Zeccaran shook his head to clear the sensation of “Astral Nausea” he had contracted. Luna was significantly more skilled at piloting about somepony’s unconscious mind and her speed made him feel extremely queasy. Before him the world came into focus with a startling clarity and he was now viewing events from Gusty’s eyes. He watched her sea-foam mane barely visible, framing her vision. He was not in control of this roller coaster and let all the emotions and senses of his friend wash over him becoming Gusty as much as she was in the moments he experienced. He wondered when and where Luna would stop to converse, he could probably handle being a mare, but not this particular one.

Gusty awoke, her individual hooves pulled away from her in four different directions. Her neck was free but felt heavier than normal. She could feel something moderately warm feeling and actually quite heavy sitting right at the base of her horn. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the magic-lit room. It was a rather plain room, lacking the carvings of the entrance they had last been in, its grey stone stern and intimidating. From her dangling position, Gusty saw that there was a single door leading in and out. It was made of a very heavy iron and looked about a foot thick. She also found that she had been stripped of her armor and skirt and was spread out very unflatteringly. Gusty was at least very comfortable with her body, but she typically liked some clothes compared to the standard pony nudity.

She was quickly able to find Bunker and Zeccaran who were in much the same position she was in. They were still asleep from the gas that had brought them down. Gusty was glad it was just powerful sleep gas, she had assumed it was poisonous, but evidently not. She then decided to give the chains a pull to see if perhaps one of the links or the fixture was not structurally sound.

The chains, however, had their own idea. With the same amount of force she had pulled on them with; the bindings pulled on Gusty's body. The event tightened her muscles and her joints but she had not struggled hard enough to make the tension uncomfortable.

Her next plan was to try magic. Upon trying to manipulate the chains sharp pain began to build in her forehead right at the base of her horn. She kept trying until the pain was completely unbearable. When she stopped she had gained a headache. The sensation of heat on her horn had also increased. Whatever was up there was probably why should couldn’t cast any spells. Gusty snorted in annoyance and dismay. It was enough to rouse Zeccaran. He always had been a light sleeper since Gusty had met him.

He looked about, his body rigid, not twitching or pulling the shackles even in the slightest. "Where are we? Do you remember anything?" He asked as his chains slowly spun him enough to half-face Gusty.

"No, idea. I would suppose deeper in their compound." She guessed. "Well, yeah...ughh...that really isn't good." He grimaced in response.

"Do you know these cultists or something? I heard one of them mention "it's the zebra!" before I passed out." she questioned.

"I...I really don't know, all I remember that it's a very dark part of my history. They lied to me, or I lied to myself. I..I did some really bad things. The point is: I'm pretty sure they worship Nightmare Moon, an entity of darkness and evil that perverts the purpose of Princess Luna."

"Princess Luna? Is she a regent in this country? Things have gotten confusing for me after all this time.." She mused.

"How old are you? Anyway, yea, she and Celestia are the rulers of Equestria. How did you miss that?" Zeccaran just gawked at her in disgust once he finished. "I've traveled the world and known the royalty of many nations. I just needed to have my memory jogged. They control the sun and the moon and they make the world work here in Equestria and everywhere else I guess. I got it, don't worry." Gusty tried to make herself feel better about forgetting.

"Good.... well, any ideas on how to get out of here with that horn limiter on you? I mean...well...I have used all of my magic for the day at least anything that would help us out. If I use more I'll explode due to feedback." Zeccaran sighed. Gusty shook her head in response. She wondered about Zeccaran's past. She then thought about some of her own. Everything seemed like one big blur. How long had it been? She honestly could not remember.

She remembered many lovers, many children...but none of them were alive anymore...or she did not think they were anyway. Everything seemed spotty like she was looking through a broken kaleidoscope.. She decided to focus on the present like she always did. It never did seem to have repercussions when she pushed the memories away.

The world slowed to a extreme crawl and Luna’s voice echoed over the scene. “Interesting. You have brought us deeper in, Zeccaran! Impressive! Judging from those ‘thoughts’ it is certain Gusty has a connection to her memories, and our most recent meeting was not a fluke. Marvelous! Let us continue!” She quipped as the world spun back into regular motion

Meanwhile as Gusty had hung placidly recalling her past a grunt came from her left, Bunker had awoke. He struggled about and promptly was pulled tighter. Zeccaran laughed at him. The zebra of course knew exactly what these enchanted chains did. He simply found it amusing. It was also a subtle way to get at the brute for punching him so much, whether or not it had benefited Zeccaran in the end. He even taunted the stallion.

"Come on big guy. You are stronger than that! PULL." He joked."ARRRGG...eeeh....eep. Whhhyy. Do t'ese chains, pull back?!" The earther winced as the chains tightened his suspension. Zeccaran snickered some more. Bunker did not catch on, but Gusty did. She even decided to add some positive rewards if Bunker was able to break the chains.

"Come on, darling. Break the chains and we can consummate the marriage rites right here, you won't even need to get me down."She let her voice become laden with real desire.

To her right Zeccaran tried not to gag but failed and Bunker's eyes widened. He pulled the chains with such a ferocity that it appeared that he might actually break them. But, the chains did the same to him. The bindings pulled on his limbs so hard that there were several loud pops as his spine was fully straightened and his haunches and hips extended to their maximum. Poor Bunker didn't even make noise beyond a quick whoosh as all the air was pulled from his frame due to how quickly he was pulled.

Gusty complained a little and then started cheering him on more. However, it was Zeccaran that would first notice the noises as they approached. "Hey. Stop! Stop yelling!" He cried over Gusty's chants and Bunkers pained grunts. "Guys seriously, something is coming."

“Ooooooh! This is it! And I get to feel how Gusty feels and thinks when she sees him! How exciting! Maybe it will finally make sense why he does everything for her!” Luna’s giddy expectations boomed around Zeccaran’s head as she did not bother to slow the memory down. It also left him wondering what exactly Stormwalker did for Gusty behind the scenes. He already had done a lot to ensure Amethyst’s future, but that was not what Luna was talking about. Zeccaran did his best to ignore how creepy Luna could be when learning about ponies and their minds as well. He supposed it was only natural for a being who regularly visited everypony’s collective subconcious to be excited about things like that but he was not ready to accept it. Gusty snapping her head towards the door shifting him into becoming sucked into her personage again.

Tumultuous sounds reflected off the iron door to the holding cell as Gusty watched it in anxious anticipation. Whatever was going on the other side, approaching, sounded distinctly menacing. It sounded at first like the noise of far off combat. There were voices yelling, though muffled it was clear they were being slaughtered. Quickly, a harsh snarling, clicking sort of roar could be heard. It grew in volume along with an occasional burst of malignant laughter. The cries of the ponies being killed grew in fury and desperation. Abruptly, the roaring and laughter was replaced by slow deliberate hoof falls. They approached to door, and as they did. Begging could be clearly heard from the other side of the metal door to the room.

"Stay away monster!...stay away from m---"

The begging was silenced by a gurgling sound accompanied by a limp body hitting the floor outside the big door. It was then that they heard the hoof falls thrice more before they too fell silent. Gusty looked towards her companions. Zeccaran cocked his head in a motion to remain silent. Bunker just hung dumbly his body slightly twitching. Considering Zeccaran to know more than her, Gusty did as he had quietly asked. However, the group would have significant trouble doing such.

