Luna was sucked away by Stormwalker’s presence and Zeccaran spat out angry curses. Everything had been fine. Absolutely everything. Was. Fine. It certainly did not matter that the Curse was trying to end it alright this instant. No, that was not a big deal. They had it handled. They did not need Luna. No, no, certainly not!

“Sarcasm.” Nyx groaned under the weight of malignancy’s magic. “It does not become you, Zeccaran.”

“Shut up. Just because you and I share consciousness doesn’t mean you get to criticize my very justified anger,” he hissed back.

Letting his mind refocus, he locked his eyes with the evermore twisted mess that was Gusty’s mind. In truth, even now with the Curse of the Shadow-kin throwing its bulk against him and Nyx alone, things seemed mostly stable. The magic barriers that his cohort had helped re-teach him and Luna’s own work was holding up well. The mix of colors and sparkles bent as the next attempt of the Curse warped the wall but did not break it. It seemed that Luna had been exaggerating to some extent.

“It is really throwing everything at us. I suppose this is why we are doing so much monitoring. How does it keep it up? Can it draw its magic from Gusty herself?” Nyx asked rhetorically. Zeccaran certainly did not have the answer.

“At least things are working in our favor. I don’t know why Luna was worried about you getting sucked up into this beast’s existence. Do you think she’s just paranoid from when you suggested the possibility the other day?” he conjectured.

“No. I think she’s right. Luna is particularly gifted at this, and given what we’ve seen before and this sudden burst, it’s certainly not out of the realm of-” A rumble of magic far greater than before came from the Curse, and Nyx fell silent instantly.

Horrid, delighted laughter echoed across the Astral Plane and made Zeccaran’s stomach lurch. It seemed his momentary hopefulness now came to bite him in the ass. The monstrosity had been probably listening to them speak and now it intended to make its move as poetic as possible. Terrified, Zeccaran cast another of the mind-shields and not a moment too soon.

A thick, inky tendril darker in visage than even Nyx herself burst through the other barriers as he cast. His cohort screeched in shock, as the tentacle of magic reached her. His spell completed and the appendage of horror was strangled back into submission behind the barrier.

“A-a-as I was saying,” Nyx cleared her throat. A curious action for a phantasm such as herself, “Very much its current objective.”

“Great. Let’s hope shit-for-brains can get Luna back in here as quick as he pulled her out. Hell, at this point, if he could come back in and scare this damn Curse-thing some that would be fine too,” Zeccaran replied.

He cast another green layer to the magics before him. The incessant, insidious giggles of Gusty’s bad side continued just as loud as before. Shuddering he turned an eye towards Nyx who seemed to be equally upset. That was unlike her, even with her new appreciation of her own, and others’ mortality. Nyx had really come into her own, and to see her suffer such worry only further upset him. Zeccaran swallowed hard as his compatriot of consciousness looked back at the Curse. A single baleful blue eye gazed in return, pinching nearly closed in a sort of morbid delight that was palpable across the Astral Plane itself.

“Your magic did not sever that piece off. It’s-ugh-the beast gets stronger by the moment. If only there was something more we could do. Perhaps, Stormwalker could see if he could rouse Gusty’s subconscious out of the pit the Curse puts it in every time she sleeps?”

Zeccaran sneered at the thought. He would not be surprised if the damned-demon-stallion had chosen to sacrifice him to the Curse. If it was a bet the zebra hedged his winnings on the notion that the whole reason Stormwalker had intervened was because he had discovered Nyx. The pressure from the Curse gave him a fresh headache and Zeccaran turned his eyes to the starry backdrop behind him for a moment. The last bastion of Luna’s magic had slowly shrunk and shrunk until now it was only a small area behind he and Nyx. Things certainly were desperate, and his anger at Stormwalker mattered little when the most important thing was holding the line. This became all the more pertinent when the Curse made another move, and his mind threatened to buckle from the sheer pressure alone.

“How long do you think it will take for Luna to tell him how much he screwed up and get back in here?” Zeccaran asked.

