Clutching her hooves to her temples, Gusty groaned. She opened her eyes and watched Guardian Angel pace across the floor of her apartment.

“Your pacing is only making this worse. Give it a rest,” she complained.

“Sorta the point, sweetheart. We are really close to closing all the paths across our minds. If you can maintain your focus past the bond and my annoying behavior we are in the clear,” he replied, continuing to slowly put a groove in the floor where he strode.

Trying again, Gusty fought the onslaught of a fresh migraine. It was difficult to think about, much less describe the torment of breaking their mental connection. It was like trying to peel a lemon with only your eyelids and one hoof. Possible? Sure. Easy? No! Painful? Yes. Something you should do? Gusty was thinking that perhaps not. She could feel the magical bond groaning under the metaphorical pressure she was applying to it. Its aura bent, refusing to break as if it was a rod of copper.

Bunker, who had been silently watching next to her on their sofa, rubbed her shoulders gently as she released another grunt. Guardian Angel had eagerly accepted her proposition to have her husband remain present for their meeting. It was a good change of pace, it felt nice to have a third party that was as invested in the situation as they were but for his own reasons. Simple reasons, specifically, that tempered the emotional tension between she and the demon. Suddenly the pressure between them broke and Gusty let loose a gasp, opening her reflexively closed eyes again.

“Was that it? Did we manage it?” she asked excitedly to Guardian Angel who had stopped pacing, his face thoughtful but distant. He did not answer.

Gusty reached out across their bond to find the raging river of thoughts and emotion naught but a dry stream. She could feel his magical presence, like she could when they first met but there were no stray thoughts, no little prods of interest. Shocked, and in a way, appalled, she stared slack-jawed as he turned to meet her eyes.

“Yes. I think we managed it.” He nodded and smiled.

“So that means no more late night conversations, da?” Bunker interjected.

“What?” Guardian Angel balked, confusion evident in his pinched brow. Meanwhile Gusty attempted to hold down a blush, while staring daggers at her husband.

“Oh. My mistake. Gusty just talks often in her sleep. It wakes me up sometimes. And you know...I just assumed with the whole,” he motioned between his and her skulls, “mind thing, was going on. I mean I don’t know how it works!”

Gusty exhaled a sigh of relief. Bunker had made a decent recovery. Even though the other stallion likely knew of her less than appropriate thoughts, she preferred nopony else blurted them out to confirm any of his suspicions.

“Anyway. It looks like we’ve had some success. However, it depends how long we can hold this.” Guardian Angel wiped his brow where a surprising amount of sweat had pooled. “And I notice you aren’t pulling your weight, which makes this really difficult.”

Gusty sucked in a breath through gritted teeth and attempted to force her mind still as she had been originally instructed. After a moment of struggle she managed to acquire the same feeling of balance she had achieved when the connection had been cut off just moments ago. It was working, now it was just a test to see how far they could keep things broken.

“Bunker, do something to try and distract me!” she cooed doing her best to remain collected. They had decided he was the perfect candidate to test their capabilities. He did not have any magic of his own so it only made sense for him to use his wit to try and break their concentration.

One of her husband’s hooves found its way to her soft underbelly and poked at the bottom of her ribs. Gusty loosed a squeaky yelp of surprise before meeting her partner’s eyes with pinched angry lips. However, it was not enough to negate their true objective.

“Not bad. Looks like it is going well over there. Me next,” Guardian Angel commanded from the otherside of the room.

Bunker grunted and with horror and pride Gusty watched him pull a stiletto out from under a couch cushion. When he had planted that she did not know, but it was perfect. He partially stood from his seat as if he was planning to make his way over to the other stallion, only to plant his back hooves and throw the skinny dagger at Guardian Angel. The blade found its mark, burying itself into the demon’s shoulder. He flinched in surprise, blood running down his front leg and towards the carpeted floor. Recovering, he stared back over at her husband in awe managing to give a small approving nod, his mouth remaining open.

“Damnit, Bunker! I just had that rug cleaned!” Gusty hissed at her husband as she watched Guardian Angel’s blood make it the rest of the way into the carpet. The ichor continued to splash over his dark hooves as he pulled the knife out of his muscle with a grunt. The alicorn noticed that despite having lost her focus momentarily, it was not nearly as difficult to return to the procedure.

“I...I think its working…” she whispered behind Bunker laughing at Guardian Angel.