The metal of the iron door sank inward. The great bending of the metal produced the sound of ten-thousand nails being bent at once. It was a hard and quick moan. The door was pulled out at its three hinges. The bracing was completely buckled. It was then in the next moment that the door sprang from its place with a massive gong. It landed before them with a very similar noise. The portal only produced darkness, a looming figure stood on its threshold. The shadow slowly moved forward seeming to drag the darkness around it along. It moved towards the light of the room proper. The haunting hoof falls this time were louder and even more precise.

However, the group, Gusty felt that she specifically, were not quite prepared for what or rather who was to appear before them. An enormous pegasus stallion quickly became visible in the light. He stood more than a head taller than both Bunker and Gusty, who were already substantially tall themselves. Like Bunker he was well-muscled, but his body was carved, honed. He had the appearance of somepony with literal lightning reflexes. On top of all of this he wore the most exquisite set of armor from head to hoof, its plating overlapping in the way only a master smith could make it lay.

Blood dripped menacingly from the four blades attached to his gauntlet shoes. The massive wingblades to match his magnanimous wings were also stained crimson. Mysteriously, though he had clearly been participating in exceedingly visceral fighting, his wings and limbs remained free of red. Underneath his helmet, bright yellow eyes sparkled with primal guile his face was drawn into an angry sneer.

The stallion quickly scanned the group before him. He practically growled at the sight of Zeccaran. Completely ignoring Bunker his gaze stopped when he reached Gusty. He balked as he scanned her body as if he was unable to comprehend what he was seeing. His surprise dwindled quickly and his sneer was replaced with a small devious smile.

"Y-you’re an alicorn!” He started, mulling over his words. “and the prettiest damn thing I think I have ever seen." he smirked.

His voice was not quite as rough as his exterior would have suggested. But he spoke with a strange accent that was as much bumpkin as it was sophisticated. It was certainly an odd combination much different that Bunker’s gruff broken Equestrian, or Zeccaran’s finer voice

"Ey! Dat's my wife! Stop staring!" The Bunker in question yelled. He had piped up quite quickly, but the new visitor had been waiting for that moment. "And what are you going to do meathead? Come down from those magic chains? Come kick my ass? As if you could!" the pegasus laughed haughtily.

Bunker to his credit thrashed so violently that an normal onlooker would again think he might actually break his bindings. However, the chains won out and drew him so tight he absolutely could not move. He had no means to even speak any longer either as the strain of the chains rendered his jaw stuck open. Zeccaran actually grimaced at the action this time and Gusty felt quite bad for him, especially once the pegasus laughed at his suffering. The blood-soaked vagabond then quickly turned his attention to Gusty, abruptly ending his laughter.

“The bad boy routine!” Luna squealed shocking the memory still and bringing Zeccaran out of Gusty’s experience. “I love the bad boy routine! He hasn’t done that since I first met him! How can she hate him so much? Giving her the special treatment right out of the gate!” Luna continued to gush. Zeccaran looked over at her trying to reclaim his bearing after being a part of Gusty for so long. One question dangling on the end of his tongue stopped only by courtsey.

“Uh...You know Princess...at first I thought you were teasing but now I think you have a problem.” he told the spectral see-through mare. Luna rolled her eyes and smiled playfully before gliding towards the frozen, cocky, grinning, Stormwalker.

“Whatever do you mean, dear Zeccaran?” she practically sing-songed at him. At this point Zeccaran was certain she was simply antagonizing him, thus even for her, he threw courtesy out the door. “Do you have a crush...on Stormwalker of all creatures?” he asked, disturbed. Luna responded by blushing and casting her eyes up and to the left like she was some school-filly.

“Well...I wouldn’t call it a crush perse....more an extremely healthy desire for him or a deep unyielding curiosity.” Luna answered with a shocking confidence. Zeccan just stared at the Princes of the Night, befuddled by this discovery. He had already learned more than enough about his companions and now he just wanted to be left alone to sleep. However, he just could not keep his mouth closed.

“Whyyyyyy?” he asked in a painful lift of his voice. “Zeccaran,” Luna’s voice turned serious, “I know the thoughts and lives of all ponies in all of the world, as the Keeper of Dreams it is my business to know. But...there is one pony who is a total mystery to me: Stormwalker.” Zeccaran sat there transfixed, he was certain a more and more confused look was growing on his face before a gut reaction of his mind forced him to speak. “How?” he blubbered out in his daze.

“The blood that runs in his veins. The twisted fate that he should be born out of era...a demon without peer. Pony magic doesn’t work on him, even my Astral Magic doesn’t. I’ve never seen his mind, never learned all I could about him. He’s the only unknown...the biggest surprise, the-the...the most desirable companion I could have…” Luna responded before trailing off.

“Even after the purging ritual...I still couldn’t do it...he was nothing more than a regular pony then...just a big pony stallion...but normal and I-I...Forget it.” she suddenly cut herself off. “We should continue watching...I-I’ll try to keep my thoughts to myself. It’s just that I really like him..and I know he knows that but he never…” Luna shook her head and the memory started replaying as she looked away from him. Zeccaran fought it desperately trying to make Luna feel better, she had completely lost the chipper attitude she had had.

"Soooooo miss..." his voice tracing from high to low. "I suppose I should get you down from there so you can choose whether or not to help your unconsummated partner...He doesn't seem to realize I know his culture pretty well, heh." He mockingly cleared his throat. "Either way, I'll at least help you out. But, uh, one question: What is your name?"

“Hey!” he shouted at her, ignoring Stormwalker trying to swoon Gusty. Luna looked back over at him her eyes sad, but surprised. “Have you tried telling him you like him that much? I mean...He may be smart but the way you have been describing things makes me think he won’t try anything unless you are serious. Like...like maybe he’s hurt more than you realize.” Zeccaran could hardly believe he was talking about a demon quite like that. Maybe it was simply because he could not stand Luna’s forlorn look, maybe it was something else. He felt like he knew something...like it was on the edge of his waking memory, but just far enough away that he failed to recall. Unfortunately, his effort was wasted, Luna’s look of sadness turned to depression.

“No...I know how much he has hurt...and how I failed to be there for him...I’ve known him for twenty years and yet it's like I have never met him.” She answered quietly. “Thank you for your words, Zeccaran. For now though...help me feel what it is like to have him take interest in Gusty...then I’ll put you back to rest.”

“Of course. But...isn’t that a weird way to say ‘I’ll let you sleep?’” Zeccaran asked concerned by the Princess’s response. “Is it? My wayward zebra?” she replied more to herself than him. A terrible feeling of existential dread overwhelmed Zeccaran at her words. With the mysterious way he had begun this dream it left him wondering if he was even real, if he was just a projection of who he used to be. Gusty’s memory started flood over him as he was left to vacantly ponder if he was alive or actually dead.

Gusty did not like being put on the spot while in such a compromising position. She looked towards Zeccaran for help, his response was to make a face that suggested she had grown extra eyes and snouts. His silent point came across as: Just tell him, he's the only one who can help us. Like it or not.

The memory flooded over what was left of Zeccaran’s consciousness and became all of reality. With nothing left, Gusty was crowned the storyteller, and the episodes of his life would have to wait.

Gusty turned back to the stallion, which was a mistake. Before her, the great pegasus pulled off his helmet. He had a fairly long mane for a male and he flipped it up and swept it back where it clearly held to its usual position, its silken black a perfect compliment to his light-grey coat. Gusty felt her emotions gush as he met her eyes. He was more handsome than Bunker. He was a hundred whole worlds more attractive. She was rendered silent, however the stallion had a solution.

