Back in Hollow Shades, Luna had been forced to cut her visit short, to the disappointment and consternation of her thestral subjects.

It had begun when, not long after midnight, she’d felt a massive disturbance and magical surge coming from the direction of Canterlot. Mental calls to her sister had not been answered except for a set of blinding desires—the need to rut and the need to dominate foremost among them—and her nocturnal servants back at the Castle, in response to her queries, had reported that a flame-cloaked Celestia had been seen departing the city at high speed, heading south towards Ponyville.

Entering the dreamscape, she probed for sleeping figures in the area only to find few, and those that were didn’t stay that way for long. They were shortly overcome with the same overwhelming lust and need she had sensed from her sister, only eclipsed by an even greater desire to make others join them. But even that did not alarm her so much as when she detected the presence of—

“The Nightmare!” Luna growled, baring her teeth in a snarl as she sensed her ancient adversary anew, and worse, realized she’d found a new host, making her infinitely more dangerous for it. Despite that, she called out to her, promising her former possessor a swift and bloody vengeance, only to get a mocking, gleeful laugh back as the Dream Demon Queen recognized her presence and flaunted her new body, daring Luna to come stop her.

It was only then Luna realized The Nightmare had somehow taken over the Element of Generosity again, and worse, shortly after detecting her, she lost all mental contact with her sister, whose enormous presence and power abruptly disappeared without a trace.

The Moon Princess knew her sister had contingencies for turning evil, or otherwise being incapacitated or falling into darkness—contingencies Luna herself wished she had possessed a thousand years earlier—and Luna herself was now part of them, as it fell to her to contain the situation and control the heavens in Celestia’s absence.

To the ends of the former, she next contacted the Court Bard, Delta Requiem. The spellsinging pegasus mare was Celestia’s first failsafe, and could be contacted directly by either Luna or Celestia through the special clasp on her cape that was receptive to a specific communication spell. So Luna cast it, only to receive a terse reply back from Lady Requiem that she was aware of the situation and on scene, but found herself unable to approach or intervene for The Nightmare’s presence.

“The situation is grave, my Princess,” Delta said grimly through the image projected by Luna’s horn. “Celestia is corrupted, and so is the entirety of Ponyville. I know not the source of this corruption yet, but it is extremely contagious and appears to have an element of Everfree magic within it. So until I know more, I strongly recommend you stay away and quarantine the area lest you fall prey to it yourself. Your sister has already been consumed by this curse. We dare not risk losing you as well.”

“I see…” Luna’s mind turned. “And what of Celestia herself? Consumed or not, I can no longer sense her!”

Delta’s eyes closed tightly for a moment. “Nor can I, My Princess.” She shook her head, her weariness showing for a moment as she exhaled slowly. “I tracked her here to Ponyville, but then she disappeared without a trace. All I can tell you is that I do not believe her slain, just… vanished. Unfortunately, I cannot investigate further without alerting The Nightmare, and… wait.” Her ears suddenly swiveled to her right, her eyes closed and she murmured in audible melody.

“My Princess, there is now something else I must investigate. A new presence has arrived—Celestia’s former student, Sunset Shimmer.” She opened her eyes and looked off to a direction outside of the spell’s projection. “She was living in the human world, and her arrival means she must have come through the portal. It remains to be seen if she is friend or foe.”

“Very well. Keep me informed, and I will aid you as I can,” she said as Delta broke the connection. The Lunar Princess then sat back on her haunches, brooding as she considered her next moves, certain that whatever had happened, The Nightmare was somehow behind it. I know not how you gained a new host, my hated foe, but you will NOT get away with it! By possessing a living pony, you have also exposed yourself to destruction, and this time you will NOT escape my wrath! she silently swore again, even as she wondered how best to make her vow a reality.

As she made ready to depart, she found the thestrals awaiting her, asking her what was wrong. She explained in short order that an emergency in Ponyville required her immediate attention. She made sure to leave out the more lurid parts of the story, thinking it was only too much like The Nightmare that she would recreate the Court of Coltugulia, as much as she enjoyed the idea of corruption in all its forms.