“Doesn’t matter when Luna is already as exhausted as she is; he probably won’t let her. Stingy Shadow-kin fool.” Nyx winced. Her ethereal form shimmered with another wave of power from the Curse. Its cackling got louder, prompting Zeccaran to cast more of the Astral shields.

“If I could do that myself I would. Sorry for mostly being moral support,” his companion commented as he did.

“I’m just shocked that you cared enough to tell me that. Let’s hope Luna hurries. I don’t know how long we can keep this up.”

They fell silent. Though this left the Curse to giggle distinctly over the passing moments its cackles mattered little. What drew their attention was the ever increasing pressure and anger the beast inside of Gusty focused on them. Seconds drug onto hours and Zeccaran felt like he was sweating out all of the water in his body. Again he cast another shield, it was a preemptive but largely futile effort and Zeccaran knew it. There was no telling when the Curse would attempt another concentrated break out. Each time it did his chances of stopping it decreased exponentially.

Then suddenly he was alone.

He had no way to describe it. No feeling could compare to the cold, empty nothingness that now existed within and without him. It had taken all but a moment. Stormwalker’s magical force had reached deep down into the Astral Plane, and stood near him for but a second. Then as soon as it had been here it had left. In the stretched time-space where he resided, Zeccaran was dumbfounded he had not noticed it happening. He missed the moment that the fervor that was Stormwalker took Nyx out of his very being, leaving him feeling like half of himself was lost. However, the Curse noticed his deflated state; and as he stood trying to piece together what had happened it released a burst of magic so powerful he could hardly react at all.

“WHERE IS SHE?!” It hissed into his ears and into his mind. “I need her soul, her twisted little mind.”

Zeccaran coughed, trying to steady himself. The sparkly backdrop that he had taken comfort in had disappeared and the only thing he could see was the sharp blue eyes of the Curse. The faint green glow of his magic was there too, but every second it dimmed as its effectiveness waned.

“He took her. I don’t-I don’t know how,” the zebra stammered uneasily.

Zeccaran made another attempt to cast more magic. Anything to soothe the pounding in his head and the weight of his legs. He struggled. The power that had been an ease to summon before, now resisted: twisting and writhing as it refused to obey him. Through sheer force of will he coerced the special Astral spell to cast.

“The blood-traitor is quite the meddler. Still...that leaves me you!” The Curse lurched towards him. Her vile laughter echoed across empty plains he could not see and snickers of different voices coming from different places around him.

Zeccaran gripped his head as the ancient beast slammed its whole into the scant barriers between them. For years he had not understood Gusty, what drove her to do what she did, what madness it possibly could have been. When the first shield shattered he started to understand. He could feel underneath the Curse, just how deep Gusty’s pain plunged. Its murmur started distant, as if it was carried to him across the world. When the next barrier fell and the Curse stabbed her clutches into the final barrier separating them it came to him as a single long loud shout. Screams of dead ponies reached him too, but Zeccaran was used to that. What he could not stand was feeling his friend suffer. It rendered him limp and strained.

Even as he watched in relative powerlessness as a new tentacle of darkness snaked its way through the last remaining barrier, Zeccaran grit his teeth defiantly. Pounding heart and pouring sweat, they were his only focus as the cold grip of the abyssal appendage gripped his barrel and hefted him up. Gravity inverted several times which even for the Astral Plane was out of place, forcing him to swallow hard to resist the call of vertigo and nausea.

“My my, so defiant for somepony so unimaginatively damned,” whispered the Curse. To his dismay, the sound of its voice as it softened and purred into his ears was that of Gusty herself. In his heart he knew it was not his friend, but the sound sent a deep pang of sadness and pain that burrowed into his chest all the same.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he claimed. It was true. Zeccaran was not afraid of the Curse itself. It was only slightly worse than his own demons. At least in his opinion.

“Yet you are positively swimming in fear,” it clicked again. Swinging in his perceptions again, the beast placed itself and the zebra eye-to-eye.