"Here, I'll go first!" He said earnestly, a broad smile on his lips. "My name is Stormwalker. I'm a...mercenary of sorts. I work for the Equestrian Crown, for the Princesses Celestia and Luna." He finished with a short bow, and looked back at Gusty expectantly.

He was too perfect to be true. The good Stormwalker showed up when they needed him, was clearly a supermodel in his spare time, and a skilled warrior to boot, Gusty didn't like it. She took a moment to concentrate. She needed to see if he was evil or not, the question had to be answered. After just one second she could perceive the area around her.

In her mind's eye, everything around her was covered by a dark shroud. It made Bunker and Zeccaran appear decadent, though she thought she knew better. It took just a moment to sift through the sensation, and found the overwhelming shadow's source. It came from Stormwalker. The darkness of the evil that resided in him enveloped the malevolent presence that the cave itself had produced. His evil was so potent that it..-it almost seemed reminiscent of something for Gusty. It made her want to run away just as soon as he got them down from the chains. Typically one for destroying evil, Gusty felt strongly that she didn't even want to fight him, that such actions would be at their best, ill-advised

Still, that was only thing that kept her from outright swooning at his appearance. The crawling on her spine his attention gave her, helped too, but not as much. Evil or not she could not deny his appearance. Worse yet, coinciding with her fear of the evil inside the stallion, Gusty felt that she somehow knew him. She could not place the sensation in her memories but the feeling shook her badly. So it was not with her usual confidence and marevalous bravado that she spoke.

"I-I'm Gusty Twilight" she finally stammered out, decreasing in volume as she went."Gusty Twilight..." the stallion did not miss a beat. "Well, Miss Gusty, I am glad to make your acquaintance. I can feel that you are indeed the genuine article..as far as alicorns are concerned. So without further ado let me get you down from there."

He stepped up closer to her, squinting at her horn. He murmured to himself and made a short grunt of resignation. "Hey Ze-zebra. This is the locking type, right? If it is, this is going to get...interesting." he dramatized.

Stormwalker reached over and adjusted how Zeccaran was hanging so the zebra could better look at the limiter. Zeccaran looked up at the thing on Gusty's horn. "I haven't seen one in a while but yeah it is. You can tell by that engraving on the side." Zeccaran replied calmly.

"Good. Just wanted to be sure." Stormwalker nodded sagely. "Are you gonna do what I think you are gonna do?" Zeccaran grimaced as he looked back at Gusty with worry.

"Yep. Only thing to do." Stormwalker clopped his front hooves together with a sharp inward breath.

Gusty was confused by their conversation. They seemed to know each other. However, she knew Zeccaran's personality well enough to know he would have greeted the stallion if he did. It was then clear that from Stormwalker’s previous reaction that he knew Zeccaran at least, and knew of his past. She would have to interrogate Zeccaran later. For now she was wondering how Stormwalker was going to get the horn limiter off if it was locked to her horn. She voiced her concern.

"So how are you going to get this off then? If it's locked, I mean." She clarified her thoughts as she went.

"Well....uh-I need you to concentrate on something,. 'Cause this is gonna be really awkward no matter what. So when you are ready, just tell me and I'll do the thing." he broke into bravado. "He's right Gusty, you will need to be pretty focused." Zeccaran chimed in.

Gusty grimaced the thought of what the thing was going to be, but did as instructed. Soon she was nearly in a meditation trance. She nodded when her breathing had completely relaxed.

Gusty could feel the heat of Stormwalker's body as he got within a single inch of her. Suddenly, she could feel his snout in the mane around her horn. It almost knocked her out of her state of calm, but she retained it even when she felt his mouth open and close down on her horn. She continued her breathing in regular intervals, steadfastly.

Stormwalker had to extend himself up to reach the top of her head due to her iron suspension. It was then that he slipped. To catch himself he slipped an armored hoof around the back of Gusty's head and into her mane which was not at all fine, though at least was understandable for balance. But, his contact didn't stop there. Feathers finer than the rarest diamonds and smoothest silk wrapped around Gusty's neck. They were warm, delicate, and so wondrously soft that instantly her breathing routine broke and she gasped with pleasure at the sensation of those immaculate wings touching her neck. Gusty, however, quickly remembered who was grabbing her and protested.

"Hey! Stop it! I was only okay with you removing the limiter, not feeling me up with your wings-no matter how-how...how uhm..nice they are!" Gusty blurted, entirely losing her resolve.

"Soorie, Soorie. I shipped. Naah he qui-et'" Stormwalker retorted hardly understandable with her horn in his mouth. "'ere 'e go." He finished.

Immediately, pressure began to build up in the area where he was biting. Gusty tried to go back to remaining calm but Stormwalker's slow breathing and wings which were still holding her neck made such incredibly hard.

Meanwhile the mercenary continued to put pressure on the limiter. It felt like he was going to break her horn. Suddenly there was a loud, Pop! and the pressure on her horn released. She could feel the stallion's tongue touch her horn. Gusty was about to scream in frustration from being violated but Stormwalker removed himself so quickly from her she was unable to object before he started himself.

Gagging, coughing, and spitting broken limiter to floor he managed to rattle out: “UGH!....they always taste so terrible!....glergk! *cough cough* it’s like someone melted down hoof clippings and burned fur into one single foul taste!” The big stallion continued to sputter and choke for a few moments. He even went as so far as to lick at his metal gauntlets complaining that not even the flavor of metal and blood could not make the horrid taste go away.

Gusty and her companions enjoyed his dilemma with merry laughter. Stormwalker to his credit didn’t seem to notice. Eventually, Zeccaran calmed down first just before the pegasus regained his composure.

“Well...hehehe...Gusty you can get us down now. You just have to levitate the pins inside the locks and the spell should break” He quoted. Gusty followed his request on herself first and quickly dropped down from her bindings. She landed gracefully, unfortunately, a little too close to Stormwalker who had finally regained his bearings.

“Careful, don’t get too close.” He purred, stepping closer, “Muscles over there might hurt himself.”Gusty turned about and chose this time to look at his neck, so she would not have to meet his eyes. This was much easier now, on the ground he was much taller than her.

“Would you shut it already? Just because you got me down doesn’t mean I trust you.” she did her best to sound intimidating, though Gusty had the distinct feeling this stallion could not become scared of anything.

“Pretty and smart. I like that...Well, get those two down then, I think I saw the place where they were keeping your things, I’ll go look to make sure.” He quipped eagerly. With that the mercenary grabbed his helmet from the floor and walked back into the black abyss of the other room.

Gusty shuddered in a combination of bodily desire and mental disgust. She did not waste any time freeing Zeccaran or Bunker but the process made it hard for her to focus on where Stormwalker had trotted off to, and she really, really did not want him sneaking up on her.

“I don’t like that guy. He’s a creep and evil.” She complained as Zeccaran’s chains went slack and the zebra fell to the floor. “You’re telling me. He makes my skin crawl just by being in the same room. And he doesn’t have promiscuous thoughts about me! Hell, he barely even looked at me and I’m scared.” Zeccaran murmured this. It was as if he spoke normally Stormwalker would hear him.

Gusty then turned her attention to carefully trying to undo all of the locks to Bunker’s restraints at the same time. Because he was pulled taut from his earlier struggle, it was proving difficult. It was right about the time Stormwalker returned to the holding cell, walking on three legs, Gusty’s cobalt skirt over the forth, that Bunker was freed.