“Please, My Princess… let us come with you!” the General of her Army of the Night begged, though it was now but a ceremonial force barely a regiment in strength; the general himself still dressed for Nightmare Night in a uniform from the Celestial War. “This is our chance to serve you in battle once more!”

“’Tis appreciated. But ‘tis also uncertain what we face except an all-consuming curse,” she admitted. “As much as I wish to charge to my sister’s rescue and do battle with The Nightmare, we lack sufficient information on her plans and allies, or how to properly contain this spreading corruption. So methinks it best we work to quarantine the area first.”

She materialized a map of central Equestria and Ponyville. “I will summon the Princess of Love and her husband to erect a shield around the area and, if necessary, Canterlot—there is a chance the curse already made it there if my sister has fallen prey to it. The responsibility of you and your troops will be to identify any cursed ponies—or other beings if they exist—and restrain them without falling victim to this corruption yourselves! To that end…”

Her horn gave off a brief but vibrant pulse of light, a wave of magic spreading across the thestrals surrounding her. “This spell will insulate you from most magical influences and curses for a time, though you must still exercise caution against the unknown threat we face!”

“Unknown or not, we will face this threat gladly at your side!” the General proclaimed, to a series of cheers, flared wings and pinwheeling hooves from his bat-pony brethren. “We are yours to command, our beloved Princess!”

“Very well,” Luna relented, all business even as she felt her heart warm. “Thy loyalty does thee great credit, my beloved bat-ponies! Then as time is short, let us be off! We fly south for Ponyville! And methinks it best to be ready for anything…”

In the Friendship Castle of the onetime Princess Twilight, the map room had gone silent except for its antagonists.

The two former friends continued to stare each other down across the map table itself; a contest of strength and wills now manifesting in the arrival of a hundred Timberwolf-converted ponies with a few sirens in the mix, facing down a far smaller force of thestrals and earth ponies.

With their arrival, The Nightmare grinned unpleasantly. “Here is the start of my army, Twilight Sparkle! But what of yours?” She gestured broadly with her hoof to the few corrupted ponies under Eclipse’s command. “You are outnumbered and outgunned, darling. And alicorn or no, I do indeed have the power to end you,” The Nightmare promised, a desire to both mate and murder in her eyes. “Step down and surrender now, Twilight Sparkle, or face my full wrath!”

But Eclipse didn’t flinch, nor did her smirk lessen. She simply continued staring across the table at The Nightmare while ignoring the blades still whirling around her slowly. “And just like in the Celestial War, you are completely incapable of thinking more than a few moves ahead, and thus you make mistake after mistake for it. So allow me to demonstrate how friendship serves my cause, and how to properly use the fine art of delegation.”

Despite the threat she was under, she materialized some scroll paper and a quill pen, writing out a quick note on the former using the latter. She then zapped it, causing it to disappear in a puff of green dragonfire.

“Oh! Is it time for him, my queen?” Shadowdash recognized instantly the meaning of the message even as her fellow former pegasi looked confused.

“Indeed it is. He’s had enough time, and I’ve no doubt he’s created quite a formidable force by now. So please take your team to go greet him personally, and then escort him and all his new subjects here! But do try not to get distracted,” she added with a wry grin as the Nightmare seethed at being ignored. “I have no doubt both he and his new harem will be incredibly alluring, but remember your duty, my dear Captain! If it helps, know that you and all your soldiers will have your chance to be with them in due course.”

“As you wish, my Queen!” Her new Captain saluted and flew off with a parting glower at the Nightmare, her converted pegasi falling quickly in behind her as they departed.

The Nightmare listened to it all in some disbelief. “So now you reduce your numbers even further when you are under mortal threat? You are an overconfident foal, Twilight Sparkle!”

