Everywhere and Nowhere

Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer walked out of the kitchen, carrying trays of snack foods and beverages in each hand. They walked around the table, which seated Beatrix Belladonna, her sister, her lover, their friends, and old enemies turned allies. Tension remained high as the crystal maids offered everyone their breakfast choice, focused on their renowned service.

Dion continued to glare bitterly at Shadow Scythe, who avoided the glance with her thin arms folded. Midnight sat across from Cerise, the two struggling to get over their self-loathing after what happened. When they locked eyes, both smiled slightly. Despite the vessel she possessed being the Vice Lord, Doppia, the chipper expression and softened eyes were still his wife’s.

But her glance turned harsh when cast over Zeloph, seated right next to the reaper. This pitiful creature was responsible for so much calamity in Cerise's homeworld, nearly driving her parents to madness and wiping out thousands of lives. And now, stuck in the body of a mere cherub, they had to work together.

The dark dancer knew it was for the best if it meant reclaiming her stolen form from the vile ballerina. But in her heart, she couldn’t overlook the destruction both the reaper and fallen angel caused.

Beatrix felt the same way. Her mind was shrouded in doubt and uncertainty. Her former nemeses showed the willingness to help and were docile at the moment. But could they genuinely change for the better? Shadow Scythe practically perfected the art of betrayal the moment it benefited her. Zeloph was, ironically, the opposite. Blessed with a silver tongue and poetic words used to work his way into more favorable positions.

What were the odds either one would strike back the moment they let their guards down?

Lady Ewe was beside the troubled witch, who gingerly stroked her hand while swirling her spoon in her cereal. The azure sheep knew they could all find a compromise. They had to, for the fate of Abadonna and the world was on the line. She just hoped that the others could forgive some of the more critical choices ahead…

Once her tray was empty, Foal-Bearer approached Shadow Scythe and politely asked, “Can I get you anything to drink? Tea? Water? Perhaps some coffee to wake up the morning fuzz?”

Their mistress, Bellatrix, had asked them to ‘play nice' with the pale unicorn, despite how cruel she had been in the past. And while both twins had their grievances, they knew better than to refuse. Though this certainly wasn’t easy when Shadow Scythe cast her a soured look.

“I am a reaper,” she reminded firmly. “I have harvested over a thousand souls. That was all the nourishment I needed. Knowledge and power easily quench my thirst. You think simple liquid will--”

Before she could continue her rant, Zeloph interrupted with a light ‘ahem!’. Shadow Scythe turned to see him sipping his cup of orange juice, sporting an arched eyebrow. Then, realizing how pompous she sounded, she folded into herself, blushing, and muttered, “...coffee would be nice.”

“Dark or light roast?”

“Light. No sugar, please.” The coral pink mare nodded and returned to the kitchen to fire up the coffee maker, the air-filled by rich aromas.

When Shadow Scythe looked back to Zeloph and touched his hand, he gave her a short nod. Small steps were needed if they wanted to rebuild any form of trust with their former enemies.

“Pathetic,” Dion’s voice grumbled, his stern maroon gaze now fixated on the Fallen One.

Taking his mouth off his straw, Zeloph sighed. “If you’ve got something to say, you might as well say it! Better to get it off our chest before we start training together.”

“Ah think it’s absolutely pathetic that ye would drink orange juice in mah vicinity an' not include th' palp.”

Everyone turned to the warrior with a dumbfounded expression.

“I… I beg your pardon?”

“Are you seriously criticizing his choice of morning beverage?” berated Beatrix, who creased her snout. “Like, of all things!”

The white ram snorted, “Of course Ah am! Only babies would drink wit'out palp. Palp makes ye strong!”

“Dion,” Oona groaned, rubbing her temples. “It’s too early tae be startin' this…”

“Palp is disgusting,” Zeloph retorted, evenly annoyed by the male sheep’s heckling. “I refuse to be chastised over something so trivial as orange juice!”

“An' I refuse tae tolerate th' existence ov a palp hatin' sociopath! But look where we are?”

“Well, sorry that I enjoy my breakfast without my drink contaminated by flakes!”

“Can you two go thirty seconds without trying to tear out each other’s throats?!” hissed Bellatrix, standing up with a yellow glare and crossing her arms. “Or do I have to lock you both in a room together until you learn to play nice?”

“Pft! You do that; they’ll just mangle each other,” Shadow Scythe scoffed, sipping from her freshly made coffee cup.

