The image refused to come into focus. Blinking did not do much to rectify the issue either so the decision was made to keep her eyelids softly closed for a moment. Drawing a deep breath another attempt was made and this time it was successful. The sight became clear and wooden paneling stared back. It was an unfamiliar set of carvings, made to appear as regular square indentions in an otherwise smooth ceiling of dark oak.

Where she lay was a soft bed, but one she had never rested in before. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable underneath the heavy blankets and the soft sheets, but only a little. A yawn briefly over took her and her vocal cords squeaked in a cute little way that left her blushing even though she was the only pony present, she had thought.

“That’s another twenty bits Bunker owes me,” commented Stormwalker.

Gusty rolled her neck and looked towards where she heard his voice, her brow furrowing. She felt fairly certain that she should not remember him. The sense of calm she felt also seemed rather out of place. There were no voices, no impending sense of dread, she actually felt good. At first that sent warning signals right into the paranoid part of her brain but after a moment she was capable of pushing that feeling to the side as well. There was no reason to think that. All results had shown that Stormwalker wanted her to stay alive and safe, even if it was for possible nefarious means. There simply was no reason to feel uncomfortable around him, at least not while she felt this way.

“Your heart rate is a little lower than usual, do you feel well?” he turned to meet her gaze his sharp eyes scrutinizing her face.

“I feel pretty good actually, relaxed,” Gusty said. She noticed that the soft bedspread was actually one of his wings tucked below the comforter and held against her barrel. She wiggled against it intentionally, slowly rolling to face him without craning her neck. He sat in a large chair, meant more for griffons than ponies, his yellow irises keeping to her face, the faintest hint of a grin on his face.

“You just missed your husband. We switched watches not five minutes ago,” he commented. “I should probably go get him…”

He started to stand but was stopped when Gusty cleared her throat loudly. The stallion had some explaining to do. Starting with what had happened after she had passed out for the final time. Meanwhile as she picked her words internally, Stormwalker relaxed his legs and returned to fully sitting.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I remember you,” Gusty started. “I’m not supposed to remember you, Bunker, or Zeccaran, the fact that I know we are on the Midnight Onyx although I’ve never been in this cabin, or anything else for that matter. Explain.”

“You-you catch on quick,” he responded while clearing his throat.

Stormwalker carefully recounted the details of what led of to her reading the old book. He did not need to remind her of its contents, she had experienced it quite clearly, for what seemed like the thousandth time. The demon-stallion skirted around its subject matter knowingly, moving on to how her waking body had reacted. Gusty was more than a little taken aback by what she had done. Unfortunately, there was not much to be made right presently; on the brightside no pony had gotten hurt. It would have been catastrophic had something like this happened in Canterlot. After he explained what he had done to subdue her from continuing she was left jaw agape, amazed that the crazy fool had pulled it off. There was just one more question.

“Why? Why would you stop me from resetting? Wouldn’t have I been easier to handle if I didn’t remember you were a demon?” Gusty gave him a disbelieving look.

“Possibly. All things considered I was not practiculary in the mood to throw away nearly three years of research on the chance that your reset could completely change your personality,” he answered rather astutely.

Gusty caught a small twinkle in his eyes and took to starting at him. That explanation just did not quite fit. Stormwalker, while he tired to hide it, was a rather emotional stallion and the answer seemed too rehearsed. Additionally, she had not ever been this composed around him which made the difference even more obvious. Though previously she had always been looking for a tell, some little hint that she caught him in a lie, it had never taken priority over hitting him, until now. In a flash she already knew what to do to throw him further off-guard, so Gusty pushed her advantage a smart smile on her lips. This battle she had already won.

“You’re lying,” she stated.

“What?” Stormwalker balked squinting his eyes in confusion.

“I said: You. Are. Lying,” Gusty repeated.

“I am not!” he huffed leaning over closer to her.

Yes, you are.

The demon jumped in his chair with surprise. He had not ever expected her take initiative to speak through their mental link, much less use it as a weapon against him. However, this time Gusty had outmaneuvered him with his own tools of the trade.