“Fear of what you’ll use me for. What you’d do to me to hurt my friends. B-but-” Zeccaran haggardly drew a breath as the very terrors he mentioned passed by his waking eyes. “But you already know that. Why toy with me?”

“Because there is a certain pony that cares about you and her name is Gusty. Everything I do to you now I can save and show her later. So even if Luna, and so help me, that little trollop, Nyx return here to save you the damage I can do to my host will be most excellent. And to think I used to admire the Great Shade. Such foolishness. It would seem that My Lords have always been better than her. Still, getting her knowledge would prove most useful…”

If there was more she said Zeccaran could not hear her. Tentacles of a disturbing and fetid wetness entered his mouth and nostrils and the sensation of drowning overcame his entire consciousness. Somewhere in him, Zeccaran knew that he could not drown, not while in the Astral Realm at least. However, it felt too real, too painful and too terrifying. Just as the last of his perceptions began to fade away, the Curse relented. The relief was only so it could continue. As soon as the zebra drew a breath and tried to struggle she shoved the filthy, slimey appendages deep into his skull until it felt like she was actively scrambling his brains around.

It could not be said that Zeccaran did not have the fortitude to survive such torture. Unfortunately for him, the plane of the mind did not work quite like the physical. Worse, his most sensitive portions were all within his psyche. He sustained. He suffered. He succumbed. The world was all a blur. His only thought was the hope of rescue, of survival. He, Zeccaran, managed to find some hope, even if it was the most base of desires.

“My, my, my…” the Curse cooed, over his torment. “There is much more to your mind than I imagined. I can at least see why Nyx chose you as her vessel. Even at your darkest hour you cling to life, no matter how...diseased your spirit is. You’re perfect.” The beast released him again. He could smell its contempt, but also its curiosity.

“That’s-” Zeccaran coughed as he tried to breathe. He forced his mind to steady. There was no need to worry about the needs of the flesh here. “That’s an insult coming from you. So you can shove it, you pathetic excuse for a malady.”

With a horrifying roar, the last tiny vestiges of green light that signified his magic shattered. The Curse bit into him. The pain was horrible. Millions of white hot tendrils of incinerating lightning spread across his body. He proved unable to control his mind or keep calm over such suffering. Things had been blurry before, but now there was no point of reference. All was a rushing blackness, and terrible slow coldness that could only be described as death.

Then the light came. It was so bright and pure that Zeccaran actually thought he was dead. All noises of the Curse, her shrill shrieks and lurid breathing was reduced to single white-noise that was high-pitched. Slowly, that too faded to silence and he came back to himself. Somehow, he knew he was alive. Opening his eyes to only blank white Zeccaran found himself standing alone. Yet on the edge of his hearing, he could hear other ponies. The familiar feeling of a hoof on the back of his neck signalled the distinct presence of other consciousnesses touching him.

“What the hell just happened?” he questioned the air.

Turning about, he found the bright white expanse of nothing slowly gaining the pleasant turquoise and indigo gradients he had come to know and love. To his surprise the usual colors were intermixed with pink and magenta. The twinkling stars that usually quietly dotted the mosaic of color flashed brilliantly and often.

“Zeccaran!” Nyx’s voice echoed over a vast distance. He turned towards her call and the world sped by him in a flurry of rainbows and flashing lights.

“Well...you look terrible.” The phantasm appeared before him and the world stopped flashing by when she did.

“Thanks,” he replied plainly. Frankly, the zebra was starting to wonder if he had called his survival correctly and looked around the dreamscape for signs indicating the truth. He found himself fixated on his partner in crime.

Nyx’s body was not nearly as shimmery as he recalled. In fact, her matte black fur and deep golden eyes were disturbingly solid looking. Befuddled, Zeccaran stood there gaping. She looked like an actual pony, four hooves and all. Still lost, another voice became clear and the zebra nearly suffered a heart attack.

“Uncle Z! You’re alright!” Amethyst chirped merrily.

