Gusty’s eyes rolled open as she tried to stretch her stiff body. Her restraints kept her in place, bringing upon her a powerful aching sadness. She had stopped crying sometime ago, but had no idea when that had happened. Continual suffering plagued her waking moments, sleep being the only reprieve. Even that had proven to be a scarce commodity in this most trying of times. Speaking of time there had been no way to know how long she had been captured. Her incarceration mostly confined to the hard slab of wood where she still lay.

Occasionally, the young Stormwalker Prime would don his shiny steel armor, before binding her in chains to parade her around his demonic family’s villa. However, that had only ever happened at night. It was by far safer and more relaxing to stay in her cell, alone, even with as uncomfortable as her bed was. A definitive improvement compared to being held just out of reach from the clutches of numerous, ravenous hellspawn.

Fortunately, it had brought her new knowledge. She had come to understand how they restrained her magic: blood. Having been able to move her neck she had chanced a glance in a wall mirror, noticing on her horn black congealed material. At the time it had not made sense but combined with a single instance where she had jerked awake after being rendered unconscious from torture and sex, she had figured it out. Prime had stood over her, dripping blood onto her horn from a self-inflicted wound. Sadly even with its origins known, the foul substance had proven more than enough to keep her incapable of casting. He had been right to take such precaution, every day when he would leave her to rot she would try to break the seal.

The imprisonment seemed like a harsh red brush stroke across an otherwise blank canvas. Simple, yet foreboding of things that lay just beyond her memory. For now she had gotten accustomed to the increasingly carnal visits from Prime. He was skilled at what he was doing, and perhaps if he was not a demon he would have been a stallion worth his own weight in gold. Her addled mind wandered idly for a moment as she let that particular thought die. She felt more stable than before, and her ability to separate the experience had become more refined. A hard pit formed in her stomach, however, a reminder that she would need that strength soon. What was worse, she might only get one shot to keep herself together. When to break from the memory was key. For now she would have to wait, hoping that she would be able to choose the right time.

The long wispy creaking of the old door to her abode rebounded to her ears. The now too familiar hooffalls of her captor were easy to identify. It did not take long for Prime to appear out of the dark soup of nothingness and into the still painful grey light where she waited. He had gotten taller since her capture and broader too. Frankly, he was the best judge of time’s passage. From his changes it looked as if it had been a few years, but Gusty swore those years had only been a few months. One thing was certain, he had gotten more powerful, his presence easily felt before he even entered the room.

Striding up, his fangs shining from a wide grin, he licked her left cheek as was his custom. Gusty had gotten quite comfortable with his approach, regardless of his changes he no longer intimidated her. His actions could not bring her harm either, mental harm at least. There was little he could do that would truly upset her now. Her defiance had brought her hope, and with it an acceptance of his style and decisions. She could wait out his need for entertainment.

“You seem especially comfortable today, my dear,” he cooed before running his tongue down the length of her neck.

“Well, if I was chained to pillows instead of this wooden slab, I would think I was at a pleasure spa. After all you are only ever-ah!” Gusty was cut off by her own yelp of surprise. Stormwalker Prime had sank his teeth into the tender portion of her flesh just above where her neck reached her collarbone. Heavy suction pulled on the skin making her moan as the pain increased from more of her flesh being torn by teeth.

Gusty had come to relish the feeling of pain. It reminded her that she was still in control, still alive. And every lash, every hot poker, every beating and flaying of skin only sought to increase the rush of her adrenaline until she would blackout. When she would wake her body would be unharmed, making her wonder if Prime had even ever done anything, or if perhaps all of this was simply a potent illusion. However, something told her that was false, the reality was something horrifying she had yet to understand. Her captor pulled his mouth off of her neck his long tongue raking around the edge of his smiling fangs not letting a drop got to waste.

“Exquisite as always. Like a fine wine aged thirty years,” Prime commented. He leaned over the top of her angled rack and met her eyes, his pupils wide with mania. Gusty grimaced at his red eyes and stretched lips. The monster was truly unpleasant, his musk and his motions disconcerting by their nature and precision.

He turned away reaching for the rack’s controls. Making its usual racket as it moved, the board rotated backwards until she lay flat, forcing her to stare at the odd grey light from above. Unable to fully see Prime, Gusty could more feel him move towards her belly and groin with his muzzle. He went about his work, making her feel unreasonably bothered but equally gratified. It actually was something she rather enjoyed, if she was honest with herself. At this point the torture was avoiding making any noise or expression. She would not give the beast any indication of her pleasure, if it could be helped. Today, in particular it was proving difficult and Gusty decided that she needed to try to ruin his mood to avoid succumbing to her own urges..

