The Lord of Shades looked out over a dreamy recreation of a tranquil corner of his realm from the comfort of a large, black marble villa. Unlike the dull meadows of Asphodel or cold onyx halls of Barathrum, the rolling hills before him were filled with a sense of ease and hospitality with quaint havens nestled in peaceful valleys of the landscape. A worn path connected the structures as gently glowing ghost lights illuminated the way. In the far distance, the Hidden One could see the banks of a great inland sea. The sounds of boisterous laughter, friendly contests of strength, and good company rode in on the cool breeze from the blessed isles located in the center of the sea, adding to the already contented atmosphere.

“It’s not Barathrum but it has a certain charm to it.” The Dark Lord mused as he sampled a bit of sweetest ambrosia. "In my humble opinion."

After moving into their luxury accommodations provided by the 'generous' Flim-Flam brothers and witnessing a ravenous Trixie consume an entire meal by herself, the two travelers had retired for the remainder of the night. While the azure mage was most likely dreaming of fame, power, and fortune, Grey had prepared for the expected visit from the dream striding Princess Luna. He did not know what exactly may transpire during her visit but he was prepared for the worse.

“I’d like an update on the world at large before going underground.” The tall stallion thought as he absently swirled his drink. “Don’t want to get blindsided by something while I’m dealing with Tartarus.”

Before long, the telltale crack of energy and flash of magic on the villa grounds signaled the opening of a dream portal. The Hidden One finished his glass and followed the spectacle to a long reflecting pool surrounded by trimmed hedges and stone benches. Out of the swirling magic emerged the Alicorn of the Moon herself. Unlike her usual composed and dignified self, Luna appeared disheveled and exhausted as if she had galloped a marathon through a hurricane. She touched down in the shallow water and looked around.

"Hmm, this is different." The dream strider mused aloud as the portal closed behind her. "Are We in the wrong dream?"

"I thought a change in scenery-“ Grey was cut off by Luna whirling about with her long horn ablaze with magic.

In a split second, the seasoned stallion managed to deflect the bolt of magic with his staff. The spell flew up into the air and detonated like a celebratory firework. Keeping his bident at the ready, Grey regarded the now embarrassed Luna with a look of mild annoyance.

“Was that for not calling last night?” He asked neutrally.

“Zounds!” The Lunar Diarch brought a hoof to her mouth once she realized her mistake. “Innumerable pardons, Grey. We…ahem…I did not know it was you.”

“What would you have done if you did?” The pale horse inquired as he relaxed his stance.

Seeing that the even-tempered stallion was unharmed and still his usual self, the navy mare let out a short huff and closed the distance between them. Wrapping a foreleg around his neck, she pulled Grey in closer and embraced him in a friendly hug.

“Good answer.” The Hidden One thought as Luna nuzzled against his neck.

"Again, I am sorry for attacking you." The navy Alicorn said after ending the embrace. "But I have warned you against approaching unaware equines from behind."

"I will try to announce my presence sooner." Grey said plainly as looked over the Princess properly. "Rough night? I feel tired just looking at you."

"Is it that obvious?" Luna sighed as she checked her reflection in the pool to find that it was. "By the Stars!"

"There is a lounge just over there." The pale horse indicated the area with his bident. "Here, I'll carry you."

"That will not be necessar-ah!" The Alicorn of the Night gasped as the stallion got underneath her and took her upon his back.

"I insist." Grey said firmly.

"I am fully capable of trotting under my own power." The Princess protested even as she wrapped her forelegs around his withers and rested her head against his mane. "But I will forgive this indignity so long as you provide refreshments."

"Of course." Her gracious host agreed.

The pale pony trotted out of the shallow pool and back to the open-air lounge he had been waiting in. He lowered himself beside a couch where Luna rolled onto it in a rather undignified manner. With his guest now comfortable, Grey tapped his bident on the ground and summoned an end table with a bottle and glasses as well as a couch for himself.

"Wine?" The navy Alicorn asked as the seasoned stallion uncorked the bottle and poured out the deep red drink for them both.

"Would you prefer cider?" Grey paused.

"My preference is mineral water but I could stand a stronger drink." The Princess answered as she took the glass in her magic. "I am just wondering why this in particular."

"I used to own vineyards and felt a little nostalgic." The robed equine answered simply as he reclined in the vacant couch.