Bunker took about one second to make sure his body still worked right before charging. No one present quite realized what he was doing until he landed a beautiful right hook on Stormwalker. Gusty gasped, Zeccaran hid behind her, and Stormwalker’s helmet flew from his head and clattered onto the floor, several metal twangs ringing in the now dead silence of the room.

“You stay away from my mare.” Bunker growled. He was determined to get his point across. The earth pony drew back slowly watching his new rival process his actions.

Stormwalker’s eyes remained wide open throughout the entire ordeal. Upon hearing Bunker speak he very calmly took a single deep breath and closed his eyes. He readjusted his head and neck with a soft crackle and slowly, he turned his face towards Bunker. With his eyes still closed he responded with a cheery smile. That, somehow, was much more menacing that it should have been.

“Well, my friend, everypony gets one on the house. You used it quickly but you landed a very nice punch, well done.” He said quite vigorously. Stormwalker opened his eyes, his smile remained, but his tone changed, while it still sounded vaguely light-hearted everypony present was certain he was extremely serious about what he said.

“Don’t do that again. If you do....I’ll snap both of your back legs in half, disembowel you, and then strangle you to death with your own entrails! It would be a marvelous and horrendous experience, I promise.” Stormwalker retorted with such a snarl that Bunker flinched. And for the first time since Zeccaran and Gusty met him, short though that time was, Bunker backed down. He scooted his way over to Gusty and tried his best to not look intimidated by the mercenary’s statement. Bunker made sure to grumble curses but his lack of confident posture and locked-on-the-floor gaze was telling. His companions could not blame him. Their consensus was that this stallion, Stormwalker, was not at all what he appeared. Gusty shivered at the thought that he might be something much worse in disguise. Given the amount of malignant energy rolling off of him she would not be too surprised.

Stormwalker tossed the skirt he still held at Gusty. She caught it with her levitation, and quickly slipped over her flanks. She was as grateful as she was disturbed that he recognized she was uncomfortable with being undressed. Once she had finished she watched as Stormwalker picked up his helmet. He made sharp jerk of his head to indicate that her motley crew should follow. Gusty remained still in the icy silence of his gestures. Zeccaran moved first, slowly plodding after the immense pegasus. Bunker then made sure to walk in between Gusty and Zeccaran, ensuring the maximum distance from the mercenary would be left for Gusty. She followed as Bunker’s body language suggested and peered into the darkness and at Stormwalker as his form turned to shadow.

The next room was almost completely dark. The group followed Stormwalker’s black mass, until abruptly two wall mounted lanterns were lit seemingly by themselves. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden onset of light, Gusty watched the pegasus carefully as he folded his wings from their extended position. She wondered why he had had them unfurled, there was no way he was going to fly in this room, his wingspan took up nearly all of the room’s width. She then found exasperating heat rising to her face, and realized why he had been standing in such a manner. Sly he may have been, but Gusty was not into evil stallions, regardless of her body’s inhibitions. It also, thankfully, distracted her from the corpse of a young pegasus stallion lying by the wall to her left, with his throat cut completely open and his body surrounded by his blood.

Continuing his silent routine Stormwalker pointed with one of his wings towards a heavy box that was half-open and a large pile of equipment that belonged to the group. Gusty went over first, making sure her skirt was properly fastened on before she began sifting through the material, to keep the creeper’s eyes from venturing too far. She found her sword and pack on the bottom of the pile of material, right underneath Bunker’s spikey platemail. She levitated the stallion’s gear to him as she pulled on her scalemail hauberk and refastened her saddlepack to her sides. She noticed that Zeccaran did not possess many things and what things were his resided inside the box. Gusty watched as he grabbed and donned his small ratty-brown bag and his sickle.

A deep grunt of satisfaction to her left signified that Bunker had located his axe. She turned to see him spin it confidently in his forehooves before catching it and letting it rest against his chest, holding it balanced with one hoof and his neck. The pair made eye-contact. Bunker flashed his eyes in the direction of Stormwalker, and scrunched up his snout in disgust. Gusty nodded in agreement. She was glad that Bunker understood her feelings, sure he had heard them but the stallion was sometimes dense. While not the most intelligent of characters he did seem to have a strong understanding of life few beings possessed, Gusty liked that. She came closer to Bunker and was planning and giving her fiance a kiss, but a stiff throat clearing from Stormwalker gave her pause. Although the mercenary really did have quite the commanding presence, his gesture merely delayed Gusty. She didn’t have time to make the action as passionate as she wanted, Bunker wouldn’t care though. Gusty made sure to kiss Bunker just long enough that Stormwind would have to stop them. She thought that would be an excellent bad nickname for the stallion, she would use it just as soon as…

“Well, if you two are ready, I think it’s time we go get the rest of my stallions, if they aren’t already dead.” Stormwind said evenly. If he was upset he didn’t sound or look it when Gusty faced him again.

She smiled pleasantly at him. “What’s in it for us, Stormwind.” She stated she had no interest in helping him unless it took her Amethyst. It probably would but she wasn't going to let him think he held sway over her.

“Stormwalker.-I suppose gold if you want it...I’ll be honest I was expecting you to help on the grounds that I could have left you there to starve. But, I guess gold and my undying affection will have to suffice.” Stormwind sounded like he was about as enthusiastic as a cat is when it is to be bathed with water. “You struck me as a pony who doesn’t like having debts and liked doing the right thing, I was wrong, clearly.”

Gusty shrugged in response to his attitude. She was beginning to get bored of the great feathered hot-air-sack, he didn’t like to play ball. She sat patiently waiting for her moment to strike as he began speaking again.

“Anyway… The main chamber for the ritual site should be through this doorway.” He indicated a doorless arch Gusty had failed to notice before. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, concentrating on what possible evils lay down the hall. She readied herself carefully search the distance beyond without confusing it with Stormwalker’s aura. It was actually easier than she was expecting, he wasn’t even outputting any evil energy anymore. She wasn’t quite sure how that was possible, unless he could mask his alignment somehow.

If he could that meant he was much more dangerous than Gusty had already realized. Meanwhile, Stormwalker had been discussing the best way to move on the ritual chamber, she only got bits of what he was saying.

“I have a bad feeling that the rest of my group may have already...We’ll need to move as a single unit and be quie-...traps and...so I’ll take the lead and...no. No. No! NO! Wait! Where are you going!?!” He screamed as Gusty ran down the hall as quickly as she could towards the dark presences she had felt just about the time Stormwalker had said he would go first.

She laughed to herself. Him? Take the lead? Not while I’m around! Gusty could hear him yelling angrily, presumably to her companions, as they all followed her.

“Crazy mare! Either I’m actually starting to like her or I’m gonna kill her!” he grumbled loudly. As if, featherbrain! she thought as she ran.

Gusty continued running down the poorly lit hall well ahead of her companions. She did not stop to turn down the various archways or examine the numerous ravaged bodies of cultists. Many were completed cloven in two, others with most limbs missing, the gore was clearly Stormwind’s doing. However, she stayed focused on the sinister energies building in the direction she ran.

Ahead of her several piles of well illuminated pony bones lay about the path. It was the brightest portion of the hall she had yet come across save the ever growing light of a very large chamber, the destination of her journey.

However, as she neared the heaps of bones they began to shake and quiver. Slowly, they floated up together and creaked with various tones. Before her, too close to stop or brace herself, stood three full-body pony skeletons. They began hissing and clicking in the typical undead way, threatening to cut her off. Gusty chose the only thing that came to mind. She lowered her head and horn and continued charging.