“Y-you kn-know,” she stammered before calming her voice. “This doesn’t really bother me anymore, right?”

The demon gave her one last, hardy stroke from his tongue before removing himself from her nether regions. With a methodical slowness he moved to the torture controls and raised her coarse resting place up to full vertical, the most unpleasant of its positions. He trotted, almost merrily in front of her stopping directly before her and catching her eyes again with his moisture covered snout. Gusty gave him a provocative grin, in an attempt to distract him, it did not work.

“Oh, I know that it doesn’t bother you. In fact I’ve know it hasn’t bothered you for months.” His eyes pinched closed in a big toothy smile. She suddenly felt her small amount of control starting to slip away. Had he known the entire time? The internal question only served to unsettle her more. She briefly fought and conquered the sensation, for now.

“You are not nearly so convincing as you believe yourself to be, my dear. And judging by your persistent readiness I’d even think that you love my touch.” The smile turned too wide and Prime’s features grew even more fearsome than before. Little whispers of flame danced on the end of his dark mane and the long primaries of his wings, mirroring the churning of Gusty’s stomach.

“That’s a lie,” she answered steadily, even as she felt her own warmth trail down both her thighs.

“Come now. I did make you a promise that I would make your stay more enjoyable did I not? And as a demon I am bound by my promises.” He turned away as he waxed philosophical for a moment.

“Alas, our time as host and honored guest has come to a close,” he said facing away from her.

“You mean warden and prisoner?” Gusty shot back angrily. If he was planning on wasting his day on talk she would not entertain him kindly.

“I meant what I said,” he paused as his expression became different, a look she had never seen before, an almost terrifying neutral.

“But you are right. It is time we take our proper roles...and start the show.” As he ended his sentence his voice hard and cold. In a blinding flash of flame and twist of his frame his wings slapped across her stomach and cut into her flesh. The burning limbs felt like they continued to scorch her body even after he folded his wings, their flames ceasing as he stood away from her. Gusty gritted her teeth and hissed out many sharp breaths. It was her best attempt to deny him the pleasure of an outright scream of pain.

“This doesn’t...bother me either...scum!” she snapped through her clenched jaw and uneven breathing.

“You mistake my intent. I have been well aware that torturing you will do little to break you.” The icy glare of Prime momentarily became a dark little grin. Gusty shivered where she hung. She could already feel fear. The idea of what might happen giving her nausea and pain. If the Shadow-kin knew they could not undo her alone, then the lengths they would go to only spelt doom for anything she had ever cared about. At the thought Gusty’s heart began to race with terror. But she could not lose control yet, besides her family knew better than to seek her out. This was clearly another ploy by her captors, right? Of course right!

A knocking on the faraway door perked Prime’s head towards the sound. Gusty did not look up as the demon strode away into the darkness. Hearing the door open and close, she hazarded a glance once the sound of another set of hooves reached her ears. Out of the shadow surrounding her rack emerged a new form alongside Prime.

Thin and sleek, and whiter than snow a mare stood next to the monster. Her features were longer, but softer. Yellow eyes like her counterpart’s danced with eager malice behind a bright red mane, shinier than even freshest spilt blood. She defined the word beauty, but also the word dangerous. Like Prime, her mere presence was enough to know she was not a pony, but instead Shadow-kin. Gusty’s lips curled up in revulsion, whatever was going to happen she could already tell she would be having a repulsive experience.

“Dearest Gusty Twilight, I’d like to present to you, Lady Firasa Valkieria,” decreed Prime with a motion of a hoof and perk of his wings. The she-demon gave a haughty bow.

“Hello...prey.” Valkieria stepped up close, her eyes sparkling with rampant desire. Gusty spat a dry phlegmy goblet in her direction but did not manage to hit her. Pain exploded from the alicorn’s left foreleg in the next instant. She screamed in agony, unprepared for the eruption of suffering coming from her limb. Panting after a long set of wails Gusty’s eyes refocused on the female beast to find a large red chunk of flesh hanging in her mouth.