“C’mon, guys! Chill!” Midnight tried cutting in. “This isn’t any way to start the morning!”

“Stay out of this, boy scout,” warned Zeloph. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Ye don’t talk tae mah friend like that, midget!!” Dion scowled.

Cerise stepped in and yelled, “Will both of you knock it off!?”

As if to answer her request, the ram and demi-human were slapped by a military-style whip, causing them to sit down and rub at their faces, both yelping in alarm.

“That’s enough aahhht of ya maggots,” a peppy voice insisted. “I will not 'ave any more tomfoolery 'appen at the bloody table!”

Everyone looks towards the center as Moxxi appears, adorned in a drill sergeant’s lime-colored vest and hat. She began to goosestep in mid-air, accompanied by disembodied marching music.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Zeloph looked around for the source, brows furrowed. “Wait, where is that coming from..?!”

“Alwigh', earwig up, people!” Moxxi loudly called. “There’s only garn ter be camaraderie and friendship from 'ere on aahhht. We’ve got roughly twenty-four 'ours ter 'one our skills before we depart ter canterlot and brin' home Abadonna! We will not waste another nickle and dime muckin' abaht over machoism or past transgressions! Do ya 'ear me!?”

Midnight immediately shot up, saluted, and responded, “Sir, yes sir!” Whether this was due to his military background or the blue pegasus playing along was anyone’s guess. Beatrix and Cerise tittered at the silliness, while Oona and Bellatrix were glad the imp alleviated the hostility.

Dion grumbled, “This is stupid! Ye can’t just establish peace among foes by-”

Moxxi pulled out a megaphone and loudly repeated, “We will NOT be wastin' our time muckin' abaht over machoism or past transgressions! This is do or die, soldier! Do ya understand?!”

“Aaaaugh! Alright, alright!” The ram relented, holding his ears to block out the blaring screech. “A’ll stop bullyin’ th' twerp if it’ll get ye tae quit hollerin' like a banshee!!”

“Splendid~!” she snickered, tossing the device away and throwing a wink and thumbs up at her brother, who could only shake his head. Even Shadow Scythe couldn’t suppress a stiff chuckle. The reaper found the imp super vexing, but her antics always managed to serve a purpose. In this case, getting the stubborn ram to cooperate. No doubt the she-devil put her up to it.

“Now then,” continued the minor demon. “Once we’ve finished up breakfast, we’ll start wif re-establishin' our foundations! While most of us 'ave been weakened, two of our key players 're 'andicapped.” She pointed out Cerise and Zeloph. “The enemy may fin' they 'ave the edge, but this gives us a rare advantage of discoverin' new boundaries. Which is why I fin' ya two should work exclusively together~!”

“What?!” They both exclaimed, looking at each other with dismay.

“B-but sir,” Midnight tried to protest before Moxxi wagged her finger.

“Wif aw due respect, lov, it’s better this way,” she explained. “Fin' abaht it! Your wife is in a body that doesn’t belong ter 'er. Zelly’s been stunted wif lil' accessibili-y ter 'is powers. At least together, they 'ave a chance ter develop new strengf.”

“I… guess that makes sense,” the pegasus admitted begrudgingly. It was bad enough that his own wife didn’t want his company. But now, he had to watch her spend it with Zeloph of all people? The thought of the Fallen One anywhere near Cerise made his blood boil.

Sensing her husband’s distress, Cerise turned to the demi and, after taking a deep breath, said, “I never liked you to begin with, especially after you hurt my parents! But I’m willing to put our differences aside and make this work if you are!”

Astonished by the mature response, Zeloph replied, “O-oh! I mean, that goes without saying. Right! I will do my best to ensure you’re back in your rightful body.” He hovered over and cautiously stretched out his hand towards the princess. After a moment’s hesitation, she reciprocated and shook it firmly.

“Look at that~!” Moxxi clamored gleefully. “We’re already off ter a mother's pearly gate start! Y’kna, ya could learn a fin' from Cerise.” She motioned to the witchy unicorn and warrior ram, who both looked away in shame.

Zeloph returned to his seat, noting that Shadow Scythe avoided direct eye contact with him, sulking silently. Perhaps she was jealous?

Bellatrix said, “With that out of the way, I’ve employed someone else to help keep our raise our spirits while we train together.”

A display of fireworks went off next to her as a smaller version of Beatrix suddenly appeared, adorned in a similar outfit. “Lieutenant Mini-Trix! Reporting for duty~!” She saluted with a big smile.