Either the skeletons had enough intelligence to dodge or Gusty was more full of dumb luck than she realized fore she whizzed right past them. Completely unhindered she continued down the hall pleased that her boney opponents did not have the agility to pursue. Gusty was much closer to the ruddy light of the ritual chamber, vaguely she could hear voices in front of her chanting, others screaming. She slowed to a stop only about thirty-paces from the entrance archway.

Behind her there was the distinctive sounds of bones shattering. It was the crunching and sharp snapping characteristic that made the noise of metal breaking ivory highly memorable. Gusty looked back to see Stormwalker not three feet from her, shaking bone dust off his body. Zeccaran and Bunker were there too, looking at Stormwalker in a type of awe and confusion. Gusty didn’t think there was much to see, skeletons were very weak perhaps annoying undead creatures, held together by their raisers levitation and anger, defeating them was elementary.

Still, he immediately chastised her. “What the hell are you doing!? Trying to give away our position!?” he hissed venomously his voice just a whisper over the now much more clearly audible chanting. Gusty went to make a witty retort but was stopped by the gasp of a familiar foal’s voice.

“I knew you weren’t with him! You came here just like I told you to and now you brought him here too! Mother will love this!” Amethyst chimed merrily. The little unicorn appeared seemingly from nowhere, Gusty guessed that perhaps she teleported. Given, the incredibly strong magic she had seen the foal already perform Gusty thought nothing of the feat. Amethyst swiftly trotted up right next to her and stood there proudly, blowing a raspberry at Stormwalker. After finishing her display she looked up at Gusty again.

“Come on! I need to prove to my mom that you aren’t helping him, so kick him in the face or something!” Gusty loosed a fake chuckle. Mostly to cover up the gasp she had started to make. Kicking Stormwind was a particularly bad idea.

“Little gem...umm. Do you know what’s going on here?” she asked Amethyst, both out of curiosity and the need to distract the foal from more off-hoof comments. She had definitely heard Stormwalker grumble something sinister, so keeping the wayward foal quiet was important.

“Well yeah. We are trying to summon a Nigh-” Amethyst started.

“Unspeakable evil. You two, we need to stop them,” Stormwalker interrupted, barking stiff commanding orders at Bunker and Zeccaran. To Gusty’s disbelief both followed his instructions without question. She hoped they did so out of desperation but their responses did not seem to indicate such.

“Will do, I’ll take down Chrysanthemum.” Zeccaran pointed to the leader of the cultist up on the altar of the room. “Finally! Something I know how to do! Hitting things!” Bunker proclaimed beneath his zebra counterpart.

She did not know how Zeccaran knew the unicorn he indicated, but she balked as the Zebra charged screaming her name and ignoring the angry cries of the cultists. Then she heard the rest of what Stormwalker was saying. It chilled her to her core. His voice was rapt with anticipation that only obsession could make. The only reason Gusty didn’t take Amethyst and run right then was Stormwalker’s otherwise calm demeanor.

“I’ll be right behind you once I deal with the centerpiece!” He yelled, then quickly turned to her: “Gusty...give me that foal.”

“No. You are going to hurt her.” she replied quickly picking up Amethyst anyway.

The little unicorn didn’t protest beyond a short “whoa!” Gusty was certain he was going to do something terrible to the foal, misguided or not she considered children sacred. She would not ever condone harming them, no matter what the circumstances.

“You don’t understand. That foal is the key to them completing this ritual. Give her to me. I’m not going to hurt her.” Gusty looked down at Amethyst. The foal shook in her foreleg, she weighed her options.

Gusty felt the evil of the room, saw the light of the night. Whatever was going on was indeed monstrous, she surmised. She watched around Stormwalker as the world seemingly slowed. She saw Bunker, standing on the top of a set of wide steps and the raise platform of the chamber, blocking several blows from two separate opponents. The stallion retaliated quickly slashing but failing to break their guard. Another cultist, an earthpony wielding an axe as big as Bunker’s also moved to engage.

Zeccaran fought the three unicorns that were near a strange ritual table up on the same raised portion of the room. The middle one being his target, he seemingly ignored the others’ magic splashing on and around him. He responded with a blob of acid that he summoned from one of his hooves. Gusty was not quite sure how he cast magic without a horn so effectively but he did well with his “nature” magic as he so called it. His acid landed on one of the unicorn males causing him to fervorously try to get it off of himself. Still, even with Gusty in the fight, they were heavily outnumbered, as much as she hated to admit it, they would actually need Stormwalker to win. She decided whatever the mercenary was talking about she would have to listen.

“Sorry hunny. I don’t know what is going on, but I have to trust him on this.” Gusty tried to comfort Amethyst. The foal’s look of betrayal showed that nothing would ever make her forget this moment. Gusty very hesitantly extended her foreleg, Amethyst dangling dumbfounded. Still, Gusty had to make sure the stallion didn’t get too big of a ego from persuading her.

“Here, Stormwind.” She said.

He took the filly in a wing and hoof. Briefly, he looked directly into her eyes. Gusty watched carefully, but she began to wonder if she was hallucinating. Stormwalker’s eyes had changed. His pupils contracted into long slits and his irises emitted a dull glow. Before she could even blink to check her vision, he spoke up.

“Sorry to be this way Gusty, but I lied somewhat. I should have said: ‘I’m not going to hurt her...permanently.” he drolled, a grim smile spread his lips. The tight mouth grin spread wider and revealed a mouth full of razor-like triangle teeth, pairs of two long fangs like that of a dragon’s also appeared on his top and bottom jaw. Primordial fear gripped Gusty’s heart and stayed her hooves and magic. She had seen or felt something like Stormwalker before. The memories of ancient demons and wars sprang across her vision, blurring the line between illusion and reality.

That did not stop her from witnessing the scene before her as much as she would have preferred it did. As she stood still frozen in shock and disbelief watching helplessly as Stormwalker held Amethyst tight in his left wing. His right gauntlet extended its blade. In a smooth lightning quick motion a shssting! rang out as he showed his true colors.

Stormwalker severed clean the little foal’s horn at its bottom ring, leaving only an extremely short flat disk to protrude from her forehead. It was a display of precision as much as it was brutality. He caught the loose horn with his other wing and turned about and ran forward into the ritual chamber proper. To her credit, probably due to shock, Amethyst remained completely silent, her eyes wet and large calling for help from Gusty. Gusty saw this, but still was locked where she was, this time not due to fear, but due to anger.

HOW DARE HE?!? She screamed in thought. Not only had he lied but he just destroyed the foal’s magical potential, one that she had seen herself, and it was a great one indeed. She shook with righteous rage as she finally was able to move and followed the monster before her. He was the most foul of creatures, willing to harm children just to reach his ends.

But it was worse than that, ponies with horns were in contact with magic from birth, and to have that tie cut so completely and so quickly would damage Amethyst far beyond a normal physical wound. It was something Stormwalker could never possibly generate empathy for, even if she managed to rip off his wings as trophies and rob him of flight.

Quickly she reached where the demon stood yelling at the female unicorn called Chrysanthemum. The fight had ceased as all eyes in the room focused on the stallion threatening a foal. She gave Stormwalker her attention too, if only for a moment.

“Look, Chrysanthemum, and all you filth! Look at all your work ruined!” He boomed. It was more a vicious snarl than a voice, but it was understandable. It rattled one’s mind on the unsettling soul penetrating level. It did not bother Gusty too much but she watched as everyone else’s knees shook, even Bunker’s.