Chewing slowly a blush formed around her yellow eyes above the blood that soaked her muzzle. A pouring of what felt like hot water rolled down her leg and across her chest. She knew it was blood but even as she rolled her eyes as far to left as they could go, she could only barely see the red river. Meanwhile, Valkieria clicked and munched on the piece of leg she had torn off. The she-demon was just as foul as her male counterpart, and Gusty shuddered in her bounds. However, she would get through this, adding another torturer would not deter her will, she would not break. The moment of weakness passed without further incident as her two tormentors began to speak.

“Ohhh…” moaned Valkieria. “How have you not already devoured her? She’s even better than you described!” Her eyes were glossy, maddened by alicorn blood.

“With patience and will. She is not meant to die. She is our greatest work of art, a living relic to our power,” Stormwalker snarled darkly. Gusty’s skin shivered across her whole body at his words. She had little time to ponder the implications of the statement before she watched with surprise as Prime pounced on his counterpart and pinned her to the ground, his maw around her neck.

She struggled against him whimpering and kicking as her body atlit with blue-purple flame. Prime slammed his forehooves down into Valkieria’s chest and she gasped for air. The monster continued to press his weight into her not ever becoming engulfed, clearly the more powerful. He removed his jaw as she tentatively drew a few raspy breaths.

“Remember, sweetheart: you will control yourself.” He licked along her face, lapping up some of Gusty’s blood. “I chose you because I see in you potential. Until you have grown, understand: You. Are. Nothing.”

“Y-yes, milord,” the she-demon pitifully screeched as her superior continued to lick her face clean. Once he was finished the great beast stepped off of his selected mate and helped her up. She shook in fear as they strode toward Gusty, who just could not help but feel sorry for her. Valkieria was as much a prisoner as herself, at least that was how it was for now. A heavy silence followed as Prime stared at Gusty his gaze cold and calculating.

“I-I am surprised the rumors of your power are true. I had thought them all posturing,” his counterpart broke the quiet. Her voice and bearing having improved as they stood still.

“Interesting. I was unaware that there were rumors. It seems some amongst my family have loose lips. Or perhaps the servants are whispering again…” The demon-stallion mused with a sigh. His mouth parted in one of his trademark too-wide grins.

“Sweetheart, why don’t you keep Gusty company while I go and fetch our little surprise?” He motioned towards the door with his head.

“You trust m-me alone with her?”

“I trust your inclination for self-preservation.”

Valkieria nodded earnestly before bowing her head. Prime smiled devilishly, his eyes widening with the familiar look of manic malice, he placed a hoof and the back of her head gently and guided her back to full height. The demon then turned his attention up to Gusty before backing into the shadow, his golden eyes waxing red as he briefly disappeared. He returned with a whip, held in his mouth, and a set of swaddling bandages. Gusty waited stoically as he sauntered up to her restraints and released her injured leg.

Even as it blistered her skin and sent sharp pulses of pain up and down the limb she swung the free hoof in a punch. She hit his snout, and the suffering spread down to her hoof and up into her shoulder and collar. It had been as if she had punched a block of solid steel making her gasp from the impact. Prime chuckled through the whip, before tossing it behind himself to Valkieria.

“And here I thought you had learned your lesson about hitting me,” he laughed as he tightly wrapped her aching leg in the bandages. “Besides I figured you’d not want to bleed out, it is a rather sad way to go.”

“Any death is better than dealing with you, Stormwalker,” Gusty spat through clenched teeth as he tied the dressing in a stiff knot.

“I know. That’s why you are still alive, my dear,” he answered as he looked into her face. He carefully put her hoof back into its bonds and refastend the hard iron down tighter than before, clearly wanting it to chafe as she struggled. Stepping back the beast brought a hoof up to his face his expression dulling to a more thoughtful look. Blood from her wound coated his hoof as he abscently dabbed his tongue repeatedly into the icor.

“I must get going. But I shall return…” he paused looking over Firasa Valkieria who held the whip in her hooves, “That is her favorite toy Firasa, see that you use it well for her.”

“Yes, milord,” the lesser demon answered as the monster strode into the darkness and exited to the sound of scraping steel. There was a long pause as the she-beast looked down at the whip. Placing it in her mouth she gave it a few practice swings, not making a proper crack until her third try. Valkieria made several more successful attempts before turning and facing Gusty, a singular determination in her eyes.