“Oh no…” Beatrix groaned, trying to hide under her hat while Lady Ewe giggled beside her.

Shadow Scythe also cringed at the sight of the tulpa she ‘helped’ create. But no one looked more appalled by her than Zeloph, whose eyes widened and mouth fell agape.

“... What… is that..?!”

“Well, you see, Mini-Trix will be acting as our-”

“No, no, no! Time out!!” The cherub called, pointing at the startled tulpa. “What in the nine circles of hell is that thing!?!”

“Hey! I’m not a thing! I have feelings,” Mini-Trix pouted and crossed her arms while Moxxi patted her head.

“This is Beatrix an', to an extent, Shadow Scythe’s tulpa,” Lady Ewe explained between sips. “She was born from th' former's childhood an' th' latter’s desire during her stint ov amnesia. She can be a handful but also helpful in certain situations!”

“Aye! Sorta loike me… but less impressive~,” Moxxi chirped in, earning a raspberry from the miniature unicorn.

Zeloph stared between Beatrix, Shadow Scythe, and the tulpa before resting his face into his hands. “... She’s multiplying. We can only go downhill from here.”

“Hey!” The witch whined.

“I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that she exists or the fact that you helped make her!”

The false idol criticized Shadow Scythe, to which she defensively answered, “I had no conscious part in her creation!”

“Regardless,” Bellatrix came in, having been quietly eating her meal during the chaos before her. “Mini-Trix is helping us by setting up decoys and practice dummies.”

“We will also be sparring with you!” Foal Bearer offered when she and her twin left the kitchen, their pastel pink hands wielding axes.

“It’ll give us a chance to show Sir Dion how far we’ve come in our 'personal' training~” Wet Nurse tittered with excitement. The twins fluttered their eyes at the alabaster ram, who chuckled.

“Now that’s what Ah like tae hear!”

“It looks we’ve got everyone on board! Way ter lift their spirits, lieutenant~,” the imp whispered to Mini-Trix, who giggled childishly. Raising her voice, Moxxi went on, “Righty-o! Let me kna when everyone’s ready ter start! We’ve turned the bloomin' backyard into a drum that’ll 🅵🆁🅾🅶 the 🅲🅰🅱🅰🅽🅰 wite off ye-eeehh?!”

Moxxi recoiled in alarm, fingers covering her mouth. Then, confused, she testingly said, “🅰🅿🅴 and 🆃🅾🅼🅼🆈!?”

The rest of the room was equally perplexed, unsure what to make of this ‘predicament.’

“... Wot the 🅳🅸🆂🅲 is this?! Why can’t I say 🅵🅻🅰🅶!?”

“Hehehe! That's my censorship clause!” Mini-Trix explained haughtily. “See, as long as I’m around, I’ve forbidden the use of all bad words and dirty suggestions. Everyone gets way too distracted when adult ‘fun’ is on the mind!”

“... 're ya 'avin' a giraffe? 're ya 🅵🆁🅸🅴🅽🅳🆂 me 🅳🆄🅳🅴 wite na!? Ya mean I can’t say 🅿🅻🅴🅰🆂🅴, 🆂🆃🅾🅿, 🆂🅰🆈🅸🅽🅶, 🅱🅰🅳, 🅲🆄🆂🆂, 🆆🅾🆁🅳🆂, or anything of the sort?!”

“Eeyup~! Tee-hee!” Mini-Trix did a victory dance.

The imp’s left eye twitched as she descended onto her knees, clasping her head while breathing hysterically. “No… nonona, somebody wake me up! I-I refuse ter live in a world where I can’t joke abaht 🅲🅷🅸🅲 and 🅱🅴🅻🅻 🆃🅴🅰🅲🅷🅴🆁! That’s me whole MMO! Me entire vocabulary! Ya can’t take that away from me!! G-give it back! Now!”

“Sorry! My mind must remain pure to maintain my existence!” The tulpa snickered and snorted as the imp curled up in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, whimpering. Seeing his sister lose her marbles over the ridiculous censorship brought a smile to Zeloph’s face.

“Y’know, on second thought? I think I might like the tulpa~,” the cherub proclaimed, earning a growl from Moxxi.

“Meanie..!”

“Alright, enough with the theatrics,” Bellatrix ordered with a stamp of her foot. “We have work to do. Meet me down the west corridor, and I’ll take you to our new training grounds.” Snapping her fingers, Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer went to fetch the empty cups and dirty dishes while the rest stood up and prepared themselves.

