At those words, spoken honestly and sympathetically, Egon felt his stomach knot with worry. If Peter was ill, truly ill, then it was all the more crucial for Egon to escape with his friend sooner rather than later. Turning off the PKE meter Egon revealed himself in full to Naiad out of sheer respect and to give her a much needed sense of trust. She smiled in response and turned her gaze to her neighboring cell where Peter laid, alone.

"You must hurry." Naiad ushered Egon to move on to the next cell.

Without hesitation Egon rushed over to the barricade of energy that barred entrance to Peter's cell and turned the PKE meter back on just long enough to pass through without resistance or injury.

Peter was laying on his back on the stone bench inside his cell motionless and quiet. His cuffed hands were purple from the tightness of the restraints and resting on his legs, as his outstretched arms reached down his torso resting atop his body. Peter's face was pale and his lips had a twinge of blue from his inability to properly breathe from the sickness that was ravaging his body.

"Peter..." Egon turned off the PKE meter for the second time and knelt beside his friend. Placing his hand against Peter's neck he checked his pulse and could hear the ragged, crackling weak breaths that escaped from Peter's affected lungs as well as the heat radiating from his skin thanks to the fever. Tilting his head down Egon pressed his ear against Peter's chest and listened to his struggling breathing. "Infection. There's fluid building up in his lungs; most likely pneumonia."

Lifting his head back up he ran his hands down to the cuffs on Peter's wrists and found that there was no lock to be picked and no latch to be opened.

"Peter? Peter open your eyes." Egon demanded as he moved his hand back up to Peter's shoulders and helped to lift his friend up into a sitting position. "Come on, wake up. I'm here to help you."

Peter could barely hear Egon's voice from his deep state of unconsciousness. Unable to open his eyes he managed to utter a weak vocal response. "...Spengz..."

"Yes. It's me." Hearing Peter's voice, as pitiful and weak as it was, gave Egon a renewed sense of hope. "I'm getting you out of here."

Thinking quickly Egon took Peter's cuffed hands and draped pulled them over his head and pulled Peter's arm down around his own shoulders to support his friend's weight. Standing up slowly he let Peter's limb body lean heavily against his own as he powered up the PKE meter once more.

"I know you can hear me so I must ask that you remain as quiet as possible until we are clear of the dungeon."

Egon bit down on his lower lip as the sudden pain from Peter's added deadweight surged through every nerve fiber in his body. The lacerations began to seep blood once more as the weight exasperated his injuries caused his heart to race in response.

Walking slowly, his footsteps heavy and clumsy, Egon passed back through the cell and turned to exit the corridor from the direction in whence he came.

"Please be careful." Naiad pleaded softly as Egon and Peter passed by. "My mother will not follow you beyond the border of her territory. But you must be quick to escape her wrath. She will not show mercy to those who defy her."

"Thank you." Egon knew that even though she couldn't actually see him, only sense him, he owed her a nod of respect. "I will succeed."

Peter's voice rasped hoarsely as he managed to squeak out a pathetic plea. "...come with us... Escape."

Naiad couldn't dare to face the two fleeing Ghostbusters. "I... I cannot. I am not... strong enough."

"...if we can make it..." Peter's pale, sunken face managed a weak but sincere smile. "you can, too..."

Naiad fell silent.

Time was too crucial to wait for her response. Lamentably Egon and Peter had no choice but to continue on with their escape even if that meant leaving behind Naiad who had been so kind and courageous to aid them when they needed it the most. Through the purple hued barricade of her cell Naiad watched as her friends limped away toward the exit of the dungeon at a painfully slow pace.

"May the guardians watch over you." Naiad prayed as she bowed her head solemnly.

Winston led Ray and Janine to safety down the corridor and toward the massive staircase that connected Moirai's realm to the plane of the living. The hour was nearly up and the PKE meter would lose its power. Without the shield to protect them the trio would be defenseless against the wrath of Moirai and her minions.

"It won't be easy but we need to climb the stairs together." Winston urged in a low voice. "Come on, one step at a time."

"Wait, what about Peter and Egon?" Janine asked logically without budging an inch. "You said Egon was going to find Peter and get him out of here, too."

"He will." Winston stated confidently as he put one hand on Janine's arm to reassure her. "But if we get caught there will be no way for him to rescue all of us. We have to trust that Egon will get Peter out in time."

A low groan of pain from Ray reminded them both that there was another important reason for them to escape.

"Ray needs us to get him out of here, now."

"I just..." Janine looked back over her shoulder to the large door that connected the two corridors of the dungeon together and sighed with an intense sense of guilt in her voice. "I just hate leaving them behind."

"So do I." His hand tightened around her arm as he empathetically shared her reluctance. "But we can't do anything more but wait and hope for the best."