Stunned, Zeccaran simply stared at the filly. Working his jaw he tried to figure out what else to do but he was otherwise locked in place.

“Maybe...you’re not...alright?” the filly questioned with a heavy lift in her voice and a tilt of her head.

Exhaling, the zebra shook his head. He had no idea what happened in the real world but it would seem that things had gotten pretty crazy if Amethyst had gotten recruited into this mess.

“I’m alive-I think. What in the world are you doing here?” he asked hesitantly.

“She’s here because of me. Let’s just say, out of necessity mind you, I may have jumped into Amethyst’s mind.” Nyx strolled back and forth sheepishly, speaking through a strained smile.

“You what?” Zeccaran hissed, curling his lips in anger and disgust. He could not condone Nyx’s decision. Not even a little. Frankly, he was shocked that the dark sprite had dared to put herself into the position of power over Amethyst. There were few things that worked him up into such a frenzy than the prospect that the filly would be blighted by the same evil that he had once chosen.

“It’s not her fault! I think Mr. Stormwalker probably would have killed her if she hadn’t jumped into my head. Besides, it's not like she could control me or anything. All that training Chrysanthemum made me do back then really turned out useful!” Amethyst rattled off excitedly.

A whoosh of wind and scattering sound of leaves on pavement drew their attention. Panting heavily, Luna appeared from nowhere. Her body faded in as she wobbly stood betwixt the group. Her face was strained and her starry mane not as sparkly as usual making Zeccaran cringe in dismay.

“I never expected to have to rely on surprise reinforcements but it looks like the barriers have stabilized accordingly.” The Princess of Dreams’ left eye twitched as she looked past them.

The tension and pressure from the Curse which had disappeared returned like a cold rush of air from an opened door in winter. Among the gathering the mood visibly darkened. To Zeccaran this was most potently reflected in Amethyst. Her fluffy mane and tail nearly flattened down as if she was hit by a bucket of water. The chill drew their gazes towards the new hearty barrier of pink, cyan, and green magics. Behind the opaque wall, the swirling mass of blackness that had only moments before engulfed him crackled and spat angrily. The blue eyes and unsettling dark reflection of Gusty spewed smoke and curses in the language that Stormwalker used.

“You did well to hold the line, Zeccaran.” Luna cleared her throat, “It would seem our turn around came at the last second.”

He nodded silently to the Princess, unable to respond more. The adrenaline that had been keeping him chipper dropped and with it dropped the zebra. He slumped down and stuttered a breath between dry lips, blinking rapidly to try and maintain his focus.

“Now. I need to take my break. With Amethyst’s help it seems you can take a few minutes off to gather yourself as well, Zeccaran, should you wish it,” The alicorn stated plainly, her voice finally steadying.

“I did that good of a job?” The filly asked, surprised.

“Yes. But you need to stay far away from this business from now on. Both Guardian Angel and Gusty would be quite upset if you continued, and I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how severely that might restrict your future freedoms,” Luna warned the youngster.

“Yeah. You are very right about that.” Amethyst shook her head in a clear attempt to push the idea of punishments out of her head.

“Good. I’ll guide us out. Nyx, reacquaint yourself with Zeccaran’s brain would you? It wouldn’t do for my fiance to catch you outside of a body….again.” Luna looked at the fully formed apparition with pursed lips.

“Right.” The past-Shade nodded.

“Wait. Mr. Stormwalker proposed to you?!” Amethyst shrieked.

Evidently, the obvious news had escaped the filly. Of course, it had not been particularly well publicized, yet Zeccaran felt like she should have known. He had heard the story after all and he was perhaps the least gossip-inclined pony in existence. It was the talk of the Palace, the quiet announcement coming boldly from numerous loud-mouthed ponies that walked the halls of the Advanced Research facilities.