“Da?” Her husband turned around to face her. “Then I’ll have to try harder!”

About an hour passed as Bunker continued to attempt to dilute she and Guardian’s focus. He came close a few times, like when he slapped the demon in the snout with his tail. Gusty was just glad her husband had a tail to speak of afterwards. Likewise, he had proven resourceful but not successful when he had tormented her with a choice feather selected from his unwitting assistant. She had survived the tickling and by the end of the hour Gusty felt quite confident that she could maintain this division between herself and G.A. quite easily and quite indefinitely.

“Well...I didn’t expect us to be so successful on the first try. But…” the demon-stallion eyed her with a mischievous grin, “I should have known better than to expect less from you.”

Gusty scowled at him. She did not need their mental bridge to know he was trying to ruffle her feathers. “Yes, and then trying to flirt with me is a great way to ruin all that progress. And right in front of Bunker too!”

“Oh, but I’d never do anything so promiscuous. No, this is merely to annoy you. Thus, I bid you adieu! After all, I have much hunting to do, very difficult to do while standing here trading insults with you!” he sniggered as he made his way to the Prench doors of the apartment’s balcony. He took his time, strutting with extra long strides as he went.

Gusty heard a small hiss of air come from Bunker. When she turned to look her husband was biting his lips closed, the edges of his mouth curled in a smile. He thought it was funny, Gusty would get him back for his insolence soon enough. She directed her attention back to the fool that drug his bloody hooves across her floor, fire in her eyes.

“So farewell, yon stubborn mare…” he started, a leg pushing open the door outside.

“Guardian Angel.” Gusty seethed.

“Trouble you no longer I would not dare.” The demon had pushed his luck too far.

“Stop rhyming, you gigantic asshole!” She shouted in rage. Bunker exploded in laughter next to her. She ignored him only because he could not escape, when she was done with her husband he was not going to be able to walk. Meanwhile, she heard Guardian giggle smartly.

“Oh...pish-posh don’t let it mess up your...mane!” He leaped forward out the door and front flipped over the balcony rail. He managed that feat before she could hurl her living room furniture at him, worse yet, he ruined the hair-brained cadence. Unsure if finishing the rhyme or ruining it as he had was worse Gusty was left muttering under breath in anger. Meanwhile, Bunker slowly recovered from having fallen over from a fit of giggles.

“Alright, you.” Gusty turned on him with a ravenous fury. “Bedroom...now.”

Bunker still lay stoically in their bed several hours later, well after Gusty had returned home from retrieving Amethyst from school. His cheeks would occasionally puff out as he drew heavy, but regular breaths. Fluttering, his eyes moved towards her as she entered the room, his neck slowly craning to watch her. Gusty spread herself out on the bed’s edge, putting her body next to his. He released a calm groan not of pain but more of simple resignation.

“Every now and then...I am reminded that I am but a mere stallion. This is one of those times,” he said.

“Buck up, buttercup, you gotta get ready for the rest of your vacation,” she replied.

Bunker drew another big breath and exhaled it before putting his hooves over his eyes. With a loud grunt he sat upright and moved his body into a proper sitting position on the bed. He rolled out of the comfy, cushiony upholstery and gave a mediocre stretch as Gusty watched playfully.

“Da. Vacation. If that is what one could call it,” he yawned, “I am hungry, but what to cook?”

“Some of your famous stew?” She mused, her thoughts elsewhere. Specifically, Gusty found it rather convenient that her husband had vacation at the same time she was feeling as sensual as she did the last few weeks. Worse, the end of August was awfully late in season to be feeling the traditional female call to mate. She was fairly certain the culprit had flipped his merry way to freedom knowing full well what he had done.

“That is a great idea! Need to see if I have to go raid the Royal Storehouse...do we have carrots? Da. Onions?...” His voice became fainter as he walked down the hall.

Still laying flat on her bed, Gusty peered at the wooden headboard distractedly. She rolled onto her side so she might be more near the center of the bed. It was not terribly long before she had dozed off. Nothing like a late afternoon nap to keep her chipper until sometime after midnight. In truth she should have helped Bunker make dinner but it was too late to rise again once she had repositioned herself. By the time her husband woke her up for food she had nearly dreamed her way into the final tower of an old castle. Fighting back metaphorical monsters on her way nearly having saved the stranded princess, who so happened to be a very lazy Celestia in this dream. Gusty harrumphed as she opened her eyes to the sound of her husband’s voice and realized the little adventure had been only a fantasy of her mind.

