Under the Bed

Under the Bed
Part 8: Between the Monsters

Dear Princess Celestia,

A great evil has emerged in Everfree and Ponyville needs your help. Zecora, our local Zafrican Shamaness, says it is called ‘Shub-Niggurath’. It has been snatching ponies under the disguise of innocent foals, like a big angler fish with a glowing dingle berry. Zecora requests that you please contact the Equestrian Construction Beaurau and commission them to surround the borders of Everfree with a line of brick dust. She says it will contain the beast in the forest until we figure out how to drive it away.

Please don’t come to Ponyville, Princess. I took one look at the monster through a portal, I think, and I lost my mind for over a day. It can apparently unravel your sanity with direct eye-contact. I can’t bear the thought of that happening to you or Luna. Please send help as quickly as you can so we can start on Zecora’s plan.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia stared at the letter, completely and utterly dumb-founded. Shub-Niggurath? In Everfree? She knew that name. Faust-alive, she knew that name. Eldritch abominations had happened upon Everfree in the forgotten times of chaos and madness. Celestia had stricken their memory from the history books so her ponies would not live in constant, crushing fear of the dark and endless universe. But even a reach as vast as hers had nod gotten rid of all records of it, if Twilight Sparkle was calling the entity by name.

Shub-Niggurath, the mother of a thousand monsters. She’d laid eyes on it before, and only the endless march of time had voided the memory from her eternal mind. Though she was not a goddess, Celestia knew time immemorial enough to feel like one sometimes.

Leaning back in her throne, Princess Celestia slumped. Actually slumped. Her regal exterior cracked badly, and she gave a deep frown. Everypony in the throne room stared up at her. What could have possibly been on that scroll she’d read that had affected her so? They ached to know, but just as the thought crossed their minds Celestia burned the letter with a flick of alicorn magic. “Captain Shining Glory,” she said, rubbing her temple for a moment.

“Yes, your Majesty?” The proper stallion turned, looking up the dais at her.

“Wake my sister.” Celestia commanded. “We meet in my drawing room.” She descended the stairs at a steep trot. The guard nodded, rushing to the double doors of the throne room and sending a galloping squire across the palace to wake the Princess of the Night.

Less than thirty minutes later, both Royal Sisters were in the sealed privacy of Celestia’s private office. “Luna, something terrible has happened. An Old One has come to Everfree, right at our doorstep.”

“An Old One?!” Luna abruptly lit her horn and stared at the floor. Her alicorn-powered vision stared down seven floors, past the palace basement, past the wine cellars, past the empty dungeons, and into Tarturaus herself. The surreal landscape burned and twisted as it always did. A great red centaur-shaped creature lay sleeping in chains the size of mountains. Luna frowned, squinting at him. He showed no signs of stirring. “Tirek still sleeps, sister.” Luna lowered her voice to a whisper, for speaking his name aloud was blasphemous. She flicked her magic away and she saw normally again.

“Not that one, Luna.” Celestia murmured gravely, going over to the long table and pulling a map of Equestria out. She unfurled it, holding it with paperweights. “Twilight Sparkle has just told me that Shub-Niggurath has poked her head into Everfree.”

Luna went as pale as a sheet. “Th-the mother of monsters?!” she whispered. “Does she even know what she says?! Where did she learn that name?! We burnt all the scriptures so nopony—!”

“So nopony could ever learn of her or the endless dark of the universe, yes, I was there,” Celestia said shortly. “Apparently there is a Shaman in Ponyville that knows of the beast. She’s calling for brick dust to be laid around Everfree.”

“That’s old magic. Very old.” Luna frowned, uncertain. The night Princess’ brow furrowed as she leaned over the map of Everfree. Everfree was next to Ponyville, and Ponyville was less than seventy miles from Canterlot. The seat of power and the capital of the nation. “That would take weeks, besides the fact. Enchanting that much dust would take dozens of highly-trained unicorns days and days to perform.”

“I agree,” Celestia murmured, seating herself while they pored over the map.

“We must go ourselves.” Luna said with a troubled frown. “This foe is beyond any of them.”

“I agree,” Celestia whispered, folding her wings to hide a shiver. “Twilight says that looking upon her brought madness for a full day, though. She begged me not to come.”

“Our minds are sharper than they!” Luna snapped angrily.