She swung the whip and struck the portion of her abdomen Prime had burned before with his wings. Gusty clenched her teeth shut and exhaled a deep breath from her nose. Determined to weather this new storm, she played her best defense, spreading discord among her captors. Forced to wait until after Valkieria cracked the whip into one of her wings, she loosed an exasperated sigh.

“You don’t have to do this you know,” Gusty groaned after she recovered. Her words gave the she-demon pause and she dropped the whip into her hooves. She gave Gusty a long, silent look.

“I saw how he treats you. There is no reason to be Stormwalker’s slave.” It was her best argument, really it was the only argument. However, Valkieria surprised her with a roll of her eyes and a coy smile.

“You do not understand my lord and I’s relationship,” she said walking up closer to Gusty. “If it had been anyone else that took a bite of you without permission they’d have been devoured on the spot.”

“That’s ridiculous. What sort of fool would kill his underlings just for doing what they were bred for?” she shot back to Valkieria. The demon’s response was a hard slap across the face. It was more degrading than painful and served to redden Gusty’s cheeks but hardened her resolve.

“You shall not, insult his lordship in my presence,” she snarled into the alicorn’s face.

“I shall do as I please. I don’t take orders from brainwashed slaves! So you and your belovedly stupid master should go f-” Gusty was cut off by her own shrieks of pain. She had not be ready for Valkieria to take such sudden and drastic measures of torture. Between the whips and bites, however, Gusty was able to fall into a rhythm and the pain became more of a dance. It was not long before a sweet bliss of unconsciousness took over.

Unfortunately, the brief respite was ended abruptly as unreasonably cold water doused over her and Gusty awoke. She looked over what parts of her body she could see to find she lacked the injuries from the bludgeoning she had just been given. Whatever dark trick these Shadow-kin were using to restore her body brought a shiver to her spine that beat out even the frigid liquid that covered her. Eyes refocused Gusty found Valkiera standing before her, a sly dangerous smile making her fangs poke out of her lips.

“Good. You come around so easily,” mocked the she-demon. Gusty swallowed hard before testing out her voice.

“Dumb bitch,” she croaked.

“Funny. I’d think that would be a better descriptor of you,” Valkieria countered instantly. Gusty fell silent, unsure if her previous attempt to rile her tormentor had been successful. She thankfully did not need to wait long to find out.

“You still have not realized your significance have you?” the beast questioned. Gusty could only raise a brow in question. Whatever information came next would, at the very least, be interesting.

“You are the key to ending all alicorns,” stated Valkieria with a smile.

“W-what?” A great ball of dread formed in Gusty’s stomach as her brain flew through possible explanations.

“Yes. My lord has told me these things. That your suffering, your torment will slowly bring your kin to us. That in the end, you will be the last of your kind,” the demon proclaimed plainly.

“Ha! How would he know that? Alicorns are not so stupid to fall into such an obvious trap. He underestimates our resilience. Do not forget this war has been going on for nearly ten-thousand years,” she replied. Her assailant’s statement had left her more than a little heated. It was clearly told to Valkieria so she could repeat it. Stormwalker Prime proved yet again his guile, even if it was false he had already planned to make her feel that it was true.

“True. But that matters little. This scheme is nearly the same age. And it is with supreme care and caution that he executes this gambit,” the she-beast turned and gave a happy grin in thought of her master.

“What’s more, dear Gusty Twilight,” Valkieria continued, “is what he promises me. A promise of power, of a true continuation of my family’s bloodline. A new age of Shadow-kin made in our image!”

Inquisitively, the alicorn turned her head at much as her restraints allowed. She peered at the demon for a moment before it turned to look at her again. She had rather keep Valkieria talking, both for the information and for whatever lay ahead when Stormwalker returned.

“Anything else useless to say?” Gusty taunted, hoping for more.

“More?” the she-beast fitted the whip into her mouth and gave her several hardy floggs while Gusty remained silent. Valkieria finished once she noticed her calm demeanor.

“Amazing. Just like he said. You just don’t care about yourself. Truly, you are selfless.” she said after dropping the whip to the floor.

“Well since you are just such a good pet alicorn I’ll let you in on a little secret.” The beast moved up next to Gusty and pushed small hot breaths into her ear. “Because of you, the Shadow-kin will live forever. Because of you, my lord grows stronger by the day, and soon... so will I.”

