Project: Neverbound (A Double Life AU fanfic)

23 - Adding Fuel to the Fire

"IMPY!" Zedaph cheered, ghostly tears welling in his blank eyes as he dashed forward to wrap Impulse in a tight bear hug. As he did this, Impulse saw a wave of ribbon-like string flow behind the goat, as if it were underwater and merely going with the tide. "How are things for you? How's Tango doing? Did you ever find that soulmate of yours? Oh, I found mine if you want to meet him!"

"New news Zed, they're called soulbounds now," Gem butted before Impulse could even process what he was hearing. "Also, you two know each other?"

"Know each other? Imp's one of my best friends! Been so ever since we were kids," Zed explained, flashing his signature beaming smile.

"...how are you here?" Impulse finally mustered the will to ask.

"Whatdya mean?" Zedaph asked, suddenly looking rather uneasy.

Gem leaned closer to Impulse. "It's rude to ask why a ghost is stuck in a place y'know."

"No, not like that!" Impulse said. "I mean how are you a ghost? You're not dead!"

"I... Impulse, you..." Zedaph said cautiously, as if he wasn't sure what to say.

"Wait wait, I got it," Impulse said, "you're like me! You just kinda appear here when you're asleep... which you're not right now... because you're supposed to be at the fountain with Tango..."

Tango texted Impulse about his plans to be at the fountain along with his reasonings the afternoon of, and while he heavily protested, what with already seeing Bdubs's mental health go down the drain after his experience, it did nothing to stop his fiery friend.

"I- what are you talking about?" Zedaph asked. "Impulse, you saw it! I'd expect Tango, he wasn't there, but you?! How could you forget that I died?!"

"Hey, Z, easy now," Gem said, putting a foot between the two and pushing Zedaph back slightly. "What I've been hearing is that he's part of a prophecy, and if it's the one we're thinking it is, it could be a Watcher's fault he doesn't remember you."

Zed backed off sheepishly, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"Wha- a Watcher's fault?" Impulse questioned. "First of all, I still don't know how there's 2 Zeds, and second of all, what do Watchers have to do with any of this? I thought they just made the prophecies?"

Gem snickered. "Just made the prophecies, oh man you're in for a ride. Watchers are about as close to evil as you can get with immortal beings. In fact, the prophecy you're part of would take me way too long to explain it to you properly right now, but the basic gist is that everyone associated with the symbols lost some kind of memory to a Watcher spell, so the fountain was made to return it to you. Pretty neat stuff if you ask me."

While she was speaking, the fire symbol on the wall started to flicker, it's red color coming in and out of the stone.

"Wait, Imp, did you say Tango was supposed to be there now?" Zedaph asked.

"Yeah... he doesn't remember you dying either..." Impulse said. He took another moment to think to himself before something in his senses snapped, and his eyes went wide.

"Tango's in trouble!" He realized. "I need to wake up, right now!"

"What? What's going on?" Zed asked.

"If the fountain brings back our memories, he's going to remember you dying!" Impulse explained. "And nothing good is gonna come out of that if that alive version of you is with him!"

"Oh gosh, okay okay," Zedaph complied, "uh- how do you usually wake up?"

"I don't know, I never forced it before!" Impulse said. "I usually just get a bad headache until I pass out and wake up back in my body... wait, that's it! Knock me out!"