In secret, Beatrix was thankful Mini-Trix and Moxxi defused the tension since their party seemed a lot more at ease with each other. But, of course, she found the imp’s misery over the inability to speak her naughty tongue utterly hilarious, snickering as she was dragged by her tail to follow the she-devil while having a hissy fit.

Taking Lady Ewe’s hand into her own, the pair followed alongside their allies through the manor, aware that time was of the essence. And aware they should use it sparingly if they wanted to reach Enock’s library before Madame Doppia.

The house hostess led her sister and her band of misfits into an abandoned courtyard, located just behind the manor, with a garden and hedge walling the perimeter. It was wide enough to be considered training grounds, with many dummies already in place.

“Wow!” Beatrix whistled, taking in the view. “I don’t remember seeing this before!”

“That’s because it’s our latest addition,” answered Bellatrix. “An expansion of my power over the mansion. With all the talk of training, I figured I’d create us some space without the risk of breaking the valuables inside. Unfortunately, it took me and the monster a lot of energy, so I’ll only be observing.”

Beatrix whistled. “Impressive!”

“The best part is the dummies! Go on, Beatrix! Throw a spell!” Her cartoonish counterpart encouraged, pushing one decoy in place.

With a shrug, the witch unleashed a simple lightning bolt that sizzled when it blasted the patched together target apart. Pieces of debris scattered across the floor before vaporizing completely. And, as quickly as it was destroyed, a new dummy assembled to take its place.

Sparks crackled on Beatrix's fingers. “Ooh! So they’ll magically put themselves back together?”

“Eeyup! Infused by the essence of your’s truly~,” Mini-Trix beamed proudly. “Just give ‘em a couple of seconds, and they’ll regenerate!”

“Not bad, mini-me~!”

“It's still a work in progress,” Bellatrix reminded them. “There are a variety of additions I intend to make. But for now, use these as you will.”

“Pretty neat stuff already,” Dion complimented, approaching another dummy before giving it a firm punch, the impact enough to break the decoration into pieces. And like before, the scattered fragments twitched with life and re-assembled like a magnet. “Bet this brings ye back tae th' days as a new solider, aye, Middy?”

“Y-yeah, a little…” Midnight nodded with a frown, his wings drawn close. It felt exactly like the training grounds from his world. And it was there that he learned what changelings did to ponies. Most prisoners were reduced to become living wombs, disregarding gender, after which breeders laid innumerable eggs inside—left to suffer until the grubs hatched and ate their way out of their broken hosts. Other times, they were used as a mere sport by the drones. The changelings inflicted every torture and humiliation imaginable on the slaves until their merciful deaths arrived.

It made him heave to think about what fate his beloved mother and twin sister shared.

“Midnight..?” Cerise asked gingerly, but he didn’t acknowledge his wife, lost in bitter recompense.

Instead, he muttered to himself, “Why didn't you save them, father? Why didn't you tell me the truth? Are you just a coward? Is that all I am, too?”

“Hell no,” assured Beatrix, who listened in and placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking her half-brother out of his haze. “A coward wouldn’t have come this far to help his friends. I doubt we would have beaten Shadow Scythe without you! ... Uhh,no offense~!”

“None taken,” the reaper retorted dryly.

Beatrix assured him, “Still, far as I’m concerned, you’re a good person, Midnight! Out of all of us, you and Cerise have the biggest hearts!”

“Now, if only his brain were that big,” Zeloph quietly quipped before Moxxi smacked him across the head.

She harshly whispered, “Hush, you!”

The witch rubbed one of his wings while her gaze drifted to Cerise, who she knew also needed a lot of support right now. But who was she to provide it after all that had happened? Beatrix wouldn't blame the poor princess if she hated her forever!

Surprisingly, it was Shadow Scythe who glided over towards the distraught mare. “You’ll overcome this,” the pale unicorn encouraged, hidden behind her hood. “It was your bond with Midnight that helped best me. I rejected friendship all my life until I had to realize the limitations of what one can accomplish alone.”

“I-I know,” sighed Cerise, doing her best to keep it together mentally. “I’ve been sheltered most of my life. I don’t blame my parents since I understand their reasons, but a lack of exposure has limited my potential for greatness. It’s one why I insisted on coming along on this journey. Not just to help my friends, but to help myself!”

“A courageous thing to do,” Shadow Scythe noted.