“I think she is thinking of the day Chrysalis struck me down,” Celestia rubbed at a curled end of the map. “None of our little ponies have seen a true display of alicorn power since, well…” she looked at her sister guiltily. The sisters shared a pregnant few moments of silence. Sealing Nightmare Moon in the moon itself had been the most awesome display of magic the land had ever seen in that era. Since then Celestia had down-played her magic so nopony would be frightened of her might.

Luna gave a grumpy sound, “If you’d vaporized that insect--”

“Half the palace would have gone with it, along with anypony in that general compass direction.” Celestia finished a little testily. Luna hung her head, wilting her ears. The elder of the two’s expression softened. “But in Everfree, there will be nopony around to get hurt if we have to cut loose.” She leaned and cupped Luna’s cheek, making her little sister look up at her.

The night time Princess looked up at her sister, taking a deep breath to resolve herself. “What if one of us does go mad?” she whispered, gesturing to the map. “And Twilight Sparkle was right to begin with?”

“Twilight Sparkle means well, trying to protect us. But she has no idea what she’s dealing with.” Celestia whispered worriedly. The drawing room fell silent for a time. “It has hostages,” the white alicorn turned to look at her sister.

“Then I will go with you to save them,” Luna said. “I am not as battle-worthy as you, Cellie.”

“That’s why I’m the big sister,” Celestia chuckled like a tinkling bell. They shared a moment of tired smiles. “We need to hurry before Twilight gets herself and everypony she loves killed. Why don’t we go enact a bit of Dues Ex Machina?” she asked. Luna groaned. She hated it when Celestia said it like that. It made her feel dirty.

=-=-=-=

Rainbow Dash awoke on a slab of cold stone. The first word out of her mouth was a moaning swearword. She was laying spread-eagle on her back, and the carvings of the slab were digging into her tender wing-muscles. Turning her head slowly, she waited for her vision to swim back to her. She rubbed at her eyes with a foreleg, shifting her weight and almost falling off the little alter. “What, no spooky candles and skulls?” she grumped, scrubbing sorely at her prismatic mane. “I’m insulted.”

The cyan Pegasus winced at the missing pinion in her right wing. It was one of her primaries. She’d have to lean hard to fly in a straight line for months now. She groaned, giving the wing a few quick flaps. She was flight capable, but not quiet oriented yet.

Turning, she studied her surroundings and gave a start. Lots and lots of little beady eyes were staring at her. She blurted another swear word, standing up and arching her back like a startled cat. They stared at her curiously, a massive crowd of oily-black… foals? No, they weren’t foals. They had too many teeth. Big, sharp teeth and red-black eyes. Their fur was like oil and their manes and tails looked like seaweed. “Muh… M’ahhh?” One of them wanted to know, rearing up and putting its strange twisted hooves on the slab. Rainbow Dash recoiled. “M’ahhh? M’ahhh?” it asked.

Rainbow Dash’s muzzle crinkled up. “Momma? Sorry uh… whatever you are. Not me.” The mare lifted her wings to intimidate it back down, but it only tilted its head and licked its chops a few times. Rainbow was reminded of an attentive, if very ugly, dog. The three rows of massive, jagged teeth didn’t help the image. Something prickled on the back of her neck, and she turned about. “Rarity?!” she gaped.

The white mare, dirtied and gross-looking, lay on a slab just like hers some thirty feet away. She was upright, fussing with the mane of one of the little shadow foals. It crooned, swaying back and forth as she did so. “M’ahh!” it chirruped, leaning into her for nuzzles. Rarity smiled absently, pressing her muzzle into its wet and sloppy mane to give it a kiss.

“M’ahh is here, little one. M’ahh is here.” Rarity cooed. A few more of the little monsters had clambered up onto the slab with her, laying on and all around her like a giant pack of demon puppies. They rested their heads on her, played with her tail, chewed on one of her hooves, and generally just wanted to be near her. M’ahh took care of them, after all. The one Rarity had been playing with hopped down, quite content, and another leaped up between her front hooves to take its place. The white mare chuckled, coddling the disgusting oily creature.

Rainbow Dash stared in morbid fascination. “Rarity!” she finally got her voice back to call. The white mare paid her no attention. “Rarity! Hey Rarity!” she raised her voice. She didn’t trust herself to fly over there. With so many of the little monsters all around her it wouldn’t take much to be tackled to the ground and ripped to shreds. The Pegasus scanned around for any hope, but found only more horrors.