With a somber agreement Janine finally stepped forward as she kept the PKE meter powered up and helped guide Winston, with Ray unconscious on his back, up the stone steps and back toward the surface where their world was awaiting their return.

Egon huffed as he struggled with the weight of Peter on his back and the exhausting pain of his still raw injuries gnawing away at him with every beat of his racing heart. Never one to do anything physical or too taxing beyond running around with a proton pack on his back, the effort to carry Peter to safety was proving itself to be a taxing venture that was pushing him to his limits.

The orc guards patrolling the corridor remained oblivious to Egon's presence and Peter's escape as they passed by the nearly invisible mortals without noticing a single abnormality. The biggest risk was passing through the doors that connected corridors to the heart of the dungeon and to the lone staircase that provided any entry or exit from the dungeon itself.

Passing through the doorway Egon fell to his knees and breathed deeply, trying to catch a second wind so he could continue forward as he leaned against the cool wall of the stone dungeon. Peter was still unconscious. His own breathing wasn't fairing any better than Egon's, and his body remained lifeless throughout the escape from the dungeon.

"Almost there." Egon told Peter as well as himself to try to give himself a little pep talk. "All we need to do is climb a set of stairs."

"...why is it always stairs?" Peter managed to pathetically joke as he fought to regain consciousness.

"Wish I knew..."

Forcing himself to get back to his feet Egon used one hand to brace himself against the stone wall he was already leaning against and rose slowly back into a standing position.

Moving forward at a shuffling pace Egon made his way to the base of the towering staircase and looked up into the blackness that would eventually turn into light.

"We're close..." Egon bowed his head and let out a deep sigh. "I just hope Winston, Ray and Janine are also so fortunate."

Winston and Janine had managed to carry Ray over to Ecto-1 just a few minutes before their PKE meter lost its power. The battery was dangerously low and could only produce the shield for another few minutes before burning out entirely.

"Made it." Winston sighed in relief as he opened the rear passenger door to Ecto-1 and laid Ray down flat on his back across the backseat. Ray hadn't regained consciousness but fortunately the movement hadn't reopened his injury during the escape. "Now we wait for Egon."

"I don't like this." Janine rubbed her hands up and down her arms as dread suddenly set in. "This seems too easy."

His experience as both a marine and as a Ghostbuster told him instinct often trumped any strategy. "You may be right."

"So what do we do?"

"First, we get Ecto-1 further away from the epicenter." Winston opened the driver's side door as he closed the rear passenger door. "You need to drive out toward the road and wait."

"What? I'm not leaving you behind!"

"You're not." Winston reassured her calmly as he took the PKE meter from her shaking hand and clipped it to his belt. "You're just getting a headstart. Look, Egon's still in rough shape and I can only assume that Peter is just as rough. We'll need to get out here and to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Ray's stable for now but that could change at any moment."

"I..."

"Please Janine. I trust you!" Winston motioned with his hand for her take a seat behind the steering wheel. "I'll take Ecto-2 in a little closer so I can pick up both Egon and Peter and get out of here as soon as I see them."

"Okay... I'll do it." Janine sat down behind the wheel and let Winston shut the door behind her. "But please don't do anything reckless!"

"I promise."

Janine turned the key in the ignition of Ecto-1 and looked into the backseat to peer down at Ray's oddly peaceful face as he laid in blissful unconsciousness in the back of the hearse. Backing hearse down the lot for a few yards before turning it around she drove off toward the road and parked, waiting for Winston to catch up to her with Egon and Peter safely along with him.

Pulling open the door to Ecto-2 Winston jumped inside and pulled the pick up truck closer to the epicenter of the initial attack and backed up to the edge of the line. Winston kept the engine running as he waited for any sign of his friends successfully escaping the dungeon. Thinking quickly Winston hopped out of the truck and pulled down the large truck bed door to ensure that Egon and Peter could climb into the back with little difficulty. As he prepped the truck Winston looked back at the trap that had opened the gateway and looking down at the PKE meter hanging from his belt.

"Hmm..." Taking the PKE meter with his hands he looked at the meter and over at the trap curiously. "I wonder if I can rig the trap collapse the portal?"

Bending down Winston grabbed the release trigger connected to the trap and then pulled it by its connected cable to reel in the trap without having to set foot into the epicenter and risk alerting Moirai to his presence.

The trap had been shut off due to a safety mechanism in place to keep it from overheating, but the gateway had enough energy to sustain itself. Slipping the PKE meter down inside the bulk of the trap Winston hover his finger over the power switch with one hand and placed his other hand on the back the trap ready to push or even throw it back into the epicenter quickly. Placing his boot over the cable just before the release trigger to ensure that the trigger wasn't accidentally placed out of range the marine waited patiently to make his move.

Egon reached the top of the stairs and felt his legs buckle from exhaustion. As he knelt on the stone floor he looked up and stared at the welcoming warm, white light of his world shining through the purple swirling portal that separated the two realms.