“Indeed. If you wish to know more you should ask him. I’m going to get us out of here. Take a long bath. Gorge on whatever slop the Onyx’s crew has made and try to steel my mind for when we have to do this same thing again, but without your help. Making me quite unavailable. All the more troublesome considering I’m not certain I won’t immediately enter some form of exhaustion induced coma,” Luna grumbled.

Without a further word of response, a low rumble overcame the group and the feeling of flying upwards made Zeccaran flail his legs. He always did when Luna was in control of the exit. He could not help it. Scanning through minds was one thing but speeding across the planes with the gusto his princess usually did was always a bit unsettling. She had the control to pull it off, but he would never dare tell her he feared for his existence every time she rocketed them back into the waking world.

We should try to sync up, before she pulls us all the way out. Nyx’s voice echoed into his head.

That shouldn’t be too hard, right? Zeccaran turned to look at his cohort, projecting his own thoughts outward as he did.

For you my dear zebra, it is always quite easy. Now let’s hope we survive once we reach the waking world. He could feel Nyx shudder with worry. Around them, the rush of colors slowed to a crawl and her body became more ethereal. Slowly, the sensation of flying stopped and the bright landscape faded to dull and grey. Zeccaran realized he was still asleep but split from the other ponies’ consciousnesses. That gave them a moment to bide their time.

What do you mean by that? He asked.

Instead of words, powerful images poured into his mind. Fire, fangs, and finally, two furious red eyes. Reflexively, Zeccaran contorted his consciousness in a cringe. With it, a pang of pain came. It was not nearly as severe as the first time Nyx had reassimilated herself into his mind. A feeling of pleased agreement came from his spare internal monologue.

It is always easier to re-enter a mind I’ve touched before. Especially, when Luna hasn’t patched up my pathways like last time. It would seem that she was ignorant of said connections with the young Amethyst. His Eminence, Lord Stormwalker, however...I think he knew, and was none too pleased with my temporary choice of residence. Nyx explained.

Well, Zeccaran started. The pleasant greyness started to brighten. He was waking up. I don’t look forward to this.

Agreed.

A cold icy spear suddenly hit Zeccaran in the chest and instead of the world brightening to consciousness it started to darken again. He began falling backward, as he did he tried to call out to Nyx as their combined minds started to separate. Confusion came before primal terror overtook him and he screamed.

Zeccaran!? He heard Nyx yell at him. Her worried tone was carried away and distorted an octave down. It was too late for the others to turn around. His consciousness was being taken back into Gusty’s mind by the Curse and there was nothing he could do about it.

To his dismay, the fall took no time and soon he floated outside the grand barrier that Amethyst had created. Extended from the barrier a long tentacle of the beast was reached out and grasped around him. Zeccaran swung his hooves down out of desperation hoping to batter the Curse’s horrid limb into dropping him. In response the horror laughed and her grip tightened, threatening to squeeze the life out of him.

“I did not give you permission to leave yet, Zebra,” the beast chuckled darkly. Her wide, toothy smile gleamed from the other side of the barrier.

“Fuck!” Zeccaran swore. He had no mental focus to spare. It would be nearly impossible to cast the Astral Spells necessary to protect himself. Giving it a try anyway, he watched in increasing defeat as the magic drained him of the rest of his energy. The blaze of light crackled along the length of the dark tendril only to slowly fizzle out. He was spent, and the end was nigh. Blackness took him and froze him in place as the Curse drug him into its realm.

He expected pain, he braced for torment, but it did not come. Though he could not see it, Zeccaran knew the beast watched him. Somehow that made it worse. To know that he was at the Curse’s mercy, trapped deep within Gusty’s mind with no way out. Even contacting his friend seemed impossible. The realization struck him as the monster started a low, terrible giggle.

“Go ahead,” it whispered. “Squirm. Tremble. Fear. Cry. Beg. Struggle.”

In an instant, the creature had recited all of the fleeting urges to fight and kick at the indignanty of his futile existence. Zeccaran shuddered as it wished, but only because he could do nothing else. Desperately, he tried to remain calm, focusing on breathing, his mind working on any possible plan of action.

