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And so she stood alone, ignoring the chilled breath of the wind that rustled through her messily bound mane while her pale face was tilted up thoughtfully towards the night sky. The moon was full tonight, a large, near-yellow orb that resembled more of a some bloated, all-seeing eye than anything romantic. Even then, she had to wonder why anyone thought the night was anything to consider romantic. Devils and demons alike, all slavering for flesh as they stalked through the shadows to locate their next unfortunate victim. She felt it too. Her gums ached with familiar lust, but a soft, almost dismissive snort unfurled from her nostrils as a puff of cloudy mist.

The white spade of her tail lashed silently through the night air as she mused, dropping smoky eyes from the moon to better pick her way through the silent forest. For some reason, her heart hurt tonight. It was infuriating in the sense that she knew the reasons were stupid, that she was cold, aloof, and destined to be an outcast ever since her mother threw her out with her father. But Nyx found fringes of loneliness lingering on her mind, the kind that no company could fix. The few she'd encountered had been greeting with polite, if cool words, but the meetings had never lasted long before they'd drifted their separate ways. That was fine. It was refreshing on occasion to see how the normal ones lived. The ones who didn't have to deal with such hunger.

Her charcoal-tipped wings tucked themselves closer to her sides while she ducked to avoid a branch with gnarled fingers that yanked at her hair, threatening to tug the red ribbon that held it all together free. A momento from her father, as had been the golden chain hanging around her neck. A wistful, if sardonic sort of smile curled at her muzzle as her thoughts streamed back to the quiet, imposing figure that had raised her. She missed him, missed that similarity that made them both monsters. It made her feel less alone. She supposed it was selfish to think that way.

The hybrid mare stilled for a moment as she heard a rustle in the underbrush ahead, white ears flicking forward as whatever it was grunted low in its chest. A bear, maybe. Whatever it was moved on after a moment, and she slowly skirted around the area. A monster she might have been, but she knew very well that she lacked the fangs or even the appearance to truly intimidate anyone. It might have been easier that way; then both inside and outside could match, and the world could see her for what she was.

Her muscles unconsciously sensed the eyes upon her back, her tail lashing with the slow menace of a coiled serpent, but her mind wandered through oblivion. Still, her steps were light as she moved, a raised forelimb freezing only for a moment as the strange sound of static crackling through the darkened trees. An attentive, if unconcerned gaze roamed slowly across her surroundings, searching, but finding nothing. She'd never heard anything like it before, and the foreignness alone was enough to make her stop and pay attention. What better way to be taken by surprise if she refused to keep herself on edge? But all her precaution still wasn't enough to prepare her for the dark, almost melodious tone that floated smoothly from the shadows.

The words had her eyes lidding slowly with an almost icy coolness, hiding the shock that jolted through her, threatened to topple her. How did he know that? Everyone she'd met, ever encountered... They'd been completely fooled by the delicate shell she'd been given. That her sister'd been given. But her brother, sweet and gentle, had been trapped in the monster's body. It was all so wrong and topsy-turvy that she just wanted to throw her head back and laugh until she choked. "I believe you have me mistaken then, sir." Came the soft, musing reply, and she turned almost wryly to take him in. Or... what she could see of him.

Gleaming eyes threatened to throw her off course, and the sight of several other shimmering, supposed eyes was enough to make her fall silent for only a moment. Was he the real demon of these woods, then? "I'm only half a monster. The night appeals as much as it repulses me, so it is a bitter life I am condemned to."

Mm, how easily he picked apart her words where others would have immediately sought to chide her, to tell her she was normal, innocent--even pure. It was like he already had decided he knew her, both inside and out, and she felt a heated flicker of scorn dance through her upon realizing this dark stranger had pegged her so well. Perhaps another time, she would have been grateful for someone to understand her so thoroughly, but this felt more like a violation. She knew nothing about this creature (not even if he was a stallion or not), but she did intend to stay, her curiosity finally piqued. Just for a little longer, anyway.

His words were enough to mollify her for a moment, but the sight of his appearance silenced her for a good few more. No, she'd never seen anything quite like him before. He lacked any racial features that might have branded him as an outcast, too, but the bat-like wings extending in great swoops from his back, the curved horns jutting from his skull, even the smoky, crackling tail that swayed gently as he moved... He was a monster in his own, if fascinating right. Her ears tipped forward gently, pale face inclining itself only a tad so she could keep polite, if unyielding eye contact.

"...I cannot deny the truth of your words. But there are those who persist, who remain eternally lost in the light. They will not--or perhaps, cannot see the darkness. And what then? Does one go so far as to prove their malign nature?" She had not, as of yet. she wondered if it was because she truly did not want to be a monster, wanted to deny that part of herself until it simply vanished. It had worked so far with the urges. ...But it seemed somehow so much worse to wander among the others while only wearing a mask.