“No, just a well-prepared one,” Eclipse answered easily, her hooves still pursed. “An impressive show of strength, Nightmare. I see Applejack and Big Macintosh have been quite busy to produce so many Timberwolves. Unfortunately for you, numbers don’t mean anything to a superior strategist. So while we’re waiting for my former scribe and future advisor to arrive, let me deal with your so-called army...”

On the edge of the Everfree, a hasty but very practiced analysis was taking place.

As they studied the unconscious form of what Sunset could only call a Kirin—“They’re a mythical pony race sporting elemental fire who haven’t been seen in Equestria since ancient times,” she had to explain to a confused Twilight—the three felt their consternation grow. Delta had captured him, restraining him long enough for one of Twilight’s pendants to be applied. It had indeed successfully drained his magic, extinguishing his figurative and literal flames of passion on the spot.

And yet, not only did the former pony not revert his transformation when the corruptive magic was removed, but he came to his senses briefly, looking down at himself and shrieking; Sunset wasn’t sure whether he had fainted more from magical exhaustion or the realization of what he was and what he had done.

If he’s any indication, we could end up with a lot of traumatized ponies after this, she worried, but had to put the question of it aside for later. One problem at a time!

“This is amazing…” the ponified human Twilight stated in wonder as she studied her readouts, levitating her laptop and all her equipment in her magic, her equine form forgotten in the pursuit of simple science. “This ‘curse’ is like nothing I’ve ever seen. There’s not only a massive amount of magical power wound up in it, but there are no less than four distinct magical signatures involved!”

She showed them to Sunset while Delta looked on in some confusion, having no idea how to interpret the exotic and very colorful displays the human Twilight was using on the unfamiliar technology she wielded. They seemed at least vaguely reminiscent of the displays she’d seen from certain roboticized ponies, the Court Bard noted, and wasn’t sure if she was more or less reassured for it.

“Remarkable…” Sunset agreed as she watched over her shoulder. “Whoever made this thing was either an absolute genius or a mad scientist who had access to multiple forms of magic, then. Because it’s normally very hard to combine disparate magical energies like that.”

“But that’s what’s confusing me—what are these forms? I only recognize that one as a standard Equestrian spell.” Twilight pointed to a single smooth spike on a graph projected into the air by her horn like a hologram; Sunset was impressed that she’d been able to do so instinctively without first learning a spell for it. “But the others… I’ve never seen them before.”

“I have—at least for that one,” Sunset motioned towards the midair display, then turned her horn into a laser pointer as she traced the outline of a second, much greater and more chaotic energy spike, able to interpret the readouts for having a scientific bent of her own and assisting Twilight’s research into magic over the previous months. “By its sheer strength and messy curve, that’s the wild magic of the Everfree Forest, right there. It tends to make spells both more powerful and more uncontrollable. Unicorns have to be careful casting spells within it for that very reason. Its presence could explain why this thing’s so virulent.”

“Wild magic?” Twilight blinked behind her glasses. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing!”

“Oh, yes,” Sunset recalled somewhat wanly. “I once tried a certain forbidden spell in the Everfree to see if it could make me more powerful. And it worked, but…” She looked over at Delta with a grimace.

“But it nearly consumed her and it took all my power to save her from it.” Delta finished for her with a grimace of her own. “You’re just lucky I was in range when you signaled.”

“One of many I owe you,” Sunset agreed with a rueful rub of her head. “Can’t count the number of times you saved me from myself.”

“Then there’s this energy curve,” Twilight next noticed. “It’s close but not quite the same as a standard unicorn signature. In comparison, it’s much more powerful, and it even crosses into the elemental magic spectrum.”

“Looks like it’s on the fire side of it,” Sunset noted. “At a guess, that’s just the standard Kirin magical signature, boosted by the curse.”