“You really are the best aren’t you? The culmination of all of equinity’s vanity and determination. Still...I was wrong before you are damaged, not quite perfect for me to use. You’ll do though...as my hostage.” The Curse’s invisible smile sent a chill up his spine. However, what she said caught his attention.

“Why would you need a hostage?” he asked warily.

“It’s all about choice, Zeccaran.” The Curse used Gusty’s voice again. The fakeness of its tone made him want to spit. Then it dawned on him, the true meaning to those words, before the beast spoke it.

“And who do you think he will choose? You...or Nyx?”

Groggy and confused, the zebra opened her eyes the rest of the way and slowly sat up. The room felt cold. It was not a normal cold, but a bone-rattling, chest-aching, frozen uncomfortable. She did not have to look at Stormwalker to know where the feeling came from. Shivering, she released a breath curtly, trying to overcome the dread. It felt awkward to breathe mortal air in this body, but there was naught for it. She started to move her gaze but could hardly control her partner’s flesh.

A rush of magic swelled over the room and Nyx went still. It was not particularly her decision. The Lord of the Skies had decided she would freeze in place and that was what she would be doing. The sheer force of his will was just as terrible if not even more potent than when she had first met him. The volume of pressure on her mind made her want to buckle into the fetal position and die, just like she had ultimately done the last time.

No! Hold it together! Nyx hissed internally at herself.

Zeccaran’s body nodded as if his consciousness was in control. Unfortunately, Nyx realized that she had done that involuntarily. Instantly, the stomach churning pain of feeling her skull splitting open plastered her further against the back of the chair. She should have been ready for the horrendous torment of having her waking mind pierced. Unfortunately, there was nothing to prepare her for the brute force used now. Just when Nyx thought she would succumb to blissful unconsciousness, the pain subsided. Reflexively she started to heave a sigh. Rather she tried to release the air caught in her throat. It would seem that she was now stuck. Everything was stuck, time, the lump in her temporary body’s throat, and the pendulum of the wall clock she could see behind the monster before her. He was better than Zeccaran at controlling the perception of time and Nyx withered in his grip. Normally, she was the one to hold things in place, but now it was her that was held along with the flow of the reality she experienced.

The demon’s hard gaze pierced into her, and Nyx knew that he knew she was alone in Zeccaran’s body. She tried to gulp down the lump that was nearly in her mouth to no avail.

Nyx. Where is Zeccaran? Stormwalker’s voice was soft and harsh as he forced his thoughts into the faux-zebra.

Her mind flashed through memories, how upset she had come to be again. She showed him everything. The empty, coldness that existed between realms, his sister, Zeccaran, the insanity and fear she felt being rendered mortal. The terror she had for him, the feeling of dread and loss. Luna buzzed through her mind’s eye and the rituals that spawned her bastarded-sister that was the Curse. Mere milliseconds passed as she flashed through those memories, but to Nyx it seemed like a year passed.

Inadequate. Show me everything. Stormwalker crackled angrily.

The power of his control ratcheted her mind around like a top. She stood no chance against the stallion’s will and her memory of the Abyss began playing out before her. It felt disconnected and distant from her current self, but he did not seem to care. Everything seemed to fall apart and reform again and again, outside of her control. Again before her played the last image of Zeccaran’s face as he realized he was being drug back into Gusty’s mind. Then things started to stop being a browse through her mind and became painful.

Those you l-love need me, d-demon! Do n-not be foolish! Nyx croaked as the searching turned to torture.

And what would you know of those I love and what they desire? He seethed. Something cold and painful wrapped itself around her body’s neck as she continued. To her horror it was a something she could not see. Why shouldn’t I destroy you now? Zeccaran won’t even feel it. And it’s not like Luna could defend your existence, even though she apparently had every intention of keeping you alive and a secret.

Have I not been helpful to Luna? H-have I not confirmed your worst fears? Who else but you would know the ancient tongues? How did you think Luna and Zeccaran translated the ritual circles? Are you s-so naive to think you could see all the pieces on the board? Pray tell, demon! Pray t- Nyx was cut off as the noose on her throat tightened.