"Hmm. If it's as good as your memory makes it, you should consider speaking trade with Applejack." Luna voiced her approval after taking a sip.

"From what I've heard, anything non-apple related is heresy to her." The pale horse thought. "Plus I think she trusts me about as much as Miss Dash."

The two immortals sat in silence for a time, simply enjoying each other's company and Grey's beverage of choice. The Princess finished her glass first and while her host topped her off, she looked around the villa again. Judging by the way her brow furrowed, the robed horse assumed she was trying to identify where they were.

"Where exactly are we?" She asked curiously. "This place does not feel the same as other locations your dreams have taken me. It is almost...welcoming."

"We are in the calmer, warmer climbs of my domain." Grey explained with a sweeping hoof. "It is more welcoming, to use your word, but lacked the central and defensible positioning of my capital. Nevertheless, my wife liked to come here during the winter months so I built a vacation home for one of our anniversaries."

"How romantic." Luna gave him a smile. "But I have to ask: why the starless sky?"

"Hmm?" Grey cocked his head to the side.

"Every time I've visited, it has been a night without stars." The nocturnal diarch clarified as she pointed skyward. "A rather concerning phenomena for me, you understand."

"There are a few layers of solid rock between me and the sky." The Lord of Shades mentally answered. "I obviously can't say that, so...

"It was almost always overcast in my realm." The pale horse came up with the most plausible explanation he could think of. "We hardly saw the sun let alone the stars. The few times we could, it was taken as an omen for good or ill depending on who you asked."

"Hmm. I see." Luna said thoughtfully as she tapped a hoof to her chin. "If you would like, I could paint my night sky for you."

"Astrology was always more the Lady of the Stars' forte." The Lord of Shades was about to turn down the offer when he reconsidered. "Then again, any bit of trivia may prove useful."

"I would like that." Grey gave a ghost of a smile. "My mind is your canvas, Princess of the Night."

Grey shifted the couches closer together as Luna focused on the sunless sky. The Dark Lord felt an alien sensation seep into his mind as the Alicorn altered his dream. She started with the North Star, its guiding light appearing above them with a twinkle. From there, she placed the multitude of lights in accordance with their waking world positions while giving her pallid host an enthusiastic lesson in astronomy and astrology.

"...and here we have the Hunter." Luna said as she traced a constellation in the rough shape of a centaur. "Strength and bravery tempered by wisdom and calm. Said to have never missed its mark."

"I knew a centaur like that once upon a time." Grey mused aloud. "He was a gifted herbalist and a fine teacher. Taught some of the heroes of my time how to use a bow."

"Were all centaurs like that in your time?" The Princess asked as she tried to picture a certain warlock as such a noble creature.

"He was a rare exception." The ancient Lord shook his head.

"Pity." The Alicorn nickered before moving on. "Now, next are the Wandering Stars. These belong to no constellation and rarely appear in the same place twice. They are the sign of the rootless and restless; of lost souls and wandering gentlestallions who became lovers of lonely royalty."

"Really?" The seasoned stallion asked at the rather uncanny description.

"No. I made that last part up." Luna gave him a devious smile which he responded to with a roll of his eyes. "But they are anomalies in my Night. I can only guess as to their nature."

"Fascinating." Grey filed away the piece of trivial as he scanned the now starry sky. "What of that?"

"Hmm?" The Princess followed his gaze to a conspicuously starless area. "Oh, that is the dark space of Null. It is the anti-sign of mysteries and the unknown. As long as I have held stewardship of the Night, no stars have shone there."

"That is rather ominous." The Dark Lord thought.

"Perhaps they are right here." The caliginous cleric reached over and ran a hoof through her ethereal mane.

"Haha! You are not the first to make that observation." The Alicorn of the Night laughed. "No, this is just my magic coming through."

The crash course concluded after a few more constellations and the two spent a reflective moment under the stars. While he was accustomed to the black vault that was the Underworld's sky, the Dark Lord had to admit the twinkling lights held a certain charm. As he was pondering on a method to replicate the effect once he had returned to his home, Luna suddenly perked up as something occurred to her.

"I have been meaning to ask, what is the status of your quest?" The Princess of the Night inquired.

"Progressing apace." Grey answered candidly. "After I departed Ponyville..."

The Dark Lord brought Luna up to speed on his journey including his run-in with a pack of diamond dog bandits as well as gaining a companion in the form of Trixie Lulamoon. This got the dream striding Alicorn's attention.