“You are hungry, right?” Bunker asked with a raised brow from the foot of the bed.

“Yes. I was having a good dream.” She paused to yawn, her voice deeper as she recovered. “Then you ruined it by waking me up!”

“A good dream?!” he balked in surprise.

Silence overcame Gusty as she realized that she had just had a lucid dream that was not some terrible recollection of her past. A huge beaming smile crept onto her face and she hopped out of bed with enthusiasm. Nabbing Bunker in a tight hug she kissed him, catching him off guard entirely.

“Yep! A great dream...really!” she chirped. Gusty released her husband and prancing towards dinner.

As they ate and made small talk with Amethyst, she could not help but feel elated. Today had been nothing like she expected, and for once that was a pleasant surprise. A hearty warm feeling reached its way up to her chest, and it was not the toasty temperature of the delicious stew. Nothing could ruin this moment, as she looked between her daughter and husband Gusty knew no matter what happened she would never forget this simple but peaceful moment. Finishing her current bowl she reached for another, mind wandering over her mood, Amethyst’s schoolwork, and the possibility of meeting Ashijinir again. She gasped at the little reminder of things to be done this evening returning to her. Her family looked at her expectantly.

“Princess Luna wanted to go dreamwalking with me this evening. I just remembered.” She tossed her mane away from the food as she spoke.

“Ooooooh! Cool! Can I come?” Amethyst asked excitedly.

“Mmm..not for this one. If we do another one sometime on a weekend you can. You have to go to school tomorrow silly filly!” Gusty laughed at her daughter’s pouty face as she complained about having a bedtime. It was all for show anyway, the filly had always been an early to bed early to rise type of pony.

“Da. I would go but, tonight...I sleep like the dead.” Bunker gave a wide groan then yawn as he finished his sentence. Gusty caught his eye as he leaned back in his chair. She wiggled her eyebrows while biting her lip. He shuddered, but smiled confidently afterwards.

Supper came to a close once they had each eaten their second portion. They dispersed from the kitchen, Amethyst to read a book on the balcony, Bunker to eagerly do the dishes. Pausing to watch him, he informed Gusty that it was therapeutic, a closer to his usual long day of harassing new Guard recruits or helping her. All she could do was remark that her husband had been doing well to expand his vocabulary. Otherwise, as she went to the living room to lounge on the couch, her mind starting to wander again.

Gusty hated to admit it, but regardless of how fabulous the day had been she felt somewhat uneasy. Perhaps it was just irrational anxiety, spurred mainly by the simple fact that bad things usually came at the worst time, when you were relaxed and in good mood. Life always had a way of being a real bastard and Gusty had lived through a lot of life. Everything just seemed too surreal to continue as it stood. The warmth in her chest would vanish like a candle dosed by a barrel of icy water and she again would feel terrible.

She pushed those thoughts away, as she watched the sun slowly set behind her daughter’s hunched silhouette on the balcony. Amethyst’s mane would occasionally flair out from her head on the errant breezes of the Canterlot mountain air. It made Gusty smile to see the picture-perfect image. The clopping of her husband’s hooves turned her head towards him. He seemed to not notice her gaze and instead mosied slowly around the sofa and sat down next to her with a sigh.

They sat like that for hours, chatting and reminiscing over how they had met. It made Gusty feel rather sappy but all the same, she did intend to keep her husband around for as long as he would let her. They had yet to have the discussion of Bunker’s mortality, or what their future plans were for when the Curse was officially removed. Gusty realized this as they spoke, but the time for Amethyst to go to bed came and she was saved. It was a not-so-unconscious of an effort to keep putting the conversation off, but they had all of tomorrow while their daughter was at school to talk about it. Thus they made certain said daughter actually got into bed and stopped reading. Amethyst tried to find the right things to say to start a parley that would let her at least practice a few spells but to no avail. Gusty would have none of it, too interested in the chance at more private time to entertain her daughter’s idea.