You know I can feel you getting defensive, even if I can’t detect specific building thoughts like you can, flyboy, she taunted.

I’m just shocked you wanted to come say “hi” in my head, he snarked back silently.

You’re deflecting my assertion. She smiled at Stormwalker. Unbalancing him proved much easier than usual. Perhaps it was because she was taking the advantage of the simple fact that he liked her. Gusty was sure she could back him into a corner, he just needed a little more prodding.

So. Tell me the truth. She emphasized her words by wrapping a hoof around his still hostage wing. Nuzzling its unnaturally cushiony surface to further frustrate him, knowing that Stormwalker could feel that she was enjoying both his touch and how she could toy with him.

Gusty. She could nearly hear him sigh in his mind. This falls under the same category as the book. Not now, only in a controlled setting. Maybe never, unless you realize on your own.

And if I am not satisfied with that answer what am I to do? She continued her mental questions.

Develop some patience, perhaps? He quipped smartly.

Rather hypocritical, coming from you, Gusty replied, a little disappointed he had not given her any other detail. This battle of wits would just have to be marked as a draw.

Their minds quieted as their eyes met again. Stormwalker tightened his wing against her chest, the silken limb bending in a way that only it could. A rush of blood made Gusty a bit embarrassed as she looked at the demon. However, she refused to turn away until the same blush had found its way into her counterpart’s face. She smiled when he averted his eyes first. She was getting better at these staring contests.

A small thought made her start to giggle. Blazing cheeks still alight she turned back to Stormwalker to speak.

“Hey, do you remember when I first came to Canterlot?” she started.

“How could I forget? You were pretty much exclusively trying to make my life hard.” He shook his head recalling.

“Well, yeaaahh, you kinda deserved it, but anyway…when you were chasing me across the Palace roof, you missed the tackle to capture me, and you fell right through the roof!” Gusty began to laugh.

“Nothing went the way I wanted it to that day,” Stormwalker groaned, with a hint of a grin turning into a chuckle. “But I guess that was for the better really. We probably wouldn’t be laughing about it now if you hadn’t been so stubborn.”

“True. There were certain fringe benefits the experience brought that while unexpected, turned out to be quite enjoyable.” Gust tossed the other blanket off of herself. She was feeling hot and Stormwalker’s wing was enough to keep her cozy as he sat there in his chair.

You mean this one? He questioned internally, his surprise and appreciation becoming easier to feel on a whim.

Could be. But I’ll never tell. She tossed her mane haughtily knowing it would frustrate him. In truth, it felt great to be able to express emotion without the nagging sensation that what she was doing was wrong. Perhaps flirting with the demon was not the most appropriate thing to do, but it was only flirting right?

That would be more true if she had not been getting such a rise out of it herself. Gusty surmised that it would be best to change her tactics before things got out of hoof. The closeness of their bodies and consciousnesses made her feel good, too good. She could not really tell who’s desire controlled the sensation. What was worse, she did not particularly care. She only wanted to sate the curiosity and the urges. However, she was not the newer weak-willed Gusty from recent times. At least for now she held tightly onto the mare that had survived the worst possible things, and was steady with her hoof and her mind. Pushing the feelings down Gusty decided to test a theory about the shared space between she and Stormwalker’s mind. To see if perhaps the emotions were her own as she had once subjectively claimed they were not.

“Alright, flyboy.” She sat up and pushed his wing back over to him. “You’re initials are G.A., right?”

“Go on?” He leaned back into the chair raising the brow over his good eye.

“Well, that’s just it. That’s all I know. I’ve known you for what...two years and like ten months? And I still don’t know your name!” Gusty proclaimed.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright? I’m not sure what to do with this chipper, curious Gusty. Really throwing me through a loop here, sweetheart. Why don’t I go get Bunker?” He stood up to leave but she hopped up out of bed and got in his way.

“No. Sit down. This is between you and me. You can’t leave until I figure this out,” she scolded putting a hoof on his chest strongly.