“I know this unicorn.” She said in a concerned tone. “She once defeated Sparkle in a duel and took over Ponyville.”

“Did she now?” The pallid pony's eyes widened in surprise. “Then should she be the Element of Magic?”

“It does not work that way but that is beside the point.” Luna said with a critical frown. “Based on Princess Sparkle’s letters, she is a megalomaniac with the ambition to match. Are you sure you can trust her? ”

“How unlike anypony else I know.” The Dark Lord mentally quipped.

“To a degree.” The pale horse answered. "She has been a boon so far."

“Hmph.” Luna scrunched up her nose in disapproval. “Even so, I advise caution. She is dangerous.”

“So am I." Grey pointed out.

Luna sighed and shook her head. The two mutually decided to move on from Trixie’s moral standings and talk about other things. Inevitably, their conversation drifted toward Canterlot and the goings on in the capital city. Most recently, the unfathomably arrogant Blueblood had gone on the warpath seeking reparations for two of his employees that had been allegedly assaulted by the enigmatic Merchant Prince. When he had been told that the traveling trader had already departed for his homeland, the noblestallion shifted his ire to the Royal Guards, accusing them of taking bribes to ignore the merchant’s crimes.

“He failed to mention that his ‘employees’ were thieves, I see.” The stallion responsible said dryly. “Why do you and Celestia put up with him?”

“Because my dear sister swore an oath to his forebears that she would safeguard their line, much like she did with the Amores.” Luna answered with a weary sigh. “I swear she has turned compassion into a vice.”

"It sounds like you miss the 'old' her." Grey said, referring to the Royal Sisters' more draconic years.

"In some ways." The younger Princess shook her head noncommittedly. "I can understand the need for a kinder, gentler rule as our nation grew but the change came so suddenly."

"After her confrontation with Blaze, yes?" Her host asked.

"Correct. Wait..." The Alicorn paused as she reconsidered. "No. Now that I think about it, the traitor pupil was the final straw in a steady supply of hay."

"I'm surprised I got that metaphor." The Lord of Shades thought as his guest continued.

"Celestia first began to question our direction a few years earlier when she attempted to subjugate a caprine city-state in the south." Luna explained carefully as she recalled the details. "I was absent at the time but from what I gathered, the lord of the city chose annihilation over capitulation; he destroyed himself and the city rather than join Equestria."

"As you do." Grey scoffed at the rather extreme reaction.

"I wrote it off as one less despot in the world but it gave Celestia pause." The Princess of the Night said thoughtfully. "Why would one chose death over the embrace of the one source of hope in a world beset by darkness and chaos? I believe that question haunted my sister until that fateful encounter with Blaze."

"And thus set events in motion that would lead to the Lunar Rebellion and Nightmare Moon." The seasoned stallion mused as another piece of Equestria's storied history was filed away in his mind. "Plus Corona's little humbug."

"Do you think she came to the right conclusion?" He asked.

"With the benefit of hindsight, yes." Luna answered resolutely. "Our world has long been plagued by rulers promising paradise only to give perdition. If Equestria was to survive and thrive, we had to be different."

“Hince you traded zeal and fury for charity and compassion.” Grey nodded in understanding. “Speaking of peace and love, you mentioned Cadenza earlier. How is the last Amore?”

“She is…improving.” The nocturnal Princess replied with an edge in her voice.

The morning after her dream intervention, Mi Amore Cadenza had actually left her quarters and socialized with other ponies. She was not quite on speaking terms with Luna but they could be in the same room without coming to blows. What is more, after a private conversion with Princess Celestia, she had reconsidered the Solar Alicorn’s offer of stewardship over the resettled crystal ponies. The Princess of Love had departed with a company of Royal Guards the next day.

“Judging by your tone, you do not think this is good.” The seasoned stallion inferred after Luna had finished.

“I have doubts.” The navy mare admitted. “A sizeable number of crystal ponies within the Neo-Crystal City wish to secede from Equestria and reform the Empire. I fear that Cadenza will be unwilling to quash these sentiments and may even embrace them.”

“Can't say that I blame her.” The pallid pony wisely chose to keep that to himself.

“These malcontents are dangerously close to sedition and rebellion.” Luna scowled. "If their dreams are any indication, it is more fear and resentment that drives them than any sense of national identity or desire to govern themselves. They are little better than those loathsome nobles with fantasies of replacing Us!"