Oh, yes. Because I have unlimited time to scour your mind for any inconsistencies. Very astute, Nyx. Stormwalker growled sarcastically over the increasing pressure on her neck and the feeling of cold creeping death reaching into her soul.

The world faded in and out and Nyx cursed his ability to bring pain into a place of stagnant time. It seemed unfair that he did not have to move a muscle and could exercise abilities it had taken her milenia upon milenia to perfect. All he had to do was consume her and her magic. In that fluke of a moment, in a fluke of a ritual, on a fluke of a day for which Nyx still felt the red hot fury of self-loathing deep within her chest. Such was the abomination that was a Shadow-kin. When she came to Nyx stared at him in disgust, he was a waste of such power, his mind too focused on the mortal troubles to be able to help his precious Luna or save his beloved madmare.

Now who is the naive one, scum? Do you think I’d let all this struggle come to mean nothing? Even if persisting will only hurt me more than dropping it? You are the fool, Nyx. Finding success where there should be none is the job of Shadow-kin. Thus, to your fortune I have not the time for you and I barely have time to scold Luna for entertaining you. Besides...sparing you is no mercy. Not with the delicious fear I can taste on you. Just be satisfied that you’ll survive until I find a conclusion to my dear madmare as you put it. Stormwalker monologued angrily. His reasoning was flimsy but who was she to question the mind of a beast so depraved.

The world snapped back into regular time and Nyx nearly gave herself whiplash as she shot forward in the chair only to narrowly restrain the body. Nausea overtook him as she leaned back into the cushions, blanching as she did. Nyx figured it would have been better to have just flung herself into the floor but it was too late.

“Guardian Angel, what did you just do?” Luna rasped worriedly over the ringing in Nyx’s ears.

“I came to a decision,” he answered. The room reeled as Nyx attempted to look at Luna. If she could work up the focus to speak that would be evident to the mooney mare that they were collectively in trouble.

“You don’t look so good, Uncle Z.” Amethyst’s voice reached her ears and out of the corner of her eyes she watched the filly lean up from where she sat on the floor. Nyx nodded awkwardly, in agreement with her assessment as she started to realize she was not drawing air

He should have just finished the job. Vile brute! Nyx thought to herself as she tried to figure out to breathe regularly.

“What do you mean?” Luna continued to ask questions. Finally, the faux-zebra found a way to crane her not-neck towards where she heard the mare speak.

The demon responded by closing the distance to her. She looked up at him with concern, below her eyes was filled with dark heavy bags of stress and exhaustion. Quickly, Stormwalker slipped in for a kiss, Luna’s eyes went wide for a moment before the usual inquisitive glint faded to a dreamy calm.

“Get some rest. You’ll need to be presentable to her Royal Flames come this time tomorrow. I figure we can let Gusty handle everything up until then. Seeing how we’ll be there in about four hours.” Luna nodded in agreement with his words.

Nyx tried to gag. As much as she was afraid of him, she felt more disgusted by his little display of manipulation. Ever since she had first laid eyes on him as Nightmare Moon all those years ago, Luna had been broken upon his every word. Nyx had despised it then, she despised it now.

“Wait. You..you aren’t mad?” The Princess asked just as Nyx finally figured out how to swallow the bile that had been building up in her mouth. She opened her mouth to speak but found it uncooperative.

“Yes and no. I'm very upset you’ve been lying to me for the better part of two months but we have bigger problems right now. And channeling what rage I have for Nyx into something useful is both wise and best.” Stormwalker gently pushed Luna towards her bed. She did not stop him, stepping backwards and slipping into the sheets without complaint.

“Nyx.” He spun on his hooves as soon as he had tucked his fiance into bed. “You get five minutes to figure out how to talk and then you can explain to Luna what you think happened to Zeccaran,” he ordered.