“Behold your toil and hardship ripped away for no reason other than to make you suffer! So you did unto me! Now the same shall be my revenge! Throw down your weapons, surrender so I may watch you rot in the Crystal Caves until you die of exposure all you rotten scum and your precious league of shadows!” He proceeded to make a horrendous clicking, crackling sound that was just distinguishable enough to be laughter, the mad laughter of a monster at least. He held up a shock-frozen Amethyst in one wing and her severed horn in the other.

Gusty had heard and seen more than enough. She could feel the malignant energy rolling off of him, there was no reason to reach out to sense it. She had to save Amethyst, and maybe even these cultists from Stormwalker, or whatever he was. She drew her sword with her mouth and slashed right at his exposed neck between his helmet and neck plating. He dodged left with a deft motion as if he knew the blow was coming. Wasting no time, Gusty threw her whole body at him, landing a solid punch as he wheeled his head around at her, but she didn’t knock his helmet off as Bunker had. As he flew from his hooves Gusty grabbed Amethyst from his wing with her telekinesis. She jumped away to give herself a safety distance from Stormwalker’s wingblades, while he recovered.

He caught himself with the grace of a cat. Spinning on one hoof with ludicrous agility, he locked eyes with her after stopping himself. The slits of his pupils widening to thick diamonds.

He didn’t attack instead he asked with an incredulous tone, and slack jaw: “What...are you doing!?” as if he could not fathom why she had hit him.

“Whose side are you on!?” he continued.”She’s our only leverage, the only way we can make them surrender. I want them alive!” He howled arrogantly. Finally, Amethyst began to wail in pain and terror. Gusty went to lower her into her hooves but as soon as the little foal wasn’t high in the air, Stormwalker dove forward and snagged her clean out of Gusty’s magic.

Gusty herself was unsure if it was maternal instinct or a deep hatred for demons but she felt a surge of energy. Before the demon-pegasus even landed she had charged, grabbing her sword with her levitation and holding it behind herself. She collided with him just as his hooves touched the ground.The result was Gusty landing atop of Stormwalker in a heap with Amethyst being flung into the air. This lasted about a second, for Gusty found herself being tossed aside as if she weighed no more than a cotton pillow, but the second had given her enough time to add telekinesis to the wayward Amethyst. She was able to catch herself and the foal before Stormwalker could stop her, this time holding onto Amethyst with her hooves.

She found herself so narrowly dodging Stormwalker’s front blades that she actually saw some of her fur coat being tossed up into the air. Gusty resisted the urge to gasp, and stood her ground once the monster recoiled from his miss. He stood blinking in confusion, but quickly regained his composure as Gusty pulled her old blade between them. Amethyst’s cries persisted as Stormwalker yelled over her, his fury primal, unbridled.

“Do you not understand what she has done? Look around you, Gusty! Those bodies are the remains of the best Royal Guard I knew! That little cretin is the one who killed them, losing her horn is a lenient punishment for her!” he growled.

Unsure if letting her eyes stray from Stormwalker was wise, Gusty peered around him. The room was wider than it was deep. a short five step staircase kept the upper platform above where she and Stormwalker stood. The room had a tall ceiling that arched up to a point above a rectangular box of an altar that sat behind the Unicorn cultists. The spokes of carved runes and symbols representing nighttime followed the dome to an circular hole where the full moon could be seen, where its pale blueish light poured through an wide iron grate. There was an archway behind this altar that led into a black recess of nothingness. Around it, blood covered the floor, walls, and its flush stone trimmings.

Gusty followed the blood up the walls. Behind the ritual table where Zeccaran and the unicorn cultists stood there hung a gruesome sight. Three stallions dangled from metal chains and hooks. They each had the remains of their armor on but their wounds varied in severity. The one on the left had his eyes put out and his wings cut off, judging by his discoloration and the great pool of blood below him he had been left to bleed to death. On the right hung a unicorn. His horn had been busted off leaving only jagged points. He had his genitalia cut off entirely, but the deadly wound came from the gaping hole in his chest. His heart lay on the floor below him. The last stallion, an earth pony, was suspended between his dead compatriots. Simply this stallion had received the worst treatment. Still twitching in his bindings, his eyes glazed with pain, he stared silently down at his own intestines. The organs and the holes they extended from spewed blood with each slow erratic heartbeat. He would be dead soon, Gusty hoped, for his sake.

“The summoner must be the one to kill the sacrifices. I know those older fools here don’t have the magic potential to bring forth that abomination. But she did. And now I plan to use her pathetic life to capture these cultists, so that they can be brought to justice and get my revenge in one fell swoop!” his proclaimed his demon-teeth in a sneer.

Gusty did not believe him. Even if it was true, Amethyst deserved a second chance, she wasn’t even ten years old yet. Gusty couldn’t let her be used as a bargaining chip. Trying to explain all of this to Stormwalker would have been impossible, so she jumped immediately to insults and criticism. Perhaps not the best choice, but it at least could keep her from panicking.

“You are a monster! How could you? You have no sense of morals at all! Willing even to harm foals, to condemn them before they could be redeemed! Handsome face or not you are truly ugly- more disfigured than even the most horrid of creatures! You are worse even than the fiends that manipulated this poor little foal into “doing” these atrocities, if she even did them! I would do anything to protect her from you. Even letting those cultists get away!” She spat.

Gusty did not bite her tongue in time to not say her last sentence. Her words, however, had a strange effect on the pegasus-monster. His look of fury dulled, and was replaced by a grim disappointment. Burning hatred rolled about his eyes with a faint glimmer. His fangs bared, he darkly gritted out a series of questions.

“So this is what you want then? You would allow them the freedom of death? After everything they have done you’d let them have that respite? I’ve wasted all my effort, and the lives of ten Royal Guard trying to capture them, just to have you interfere with some lopsided view of right and wrong?? Because I could have killed, neigh, murdered them all already, I still could. It would be EASY!!!”

As his yells turned hoarse, Stormwalker’s yellow eyes shifted into a bright glowing red, emphasizing his skinny black pupils even further. He pulled off his helmet, revealing his seemingly alive mane. Likewise, his wings seemed to lose some of their sharp lines and feathers, and his tail, narrowly visible behind his bulk mimicked his mane. Whatever power he held it was about to be unleashed, Gusty could feel it. And she certainly did not want that pent up anger unleashed on her, her friends, or Amethyst. Besides using evil to destroy evil was as ironic as it was rightful.

“Yes. And I hope you are thrown back to Tartarus you filthy demon!” She whispered in response to his questions. He sneered, his eyes flickering with disgust at her decision, Gusty would have been offended if she hadn’t been trying to calm down the still screaming Amethyst and not die to the malevolent monster before her.

“So be it then. But know that this mercy, their salvation from the torment they deserve, is on your hooves, Gusty Twilight.” Stormwalker stated with virulent venom. His voice was hushed which gave it an unsettling calm to its tone.

Dropping his helmet he turned about to face the still dumbfounded crowd behind them. Out his wings snapped, their accompanying blades glinting in the moonlight that shone from the hole in the ceiling, it was followed by a curious clicking of something hitting the floor. With a single stroke of their feathers he was airborne, not particularly high into the air but enough to be above the ponies on the raised portion of the room. His speed was incredible for the action, his four gauntlet blades deploying as he neared the three cultists around Bunker.

He landed squarely on the largest of the group. All four blades entered the cultist’s flesh up to Stormwalker’s hooves. A gut-churning crunching and snapping echoed out as the stallion’s legs and chest collapsed under the demon’s weight. Instantly, the frozen ponies reacted and the fighting resumed with a vicious intensity. The cultists quickly converged, the two melee combatants turning to engage the demon as it dislodged itself from its first victim.