"Is that what you were doing this past couple of nights?" Grey tried to shift the topic as he noticed the tell-tale teal glint in her eyes. "Keeping an eye on potential traitors?"

"We...I was at first." The agitated Alicorn took a moment to compose herself before she talked about her phantasmagorical duties.

The dream strider described her patrol as routine up until she started visiting the mini-worlds of the nobility. Their's normally ran the gauntlet from benign to decadent but she had noticed a pattern start to emerge. Rivals working together, elites holding positions of government that were normally the duties of the Princesses and other such ambitions. Alone, Luna would have dismissed them as flights of fantasy of social climbers but when they were reoccurring and shared between such a large group of equines the navy Alicorn took notice.

"I had entered one of their dreams, Blueblood's in fact, to...dissuade him of any foolish ideas." The navy Alicorn said coolly as she inspected one of her hooves. "It was there that I discovered the tantibus infestation."

"Tantibus?" Grey repeated. "As in that fiend you fought in Cadenza's dream? I thought you defeated it."

"As had I. It had been shattered rather than outright destroyed." Luna sighed. "The beasts were altering the noble's dreams subtly; the lovely servant mare to an assassin, the awestruck supplicants to an angry mob."

"Stoking and feeding off their paranoia." The robed horse deduced. "Clever little devils."

"Needless to say I could not allow these parasites to fester even in the minds of Canterlot's elite." The Princess continued. "I had been hunting down one by one this past couple of nights. I had just dispatched a larger specimen when your dream manifested."

"No wonder she looked like she went three rounds with a giant." The ancient king thought sympathetically.

"Then at least the citizens of Equestria will rest easier thanks to your efforts." Grey praised. "I only wish I could do more than simply offer a place for you to rest."

"It is of greater aid to me than you realize." The Princess of the Night smiled warmly. "I had given thought towards enlisting others to join me but the required magic is not easily taught nor do many possess the capacity to wield it."

"You were able to bring me into the ether." The pale horse reminded her. "Then again, that puts a greater burden on you."

"Truly, Grey, this is more than enough." Luna insisted as she turned onto her side to face him. "You have your own quest to worry about. Leave the protection of the Dreamworld to me."

"If you insist." The robed stallion conceded with a shrug. "A related question: where did these dream demons come from? I have no recollection of them in my time."

A look of guilt crossed Luna's features. Silently, she sat up and slid off the couch. Her host straightened up himself as the mare trotted a short distance away to the edge of the reflexion pool and gazed out over the benighted landscape.

"Over a thousand years ago, during the opening hours of the Seventh Solstice, the Dreamworld became a tempest of dread and terror." The Princess said grimly. "I created the first tantibi from this maelstrom to spy on my foes and deny them a peaceful rest."

"They are Nightmare Moon's creations." The Lord of Shades thought. "Not a big surprise."

"Upon my banishment, they went dormant and some faded back into the ether." Luna continued as she kept her eyes forward. "Occasionally, one would rouse given a sufficient amount of fear from dreamers. These are weak and ephemeral but should they feed long enough or receive a massive dose of terror..."

"Such as witnessing the destruction of the Empire." Grey inferred.

"...Cadenza's Nightmare is born." The dream strider finished. "Left to their own devices, these fiends will grow strong enough to breach the boundaries between fantasy and reality. I will not allow this."

"Of course you wouldn't." The pale horse said encouragingly as he slid off his seat. "But you need not blame yourself for Nightmare Moon's schemes."

"Don't I?" The Princess looked back over her shoulder with a hard glare. "You seem to think there is little difference between us."

"What?" Grey froze in place.

"Night-Captain Vengeance told me what you two talked about before you left for Ponyville." The Alicorn turned to face him fully. "That if her trust in me is misplaced and that 'once a traitor, always a traitor'."

"Damn it, Vengeance." The ancient Lord mentally cursed the sycophantic thestral.

"Luna, I was only-" The robed horse tried to explain only for his guest to hold up a hoof.

"Hold your silver tongue for a moment, Grey." The Princess of the Night commanded. "Let me speak."

The pallid pony held his silence and indicated that she had his full attention. Luna took a deep breath to cool her temper before she spoke again.

"Trust me when I say this." The former Mare-in-the-Moon said seriously. "No one fears the Usurper more than I. Not a day goes by that I am reminded of how close I came to undoing everything my sister and I created. Others may pass off everything that occurred a thousand years ago to Moon but I share that culpability. Which is why I do this..."