“Figure what out?” Stormwalker retorted incredulously, brushing her hoof down. As he loomed over her, Gusty could feel about a dozen questions and concerns pop into his head at once. Unfortunately, curiosity about the two of them was not one of them.

Damn. She cursed internally knowing that he could hear her but probably had been too distracted by her outburst to figure out what she had just deduced. Luckily, she was met with only confusion coming from her counterpart

She genuinely liked him. The interest, the longing for more belonged to her. In a way it was upsetting to have answered her own question so quickly. Increasingly troubling was the nagging feeling to know even more. Gusty decided to roll with the name thing. It was the most minor of trifles but her only respite in the sudden and distressing culmination of emotions and nature. Gusty let her eyes look over him quickly, what was there to dislike? Hopefully, knowing who he was with a little more endearment would relieve the itching sensation in her chest.

“Your name, you big idiot, what else?” she sneered shifting her thoughts before he had a chance to analyze them.

“Hmmm.” He raised a hoof up to his chin and looked down into her eyes coyly, “I think you’ll just have to add that to the list of secrets you don’t get to know.”

Tightening her legs and slamming herself forward Gusty caught Stormwalker unawares and knocked him off his hooves and into the chair. She pushed her hooves into his chest seeking to keep him pinned.

“You can’t win this game,” She breathed some of her mane falling into their faces.

“Oh? Not holding back? I’m flattered,” he grinned mischievously.

Gusty felt his forehooves slide along her legs until he reached her barrel. Her body lifted up off the floor and he spun them towards the bed, a blush forming on her face before they even landed. Her wings flared out as Stormwalker pushed her into the cotton mattress his grin turning from trouble-making to lustful. Through their connection Gusty knew he was only doing such to upset her, even so: it was working.

“Your name, stupid, not a kiss!” she shouted. A few kicks from her back legs found their mark on his stomach, but the blows he could handle with ease.

“Don’t lie; you want both,” he smiled. “Besides if you want to know my first name why don’t you go digging it out of my head. It's not like you aren't already in there.”

“Hey, that’s my line!” Gusty pouted, as he released her.

“I didn’t hear the: ‘That’s not any fun’ response. So I guess that means you are gonna go for it?” He asked.

“No!” she huffed. She watched Stormwalker relax his posture as he slid off the bed the rest of the way. Narrowing her eyes, Gusty fixed him with a stare, trying to beat him to the next move. Her gaze fell on his flanks and she took her initiative.

“I bet I can guess what your name is by just looking at your Cutie Mark,” she declared.

“Huh. I’m shocked you have the interest to look, go for it, but I doubt you can manage it,” he replied adjusting his stance so she might more easily see the marking.

Gusty pulled herself up and sat close to the edge of the bed. Carefully examining the magical seal, she found several of its details strikingly familiar. The background field consisted of a rather square grey cloud with four lightning bolts extending away at the corners. That was the marking of a Stormwalker. She had seen it many times before, back during the final Demon War against the present stallion’s ancestors. It lent credence that Shadow-kin were born with a pony’s soul, albeit a twisted one. Gusty hated to give ground on that particular subject, but only ponies had Cutie Marks. While Shadow-kin were not specifically just pony, they had that natural magic within them too. Looking up at the bottom of her current quarry’s dark mane that was about even with her eyes she caught her mind drifting a little deeper into the past than she had intended.

By Origin he is tall, taller than even my first husband! She paused, her clear mind finally remembering her original spouse’s name. Radiant Dawn you would be jealous, I swear.

Returning her thoughts to what she was supposed to be attempting to do, Gusty immediately noticed a golden halo that stood out from the rest of Stormwalker’s Cutie Mark. She hummed to herself, taking note of how the detail felt out of place until she focused on the unique portion of the sigil on his flank. A two-tone shield with a sword set behind. White wings extended out from the shield, coupled with the halo it made a clear image. Angel. That certainly fit the second initial but Gusty remain puzzled by the rest of the marking. What type of angel uses a sword and shield? She pondered. An answer that fit came but It seemed too obvious, so she petitioned Stormwalker in hopes that he might accidentally give her a clue.