“What happened to Zeccaran? Guardian Angel he’s right-” the mare’s voice dropped as she met Nyx’s borrowed eyes. “OH BY MY STARS!” she shouted.

“You mean, Uncle Z is still in the Astral Realm?! We have to get him out! There’s no telling what the Curse is doing to him!” Amethyst worriedly chimed in.

“Actually, I think he’s fine,” Stormwalker answered the filly.

“Don’t lie to her, you bastard!” That was what Nyx wanted to say. Instead, her words came out in a jumble and was more of a long series of intoned grunts and babbles that made no sense. Luna asked for her.

“How do you know?” she asked from her bed, her face straining.

“Oh, because I’d know if somebody else was torturing Zeccaran to death, for whatever reason the Mytsn simply isn’t.” He paused suddenly, his face waxing dark and delighted. “Or I could be wrong...but it’s nothing he can’t handle.”

“Hey! That’s not fair! Why do you hate him so much?” Amethyst cried up from the floor.

The filly was genuinely upset and her disapproval wiped away the sadistic grin on Stormwalkers face and replaced it with one of displeasure, and if Nyx read it right, shame. The sight prompted her to struggle to speak again. She wanted to be the one to answer the question. If only to try to prove to the demon she was not bereft of being just as manipulative as him.

“That’s...a...very...long...story.” Nyx slowly stated. Her voice seemed to be a mixture of her own and Zeccaran’s. At least it worked, drawing the curl-lipped glare of Stormwalker.

“Nyx. There is no need to further antagonize my fiance. I’m still shocked he didn’t just end you where you stood,” Luna interjected. She yawned before looking at Stormwalker. He flicked an ear towards her without removing his gaze from Nyx.

“Why didn’t you?” the mare asked.

“Too easy. It’s too easy to end it now. It would have consequences I can’t see. So I didn’t go through with it,” he replied.

“Well...I...well done. I’m very proud of you for resisting that urge.” Luna yawned again but this time she smiled.

“Yeah. I almost lost my cool there,” Stormwalker answered through gritted shut fangs. “I’m going to double-check Gusty’s vitals with Amethyst.”

“You’re making me come with you?” The filly asked as the stallion headed towards the door. He turned and scooped her up in a wing.

“Uh-huh. After all, what better excuse than you’re here to keep her mind safe.”

“I don’t think she’s gonna buy that.”

Nyx watched them leave. The loud clops of the big stallion’s hooves stomped a few feet away to the other cabin. She turned towards Luna to make a comment about Stormwalker’s shitty attitude but found the Princess mouth wide with another fresh sleepy suck of air.

“Practice speaking. I need to sleep and I’m not going to be disturbed by you talking. Just sit there and don’t move otherwise. I don’t want Guardian Angel changing his mind about you. I don’t know what happened but I can’t do anything about it right now even if I did.” Luna pulled her blankets up over her head and rolled over, making her muffled.

“I...I under..understand!” Nyx forced her voice to work accordingly.

Luna grunted something in the neighborhood of approval and instantly started to softly snore. Nyx sat idly, trying to piece together sentences more consistently.

The slam of a door made her jump.

“Guardian Angel! Why did you burst into my room!?” He heard Gusty cry through the wall. “W-why are you doing that with your wings!?”

“Wait, why is Amethyst here?! You are soooo grounded young lady!”

Nyx reflexively brought a hoof up to her face. It was such a common motion that Zeccaran made that his body nearly had done it on its own. Nyx managed to not knock herself out at the last second. All of this insanity could only serve to give her stress, and this time she had a body to feel it in, which unequivocally sucked. Her urge to survive broke and Nyx sat in the chair, shuddering and stuttering as she learned to use her partner’s mouth more effectively. She had never had muscles so learning it on the fly was going to be an experience. Something moved in the body’s lower abdomen and Nyx gasped in terror. This was going to be a long, unpleasant event.

Next Chapter: Act 5: Chapter 8 - Ancients' Reunion Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 27 Minutes