The navy Alicorn focused and ignited her horn. Magic flowed from her and collected between the two equines in an amorphous blob. The mass darkened into the shades of the starry night sky and took the shape and form of a mare slightly shorter than Luna. Grey shifted uneasily as Tantibus regarded him with its featureless face.

"Fear not, Grey." The Alicorn assured him. "This one is domesticated and bound to me."

"I doubt that." The Dark Lord thought as the living nightmare followed his movements.

"Any night that I am not on patrol I spend with this." Luna explained. "My own dreams are nothing but a crucible of guilt and torment. But a small penance I pay for the harm I have inflicted upon my little ponies."

"Most use a flail for self-flagellation." The ancient king frowned as Tantibus made a motion that suggested it was silently laughing.

"You are far too hard on yourself, Luna." Grey said plainly.

"I must be." The repentant Princess said resolutely. "I vowed that I would never let the darkness take me again but there are times where I am tempted. Like how much suffering Equestria has endured could have been avoided if I had the power of Nightmare or maybe the Crystal Empire would still stand if I had annihilated Sombra when I had the chance. It's as if...if..."

"There is a little voice in your head egging you on." The robed equine finished for her. "A devil on your shoulder pushing you toward the edge."

"Yes." Luna let out a long sigh. "Equestria has given me a second chance. I do not want to squander it."

"She needs to know." The Lord of Shades thought as he trotted past Tantibus and closed the distance between them.

"Princess Luna." Grey said urgently as he placed his forehooves on her shoulders. "You-!"

The seasoned stallion paused when he saw Tantibus out of the corner of his eye. The ethereal mare slowly and subtly shook her head from side to side as if to say 'no'. In the moment of hesitation, the Dark Lord reconsidered his position. While Nightmare Moon posed a threat to all of the Overworld, she was his only lead as to the whereabouts of the Lady of the Stars; a key figure in the restoration of the Underworld. Between helping the lovely mare that without he would still be stuck in the Frozen North and the wellbeing of his realm and home, his duty as king won out.

"We both have our duties. Mine is to the Lands of the Dead and those that call it home." The ancient animus concluded bitterly. "I don't like it but unless I can find another lead to the Lady, my options are limited."

"What is it, Grey?" Luna asked as her host looked like he was biting back words.

"...I apologize for doubting you." He said finally. "You are the paragon of penitence and Equestria is better with you."

"Thank you." The Alicorn visibly relaxed and embraced him. "Trust is hard to come by. I hate to think I've lost yours."

"I feel the knife twisting already." The Dark Lord winced as Tantibus nodded in approval. "You're not helping."

The two stayed that way for a while as their heart-to-heart concluded. Eventually, Luna pulled away and composed herself again.

“Regrettably, the duties of a Princess are without end and I must get back to them before my sister's dawn.” She said with a tone of resignation.

“I won’t keep you then.” Grey nodded in understanding. “Good night and good luck, Luna.”

“Same to you.” The Alicorn leaned forward and stole a quick kiss as a dream portal cracked open in the center of the shallow pool. “Stay safe on your journey, Grey. Come along, Tantibus.”

The equine Nightmare devolved into a shapeless mass once more and phased back into the Alicorn. The dream striding Princess turned away from the tall stallion and trotted toward her exit. Grey watched her leave until she reached the portal. After a final wave goodbye, the Lunar Diarch of Equestria flew through and the portal dissipated with a spark. The Dread Lord relaxed his guard a fraction now that he was alone.

"I thought I left this lover juggling behind when I found my wife." The pale stallion rubbed his temples with a hoof. "Nine Bloody Burning Hells."

A rustling of leaves from behind him brought his guard back up instantly. Grey whirled around with bident at the ready and scanned for the intruder. There was another rustling from the hedges behind the lounge as well as a flash of movement. The Dark Lord hefted his staff and stamped the blunt end down on the ground with a heavy thud. Instantly, the earth erupted in an explosion of pale dust and dirt that catapulted the spy toward him.

"AAaaAAAaaAAH!" A tantibus, roughly the size and shape of a young mare, screamed as it tumbled through the air.

"Interloper!" The pale horse accused as the dream demon landed before his hooves and found the points of his bident at its neck.

