The amazing cover above has been designed by the awesome person AnotherCosmonaut. She makes amazing covers and writes equally amazingly too. Be sure to check them out.

I sincerely apologize for the delay. And also a huge thank you to all you readers for helping win the E-Awards. It wouldn't have been possible without you guys.

Without any further ado, here's your extra long chapter.

Rectitude: morally correct behaviour or thinking. Righteousness

*************************************************************************

'Has he gone into shock?', Phoebe's worried voice floated towards me, effectively bringing me back to the present.

'Huh', I questioned unintelligently, snapping my head up to face my friends.

Ahh yes! I was at the Blue Lagoon.

'Where did you travel off to this time Cimme?', Nox teasingly questioned, looking at my dumbstruck expression with one side of his lip quirking upwards.

'I...uh', in vain I tried to clear the fog around my brain, desperately trying to bring myself back to the present. Oh Penumbra! How embarrassing. Unable to even form a coherent sentence.

Nox let out a throaty chuckle looking at me. I was still busy recollecting my thoughts, otherwise I would have surely given Nox something else to laugh about I thought irate.

'Yup. This is you alright. If I had any doubt till now that this shadow was some kind of doppelganger, its all gone now. This is definitely the Cimmerin I know', Nox concluded chuckling.

Oh the nerve of this guy, I grumbled to myself, completely mortified as I felt my cheeks heat up. Yes, I do admit, I do have a habit of getting lost in my thoughts from time to time. Come on! I'm sure everyone does...right?

'So what were you thinking about?', Pashan inquired.

'Nothing much. I was just nostalgic. Didn't even know that I still had all those memories stored up there', I trailed off sheepishly, chuckling to myself and scratching my head.

'But anyways, what were you guys saying?', I continued brusquely, diverting their attention off of me and cutting off Nox from passing another comment or cracking a joke at my expense. Sometimes I swear that's all the guy does when he's around me.

'If you don't want to know about it, its fine Cimmerin. The way I see it, I don't even have any issues with living out here the rest of our lives', answered Phoebe quickly, and a tone that a mother uses to talk to her child. Slowly and sympathetically. This was starting to irk me out now. Was she so dumb to think that I couldn't see through her plan of trying to avoid this whole conversation altogether. Plus if they hadn't done anything wrong why were they trying to be so elusive? Could it be...guilt?

'I agree', Pashan was quick to interject, immediately siding with his wife. 'What happened to the Council is none of our-'

'I dare you to complete that sentence Pashan', Nox's voice boomed in menacingly. 'What were you going to say huh? That the Council is none of our concern? Was that it!?', Nox shouted, his voice rising with each word. A scowl was permanently plastered on his face by now.

I could vaguely hear Phoebes voice from the sidelines trying to get them to stop fighting.

'Cimme. Why don't you tell them to stop? How can you watch your own friends fight? Answer me!', she pleaded. I held up my hand effectively silencing her.

'Bacause it needs to be done', I answered gravely looking into her eyes. Seeing her backing away I turned my back to the bickering pair, folding my hands before my chest and silently taking in everything, including their 'new personalities'.

'Yes I was. And there is nothing wrong in it', Pashan fired back in the same tone, his voice the same pitch as that of Nox. Both of them face-to-face by now, their foreheads less than a centimeter apart.

One could feel the tension in the air, everything was still. No movement or sound could be heard or seen. The drop of a pin would have been audible were it so.

I waited patiently. I couldn't not stop my friends or but in but I needed to see this unfold. To what extent had my friends changed? What were their morals? Did they still have principles? How many more secrets were there that had yet to be unravelled? And most importantly, I needed to know with whom their loyalty lay.

Well I didn't have to wait long as Nox's laughter filled the air, breaking the eerie silence.

He staggered back clutching his stomach as he laughed. I was sure there was nothing humorous about this situation, but then what or who was Nox mocking? Who was he trying to instigate?

I looked at Pashan scrutinizing, and just before Pashan could put his facade back on, I saw that one emotion blaze in his eyes, which he desperately wanted to hide. Shame.

Looks like Pashan took Nox's bait after all.

'Nothing...wrong. Ha ha ha', Nox tried framing sentences mid-laughter. 'Did you hear what he said?', Nox stumbled towards to me like a drunkard and draped his arm over my shoulder, still laughing like a lunatic. I slipped an arm around him, trying to hold him up.

