as she pushed off into the void, the doors starting to close behind them. "That human deserved to die. Thank you for relieving his guilt and giving him peace of mind, my beloved little girl."

"It was my pleasure, Mommy!" she answered just as the doors sealed

"I'm happy that precious left our sister a surrogate to love until he comes back to us." The Daughter of judgment softly sighed.

The Daughter of Light nodded. "Indeed. He was her only source of love in that cold, dark realm of pain and punishment. Now she will have someone to give her what she so desperately needs."

With that, she returned to paradise, looking down to the sleeping kitten in her paws. "I despised you when you first came here, now the next time you return it will be as my niece." As she passed through the doors she looked up to the clouds. "Really Mother, some times your sense of humor is to much, even for me."

more to come....