Sadly, this was a story she had heard Prime tell her time and again. It merely came from a different mouth this day. She nipped at Firasa, unable to actually bite her from the restricted position. The she-demon laughed and caressed her face with a hoof. Scrunching up her nose in disgust, Gusty maintained her silence.

“You are so lucky to have tasted him. Did you know you are the only mare he has ever taken?” Valkieria grabbed the rest of the alicorn’s face and stared intently into her eyes. The demon’s own gaze turning nearly green from the sheer amount of envy rolling off of her.

“He goes out of his way to ensure he has proper access to your body,” she continued. “Even developed a way to keep you from getting pregnant, so he did not have to deal with the horrible little abominations your children would have become.”

“I guess that has something to do with how every time I wake up from being beaten unconscious I am mysteriously uninjured,” Gusty mumbled through her pressed cheeks.

“You’ll see. You’ll understand. Just as soon as my lord returns with our surprise. In fact...I sense he is quite nearby. He is taking his time of course, after all one cannot rush perfection,” answered the she-beast releasing her face.

Something about the vagueness in Valkieria’s words made the thought of Stormwalker Prime ache her chest. The feeling of these moments wracked her head with grief in a way she could not comprehend. Did she know what was coming? At the moment she had no means to tell. Reality seemed to break and shift as it had before, but came to an unsettling calm. Waiting had never been Gusty’s forte, and now with what felt like her whole world hanging in the balance, anxiety was an understatement. Watching Valkieria move in and out of the darkness collecting a random assortment of torture instruments was all she could do.

Eventually the long lonesome creaking of the metal door into the chamber screeched its way to Gusty’s ears. A familiar playful voice echoed the door with a long “oooh” before continuing.

“That was a big door, right? Tell me it was a big door!” declared Amber Glass, her youngest daughter.

Gusty gasped in shock, horror immediately coming to the realization of what was to happen. She drew a breath to scream for Amber to run but as soon as she did rough cloth was stuffed down her throat with a precision and force that left her timidly gagging. The white fur of Valkieria narrowly present on the edge of her vision as the gag was tied to her face. In the next instant a white hot lance of pain entered the area around Gusty’s eyes and as tears formed so increased the torment. Leaning into the pain she screamed as loud as she could into cloth.

“I’m not actually sure why I put that blindfold on you if you are going to figure out everywhere we walk by just by sound,” commented Stormwalker over the top of Gusty’s muffled wail. His voice sounded sickenly sweet and kind. Whatever ruse he had drawn Amber into, the elder alicorn knew its endgame already. However, he underestimated the lengths she would go to protect her daughter. Struggling with all her might, Gusty pulled on the restraints and screamed at her gag even though it caused horrific pain across her skull and her limbs. She could not break the bonds but her flailing rocked the whole rack making a loud set of bangs.

“What was that? Somebody hitting a board on the floor?” Amber questioned, as she and the demon emerge from the shadows of the room. She moved her head as if to see the area through her blindfold.

“Not quite, that is the sound of the surprise, my dear. She is very excited to see you,” Stormwalker answered as he carefully placed a a wing over the little brown alicorn.

“She? The surprise is a pony?” Amber questioned.

“Ah ah ah. That would be telling. Just walk up right here,” the demon pushed her along gently, his voice cheery and bubbly. They stopped directly in front of Gusty. The brief pause giving rise to a wave of nausea that hit her like a well-thrown brick. Tears welled-up in her eyes making the area in and around them again tingle and burn with their salt.

“Alright are you ready?” he asked, his smile widening to the fanged malicious grin Gusty had grown accustomed to.

“Mmmhmm!” Amber nodded with child-like playfulness. Prime reached up to the blindfold with a wing and pulled the slip knot apart.

Amber’s bright blue eyes came into focus and met Gusty’s. Every part of her screamed as loud as it could at her daughter to run, to teleport, to do anything to get away from here. Unfortunately, wonder washed over her daughter’s face followed by confusion, missing the all-important sparkle comprehension. Gusty could barely hear anything over the pounding of her own heart and the aching pain it caused.

“Mom?!” Amber proclaimed in surprise. “You’re alive! W-why are you tied to that rack?!” she paused turning to look at her host fear and confusion on her face. Gusty struggled against her bindings again, making the torture table vainly thump against the floor as she tried to communicate the danger.

“Lord Stormwalker, what is the meaning of th-iii!” Amber’s voice pitched high as the demon tackled her to the ground mouth already around her horn.