His comment about the other predators made her eyes break away for only a moment, flickering to the other sets of hungry eyes. The polite bow he offered was enough to regain her attention, and she demurely dipped her own neck in response. "...The Lord of Nightmares." She repeated back coolly, not quite sure how to take that. Was it a self-given title? His appearance surely suggested that he was something that had crawled from only the darkest dreams, but... "I am Nyx. A pleasure, then, my Lord." It was impossible to tell if she was teasing or not, pale face impassive even as she resisted the urge to shift.

She hated all these eyes, seeking, watching, accusing. Even the moon seemed to shred all her carefully constructed layers to expose the chained beast within. But she still held the key... and it would not break its shackles until she faltered.

"I believe they can be." She said softly, sensing somehow she should be careful with her words when speaking to this one. "I walk between both paths, never fully a monster, but always carrying its taint. I am that balance--and in that sense, I am a facade. ...I will make a decision, one day... but for now, I am lost." She could never pretend that her darkness wasn't there, and she knew it, but she could not bring herself yet to act upon it in a savage or cruel way. How frustrating then, to think of the rest of her family...

His request made her tilt her head thoughtfully, "Lon it is, then. ...Do you have another form, on which it is more fitting to call you Lord?" She still wasn't sure she believed it, and who rightly would? But if he was mad, it was a soothing, assured sort of madness--one she did not mind dwelling in for a little while. He spoke of names then, and she murmured some soft note to show she was listening while her thoughts wandered across such an idea. To have no name... She at least had that honor, but Lon seemed just as fitting for this shadowy creature who spoke of such things. Of darkness, of light...

Suddenly, he was inches from her face and her cloudy eyes widened with a hint of surprise. So close--too close. She could feel his heat, and the night seemed to close in around her head, dragging her down so she could drown in its embrace. The only light she could see were those golden eyes, and she was paralyzed for a moment by the sight alone. "No." The whisper came, not so much in answer to his question then in blatant denial of the rousing she felt within. Her shock had been enough to let the key tumble, hitting the ground and simultaneously enabling the shackles to spring free.

With effort, she managed to tear her glazing gaze away, shivering almost violently as she backed away from the shadowy stallion. No, no, she'd been like this before, fought it back and managed to stay herself. But there was a howling in her ears, lusting and hungry, enough to make her dark hooves rake at the earth with more anger than desperation. Her nostrils flared as she shook, concentrating on the scent of churned soil, of the trees nearby... but no, there was blood on him, blood, blood, hot, sweet, delicious. It was more of a growl that slipped past her gritted, dull teeth, and Nyx turned away from the stallion in a strained effort to calm herself.

The pressure looming from both sides was almost enough to make her cave, feeling as though she was about to be crushed by two sets of instincts that were furiously clashing for dominance. Through the chaotic din, that dark, smooth voice pierced her thoughts, gave her something tangible to focus on. "So you say." She rasped a laugh, the sound harsh and bitter in contrast to her earlier demeanor. "You say you know me, but I know nothing, nothing about you. Who are you, to coax this demon out into the open? I have no where else to go." She unexpectedly agreed with him on that last bit, lifting her head over her shoulder to stare at him with hollow, hungry eyes.

"What will you do, Lon? I throw myself at your feet, and will you pity me? Ease all my pain? And then vanish into the night once you've fulfilled whatever it is you set out to accomplish in the first place?" She clenched her jaws to keep herself from lashing out anymore at him, tremors causing firm muscle to jump and quiver as she sought to keep herself under control. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's. She needed to be strong right now.

"What interest am I to you, Lord of Nightmares? I can see none, save being some sort of project. Once you've properly corrupted me then, will you go? And then I will be forced to live with what I am, whether or not it was something I was truly set on in the first place..." She trailed off, no longer seeing as her thoughts washed her briefly away. She was suspicious, desperate... and he was right. Afraid.

The mare slowly turned to face the stallion, not yet stepping towards him or those dark, somehow comforting wings. No, she only arched her neck to give him a cold, hard stare, gathering the last remnants of her strength while she was still able. And yet, she still trembled. She didn't know what answer she wanted to hear, or even why he wanted to supposedly help her. Her wings had unconsciously flared themselves in return, though whether the gesture was to ward him or way or not... Well, she wasn't sure about that, either.

He was darkness. It didn't phase him like it did her, because he accepted himself, and knew there was nothing he could do to change it. And was he a monster? And even then, what defined a monster? Her thoughts were racing, trying to absorb what she was being told while sorting out her own realizations. It was the lack of control that made her afraid, and the thought that she might not even remember if she lashed out and hurt people... Wouldn't it be better to feed the urge, and therefore keep it calm, so long as she was careful? A sharp exhalation escaped her in the form of ghostly mist, and she shook her head back and forth slowly as though to help clear her thoughts.