"...I can..." Peter weakly stated and stopped quickly. "...I can smell... fresh air..." He began coughing violently which echoed loudly through the stairwell.

Knowing that Peter wouldn't be able to silence his coughs Egon forced himself back up to his feet and rushed through the gateway to safety. His legs were trembling violently and the world around Egon began to muffle as dots danced before his eyes.

"Egon!" Winston's voice called out to the physicist as the PKE meter that once shielded Egon began to lose its power. The green energy aura fluctuated allowing Winston to catch brief glimpses of the two fleeing men racing away from the portal. "This way!"

"Winston!" Egon shouted in relieved response to see that his friend had already escaped the dungeon.

As the PKE lost the final reserves of its power the earth began to tremble. Moirai and her patrolling minions had sensed the intrusion of the moral men on her immortal land. Rising once more through the trap like a plume of purple smoke Moirai manifested herself before the three Ghostbusters.

"Not possible!" She hissed as she observed Egon carrying Peter to safety. "I should have killed you when I had the chance mortal."

Egon paused momentarily to look over his shoulder and estimate how close Moirai was to his current position. She wasn't moving from her point of origin, but two orc guards with massive spears in their equally massive hands were stampeding toward Egon and Peter with all of their might.

"Just keep running!" Winston urged as he timed his move. As soon as Egon and Peter were clear he'd use the trap to send Moirai back the hellish depths where she belongs!

Egon was too tired, too weak keep running. Despite his best efforts, despite the immense adrenaline coursing through his veins, he collapsed onto the ground with a heady thud. Peter fell just as heavily onto Egon's back and the two men remained motionless on the decimated concrete terrain.

"NO!" Winston shouted with the utmost dread and fear in otherwise calm voice.

Just as the orcs were about to leap onto their downed targets a burst of white light erupted from the earth just a few inches behind where Egon and Peter laid. The light created a wall of pure energy that stunned the orcs the moment they made contact with the surface and collapsed into a drained heap on the ground.

"What?!" Moirai snarled as she watched her guards so easily bested by a simple beam of light. "How is this possible?"

Winston's eyes widened as he watched the protective barrier of light shield Egon and Peter from the orcs and seemingly from Moirai herself. From within the shining rays of the light a figure emerged and stood boldly before Moirai without fear.

"You must stop this madness, Mother." Naiad pleaded as she stood her ground to defend the defenseless.

"Naiad... I knew you would betray me. I should've ended your life before your treachery interfered with my work."

"This must end, Mother." Naiad repeated her plea as she raised her hand before herself, ready to engage in combat if Moirai made a move toward her. "You are seeking to punish innocent mortals for the crimes of another. This cannot stand, this is not justice."

"His ancestor deceived me." Moirai snarled bitterly. "His ancestor used a foreign magic to elude my sight. To atone for his deception he swore to me the blood of his thirteenth descendant upon his thirtieth year. I will not be denied what I am owed."

"And to what is it you are owed? A broken contract? You abuse your power and live in hypocrisy!" Naiad's words carried an authority that contrasted her gentle beauty as she spoke. "You admit you'd rather do away with your own daughter to seek revenge. How is killing your own offspring any more righteous than his ancestor selling his soul to you?"

At those Moirai froze. It was as if Moirai had finally opened her eyes and seen her own wickedness for what it truly was.

"As your heiress and only child I seek to dispose of your right to our royal bloodline." Naiad asserted her power over her mother's. A fluctuation in the air reflected the balance of power between the two ethereal deities. "You have neglected your duties as guardian of this land and have corrupted our name. We were once guardians of mortal men, not destructors."

Egon lifted his head and watched in awe as Naiad's own power weakened Moirai's right before his eyes. Peter, who had been lingering on the edge of consciousness, had recognized the voice of Naiad as that of his friend. Opening his eyes he managed a weak smile as Naiad overtook her mother and displaced the negative energy with positive energy.

A while aura of light surrounded Naiad and infused her with a power that her own mother couldn't even begin to channel.

"...Winston." Peter managed to call out somewhat hoarsely. "...do it."

Winston surveyed the scene and saw his opportunity. Tossing the trap through the barricade he watched as Naiad used her own enhanced energy to power the trap and guided it toward Moirai.

"Goodbye, Mother." Naiad stated flatly as the trap burst open with the brightest light that any of the Ghostbusters had ever seen.

Winston put up his arm to shield his eyes as the intense light surrounded Moirai and her vicious orcs, and pulled them all down into the dark depths of her own realm. Naiad, whose own energy was different that Moirai, was unaffected by the trap and watched as her mother was finally defeated. Moirai's reign of terror had come to an end after centuries of torture.

The trap shut and the aid became lighter, brighter and seemed to be brimming with energy.