Gusty watched in astonishment as Stormwalker ignored them entirely, switching his attention to the pair of spellcasters that had been by the cult leader. Abruptly, this reminded her of the noise she had heard moment ago when Stormwalker had flown off. On the ground within easy reach was Amethyst’s horn. She grabbed it quickly, and stashed it into her bag, readying a spell of her own to put the hornless squawling mess in her hooves to sleep. She looked up at the battle before her as the spell charged.

Zeccaran was slowly approaching the cult leader, who stood alone as her guards moved to engage Stormwalker. He seemed to be pleading with her, one of his hooves outstretched in a gentle gesture. Gusty couldn’t quite hear him but it sounded like he said: “Chrysanthemum, I forgive you, it's ok.”

For some reason this terrified the mare. Gusty had no idea why, maybe it was Zeccaran’s still severely swollen face. She hoped his face was the reason otherwise Zeccaran was probably hiding some terrifying secret she wasn’t ready for herself. However, seeing that he had the situation handled she looked away to find Bunker.

Bunker slammed his axe into the back of one the cultists. The blow knocked the stallion hit to the ground, and looked to have effectively paralyzed him. Abruptly, the other melee combatant was thrown from where Stormwalker had been. He hit Bunker on the side, sticking into one of the spikes on the big stallion’s platemail. Cultist and Bunker tumbled back, rolling over one another several times and stopping in a heap. Bunker quickly got up, cultist still attached to the spike of his armor. Cursing as Gusty watched him struggle to get the dead body off of himself. Hesitantly, she looked toward Stormwalker.

The Unicorns had finally set up and began casting spells at Stormwalker. He made no attempt to dodge one stunray and one acidray. Both impacted his face and neck area, he didn’t even flinch. The red stun bolt fizzled out as if it had hit a wall, while the acid formed into a green ball and rolled down Stormwalker’s face and armor, not doing any form of damage to flesh or metal. The demon smiled belligerently, his fangs glinting in the light.

This was supremely jarring for Gusty. He’s ignoring their spells altogether! she fretted internally realizing that her group had no way to stop him. Finally, the three seconds that it took the sleep spell to charge came to an end. They were the longest three seconds of Gusty’s life. She looked down into Amethyst’s fear-ridden eyes, smiling with as much comfort as she could. She cast the spell, the golden aura of her magic surrounding Amethyst. Instantly, the filly was asleep. Gusty stowed her too in the bag on her back. If she was to wake the alicorn did not want the child seeing anymore of this, she had seen too much already even for several lifetimes.

Gusty looked up to see the head’s of the unicorns go flying up and away from their bodies. Blood misted into the air around Stormwalker and his wingblades. His eye’s glowed with an even stronger light and he loosed a half-growl half-laugh ghastly enough to make the flames of Tartarus glaze over with ice. She inadvertently gasped as she heard it. This caused the demon to look towards her.

She quickly averted her gaze as he looked in her direction. Instead, she saw Zeccaran doing something so completely out of place that Gusty had to rub her eyes to make sure it was real. Holding onto the cult leader by her haunches, he was kissing her. She flailed about in a muffled scream, trying to pull herself away from the zebra. However, he held fast, still pressing his face to hers. Chrysanthemum paled and stopped struggling. Gusty watched in growing surprise as Zeccaran pulled away from the Nightmare Priestess. She promptly vomited. She loosed a few more hysterical cries, tears streaming down her face, and suddenly went limp in Zeccaran’s grasp. The sound of Stormwalker’s unearthly, true voice cut into the scene, forcing Gusty to finally look at him.

“Give her to me now, Zeccaran.” His voice ripped at the very fabric of sanity for Gusty.

It was familiar as it was guttural and horrifying, why this was she remained uncertain. How he knew Zeccaran’s name, she also did not want to know, but Gusty knew one thing for certain. They needed to run. Now. Stubbornly though, Zeccaran shook his head in refusal at Stormwalker’s demand, moving Chrysanthemum to one hoof. His eyes were wide with primal terror as he drew his sickle from his side, tying it to his free hoof as he uttered shaky words of warning.

“I-I-I won’t l-let you take her. E-even if I have to…” His voice trailed off as his expression turned dark and serious. “You wouldn’t dare.” Stormwalker retorted, stepping forward.

“I would. It’s the only chance I have left.” the zebra stated holding out the sickle near a portion of his other forehoof that he was using to balance himself and Chrysanthemum upright.

If Zeccaran had a plan, Gusty wanted to see it through, especially if it could kill this monster they had found, or at least delay him. She looked to Bunker, who was staring on, a fearful expression on his face.

“Hit him- Now!” she yelled, firing a blast of magic at Stormwalker herself.

The demon turned in surprise, and looked at Gusty, only to be hopefully blinded with by the light spell she had cast. From behind the haze of the bright orb she saw Bunker swing his axe in a full-bodied spin-swing. She heard metal hit flesh.

On the other side of the sun-orb she saw Zeccaran start making strange hoof motions. He spoke in a strange language she did not recognize. He seemed to remain in a trance as he made his motions. Quickly the sun-orb dissipated and she could see Stormwalker again.

He stood staring at her. His eyes remained still, their red betraying no hint of the overwhelming pain he had to be experiencing. Bunker’s axe had buried itself in his side just underneath his chest harness and his flank plating. He bled profusely from the wound, his blood gathering in a dark pool between his hooves. The whole head of the axe was hidden in Stormwalker’s flesh, it had to have hit something vital. But Gusty’s hopes were dashed quickly.

Without ceremony he turned and grabbed the handle of the weapon in his mouth. Timidly, Bunker relinquished his astonished grip. Gusty watched on, feeling the same horror Bunker’s face expressed. The demon pulled the blade free, sending his steaming blood and viscera about the floor. Meanwhile, of its own accord the gaping wound healed itself. The entrails that normally would have been freed from such an injury, remained visible and in their place. The flesh around them regrowing and pulling together with a supernatural force and precision.

The display left no mark on Stormwalker, almost as if it had never happened. That alone was terrifying. A creature that could survive such grievous wounds without so much as a scratch was not to be trifled with. However, that did not disturb Gusty as much as the ever increasing likeness this monster had with the demons in her dreams of the past. She wished she could remember them more clearly. Wished in the deepest reaches of her mind, that whatever Zeccaran was doing would work, that this nightmare would end. Meanwhile Gusty stood awestruck, with no means to stop what happened next.

Tossing the axe off towards the far wall. Stormwalker turned on Bunker. He landed two punches from his forehooves before Bunker could flinch. The third was an upwards blow to the chin that sent Bunker reeling back. Spinning with his own momentum, Stormwalker planted himself for a full rear leg buck. He landed it immediately, before poor Bunker could place his front hooves down. The strike sent Bunker flying into the same far wall as his axe had, accompanied with several quick pops that could only have been ribs breaking. He hit the distant location with enough force to cause the dust on the walls to shake free. He then slid down to the floor. He did not move.

Gusty felt hot tears stream down her cheeks. Maybe she hadn’t really planned on marrying the fool, but she had still liked him a lot, even if it had only been a two days. She turned to look at Zeccaran who now stood atop the altar, without Chrysanthemum. He was balanced on his hind legs his sickle piercing into his one of his forelegs. His blood rolled over the limb and hit the altar top. The moon turned a heinous red and the room darkened to black. The only light that shown was the moon and the red light of Stormwalker’s suddenly terrified eyes.