The darkness in her soul... Yes, the taint she knew she harbored. When, Nyx had to ask herself, had she ever felt so young, and so vulnerable? She suddenly felt as though she didn't know herself at all, neck slumping while her ears remained pricked to catch his words. Whether or not she would follow... "So you do not reject this. This pathetic state." She said bitterly after a moment, loathing herself even as she lifted her weary eyes to look at him.

His unexpected offer almost made her recoil, and the unease running through her eyes was real. She'd... never willingly taken blood from anything before--much less someone who'd offered to just give it to her. "...Right now, I don't feel as if I have much of a choice. To suffer, not to suffer... It's not difficult to decide. But." But what? She owed him nothing. She would not be a submissive, obedient little mare that trailed along after his flanks all day. No. She was still Nyx. She still had her pride.

...She might just be getting a little help now. "...I'll accept... your offer." The words stuck in her throat and threatened to die, and she had to swallow hard to push them back down. Her steps were slow, almost reluctant as she approached the big black male, felt her heart beginning to pound while her instincts hissed for action. Her muzzle was only inches from his skin now, hesitating before she allowed contact to be made. The urge to sink her teeth deep was practically overwhelming... and frankly, as her mind went blank, Nyx would admit to herself later that she didn't remember much of at all of the process.

Her teeth, though dull, managed to find purchase within Lon's neck, the sweet, hot rush of blood sating the inner beast that had starved for almost her entire life. It was practically blissful, quenching this thirst she had fought with so long... but the guilt was still there, throbbing just hard enough for her to notice it. But that was all right. She'd dwell on it later. Now, all she wanted to do was feed.

She awoke first in a daze.

The darkness was everywhere, warmth and almost comforting against her sides and back, a sweet, heavy taste still lingering on her tongue. Her face dropped away slowly, feeling a strange sort of wet still staining her muzzle. She didn't need to taste it to know what it was--or why she felt so content in an exhausted sort of way. But her thoughts began to drift back in slow, jagged pieces, and the sounds of the night filled her ears. Her nostrils flared slowly, and the scent of blood filled her senses. For a moment, Nyx stilled, but her minds were strangely calm. There was no sense of bloodlust, no rising urges to seek out and maul some small creature until rich red stained the earth... Just peaceful stillness.

She hadn't expected the wave of mortification to roll over her, clearing her throat slowly while she attempted to slowly slip out from the protective cover of his wing. Her tongue slipped out to clean whatever remnants of blood remained on her white muzzle before the petite mare slowly straightened to look the darker stallion in the eye. What was there to say? She'd finally succumbed to her most hated desire, the thirst her body had clamored for almost every night. But for what?

It was true, she reasoned reluctantly, that... she felt somehow soothed. No longer did the beast bash against the firmly locked gates of her mind, but had rather settled down to slumber. For once, she was completely alone within her own mind. "I was expecting a change, some sudden shove in one direction, or another... but I only feel... quieted, somehow." Nyx eventually spoke, slowly regaining that calm, distant composure she'd held upon first meeting this Lord of Nightmares.

But now, as she watched him with musing eyes, what would he do? Leave, he had said. And should she follow? She'd been content to roam in her self-imposed solitude for so long, to allow her isolation to keep her flickering hunger at bay. Was this, perhaps, something of a solution to keep it from raging out of control?

Should she really follow this stallion, trust his clever words and unknown intentions?

Of course it had shades, and she found herself bristling for a moment when she thought she was being lectured. Her father, though a 'monster' in her mother's eyes... He had changed. She had only known him to be gentle and kind, if a little stoic on occasion in his mannerisms. But Nyx felt no urge to argue right now, only shifting her gaze to the looming forest that surrounded them. The violence of the urges... well, she had expected to feel unstable, even deranged. But Lon was right; there was an eerie peace to her thoughts that she hadn't experienced for a long while. "...Correct." Came the disheartened murmur, and the mare pulled herself more upright, solidifying her stance to allow herself to feel stronger.

She was strong. She would not be reduced to a sighing, damsel in distress because of this slip. She just... needed some time to think. But she noted his gaze quickly, and her eyes, too, flickered up towards the lessening night. He explained himself, and she glanced away, dark mane spilling in front of her eyes until she tossed it free once more. "...I need time to think. To mull over what has happened, and whether or not I..." Whether or not she could handle it.

"Need is too strong of a word." Nyx corrected, tucking her wings a bit closer to her sides. "...But perhaps I will return." It was with a sinking feeling that she realized this stallion was a mystery that she wanted to unravel, needing to understand his methods and just what interest she held for him. Besides being some sort of toy. "...I bid you sleep well, then, Lon." She said a little awkwardly, not exactly sure if that was the correct response to one who'd just had their blood drained to satisfy her.

Her wings unfurled a little, planning to lift her so she could escape through the gnarled branches to the sweet freedom of the skies. "And," She swallowed a little, composed herself, "...Thank you."