“Speakin' ov potential,” Lady Ewe, who had been tuning in, cut in. “Ah say it’s time we discover what ye can do wit this body.”

With a focused gaze, Cerise nodded and stepped up towards a practice dummy. She took a deep breath and started to dance around the target, landing several strikes and kicks. While Doppia left her without any magic, she found her lighter body to be much quicker. In addition, the smaller size in her nubile bust and hips made her feel more agile… and a little bit stiff in some areas. No wonder the Vice Lord could match her pace!

Not wanting to be left out, Dion ushered Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer to follow him, claymore and shield brandished. “Don’t hold back,” the alabaster ram insisted. “Ah want tae see how far ye lassies have come since our last romp!”

“We’ve been practicing every day, sir Dion!” Wet Nurse giggled, tightening the grip on her ax.

“I’d say we’ve ‘come’ a long way waiting for you,” Foal-Bearer flirted, wiggling her hips with a coy smirk. “If you manage to cut away our clothes, you’ll find a nice, juicy surprise waiting for-”

BONK! BONK!

But before either twin could provoke the ram with naughty suggestions, they each received a hard whack from Mini-Trix, who manifested a baseball bat. “No! There will be no such 'adult' talk here! Bad!!” The tulpa insisted.

Both maids pouted while rubbing their aching heads, all while Dion chuckled. Then, he looked to the blue pegasus, who was still sulking. “C’mon, lad! Ye’re not gonna let me fend off these lusty minxes by myself, are ye?”

Midnight gazed up before nodding, reaching for his spear. Training did always help distract the soldier from his feelings when things were rough. So taking to his friend’s side, he unfurled his massive wingspan and took a battle stance. The crystal mares did the same until the foursome launched at each other, whereupon their weapons and shields clanged and clashed.

“Say,” Zeloph approached Mini-Trix on winged feet, pointing towards the star-decorated wiffle bat. “Where can I get one of those?”

“Don’t even think abaht bonkin' me, 🅳🆄🅲🅺 waffle!” Moxxi sneered, face flustered with frustration.

“You’re taking this a little too easy for my taste, Zeloph,” said Bellatrix. “You need to pull your weight as well!”

“There’s a reason I’m loafing about,” the cherub started explaining. “The more energy I reserve, the quicker I can reinvigorate myself to full glory. Though, admittedly, that is taking quite a while since mental scars heal a lot slower.”

“Well, what can you do while you’re in that puny body?” Beatrix asked.

“My healing should still be intact.” To demonstrate, Zeloph floated closer to Cerise, who was panting heavily from all the attacks and movements she used on the dummy. Sweat drenched her figure while she glared at her shaking hands. Despite being much faster, her strikes and kicks did minor damage, a reminder of how frail Doppia’s discarded body truly was.

She nearly jumped when the cherub touched her but soon felt a radiant warmth flow through her sore limbs. A long sigh escaped her lips, fatigue slowly fading away. Then, feeling relaxed, she stood up stronger and turned to the cherub. “T-thanks…”

“Don’t mention it,” he softly chuckled.

“Okay, cool! So you can patch us up when we get tired. Big deal!” The witchy unicorn huffed with a hand on her hip, unimpressed.

“It’s a lot more than just that,” Zeloph assured his former flame. “I can rejuvenate any injury. I could even restore a lost limb if given enough time!”

“I’d have to sacrifice my precious life force to pull such a miracle off,” admitted Bellatrix. “And you can accomplish that with a mere touch?”

“That’s remarkable!” Oona exclaimed.

“There is a flaw, though.” Shadow Scythe stepped in and pointed at the scratch mark on his cheek. “While you can heal others of their afflictions, you can’t do the same for yourself. Which means you’re extremely vulnerable as you are.”

Cerise pursed her lips tightly. “So if you ever get put out of commission…”

“We're down a powerful medic,” Beatrix begrudgingly accepted.

“Which is why I’ll be sticking with you, princess,” continued the cherub. “For I have a way that’ll boost your attributes and, more importantly, keep me safe.”

Curling his tail, Zeloph took hold of the halo around the tip, showing that it was actually removable. Then, carefully, he placed it over the dark dancer’s head. Briefly, it flashed, highlighting Cerise’s lithe form in a golden aura.

“W-whoa!” She yelped, energy coursing through her veins while the demi-human took a seat on her shoulder.

“There we go. You and I are now spiritually tethered. Anywhere you go, I will follow, no matter the distance. But you should feel a lot stronger now!”