If it was enough to scare that demon, Gusty realized that Zeccaran’s plan might not have been the optimal solution. Still, it gave her time to run over to Bunker. She was a capable magic healer, but from the beating he took, she wasn’t sure if Bunker was even alive. She reached his side only by illuminating her horn which barely produced light at all in this unnatural darkness.

Bunker was breathing, barely. His eyes were closed and remained that way as Gusty called on her own magic and Origin to help her stallion. Her golden aura surrounded his chest, and it seemed to regain some of its natural shape. She gave him a poke as soon as she finished. He did not move which meant it the wounds were no longer causing pain. Gusty slapped him awake.

“Come on! We need to get out of here before-” She was cut off by Stormwalker. “You idiot!” he snarled. “This was the very thing I was trying to prevent! You’ve-you’ve..you’ve doomed us all! Ruined everything!” He stood shaking where Gusty could see him silhouetted in the new freshly-spilled-blood pallor of the moon.

“I’ll kill you!” He jumped up to where Zeccaran stood on the altar staring up into the moonlight. His blades snapping out from their gauntlets with shhhck-clings. Gusty gawked in surprise as Zeccaran moved as fast as Stormwalker. He glowed red with the light of the moon and seemed to be surrounded by a group of black ethereal flames. He dodged Stormwalker’s attempt to behead him with ease. The zebra then retaliated with swift and jumping uppercut as Stormwalker’s blades hit nothing. If the demon was perturbed by Zeccaran’s actions he did not show it in his face, as he reeled back. His features were too pulled into a fanged snarl to tell. However, he moved to return Zeccaran’s blow with an even speedier motion that, to Gusty, was not much more than a brief blur.

He slashed open a deep, terrible wound from Zeccaran’s lower left stomach all the way up to his right armpit. Zeccaran calmly placed a hoof over his wound and clambered down from the altar. The magic flames around him extinguishing save over the sword damage he had sustained. He turned his gaze to the moon again, and smiled devilishly. Gusty soon found out why. As Zeccaran limped over towards the archway behind the altar with the now awake Chrysanthemum, the moon’s light stopped suddenly.

Using the dim light of Stormwalker’s eyes, Gusty looked towards the iron grate to see a black inky form fall down from it slowly. It piled up on the altar and took the shape of a blobby pony. It’s head slowly forming after its body. Golden eyes without pupils manifested in stark contrast to its black body. A wide mouth spread across the shadow’s face, seemingly stretching beyond its head. Its teeth twinkled like stars, long and skinny, numbering in the thousands. It was the quintessential nighttime horror.

Gusty had no need to sense the creature’s evil. It was one of those primordial terrors of old that was like Stormwalker. She knew this in her heart of hearts. She knew not how, but the sensation and its implications were undeniable. Gusty felt fear grip her chest but this time she knew she wouldn't freeze up, couldn’t freeze up. Pulling the still semi-conscious Bunker up she started moving to where Zeccaran was somehow standing looking on as the demons stared one another down. Gusty hoped whatever dark magic he had summoned would keep him alive long for her to walk the short distance to him. The red light over his body turned off just as she started moving.

She believed she had enough energy to at the very least stop from Zeccaran from bleeding out. As she approached the dark figure she thought was her zebra friend, she readied a healing spell. Chrysanthemum lit her horn enough for Gusty to see the severity of Zeccaran’s condition. The cultist mare held him up as the zebra gurgled incoherently, biological shock completely overwhelming the magic holding him together. The blade had not only cut deep into the flesh, but had cut clean through all of the zebra’s ribs. Gusty grimaced at the amount of force that had gone into the strike. Poor Zeccaran was already turning grey from blood loss, but she was ready. Casting the righteous spell of her holy touch, Gusty was pleased to watch as Zeccaran’s wounds healed as Stormwalker’s had. Save for a thin pink scar the damage would never show. With a grunt of full-consciousness, Bunker step past her and quickly picked the zebra up and hoisted him onto his back, Zeccaran’s eyes unfocused as he did so.

Demon speak turned Gusty’s attention back to what was behind her.

“Come on we need to go. Now!” Zeccaran surprisingly said, his eyes gaining their focus just as Gusty was turning around. She must have done a better job than she had expected.

Quietly as she gazed at the monsters circling each other around the altar; somepony’s hoof pulled her into the archway that lead to a hallway. Gusty continued to watch the two abominations the entire time.

She motioned her companions to go, adding “I’ll be right there...I just need to see something first.” They listened to her silently, even Bunker, their hooffalls began making their retreat down the long dark corridor.

Gusty devoted the next five seconds to try to memorizing Stormwalker’s features and the Primordial Shadow’s magical presence. Gusty recognized the language they spoke. She would have understood what they said in their hisses and raspy words but chose, rather successfully, to simply not listen. The entire time, the two creatures’ magical energy expanded to astonishing levels. Gusty had never felt raw magic potential like the two demons before her and she had fought their kind for thousands of years. Well, she thought that, if the alicorn was being honest, she was unsure if those memories were even real.

Gusty focused on Stormwalker, trying to recall those very memories. He had found his helmet again, its sharp edges increasing his already vicious look. As he and the Shadow continued their snarling debate the demon-pegasus’ wings lit with flame, their flesh ceasing to exist. His tail followed suit. His mane stuck out defiantly from his helmet, it's flaming presence passing through the metal and burning away the tassels that characterized the standard pony helmet. The effect brought enough light to the room that Gusty could see his pulsing muscles and crazed eyes. His mouth was nearly as wide as his Shadow counterpart, his bigger more triangular teeth pulled up into an arrogant sneer. In short, he was just as much an eldritch horror as the creature Zeccaran had summoned.

Suddenly the ghastly pair stopped conversing. They roared at one another. Their clashing throaty yells piercing into a chilling harmony. The Shadow’s magical presence flared up even greater than before, tentacles of pure darkness extending out from its body. Stormwalker’s inflamed visage struck out, burning with a heat so ferocious that Gusty had to step back several paces to not get burned even at the far distance down the hall she was already at.

Their fight began. It took all of Gusty’s remaining willpower to watch for just a few more nanoseconds. The two monsters, moving with speed and grace too fast to understand, ripped at one another. Their bodies entwined into a struggle of fire’s light and oil’s darkness. Their cries of pain and hatred alone enough to motivate Gusty to leave.

So she ran. She ran faster than she ever had.

Gusty galloped down the corridor never looking back. Hoping that she would wake up from this mess of a dream. It couldn’t be real, she thought to herself. Either way, I’m not staying to find out!

Her adrenaline snapped, fear pouring its feral intensity into her body.

Quickly she caught and overtook her companions. Yelling at them to run faster as she passed. She continued sprinting for a countless time feeling the little Amethyst bounce about on her back, still safely in her sack.

Carved archway upon carved archway passed as she ran. Finally a dull light appeared ahead, quickly growing into orange haloed door to the outside. She broke its threshold and saw the red moon’s ruddy hues before her. Gusty took to the sky without waiting for her friends. She soared up to the low blue clouds of the sky beating her wings harder than she had ever before. Gusty could still feel the battle of the demons deep in the caves behind her. The freedom of the sky did little to calm the sensation of evil she felt. So she flew, beating her wings endlessly. She flew until time blurred together and she lost herself. The only thing that mattered to Gusty was escaping the tingling sensation of danger that hounded her. She felt that she never would.

Next Chapter: Act 1: Chapter 7 - Retreat Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 31 Minutes