'Oh Pashan', Nox finally said, standing upright and wiping the moisture from his eyes, hiccuping as he reached the last stage of his bouts of laughter.

'My dear Pashan. How low have you dropped? I can barely recognize you anymore. Is this the same young, intrepid shadow we had met at the Ackerleys Cimme?', he asked looking over at me.

I was at a loss of words and simple remained silently.

'Why don't you first look at yourself Nox? What right do you have to judge me? Who knows you might even have stooped much lower than all of us? How are we to know?', Pashan retaliated furiously.

'Keep in mind one thing. I may be many things, but a coward is definitely not one of them', Nox answered firmly enunciating every word.

'I will never turn my back on my benefactors. And I will most certainly not tolerate injustice. Turning a deaf ear towards a crime is as great a sin as committing it'. Nox finished ardently his eyes blazed with anger, daring Pashan to say anything contradictory.

I internally beamed at Nox. Pride and respect for him filled me. Nox has gone through many things, incidents that would give nightmares to any shadow simply thinking about it. Yet despite it all never once did he break or waver. Still he persists on seeing the good in everyone even though he never shows it. And most importantly never ever forgets a favour.

The only sad thing is that, no one else but a handful of people know the true Nox. All of them simply perceive him as cowardly, cold, ungrateful and unruly child, with no love for another. Yet in reality Nox will never run away from a battle or confrontation. He will not tolerate inequity.

A sentence that I can use to describe him best would be, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going".

'You would probably get a medal for your speeches, but your eloquence isn't going to change the facts. Wasn't it you who turned your back on your benefactors eh? Wait let me recall', Pashan continued curling his finger underneath his chin and supporting his head with his fist, acting as if he were in deep thought. 'If my memory serves me right, wasn't it you who turned your back on your parents? Even the Elders for that matter! Refused a position-',

'All my reasons are justified Pashan. You are just wasting time by bringing up my past and irrelevant matters. Stop beating about the bush and get to the point already', Nox interjected in a bored voice.

'If that is what you want then fine', Pashan replied with vigor. 'You insist on bringing out all our wrongdoing and how we are traitors, however you have yet to enlighten us regarding your situation. How you became a rogue', Pashan spat, 'or are you afraid that -'

'Oh! I have no qualms or issue with that my dear friend. In fact I will right now. Come on you all. Quit dilly-dallying and gather around for I am about to commence my tale of extreme bravado', Nox announced cheekily, puffing his chest out in mock valour.

Pashan rolled his eyes and I bit back a grin.

In less than a fraction of a second, Nox was seen cross-legged on the ground. His right hand had taken on the shape of a mike and he was busy tapping it and clearing his throat, making all sorts of noises.

'Testing, testing', Nox coughed out.

This time a small traitorous chuckle left my mouth as I hurriedly tried to cover my moth with my hand, muffling the noise. However Nox, looked up at me and grinned at me, his eyes alight with mirth. I returned the smile, slightly nodding my head. Yup never a dull moment with Nox.

'Long long ago, in a land, not so far away, there lived a young shadow'.

'And you said you weren't delaying or avoiding', Pashan stated, raising one eyebrow questioningly.

'Oh there's no fun around you anymore. Always so serious. What's will become of you if you continue down this sinful path devoid of fun', Nox replied feigning pity and putting a hand against his forehead dramatically.

'Well that's because-'

'Stop. Both of you', I shouted finally, holding up my hand, in front of Pashan and warning both of them with my eyes. 'I swear I will get up and leave this very instant if you both keep on quarreling. Fight all you want later. Nox, continue, sans any of your drama'.

'I mean it Nox', I stated firmly when I saw him open his mouth in protest.

Pashan threw his hands up in mock surrender and resigned himself back against a rock.

'Fine Mr.Grumpy, I didn't know you had become one of snow white's seven dwarves'.

'That's it!', I shouted beginning to get up, fully prepared on leaving now.

'Ok, ok. I'm serious. One hundred and one percent serious', Nox hurriedly stated look at me rising and the murderous intent on my face.

'It was at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when it all began...'

*************************************************************

Don't forget to vote and comment. Your feedback is appreciated. Thank you.