“Guardian Angel? That’s not it, right? That would be ridiculous,” she said noticing the incredulous look he gave her as she started talking.

“Heck, for all I know you might have one of those old Shadow-kin names. After all not all ponies’ names reflect their Cutie Mark,” Gusty continued as Stormwalker simply looked on in disbelief, before turning and making it impossible to see his flanks.

“Really?” he said brow pinched in apprehension.

“Really, what?” Gusty asked confused.

“You guess it right, on the first try no less, and you insult me in the same sentence! I don’t even know why I’m surprised.” He put a hoof up to his face.

“No way!” she proclaimed, already starting to laugh. “That’s hilarious!”

“How in the world have I missed this gem??” Stormwalker groaned underneath her words and giggles. “I mean it fits but its just-just so contradictory to your origins, your very being! A demon named Guardian Angel! Ha! Tartarus must have frozen over some time ago!”

Gusty kept cackling at the irony of the stallion before her. It was no wonder he did not want her to know his first name. It felt good to release all the tension in her heart through a laugh. Perhaps it was a touch rude to enjoy this much merriment and Guardian Angel’s expense but she knew he could take it. Through the shared space of their minds she could almost swear he liked to hear her this happy. In fact, he loved to hear her say his name, even if she was making fun of him

“Go on. Get it all out,” he grumbled his voice thick with sarcasm. “So very funny, I know.”

Slowly calming down, Gusty managed to keep her snickers contained to soft puffs of air. She had lain flat on the bed, slowly curling into a ball to grab her sides as she laughed. Now the mare looked up at the stallion a huge smile on her face as he contorted his jaw into a grimace, trying to hide his own grin.

“I’m going to tell Bunker and Zeccaran,” Gusty stated matter-of-factly.

“The hell you are!” Guardian Angel shouted, his scowl becoming genuine as he dove toward her. However, it was too late. It seemed the ponderous demon had forgotten that, she was the queen of mischief. One quick teleport later and Gusty stood on the helm next to her husband and friend.

The two stallions yelped in surprise. It took them a moment to recover as Gusty giggled at their shock.

“Wife, you are awake!” Bunker proclaimed regaining his composure first.

“Yeah, I know, now listen you guys I have something really funny to say: his name-isssreeearck!” the buckling and breaking of wood cut her off.

“Not another word!” Guardian Angel growled as he pulled himself through the hole in the deck he had made. Quickly hopping between her and the other two stallions the big demon glowered at her a hint of red building on his face.

“Hey, what’s the big idea? Gusty is just trying to tell a joke, and you explode through the floor of my ship!” Zeccaran complained, boldly stepping around him.

“Shut it, you striped idiot!” the larger fellow snarled making the zebra lose the bravado with the flash of his fangs and glint of steel in his eyes.

“I know his name, I know his name!” Gusty singsonged to break Guardian Angel’s momentum.

“Stormwalker? Da, we all know his name, dear. Why is this important?” Bunker asked from the wheel his eyebrows raised in concern.

“No, his first name,” she smiled

“Gusty…” the demon admonished with his voice. Meanwhile, both her husband and Zeccaran released long “oh’s” in comprehension. The alicorn could feel him start to bend his knees ready to pounce again. That was all part of her plan, however, she was in fine form after all and Guardian Angel had expended quite a bit of energy making it so she could feel this way. Even if he knew what she had planned, he could not outpace her today.

“Don’t worry guys, I’ll try again in a second. I just need to get him distracted enough.” Gusty flipped her windblown mane back behind both ears.

“Distracted? You think that’s all it will tak-” She teleported before Guardian Angel could monologue.

Appearing down in the bunkroom in the bowels of the Onyx, Gusty released a deeply satisfied sigh. She had a few moments before Stormwalker would inevitably attempt to corner her here, but it would be all she needed. Since she had gotten excited many new ideas and spells had run through her head. This clarity made her feel beyond giddy, and it led Gusty to select an older magic trick she had developed. It seemed strange to suddenly have her mind together but she was not about to waste the opportunity to stick it to her favorite stallion.