Sobbing regardless of the pain Gusty shuddered at the sound of breaking bone. The magical horn of an alicorn or unicorn made a particular shattering noise that could never be forgotten. Hearing your own daughter’s horn make that crumbling, breaking cacophony of falling rocks was enough to shake any mother to her core, regardless if that daughter was a full adult or not. Amber had never left the nest and though she was certainly no child, she was the elder alicorn’s baby, the child she had doted on the most. Nothing could be worse.

For Gusty to have this be this first thing she saw of another pony, especially a pony she especially cared about, was beyond description of pain. What was worse, as she attempted to close her eyes so she did not have to look at the pinned and crying Amber Glass was her inability to close her eyes. Whatever apparatus that was causing her pain on the sides of her head evidently was meant to keep her vision trained and focused on one spot. And that spot was going to be the place where her daughter was tortured.

All the words of the Shadow-kin became clear now. Even through her suffering and the wails of her wayward daughter caught in a well-laid trap, Gusty finally understood. They never intended to kill her. Stormwalker Prime was going to make her suffer, and he was going to do it in the one way she could not mitigate the pain. Other ponies. And they were going to start with her daughter.

Time seemed to skip a few beats as the horrible moment of realization ended. Sound lagged into her ears and the shrill shrieks of Amber’s screams pierced her heart. Her child clutched at the splintered stump of her horn beneath the body of Prime. The monster held the shattered remains in his smiling fangs. He turned his eyes up from his captive to Gusty, lapping his tongue across the swirls. The demon met her gaze, perfectly positioned where he stood. He slipped the rest of Amber’s horn into his mouth before biting down further, the crunching echoing louder than her daughter’s crying.

“Firasa dear, get the plants, would you please?” Prime murmured slyly after he finished chewing. Gusty barely registered his request, her mind racing still desperately trying to find a way to help Amber. Shuffling around outside of her vision eventually revealed Valkieria trotting up holding a long vine of familiar bright blue flowers.

Gusty knew those flora but not in this context. Both reason and disassociation hit Gusty with almost as much force as seeing her daughter getting tortured. The images and sound before her distorted and for a moment she was left to her thoughts alone.

Funny Bells, that’s what those flowers are. But I shouldn’t know that. Wait, is this memory? Or hallucination? Can’t I help Amber?

The shattered glass world around her shook and the metallicy sound of Stormwalker Prime’s voice snarled in his demonic language. A piercing headache gripped Gusty’s consciousness leaving her to wither for a moment.

.............................Extreme reactions…………................……..Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!...........................................
The past……………………………………………………She’s about to break the whole earth!……………………….How can I help her?
...............Snap out of it! Come on!..................................……...I’ve seen too much…………………...Mom!!...............
................................................................................This is it…………………..oh, sweet ignorance…..
..............what’s the matter, my dear?..................how much have I missed you?

The overwhelming explosion of voices and exclamations, left her consciousness reeling. There was no way to interpret who was speaking and when, or even what language was being used. For Gusty everything was a blur, an empty homage to who she once was and who she was to soon be. It hurt, knowing that she was powerless to stop the change, to stop what she saw before her in the dream of the past.

Sighing with powerful resignation the alicorn let the horror before her refocus. With nothing else to do, Gusty waited for the beast to continue his maladies. She knew how this played out. However, that did not mean the events were painless. No matter how many times she was forced to relive these darkest of moments, Amber’s corporal torture brought her only sorrow. And so it continued, unpaused from her last moment of clarity...

“Here, my little sweet, these should help with the pain,” Stormwalker wrenched open Amber’s mouth and shoved the Funny Bells past her tongue. To her credit, the young alicorn’s face twisted with defiance and she refused to chew.

“Feisty isn’t she? Here milord, allow me to help.” Firasa Valkieria placed both hooves over Amber’s nostrils, preventing her from drawing breath.

After a moment the small brown mare passed out. After Amber fell unconscious, Gusty watched as the two demons, laid her flat on her back, massaging her throat. She swallowed the narcotic petals quickly enough via their prompting. Slowly regaining consciousness afterward, the young alicorn groggily shook her head.

“Ugh...why do I feel so hot?” she complained blinking her eyes rapidly

“That’s just the medicine doing what it is supposed to,” answered Stormwalker.