"Mercy, Hidden One!" The ethereal creature pleaded. "I meant no harm!"

"You know me?" The Hidden One arched an eyebrow but did not let off the starry mare.

"By way of the Mistress of Nightmares." The tantibus explained. "Please, I am an ally in your cause."

The pallid pony narrowed his eyes but removed his weapon from the intruder's neck. The astral imp got to all fours and composed itself. It was about to speak again when Grey pointed its bident at it again.

"Speak." Grey commanded curtly. "Quickly."

"Slow to trust, I see." The living nightmare tried to push the points away but they remained unmoving. "I bring word from our mutual friend. More whispers from Tartarus have reached her ears."

"Oh?" The robed stallion's ears perked up at this.

“The Archfiend known as Corona has gathered an army of the damned.” The phantom fiend relayed what it knew. “Monsters and demons fulfill its ranks but at the head of this horde stand the Banished; the mortal inmates who still draw breath. Out of these villains, Corona favors the centaur warlock Tirek. She may mean to name him champion.”

“That name sounds familiar.” The stygian equine tapped a thoughtful hoof on his bearded chin. “Did Princess Sparkle not defeat this Tirek recently?”

“Another folly of the foolish Element of Magic.” The astral horse spat derisively. “To so readily claim victory without ensuring her foe’s demise.”

“Am I going to have to go through the entire rogues gallery of Equestria to get to my throne?” Grey mentally grumbled.

“It appears I need to advance my schedule.” The Overlord of the Underworld said flatly as he finally returned his bident. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

“Anything for the consort of Mistress Moon.” The dreamy entity bowed politely. “And I do mean anything."

"The alter egos of nocturnal Alicorns are one thing but temporal thought forms are well beyond the line." The seasoned stallion shivered as said thought form added a teasing tone to its voice.

"A charming proposition but now is not the time." He said plainly. "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Not easily. Your will has made your mind like an adamantium vault." The tantibus explained as it pushed against an invisible wall to illustrate. "It took my poor sister, the Fettered One, picking the locks from the inside just to give me the briefest of openings."

"You refer to Luna's flagellant." Grey inferred to which the interloper confirmed with a nod. "Impressive but do not expect it to happen a second time."

"Spoilsport." The dream fiend pouted. "But that may be for the best given what I've seen here. You seem to inflict fear more than experience it; my kind would starve."

"If you can't be loved." Grey partially quoted as another dream portal tore its way into existence.

The tantibus trotted past its host toward the exit. The seasoned stallion watched it go cautiously until it paused on the threshold of the portal. It looked over its shoulder at the pale horse.

"They care for you, you know?" It said conspiratorially.

"Who?" Grey asked.

"Mistress Moon and her deluded shell." The dream demon clarified. "They like you because you got that something that they need in their lives. But you can only give it to one of them. Choose wisely, Dark Lord."

On that note, the tantibus disappeared into the Dreamworld and the portal closed behind it. Alone and with little more to do, Grey rosed himself into wakefulness. The growing issue of Princess Luna and her emergent dark side weighed heavily on him but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"A Princess that wants to fit me into her world or a Usurper that wants me to help her shape the world. Could there be a third option I haven't considered?" The Dread Lord thought as his dream collapsed. "Bah, firsts things first. There is a little uprising I need to stamp out."

The shadow stallion awoke on the couch with his travel cloak draped over him like a blanket. He righted himself and double checked to make sure he was still in an equine form. There was no light in the common area of the suite but he guessed that it was a few hours before dawn.

“Lulamoon is probably still sound asleep.” The magician’s travel companion thought. “She doesn’t strike me as an early bird.”

The stygian stallion donned his hooded cloak and trotted over the door to the bedroom. He was about to knock when he heard noises from within. Pressing his ear against the wood, he heard what sounded like squeaky headboards and breathy moaning.

“Ohh~ You like the Buxom and Perky Trixie's teats, don’t you?” The unicorn’s distinctive voice gasped out. “Ah~ Use your tongue more.”

“Somepony is having a really nice dream.” The Dark One thought. “That tantibus was awfully flirty so-!“

“Anything for you, my lovely asphodel.” His own voice came from the other side. “But you appear ready for the main event.”

“Yes! Take the Lusty and Amorous Trixie now!” The hedge mage begged breathlessly. “She needs it!”

“This can't be good.” Grey thought as he tried the doorknob only to find it locked from the other side. “Damn it!”

