Author's Notes: Hey, my first fic on FF dot net. This is actually an edited version of a story that appears on FF dot net's naughty sister site(those familiar with the site will know what I'm talking about, and I won't advertise it to those who don't). Basically, I took out all the sex scenes so that the story would be appropriate for this site. The sex is still alluded to, so the M rating is necessary, but there is no longer anything explicit. So you may read on without worrying about your parents, younger siblings, or significant other seeing what you're reading.

Hope you enjoy this and leave me nice feedback. If not, go ahead and leave me angry criticism! Fiction is all about different opinions, after all.

All hail Duskshipping!

A Moth to a Flame

by The Pairing Guy

Chapter 1: My Sister's Husband

Felix knocked on the door, hard enough that the residents of the house wouldn't hesitate in opening it for him. They weren't expecting him; he had wanted it that way.

A moment later the door opened, and Felix gave a nod. "Hello, Isaac."

"Um... hi. What are you doing here?"

"Well..." He put a hand on the doorframe and leaned against it in a lazy fashion. Isaac looked like he wanted nothing more than to get rid of him as quickly as possible. "Had some business down this way, and I hadn't been down here since you and Jenna got married. I heard you kind of got shotgunned into the whole thing, so I thought I should pop in and see how you were doing."

It was a lie, of course; he and Isaac never got along that well. Felix had only dropped in to see how his sister was doing. He wanted to make sure that Isaac was treating her right.

"Well, yeah, it was kind of a shock at first. I mean, I was going steady with Mia at the time. But now that I've had time to get used to it..." He shrugged. "I'm pretty happy. Really, I'd always been kind of in love with Jenna, it's just that she never gave any interest back. Since we've been married, though, she's been pretty good to me. She seems pretty happy, too."

"Really. Can I see her?"

"Uh..."

He heard Jenna groan, "Nnnnyyyyyuuuuuuhhhh!" A sound which clearly called for Isaac's assistance.

"Well, uh... as you can hear... she's having some trouble making her bowels move today. Comes with being pregnant, you know." Isaac smiled nervously.

"I see," Felix said, adopting a look of concern. "You know, there are certain techniques with Venus psynergy that can help with that sort of thing if you use them carefully. I could teach -"

"Yes, yes, I know about those, but they don't seem to be working," Isaac said in a rush. "Thanks for dropping by, but I gotta go back and give her a little hand there now. See you around!" He forced the door shut before Felix could stop him.

Felix turned and walked away from Isaac and Jenna's house. It looked a bit fishy, but Isaac had said the two of them were happy, and Isaac was basically an okay guy, right? Sure, he obviously cared more about people calling him a hero than just doing the right thing, but he'd never lie just to protect himself.

It was a shame that Isaac couldn't talk with him longer. Besides wanting to check on Jenna, he actually needed some advice on women. Karst was driving him out of his mind, and contrary to the rumor mill, she'd barely given him any interest in return, not even a smile. There was no other woman he could possibly stand to spend the rest of his life with; he had to win her heart somehow. For all his bad points, Isaac was the only person worth asking about that. All Felix's other acquaintances were either too young, or too old. Or in Agatio's case, too close to Karst.

Still, something wasn't right. Something that made the hackles stand up on the back of his neck. Why had Isaac been so eager to get rid of him? And so nervous? So guilty-looking? And that groan he'd heard from Jenna... Suddenly he wondered, was that groan really the sound of someone suffering from constipation? Or was it... a cry for help, muffled by a gag?

He turned and ran back to the house. It was no use telling himself that he was imagining things; all the clues said that Isaac was up to no good. And the last thing he could ever do was let someone harm his sister.

This time he didn't bother knocking, but flung open the front door. The room was empty. Where...?

And then he heard it... a blood-curtling scream. That's Jenna!

It was coming from the room on the left. He slammed into the door with the full force of his body. When he saw what Isaac was doing with his sister, he froze, staring in horror.

Then he took a step back. Then another. Like a zombie in reverse, he retreated from the house, one backwards step at a time.

As soon as he stepped back out of Isaac and Jenna's house, he turned and ran.

PAIRINGSPAIRINGSPAIRINGS

He burst into the inn, ran up the stairs, and pounded on Sheba's door. The wan-faced, short-haired Jupiter adept opened it, and her eyes widened in concern. "Felix? Are you okay?"

"Sheba, quick! Can you erase a thought or image from a person's mind?"

"Huh? W-well, I can try..."

"Get rid of the one that's in my head right now! Hurry!"

"Okay, okay. Bend down so your head's closer to mine."

Felix did as she asked, and he soon felt the quiet touch of Sheba's psynergy on his mind. A moment later he heard her giggle, but he ignored it. Then slowly, but blissfully, the image of Isaac and his sister copulating was rubbed out. He sighed with relief.

"Why were you thinking of that?" Sheba demanded.

"I didn't just think it up by myself. I saw it. I walked into Jenna and Isaac's bedroom and I saw -" He stopped. "I... I don't remember. Nice work, Sheba."

"Thanks. Good thing you came to me right away, though! If a thought stays in your head too long it becomes a part of your memory, and then there's no getting rid of it." She cocked her head at him. "I saw another thought in there too, though. Not the one you wanted to get rid of."

"Two thoughts at once? What do you mean?"

"Well, there was the thought you had of Jenna and Isaac... and that thought made you think of Karst." She giggled again.

"Karst? Why would it make me think of Karst?" he asked, puzzled.

"Oh, no reason," she said, with yet another giggle. "I'm sorry, Felix; I don't mean to make fun of you. It must be tough when almost everyone knows how you feel for her."

Felix shook his head. "You're the only one who really knows how I feel about her, Sheba. Everyone else thinks I just have some fleeting sexual desire for her. If anyone else knew how much I feel for Karst, even Jenna, they'd hate me. Piers understands her, but the rest of them... they all still think Karst is the enemy."

"Karst is the enemy!" Sheba shot back. "She's a screwed-up little psycho!" She paused. "But I know you're a good person, Felix... you were willing to throw your life away by challenging Saturos and Menardi, just to protect me. Besides, I can't judge you for your feelings for Karst. Even if Karst isn't a good person, your feelings for her are good. I hope that you and her will get together and be happy."

"Thanks, Sheba."

"But you know... if that happens, then everyone will know your feelings. If you're right, then they'll all hate you. Will you be okay with that?"

He needed less than two seconds to think about it. "Yes," he said. "I don't want them to hate me, but if they won't forgive Karst for what she did to help her own people... then screw 'em."

Sheba surprised him by responding to that with a warm hug. "You know what, Felix? Even though I don't want to forgive Karst... you're my hero."

Hero? I don't care about whether or not anyone thinks I'm a hero. I just want to do the right thing. And if the gods will let me, be with the right woman. He knew now what he had to do. He couldn't bear to go back to Isaac and ask for his advice now. He'd just have to go to Karst, and face her like a man.

PAIRINGSPAIRINGSPAIRINGS

He gave the door a firm yet patient knock.

It was rather cold. Evening had settled over Prox, which was cold this time of year to begin with. He didn't mind it too much, though.

The door opened, and a breath of warmth spilled out.

"Oh," she said. "It's you."