To test this, Cerise whirled towards the dummy and unleashed a flurry of kicks and chops while Zeloph hovered out of the way. And with a finishing ax kick, the dancer knocked the target’s head off, earning hyped applauds from Oona, Beatrix, and Moxxi.

“And ya said me brother wouldn’t be reliable,” the imp teased the witch, who grumbled in contempt.

“Damn,” Cerise panted, looking over her shimmering fists. “This feels pretty good! Maybe having you as my shoulder angel won’t be such a bad thing~!”

“Yes, the irony isn’t lost on me,” the demi snarked, resting his arms behind his head and crossing his legs over. “Still, with me by your side? There should be nothing but smooth sailing from here to Canterlot.”

“Now isn’t the time to get cocky, 🅰🅽🆃🅷🅸🅻🅻!” Shadow Scythe growled. “It’ll take more than empowerment to defeat Doppia and the Burning King!”

“She’s right,” agreed Bellatrix. “Not to shoot down all your hard work, Mini-Trix, but a dummy can’t compare to a living being.”

The cartoonish unicorn frowned but understood what she meant. It was probably why Dion, Midnight, and the twins were sparring together, dodging attacks with counter strikes.

“Then train with me,” the reaper offered, her sickle sinking away into her long, wispy shadow. She took to the opposite side, raising her wrapped fists up. “Remember, I can recover from almost any wound. So you won't have to hold back on me. Beat me senseless if that will make you feel better. I can take it.”

“Yeah, I like the sound of that!” Cerise accepted with a mean smile, taking another stance. Zeloph, however, sported a concerned look. He felt a surge of suppressed anger suddenly spike within the dancer. And while he knew Shadow Scythe could take a beating, the demi-human didn’t want to see her get hurt...

Nonetheless, the mares ran at each other with nothing but pure skill. A series of measured blows turned to a grapple once they collapsed and fought for dominance. Eventually, Shadow Scythe also noticed how aggressive and rage-fueled the dancer’s wild attacks were, causing her to become more defensive.

“This is meant tae be a friendly spar, Cerise,” Lady Ewe reminded cautiously, a hand curled on her staff. “Ye don’t need tae go at this hard!”

“Don't tell me what to do! I'm fine,” she yelled back in a brusque manner, landing a hit in the reaper's gut. The impact caused the pale unicorn to clutch her stomach, vomiting saliva.

“H-hey! Take it easy!” Beatrix tried interfering, only to pause when met by a death glare.

Cerise snarled back. “No! I can't afford to hold back! Not when I don’t have my powers anymore! I refuse to be the weak link!”

“Stop it, princess,” Shadow Scythe insisted through heavy exhales, clutching her weakened tummy. “Don’t go down that route. Self-harm won’t solve anything. It’ll only make you loath yourself even more. I should know…”

“Do you?!”

Cerise balled up her fists and huffed, barely able to hold back tears that filled her eyes. “What do you know about loss?! You weren’t the one who was body-snatched and violated! You didn't grow in a household with parents that undermined you! You're not the one who has to prove you're not just a worthless pile of 🆂🅰🅽🅳! I was stupid and careless! It cost me my friendship! It's costing me my marriage! It cost me EVERYTHING!!” Then, with a mournful cry, she slammed her fist into the ground below, belting her woes for all to hear.

It was enough to make the others stop their actions and rejoin the group, Midnight kneeling to his wife's side and offering his fluffed-up plumage. “Cerise, what’s wrong?! I-I’m here!”

The sobbing mare ignored her husband, continuing her meltdown as she repeated over and over, “I just want my body back! I just want my body back!!” No one was sure what to do. If there was anything, they could do. But, how could they comfort their friend in a state like this?

Zeloph hesitantly placed a hand on her, expecting her to recoil. But she just heaved her shoulders up and down with every cry. That’s when he noticed something, making his eyes widen like saucers. “I... I don't believe it!”

“What is it, Zeloph?” Oona asked. “Is there somethin' amiss?”

“Out with it! Tell me, what’s wrong with my wife?!” Midnight demanded in a threatening tone, his green eyes glowing yellowish.

“Pipe down, lad,” Dion insisted. Much as he disliked the winged twerp, he knew better than to start a brawl during this troubling time.

The cherub continued to stare down at the quivering mare before responding. “This vessel doesn't have a soul..."

Everyone exclaimed, "What!?" As Zeloph lifted his head and gazed into their bewildered eyes.

"... It has two!”