Amber jerked back as he spoke, but her look of surprise and apprehension passed as quickly as it had come. Hot tears poured down Gusty’s face as she watched in an almost third-person state. She knew what happened next, how the demon’s jagged unnatural tongue stroked down the length of Amber’s neck.

“Why...why does that feel so good?” her daughter moaned.

“Because it’s my lord is very good at what he does. Your horn doesn’t hurt either, right?” Valkieria chimed in as her counterpart continued to make his way down Amber’s body.

“It doesn’t. I don’t understand...hey, stop it!” the little alicorn complained as her captor reached her lower abdomen. Pressing his tongue and lips to unfurred flesh and mammary, before working further. Amber released a yelp of both pleasure and disdain, but instead of struggling she reached a hoof down a pressed it into the black main of Stormwalker. A look of confused torment stuck on her face.

What felt like a raging waterfall of steam rolled over Gusty’s cheeks as the demons had their way with her daughter. Amber continued to mewl and moan, tears streaming down her face brightly shining until Valkieria positioned her backside over the alicorn’s face.

“Please...enough...I don’t...want this...but I can’t fight it. It...feels wrong...but I...want more...I shouldn’t...want more!” Amber complained after having her mouth freed, her words coming between thrusts of hips.

Dissolving into unintelligible grumbles, her words became rhythmic exclamations. Stormwalker kept at his station until Amber’s body buckled upwards in climax. Her eyes briefly rolled back, revealing simple white, before the beast owning her removed himself. A steady stream of filth flowed away from her daughter as Gusty watched on in both revulsion and helplessness. However, the worst was yet to come, and that made both the past Gusty and the present Gusty shake in fear, praying for the end of this misery to arrive quickly.

“Ahhh….that was enjoyable. Now for the best part.” Stormwalker clopped his forehooves together, “Firasa, the scalpel please.”

Nausea washed over Gusty as the lesser demon disappeared and reappeared with the tool. Prime took it in his hoof, before passing it to his mouth. He leaned over the still twitching Amber, slipping a wing beneath her head and neck, and lifting her up gently.

“You feel good?” he asked her the the knife, his voice not hiding his loathing.

“Wonderful,” her daughter breathed softly, clearly not noticing.

“Then shame on me for ruining the moment.” He stuck the thin blade into her neck, making a long incision across the flesh. It was not deep, Gusty could tell that from where she hung even as Amber momentarily flailed and screamed in pain.

Stormwalker leaned the alicorn’s neck forward and completed the shallow cut, around her neck. Amber lay breathing heavily, blood starting to slip through the thin wound.

“Why can’t I move?” she panted fearfully.

“Its an effect of the flowers: aphrodisia, hallucinations, decrease in mental autonomy, and possible paralysis. All things useful for taking advantage of unwitting victims, with the right dosage of course” answered the demon intelligently.

“But...but why...why would you do this?” Amber questioned.

In response, the demon smiled his trademark too-wide grin. He bent down and licked up some of the blood from the brown mare’s neck.

“LIke is said before: that would be telling, my sweet. But...you’ll learn.” he purred. He leaned up and looked to a place out of Gusty’s vision, the direction Firasa had disappeared to during the rape.

He cleared his throat before continuing, “Sweetheart. It’s time for the hooks and chains. Get them for me?”

Shuffling and fluttering of wings followed and in a few short moments Valkieria descended from the bright light above, holding in her hooves a set of six chains. Four of the iron links had dirty looking hooks on them, the other two a heavy collar. The two monsters quickly set to work fixing them to Amber. The hooks were slipped into her skin just below the incision at her neck, the collar above. A cranking of chains and gears, raised the small alicorn into the air higher than Gusty could readily see.

She did not have to wait long before the wooden rolling sound of her rack being readjusted put her staring at her suspended daughter, her face contorted in pain as the binds nearly choked her as they held her aloft.

“Wouldn’t want you to miss this part,” Prime cooed into her ear just as the sound of the metal gears started again.

Amber instantly started screaming, and Gusty immediately saw why. The hooks in her skin were beginning to pull down, slowly ripping her flesh from muscle. It only took a single minute, but as the monsters skinned her daughter, the elder alicorn felt a part of her die. Amber called out for help repeatedly, shrieking and crying like never before. Gusty could not answer, the gag, the horror, and the destruction of her soul too much to overcome. There was never anything worse than this moment. Her inability to help her offspring the perfect and unimaginable torture.