"Told you..." Peter laughed triumphantly despite his heavy lungs. "you were strong, Naiad. Thank you..."

Naiad turned and smiled at the three Ghostbusters as Winston rushed over to Peter and Egon. "Please. Go in peace." Naiad stated calmly as she waved her hands over Peter's body, the cuffs unlocking and falling away beside him. "Know that the Ghostbuster will always have my blessing. We are allies."

"Thank you." Winston appreciatively smiled as Naiad floated up into the air and faded into a beam of warm sunlight.

"She's... gone." Peter stated just seconds before his eyes closed and he fell unconscious once more.

"Peter?" Winston put his hand on Peter's back and looked down at his face. "Don't worry man, we have you."

Driving to the hospital was bitter-sweet for Winston and Janine. While their friends were safe and now getting proper treatment, the scars of their experiences would last forever. Some scars are physical, others are mental, but it's always the latter that hurts the most.

Peter, Egon and Ray were all roomed together during their two day stay at the hospital. Peter had in fact developed pneumonia and required breathing treatments, antibiotics and constant monitoring. After the first twelve hours after admission his lungs began to clear up and showed no sign of permanent damage.

Ray's stab would required surgery to repair. The operation went smoothly, no complications arose and Ray was expected to make a full recovery with three weeks. As per doctor's orders Ray was prohibited from any heavy lifting for the next six weeks, but it was a small price to pay just to have Ray alive and kicking.

Egon had suffered a mild concussion courtesy or Moirai. The numerous lacerations had been stitched closed and as a result Egon was given a course of antibiotics as well as a tetanus shot. As sore as he was he had still fared better than his colleagues.

"How do you feel?" Janine asked as she sat beside Egon's bed in the recovery room.

"Tired." Egon stated honestly as he looked over at the relieved receptionist. "But better. Thank you."

Peter pulled the oxygen mask from his mouth as he interrupted from his bed across from Egon. "How about some love for the psychologist? I was the one imprisoned for nine days, you know!"

"Peter," Ray replied curtly from his own beside right beside Peter. "it was nine days in Moirai- I mean Naiad's realm. It was only eight hours here."

"Still a long time!" Peter defended and immediately began coughing. At that moment Winston walked into the room with a book tucked under his arm. He walked over to Peter's bed and replaced the mask over his face. A muffled 'thanks' from Peter just made Winston shake his head.

"I just spoke to the doctor," Winston announced optimistically. "you'll all be out of here in two days. You're in the clear!"

"Too long..." Peter whined again in an overtly theatrical manner.

Janine adjusted her glasses and gave him a stern look. "You know, we could've left you down there if we wanted to."

Peter flashed Janine a cheeky grin. "What would you do without me though?" He coughed once and continued. "You'd miss me!"

Janine's sternness melted into a warm smile and her entire demeanor relaxed. "Yeah, I think I would."

Winston handed the book he had been carrying over to Peter. "Check this out. While you guys were getting treatment I did a little digging into that royal bloodline fiasco and the name 'Naiad'. Turns out Moirai's grievance with Peter's ancestor was over more than just a broken deal."

"Oh?" Peter opened the book and read the page Winston had marked earlier. "Huh? Oh... Well, that makes sense."

"What is it Peter?" Egon asked curiously.

Winston answered on Peter's behalf as the psychologist was too busy reading the passage. "Moirai had fallen in love with Peter's ancestor but Peter's ancestor was in love with Naiad. Moirai thought she could seduce his ancestor by offering him a contract that would give him incredible power, skill and luck in the battlefield and in exchange he'd wed Moirai. Unfortunately he couldn't bring himself to leave Naiad, even after signing the contract."

Egon nodded as he now understood why Moirai was bitter and full of hate. "Jealous of her daughter and feeling insecure by her inability to take over the mind or heart of a mortal man she cursed his bloodline and spent the subsequent years channeling her powers for the distinct purpose of harming whomever it was who had the misfortune of being born in the Venkman bloodline as the thirteenth descendant."

"Lucky me... Guys you know I love you, right?" Peter continued with a sincerely joyful grin on his face as he looked about the room at his friends who had risked everything to help bring him home. "I mean it. Thanks for coming after me. I really mean it."

"Of course, Peter." Egon's answer carried a surprising amount of sweetness. "You'd do the same for any of us."

"He's right." Winston agreed wholeheartedly. "You'd be there in a heartbeat!"

"I'd like to think so." Peter replied just as sweetly. "We've known each other for too long to just give up on each other."

"Almost ten years now. College and the late night parties seemed so long ago..." Ray spoke up and set the mood for the rest of the night. "Which reminds me, Peter, how was your birthday?"

The look on Peter's face as the memories of his painful hangover was all it took to cause the room to burst out into laughter. Peter himself soon joined in as the much needed lightheartedness took its toll on the five exhausted members of the Ghostbusters.

-The End