Summoning up her power and pushing it into her horn Gusty cast a Temporary Copy Spell. It was a complex piece of magic, but one that she had created and mastered long ago. It had proven useful time and again during the struggles with the hordes of the Abyss. The image took form and with an eventual pop! another teal alicorn stood across from her, a playful smile on her lips. Momentarily, Gusty wondered if the spell had been copied, or if any spells of the old alicorns had been recorded. It seemed unlikely, especially with the Shadow-kin’s previous victory. In response to the thought, she made another Copy. Then another. And another.

In the matter of only about fifteen seconds, five identical mares stood giggling at each other. The four clones were not perfect. They could not cast magic nor last much longer than a few minutes, but they looked real and felt real, even sporting most of her memories. Most important of all, they could talk and tended to not have very strong inhibitions. Guardian Angel was in for one hell of a surprise. She looked between her illusionary companions listening to them chattering over what they were going to do the demon-stallion.

A few seconds and loud clops of hooves later and he arrived. He charged into the bunkroom only to slow to a stop his jaw agape. Guardian Angel looked between the gathered mares.

“Ooh!” “He’s even sexier in face-to-face!” "I love the scars." “I call dibs on his left wing!” The clones tittered advancing towards him. The stallion’s face just grew more concerned and befuddled.

“What the fuck,” he managed to mumble. Gusty could hardly contain her laughter as his eyes turned wide, their slitted pupils expanding to nearly take up all of his irises. The demon’s breaths quickened and he had already begun to sweat, experiencing the onslaught of not-quite-faux-estrogen.

The Copies made it to him and began grabbing various limbs, nuzzling their faces into him. One even slapped his face with her tail, leaving him to stand there dumbfounded, his face turning redder than a tomato. Gusty could not contain herself and she laughed madly. Guardian Angel snapped his eyes towards her, comprehension slowly dawning on his face before he was obscured by a different seafoam tail. Immediately, the big stallion went to move and was instantly tripped up by the Copies.

“Gotcha!” Gusty declared before teleporting back up to the helm.

The brief blur of planar phasing disappeared and she stood next to the helm. Bunker and Zeccaran were busy talking, not facing her and did not take notice.

“My guess is Gigantic Anus,” Zeccaran said with a grin in his voice.

“Da! That is good one!” Bunker laughed.

“It’s much better than that!” Gusty chirped jumping right into the conversation. Her husband and friend turned around not all that surprised by her reappearance.

“Got him distracted I take it?” the zebra asked.

“Yep. And here it goes,” she drew in a deep breath. “Guardian Angel.”

The two stallions craned their necks back. Looking at each other, they scrunched up their noses respectively.

“Really?” Bunker asked his eyes squinted.

“Yep! Wouldn’t believe it, right!?” Gusty started to laugh all over again.

“That is both girly yet oddly appropriate. No wonder he didn’t want you to tell us,” Zeccaran chimed in. “Then again, I have a feeling it would be best that I don’t use his name at all. Kinda prefer him to not beat the shit out of me.”

“He wouldn’t dare. You’re my friend and it would upset me if he hurt you. And upsetting me is not on his ‘to-do’ list I can assure you,” she commented back, turning to look out over the deck of the Onyx.

“Probably gonna avoid it anyway,” her friend said as her focus turned to where they were. Meanwhile, Zecarran and Bunker took to laughing in a nervous way behind her. Gusty turned her eyes up to see rock, it took a moment for her to realize what she saw.

Mountains. Huge mountains and frozen breezes. She had not noticed before but immediately took the precaution of casting a insulatory spell. Sauntering over to the deckrail, Gusty looked down into a pristine valley full of pines and ice. The sight took her breath away, it was gorgeous, a picturesque vista like she had not seen in several ages. She took her time to absorb the beautiful landscape and turned around to find a curious lack of Guardian Angel. Her clones must have really gotten the better of him. That stood to reason; his weakness was her, after all. More than one proved more than he could take.