Cheerilee lay splayed out on her back, all four hooves in the air. Her back leg would kick now and then, and a rather drunken smile was on her face. Even from where she was standing Rainbow could see the milky slime between her back legs. She fought back the sudden urge to vomit, holding a hoof on her mouth. All around Cheerilee’s little alter were dozens and dozens of shadow foals. Apparently over there it was naptime because all of them were piled this way and that, sleeping on top of each other like so many black ants. The purple mare lying among them stirred quietly, and they shifted with her so she would be comfortable. M’ahh was very important, after all.

Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. There was a slight stomping on flat stone. Every single little shadow foal lifted its ears. They turned to look, and Rainbow Dash did too. Big Macintosh stood on the edge of the massive herd, demanding entrance with his little stompy-sounds. The crowd parted for him, and he started inward at an even pace.

M’ah stopped coddling the monster in her arms, smiling happily at him.

M’ahh awoke from her nap, looking at him adoringly.

Rainbow Dash was more than a little confused.

As Big Mac made his way inward, his black and glittering eyes became more obvious. It was the same darkness with a bright shine that Rainbow Dash expected to see in a tarantula’s eyes. It was an insectoid sort of gaze that didn’t really need to blink. The eyes were always wet and shiny, always looking in all directions without moving. The red stallion looked about the endless thralls of shadow foals as though inspecting them. The ones near him flopped back on their backs. He rubbed a belly or two while they chirruped at him happily. He looked over at the three alters.

M’ah of the magic. M’ahh of the earth. And of course M’ahhh of the sky. (Da'h was of the earth since that was the base of all things) The barrel-chested pony wandered up to M’ahh, nuzzling with her. She yawned cutely. He peered at her belly. Nothing yet. He went to M’ah, who flopped down submissively so he could see everything she had to offer him. Nothing lived in her womb yet either. He chuffed a little, nibbling on her ear while the little monsters danced around his column-like legs.

“What are you?” Rainbow Dash said, aghast at what was happening.

Big Mac’s head turned about. M’ahhh of the sky had not been turned yet, much less mounted. The order of which didn’t matter, but both still needed to be done if their little herd was to prosper. Three mares and a stallion, as the ancient laws bade, was the proper and perfect size for a herd of ponies. The number of foals, well, that depended. A few hundred were all around them, that would be just fine, atop whatever new life he could sire from the three of them.

“Are you possessing Big Macintosh? Are you Shub-Niggurath?” Rainbow wanted to know, scowling. As soon as the name left her lips the entire forest shuddered. A low roaring sound that issued from the earth and heavens, vibrating the air like the mightiest of gongs. The shadow foals cowered in all directions, fighting each other to press up to M’ah or M’ahh for safety. The tree that watched over the entire scene swayed itself violently. Big Macintosh scowled. How dare she name the Mother aloud? Rainbow clutched at herself as everything vibrated, squeezing her eyes shut. An endless well of black power stroked the edges of her mind. She whimpered a little, but staggered back to her hooves. “Enough!” she shouted

The black-eyed stallion stared up at her, frowning severely. Why didn’t she lift her tail? Give herself to the brood? He pawed at her hoof a little, then tried to push her over a little. She had to be on the alter when he mounted her, but there was nothing specific about how. He growled a little, already feeling the muscles in his pelvis tense up.

Rainbow scowled down at him. “So how about it? Are you possessing him? Mind-controlling him? I’m not blind, I can see magic in his eyes. They’re all black!” she turned to looked at Rarity and Cheerilee. They had rather glassy looks about them as well. Big Mac took the opportunity to haul her front hooves out from under her. “Ommph?!” Rainbow grunted as she hit her muzzle on the slab while her rump stayed in the air. He moved, quick and eager, to mount her. “HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY!” Rainbow’s wings wrapped around his barrel and she grabbed his front legs as he reared up. Using his own momentum against him, she somersaulted forward and threw Big Mac head-first to the smooth stone ground. His skull gave an audible crack and he grunted aloud. “Easy pal! I don’t swing that way!” she was red-faced and furious, tail tucking protectively over herself.

Big Mac rose in a very unnatural way, like a recovering puppet on strings. It made Rainbow Dash’s stomach turn. He growled at her aggressively. Tossing his mane a bit, he made a harsh gesture.