“Lulamoon!” He called out as he banged a hoof on the door. “That’s not me!”

“Grey?!” The now confused mare answered back. “What in the-!”

The tenebrous stallion reared back on his hind legs and drove his forehooves into the door. The wood was sturdy but the Flim-Flam brothers had apparently skimped on proper hinges as they gave way easily. Inside, Grey found two very startled ponies in a lover’s embrace. One was a bedraggled and flushed Lulamoon while the other was a dead ringer for himself save for black fur in place of shadows.

"Brother?" The possibility crossed the ancient animus' mind for a brief moment.

“An imposter!” The doppelganger accused with a pointed hoof. “How dare you!”

"What is going on?!" The magician demanded.

“He's the fraud!” Grey ignored his copy and tapped his cheek. “Cold to the touch, remember?”

Even in her confused state, the azure unicorn had the wherewithal to remember that her companion ran cold from their little ploy with Flim and Flam. The stallion she was about to let rut her was most certainly hot-blooded. Her dawning realization quickly turned to absolute revulsion.

“GET OFF!!” She screamed as she blasted the pretender with a bolt magic.

The bedroom intruder was hurled against the wall with enough force to crack it. He hit the floor with a thud and struggled to get to all fours. As he did, his coat fizzled and burned as the azure magician’s magic crackled over him. With a flash of emerald green fire, the stallion’s skin melted away revealing a chitinous body with ragged, insectoid wings and a crested head topped with a gnarled horn.

"What the?!" Lulamoon balked at the sight.

“A changeling!” Grey identified the shape-shifting love bug. “Great, more parasites.”

Its cover blown, the changeling drone made to flee only to be tackled by Grey. The larger equine grappled with the struggling and hissing interloper just as someone knocked politely on the door to the suite.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything, you two love birds.” The faux-friendly voice of Flim said through the keyhole. “But I’ve received some noise complaints from some of the other-“

“Flim!” The unicorn mare cried out as she scrambled out of the bed and away from the wrestling stallion and insect. “Call the guards! There’s a bug-thing in here!”

“Oh!” Flim dropped the shtick quickly. “Yes, right away!”

“Good on you, Lulamoon.” The abyssal animus thought. “Now-!”

In his brief lapse in focus, the sex pest enveloped its horn in an emerald glow and pressed it against the tenebrous traveler’s forehead. Like a swarm of ravenous locusts, Grey felt a presence surge through the annals of his mind, hungrily seeking something to sustain itself.

“Feeeeed!” The presence buzzed with countless voices. “Muuust feeed the Hiiive!”

Despite its advantage of surprise, the changeling was still naught but a nameless drone rooting in the mind of an immortal Lord. The animus fought back against the mental invasion, sealing off parts of his mind to funnel the swarm to a specific part of his psyche. From what he knew of changelings, they desired love and lust. He wondered what would happen if one was force-fed countless eons of repressed rage and frustration. He got his answer when the drone found the infernal memories.

“PAIN!! AGONY!!” It shrieked as mental hellfire immolated it. “IT BURNS US!!”

The burning swarm retreated out of the shadow stallion's mind as the changeling severed the connection. It tried to worm its way out from under the inedible equine only for him to seize it by its head. The bug's pale blue eyes widened as Grey's hoof split into long talons.

"Two can play at that game, pest!" The animus thought as his claws sank all too easily into the insect's simple mind.

“DO NOT RESIST!” He commanded in Khthonic.

Within the cavernous and filth-encrusted mindscape of the parasite, the Dark Lord wasted no time finding its memories as the strain of their mental duel had cost the bug dearly, resulting in imminent brain death. With the sodden caves collapsing around him, Grey quickly looked through key memories.

“Lulamoon and I at the bar.” He saw himself hug the mare close in order to fool the proprietors. “It must have been one of the patrons.”

The next memory was a bit older but more interesting to the mind-invader as it showed the changeling leaving Hollow Shades after a passionate night with an unsuspecting thestral mare. The pest flew through the rocky lowland to a large crater lake. The memory became fuzzy as the fumes boiling up from the body of water affecting the insect.

“It came from Avernus?” Grey realized. “I thought life was unsustainable around the lake.”

Eventually, the memory refocused and the changeling was in a dark, dank cavern among others of his kind. It approached a considerably taller figure hidden in the darkness and knelt. Hoofsteps on the moist, muddy ground approached and the drone felt a sense of pride and elation mixed with a sense of emptiness as something drained the love it had stolen out of it.