However, just as quickly as she had the thought did the familiar sound of the stallion’s hooves reach her ears as they came up the staircase onto the helm. Gusty turned to face him to find the demon sporting a vacant look of defeat. In each of his wings he held one Copy hung in a tight wrap where she smiled merrily. The third laid across his back, playing with his mane. The fourth he held in a single hoof, suspended by his great strength and how he had her propped against his chest.

“I don’t think I have the stamina for that right now, ladies,” he stated with a dull emptiness to his voice.

“Awwh…” the Copies responded with a collective disappointment.

“Why do I have five wives???!!!” Bunker screamed suddenly having taken notice.

Gusty just started to cackle like a hyena as her husband stumbled over with his jaw attempting to fall off his face. Zeccaran was forced to grab the wheel as the Onyx began to pitch from Bunker releasing the controls. Guardian Angel stood still as the burgundy stallion briskly trotted up, looking over the Copies in shock.

“H-h-how do I know which o-one is real?!” he stammered. The entangled demon responded by lightly nodding his head in her direction.

“Okay! Real Gusty, explain!” her husband declared.

“They aren’t real. Just really good fakes,” she managed between more laughs.

“Really, really good fakes,” Guardian Angel said with a deep conviction. He attempted to hide his face in the mane of the Copy he held before his face turned red again, unsuccessfully.

Bunker looked on in disbelief, before a series of signature pops sounded. Gone as quickly they had been made all that remained of the Copies was sparkling air. Their hostage fell down on to his rump, his face distant as he sighed. Her husband stood still watching where her clones had been his face equally empty.

“You know, you got him distracted. But, I think you overdid it,” Zeccaran shouted from his further distance at the helm.

“You aren’t surprised, Zeccaran?” she yelled back.

“Not when it comes to you Gusty. I’m not ever surprised.” The zebra turned the wheel and the deck listed some. The other two stallions remained broken for the moment.

Gusty started to giggle, letting the joy of having outwitted her opponent so thoroughly boost her mood further. Eventually she settled down and Bunker came around. He gave her a hug and quite cheerfully endorsed her good health. While they idly spoke for a while as they continued in the valley on the airship. Guardian Angel cleared his throat and caught her attention.

“Gusty. Could you please refrain from using any more ancient and extravagant displays of magic until we get back to Canterlot. I don’t really think I can take it,” he requested.

“Well...alright, flyboy.” She gave him a wink. “How long is it till we get home?”

“About…” he turned slowly to look at their surroundings. “Twenty hours, unless we turn the engines up to full, then fifteen.”

“And what will you be doing those fifteen hours?” she asked.

“I’m going to go kill an Ice Giant. I need something to distract myself from that...experience.” He shook his head, still reeling.

“Ew. Why do you have to be so gross?”

“Da! Always eating such weird things, very strange, Guardian Angel.”

“Ughhh!” the demon groaned. Gusty, Bunker, and Zeccaran laughed at the sulking demon. It was going to be a good time having this to hold over his head. Gusty could not wait to gossip about it with Celestia. With any luck she did not have that long to wait either, and the comforts of a stable life in the Palace would at last be returned to her. She had a little prodigal daughter to dote on, a cozy bed, and a hot shower waiting for her and that sounded perfect. Almost as perfect as the endearing little smile Guardian Angel tossed over his shoulder to her as he dove off the deck of the Onyx. Gusty took a long drag of cold alpine air; as long as she felt this good, the future looked bright.

Hey, readers...

Will be closing up Act 3 here in the next chapter or two, depending on how I feel. After a chunk of outlining and rough drafting a while ago it appeared the content had better flow with an Act 4. Something I did not originally intend. However, now getting through all the details I'm glad I had not pre-wrote all of Act 3 yet even though it has been more work!

Hope you enjoyed the hi-jinx of one very OP alicorn. Not to worry. They won't last.