It was much later that night, in the wee hours of the morning as her mind quieted finally for sleep, did the uncomfortable feeling return. There were many unknowns in the near future that depended on the Curse being destroyed. Gusty shivered as she fell into slumber, unhappy with the idea that, soon, her whole life might completely fall apart. Still, she had some very determined ponies to help her should that come to pass before a solution was reached. That thought calmed her fully into dreams. Her little adventure was quick to resume, the halls of the dark castle of yesteryear seemed to form around her in coarse stone. Ready to continue she dashed towards an animated suit of armor cutting it down with ease ready to save her friend of a sloth so great she could not be bothered to save herself. Gusty quite readily forgot the anxiety in favor of the fun before her. There was nothing she could do to prevent it anyway, so fretting did little.

Meanwhile, she had reached the top of the fabled tower. She opened the door of the highest chamber and instead of finding Celestia she found Luna. Well that was not quite right, this was more of a perversion of Luna. Gusty stood there confusedly as the apparition that bore the mooney mare’s cutie mark laughed maniacally. She yelled something about a night that lasted forever before the wayward Gusty recalled this alternate personality and the funny little story that came with it. The black beauty from the recent past was Nightmare Moon, a possessed Luna under the influence of the now dead Nyx. This was going to be fun.

The fight was on, and Gusty knew who was to be the victor. She tossed the other mare about, striking not to kill but to humiliate. Nightmare fought valiantly, shapeshifting and sending out powerful blasts of magic. Her opponent, unfortunately for the black mare, was several thousand years her senior in combat. Gusty dodged every attempt to subdue her laughing and quiping as she went. Finally she spanked the flat of her blade across Nightmare’s hooves and knocked her to the ground. Holding the blade to her quarry’s throat Gusty flipped her mane behind her ears, beaming with pride.

“Ha! I have defeated you, dark mistress of the night! Restore Luna and surrender to me, you need not fight on only to die!” she declared with gusto. However, in a horrid twist, the shocked face of Nightmare curled into a hideous grin.

Were it so easy to beat me you would have done it long ago. The voice made Gusty’s heart freeze. It was her voice, and it did not come from the image before her, but from all around the dreamscape.

Flicking her eyes to the walls of the ancient castle she had been in, the teal mare watched in terror. Her body stiff and frigid like an old stone statue, Gusty suddenly felt very, very alone as the light around her disappeared and was replaced with only darkness. Struggling to move even the smallest amount she began to shriek in desperation. Thankfully, her voice still worked and that was a small respite. However, it suddenly dawned on her that it was only so the Curse might hear her scream to satisfy its twisted desires.

Before her as if pulled directly from ancient times, a shadowy figure formed. Quietly, its phantom appendages clopped as it strutted towards her. This was the dream. The nightmare she always had, but somehow it was worse. Somehow the thing before her more horrifying than ever before. Perhaps it was the beast’s ocean-blue eyes, or the glint of its mangled teeth in the ashen light of the blankness around them. A smile spread its gnarled mouth making her panic. She looked about for her sword and found it where she had dropped it in surprise. Hefting the blade up between them with her levitation Gusty shuddered, almost too afraid to defend herself.

What a fool to leave you so alone. He should have thought more about your connection to him. The living ghost of the Curse spoke snidely. The words hurt Gusty’s entire body, making her yell in pain.

Now, you are mine. Your last desperate attempt to save yourself ruined by the piety of a blood-traitor. How delightfully ironic. Another wave of torture washed over her, her body convulsing on its own. It was accompanied by worries thoughts and delusion.

Who was manipulating who? Was he no less the monster she had originally seen him as? Or was it she that was the monster, using him to break herself of the Curse? Or worse: was the Curse using them both to break free of the magic she had used to contain it? The last option caused even more horrendous pain to rake its claws through her body, forcing her to drop her sword.

Ah. You were always a smart mare. A shame you realized too late my influence in your success this morning. Without that idiot to stabilize your mind, I can control every facet of your reality, even while I’m this weak. Now suffer! And suffer Gusty did. The memories played out again, the slaughter of her kin alive and well once more. Her mind tried to deafen itself from this onslaught. It proved unsuccessful, and as she writhed in the Curse’s grasp she hoped desperately somepony on the outside would save her. That was her last coherent thought for the night.

Luna sat on her sofa puzzled. It was a quarter after two in the morning and still Gusty had yet to fall asleep. Perhaps the nap the mare had taken earlier today was keeping her awake. It did not truly matter to the Princess of the Night, she did not exactly have a bedtime, but it was still somewhat disheartening. Truly, she had intended to keep her word to the teal mare and take her on a decent dreamwalk but that might not be happening. The little dream she had injected in the early afternoon would have been perfect to continue. She gave a sigh and took to waiting again, her thoughts idle and disappointed.