After her skin hung loose and was cut free, the Shadow-kin let Amber hang for a time, her raw muscle pulsing in pain at the air. Eventually, they dropped her down ungracefully, where she lay convulsing on the ground, the light slowly leaving her eyes. Gusty barely registered the splashing of strange red liquid over her daughter’s body simply because there was already too much red in her vision.

When what little of her mind regained some form of control she watched in absolute terror as the soft brown fur and skin of Amber slowly began to regrow. She could not tell how long it took but eventually, her daughter lay on the stone floor surrounded by a crimson stain, but otherwise unharmed, save her horn. Confusion washed over Gusty as Stormwalker filled her view, blocking her eyes from Amber.

“You seem befuddled, my dear,” he smirked as he leaned to meet her eyes. “However, I want you to know, so the dread might better marinate your soul.”

Gusty swallowed hard, more tears leaving her eyes, for what felt like no reason. She made a small affirmative noise indicating the monster should stop waiting to speak.

“It turns out that a certain theory of mine proved correct. Shadow-kin blood is what holds all of our magic. And should a Shadow-kin be powerful enough, the effect lasts for a while outside of their body. If you store the blood in a properly consecrated container it can last for quite some time. This allows you to stockpile its special qualities for later use,’ Stormwalker explained.

“I’m sure you’ve seen many of us regenerate whole limbs, even crushed faces. Of course you have. You’ve killed so many of us, my dear,” the beast laughed haughtily. “Fortunately, that trait allows us to...over-indulge in certain aspects of torture. Behold.”

Turning about Stormwalker Prime walked to where Amber lay. He reached down and carefully picked her up. The small brown mare’s eyes flickered open. It took a moment for her to realize who she was looking at.

“No! No! I should be dead! Stay away from me!” she screeched slapping him.

“Hahaha! Sorry sweetie. It’s time for round two!” the demon howled with a terrible laughter as he pinned Gusty’s daughter down again.

Gusty shut down completely after that. There was nothing more they could do to make her feel worse. Although they certainly tried for more, the Shadow-kin had already completed their task. Slowly more members of her family were brought before her, each of their tortures worse than the last. A terrible quiet darkness slowly built up around Gusty as she watched them each become mere husks of who they once were, their bodies and faces discolored and empty where once vibrate life shone. She had no idea how long it took, nor how she survived it. In truth, she was certain she had not. When the time came that no more alicorns were brought before her to be whittled down to nothing, the Shadow-kin gathered he grey remains of her kin around her in a circle.

See what you have wrought? Empty bodies, fruitless half-gods that have been ruined by simple demons. They have never deserved their power, and thus we take it from them. There is not need for chosen like them, nor you. There is only us, we reserve the right to such devices. You will listen to us, you will be craven to us, and you shall change this world as we see fit!

Throats were slit, and blood poured down bodies making a pattern through the groves of the floor. Gusty felt the magic of her kin being sucked out of what remained of them, pooling around her in a furious hurricane of power. The voice of not-her laughed with wanton joy, however, that little bit upset Gusty. She was still alive. That meant she could still win. She had to win. After all the Shadow-kin had done, she could not give in. She could not let her family’s death be in vain.

A mustering of incredible power, long dormant sprang forth. The almost burning sensation in her chest blasted up toward her horn and out of her hooves. The hard binding around her seemed to shatter and in that brief instant Gusty held control again. Light shone forth from her body and the dark of the room disappeared, even though the darkness fought back with unimaginable furosity. She knew she could not withstand the counter attack for long, but it was long enough to do what needed to be done. Throwing away everything save her motivation to see the world returned to balance, Gusty forgot as best she could. Magic exploded in a cacophony of color and power and the world went black. However, somehow she could still feel and hear, as if slowly the effect of her spell was kicking in, instead of in one instance.

“What was that?” came a female voice.

“I don’t know. But if it had stopped the ritual we’d all be dead,” said scrapingly familiar male tones. “No matter. It is done.”

She knew that voice. It was Stormwalker. She wondered how he would act during this next life. Would he be as kind as he had been recently? Hopefully better than his ancestor! A blanket of bliss pulled Gusty the rest of the way out of what little memory she had, assuring her that the next time she woke would be pleasant. Sleep enveloped her and Gusty smiled, the spell had worked again and the worry was no longer her problem. A new day awaited.

Next Chapter: Act 3: Chapter 8 - Oh, so that's how it is? Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 27 Minutes