The foal-demons parted, giving him a wide berth to Rainbow Dash. It was only then the mare saw that the three alters were arranged in a triangle… on a much bigger design of some kind. Was it a magic circle? What for? She looked at all the unnatural symbols and writings. With the three alters, each with a mare on it, positioned around a focal point—who knew what it was for. Rainbow did see, however, that two-thirds of it was glowing slightly. At first she thought it was a shine in the moonlight, but no. The writings and symbols were wreathed in a sickly green cover. The portion of the circle that was not lit up was hers. It didn’t take a genius to see the pattern here. An earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus-- a stallion to mount them all three-- and demon foals everywhere?

“What is this, some kind’a sick, cult-y, sex-magic circle?!” Rainbow blurted, lifting a hoof in case Big Mac charged her. Spreading her wings to make herself look as big as possible, she glared all around herself. “This is sick! Really sick!” she shouted defiantly. Something dark and silky touched Rainbow’s mind again, and she shuddered. “Whuh? Whuh-oahh…” she wavered on the spot. Something massaged her thoughts, warming them with the flying fancy of a spring-time heat. She stumbled one way, then the other. She moaned a little, holding her head with one hoof. Her loins suddenly ached. Staggering a bit, she gave an audible pant or two.

The stallion’s blank expression turned more confident. He approached her from behind. At last, M’ahhh of the sky would join them, and their little herd would be complete. When the circle was alight, they would become permanent and their herd would prosper. His sheath parted as the scent of feminine desire wafted into his nose. The male animal murred with anticipation. She was smaller and less sturdy than the other two, but she would be loved as much as the others. She would bear his seed with just as much honor. Licking his chops, the stallion clambered up onto the alter. His massive pink erection dipped down between his legs, dripping with black pre-cum. He’d been waiting and waiting for their third offering for the great Mother. At last. At last. He inhaled her scent, her sweat and warmth. Rainbow Dash’s tail slowly curled to one side and she gave an audible whimper. He savored her as his massive hooves came to grasp at her toned, athletic hips.

“WHAH-PAHHH!” Rainbow Dash turned with all the ferocity of a black belt. One wing then the other knocked his front legs out from under him. On his way down, Big Macintosh met a spinning tornado kick. His head snapped back like she’d broken his neck, spittle flying in an impressive arc. Hundreds of little monster foals watched in horror as D’ah sailed backward. Going ass-over-teakettle in a full somersault, the stallion saw ground-then-sky-then-ground-again before he landed backward on his head. The stone cracked under his weight and he saw white spots. The cyan pegasus leapt from the alter, landing with all four hooves right on his erection. The stallion whinny-screamed, black-eyes bulging. Turning with a scream of fury, Rainbow Dash whipped her body around in a barrel-roll. Her sheer weight and turning movement slammed an elbow drop into his muzzle so hard she felt the bones break. He went limp, blood fountaining from his nostrils and his tongue hanging out. “*Hff* *Hff* I said *huff-hfff* I don’t *pff* swing that way!” she said, standing over him in a sweaty fury. It was only then that she noticed the absolute silence around her. Still panting, she looked around.

All the little demon foals were staring at Rainbow Dash with wide eyes. They looked utterly horrified with her. They looked at each other, frightened. Why wasn’t M’ahhh doing her job? What had happened to D’ah?! He wasn’t moving! Suddenly every single one of them started bawling at the top of their lungs, and panic exploded across the crowd of little demons. The very air around them vibrated and darkened like a cloud had passed over the world. Leaves began to fall off of trees. Mud boiled. Clouds exploded into meaningless vapor. The abomination tree waved itself back and forth in livid, earth-shaking rage. Rainbow Dash held her hooves over her ears, her eyes helplessly crossing as her sanity snapped like a dry twig.

M’ah and M’ahh ran back and forth, shrieking wildly as they tried to coddle the endless droves of little shadow foals. Whenever they held one or nuzzled another, there were a hundred more than needed reassurance. D’ah wasn’t dead! Everything would be okay! Don’t cry, don’t cry! The rolling thunder of shrieking monsters concussed Everfree as birds fell out of the air and insects vacated their homes in the dirt to writhe on the ground.

By the time it was over, Rainbow Dash lay in a heap on the ground, bleeding from the nose and shaking. M’ah and M’ahh slowly put her back on the alter where she belonged. They nuzzled her, and M'ah kissed her slowly on the lips. She would be out for a while, they would just need to wait for D’ah to wake up again. Then all would be well.