However, the pleasant silence of the night was quickly interrupted. Unsure if the smell or the heavy breathing reached her senses first, Luna turned her head with a jolt to her balcony. There, sweaty and panting like an overheating dog, sat Guardian Angel. His eyes burned with lust and his scent backed that up 120%. Luna shuddered and stood, not really in the mood for his shenanigans at the moment.

“Back from your hunt, stinkbait? If we are going to spend time together you are going to need to shower first,” she admonished.

“Ohhhh...I’m just surprised you’re awake-no. I’m overjoyed.” He strutted towards her with intent, his fangs dripping with drool as he moved.

“Ewgh! I’m supposed to be working, you slob! Hold onto your lions until I can confirm I’m not dreamwalking tonight at least!” Luna huffed angrily.

Guardian Angel’s posture relaxed, and the look of desire dulled but did not disappear. He strolled around the lounge and laid down on the floor, his chest rising and falling steadily.

“I can wait. I just assumed with you staying up…”

“That I was looking to have a smelly vagabond raid my modesty? I think not!”

“A shame. And here I had good news for you too. I was too hungry to tell you earlier before I went off to eat,” He breathed seductively. It was just good enough to catch Luna’s curiosity.

“What is it?” she questioned knowing she was playing a dangerous game. Not insisting he bathe was only increasing the effects of his pheromones, and she was too much of a sucker for him in the first place.

“This morning, Gusty and I successfully silenced that pesky mental connection between the two of us. We’ve even managed to keep it that way all day too. Never figured it would be so easy.” Guardian remarked triumphantly.

“You did...what?” Luna balked in disbelief instantly distraught by his words.

“Yeah. It’s been pretty nice. I never realized how much worry I was absorbing from her. I’m relaxed, excited, and ready to fight a war all by myself!” He continued smiling as if he did not hear the words he was saying as his mare stared on in mounting horror.

“You told me you were going to tell her that you couldn’t hang around each other so often and now you’ve done this! And you did not bother to ask me! The mare who has LITERALLY lived in her mind for the past three years!?” Luna’s voice went shrill, loud and unable to hide her trepidation any longer.

“Hey, I’ve lived in there too! And yeah, of course I did. I’m trying to date you not her, remember? We’ve had dozens of conversations about this! What’s the problem?”

“Guardian Angel. You broke the magic guarding her mind. The magic that you, yourself, correctly deduced had been keeping her stable for several eons. What do you think the problem could be!?”

Her stallion looked back at her, his eyes narrowing but his face not showing any realization, yet.

“You don’t understand. You have noooo idea what it’s like having her in your mind. Asking you questions at four in the morning while she dreams or how she fantasizes about making out with you when she thinks you can’t feel it-and you are standing two feet from her! Luna it was going to destroy our relationship, and I really didn’t want that to happen.” He defended his decision well, Luna had to give him that.

However, the glaring problem was quite simple. He would come to it just as soon as his hormone-addled mind settled down. She did not have to wait long. Slowly, a blank look overcame him. That was Luna’s time to strike.

“And perhaps, Guardian Angel, Zeccaran and I discovered, not two days ago if you could bother to recall, Gusty’s recent reliance on your connection was because the only remaining sense of stability in her mind was you and that very connection you shared,” she seethed.

“Oh. Oh, no. I’ve made a terrible mistake!” he remarked in dumbstruck terror finally understanding the consequences of his actions.

“Yes. Be certain to ask next time. Let us hope no damage has been done. And get to reestablishing that connection, as loathe as I am to say that,” Luna ordered with a grimace.

Instead of answering, Guardian Angel stood up from the ground like a shot. He rushed up to her putting his eyes level with hers. Fear sparkled in his slitted iries and suddenly Luna felt a tightness in her chest.

“Gusty’s Apartment. Now.” he whispered and bolted out of her abode in a streak of color and a wave of wind and heat.

She obeyed, teleporting instantly. Screams met her ears immediately, and Luna’s heart gripped fully with terror. They might already be too late.

Next Chapter: Act 4: Chapter 7 - By Luna and her Guardian Angel Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 58 Minutes