“You have done well.” A sly yet motherly voice chittered. “The hive lives another night.”

Before the stygian stallion could gleam anymore, the memory shattered as the mindscape began to collapse into oblivion. He withdrew from the doomed changeling’s mind just in time to witness its last gasp of unfathomable horror before it went limp, its cerulean eyes left staring vacuously into space. As he had done to Carbon Copy, Grey granted it death's sweet release with a single talon between the eyes. At that time, Flim returned with a pair of thestral guards.

“What is the trouble here?” One asked as he entered the suite. “Something about a bug?”

"Some shapeshifting... freak... thing..." Lulamoon babbled as she struggled to find the correct words.

"A changeling." Grey clarified for her as he reformed his hoof and stood aside. "It attacked us and we defended ourselves."

“By the Moon, not another one.” A guard muttered under his breath as he checked the former parasite. “What exactly happened?”

“These must be the ‘incidents’ Dunwich's guard mentioned.” The stygian stallion deduced. “If they have infested Avernus, then it stands to reason that Hollow Shades would be their hunting grounds.”

“The Spent and Exhausted Trixie was asleep when she felt somepony climb into bed with her.” The azure mage explained to the guards. “She thought it was Grey until the real one showed up.”

“It became violent once its charade was exposed.” The hooded horse finished after Lulamoon pointed at him. “They are not much of a challenge in a fight.”

“Not without numbers, they’re not.” A thestral concurred as he covered the corpse with a bed sheet and signaled his partner to help him carry it out. “I would ask you three keep this to yourselves until this is resolved. We don’t want to start a panic.”

“Of course, sir.” A hitherto silent Flim nodded.

“So long as you exterminate these pests.” Lulamoon huffed indignantly.

Once the guards had left with the cadaver, the straw-hatted unicorn turned to his two guests with a nervous smile.

“Heh. Do you know how the beast got in?” He said with a half-hearted laugh. “Because, as you recall, we locked the doors and only you and I have the keys.”

“Window.” The azure unicorn answered as she shut and bolted the offending window with her magic. “Trixie had left it opened to cool off. It must have flow in.”

“Ah, so Flim and Flam’s Inn and Tavern are in no way liable for any-“ The sales stallion tried to avoid an impending legal hell only for Grey to alleviated him of his fears.

“The doors where secure and you summoned the guards in good time.” He said evenly. “You can stop worrying.”

“Oh, thank Celestia.” Flim let a grateful sigh. “Still, my brother and I would appreciate it if you 'forgot' about this part when you recommend us to your friends.”

The proprietor backed out of the room offering a list of bribes and consolations until he was out of earshot. Grey looked down to find that Trixie had huddled against him with a look of relief on her face. After a moment’s hesitation, he gently laid a hoof on her back that seemed to calm the spooked mare.

“Are you sure you are alright?” He asked.

"That thing could have laid eggs in Trixie." The magician said with a disgusted groan. "Spent the rest of her life as an incubator."

"It was a male so I think it would have reproduced the old fashioned way." The taller stallion said lightly. "If equines and changelings are even compatible in that regard."

"Oh, that is so much better; little mutant foals bumping around in Trixie's belly." Lulamoon scoffed but still gave him a thankful smile. “That’s twice you have saved Trixie. She doesn’t know how she will ever repay you.”

“Your skills and abilities will do.” Grey gave her a reassuring pat on the back as he checked the time out the window. “Looks like it will be morning soon.”

“Let Trixie guess.” The hedge-mage said with a knowing smirk. “We leave within the hour?”

“You know me so well.” The robed horse said good-naturedly. “Come, let’s see if we can pressure Flim or Flam into adding a dessert to that second meal.”

After levitating over and donning her hat, Lulamoon and Grey trotted out of the now-in-need-of-refurbishing suite. It did not take much to get the Flim-Flam brothers to add a few goodies to their meal; just a hollow promise of giving glowing reviews to nobles neither of them knew. In the misty dawn of the shaded township, the travelers headed for the outskirts of Hollow Shades, following the route Grey had acquired from their late night bedroom intruder.

“I can almost smell the toxic fumes now.” The Lord of Shades thought as he and his companion trekked through what could best be described as a wasteland. “But it seems I’ll have to evict some squatters first.”