“Okay. But what in the curse is boosting it? Could it be this fourth signature?” Twilight asked, tracing a more gentle energy curve that encompassed the other three; to Delta’s eyes, the latter were sharp and slightly jagged mountain-like peaks while the former was a wider, much more gently-sloped hill. “Most magic spells I’ve seen exist only on a narrow energy spectrum, but this one…?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset said after a pause. “I admit, I’m not sure what form of magic would exert an influence over such a wide energy bandwidth. At a guess, it’s acting as some kind of catalyst, binding the other three forms of magic together and enabling them to redouble each other’s effects. Regardless, that’s not important at the moment. We can determine the origins of this thing later, but for now, the question becomes: can we drain this magic from infected ponies?”

“Possibly.” Twilight’s brow furrowed in thought. “I could key the pendants to these distinct magical signatures or even the specific curse combination, but given the sheer amount of power, they would only be good for draining one or two ponies at a time. Beyond that, I’d need a massive battery to store it all, and then there’d be the question of dispersing or disposing of it afterwards.”

“If those one or two ponies are the Element bearers, that might be enough,” Sunset suggested. “They could activate the elements afterwards and cleanse the whole curse.”

“I’m not so sure that’ll work,” Delta spoke up from behind them, not used to feeling superfluous as the two mares talked in terms she wasn’t used to, using tools she’d never seen. “You saw what happened to this pony. You drained him but he didn’t transform back.”

“Not yet, maybe,” Sunset corrected hopefully. “But it did revert his personality—you saw how he reacted when he realized what he’d done and become—and transformative magic generally isn’t permanent if withdrawn quickly. I’d say there’s a good chance his own natural magic will revert the change over time.”

“If it’s seen to the native magic as alien and unnatural, yes,” Delta corrected her right back. “I’m worried that it might not in this case.”

That gave them both some pause. “You said there was a dark magic component, yes?” Twilight challenged.

“Sort of... ” Delta hated feeling uncertain, as her powers normally gave her access to all the knowledge she needed, whether magical or mundane. “I sense a dark element, yes, but it could just be the energy of the Everfree forest. It shares some of the same properties, and ponies think of it as dark magic, but it really isn’t. It’s just… well, wild.”

“Hmmm…” This time, Twilight scanned him directly with her own magic instead of using her instruments. “He still retains trace amounts of all aspects of the curse magic. So let’s see if…” she switched her spell a couple times, only to shake her head in frustration. “The standard dispersal spells I learned from the Equestrian texts Sunset brought me aren’t working, even with most of the magic already removed from him. And the pendants have already drawn all they can safely. Any more, and I’m afraid of what it’ll do to him.”

“Let me try.” Sunset then attempted her own spells to no effect. “No joy for me, either. Very well, then—Everfree energy or no, can you purge him of the remaining curse?” Sunset asked Delta.

“I can try,” Delta answered with great uncertainty before turning her attention back to him. She exhaled slowly to center herself, closed her eyes and sang softly again: “To remove this curse, by means remote, I cleanse his body, note by note!”

She merely hummed a soft and soothing melody after that, trying to focus all her considerable power on him while hoping she wasn’t lighting a beacon for The Nightmare to detect.

“What’s she—?” Twilight started to ask.

“Just watch,” Sunset said with a smile.

As she sang, the transformed stallion’s body levitated as if in a unicorn’s aura, except he was surrounded by a blue glow. He remained aloft for half a minute as sweat broke out on Delta’s face. She visibly struggled to maintain her unique spellcasting and feed it the continuous power of song it needed, switching her melody repeatedly.

“Lady Requiem…?” Twilight called out uncertainly, observing and scanning the strange spellcasting all the while.

“Ssshhh…” Sunset quickly hushed her, speaking in a low whisper. “Don’t interrupt her.”

After a full minute, Delta ended her song and collapsed to the ground, exhausted as the pony likewise fell a few feet back to earth, quickly caught by Sunset and laid gently on the grass.

“Did it…?” Twilight began to ask, only to trail off in surprise and astonishment as before their eyes, the stallion’s Kirin body reverted back to his original earth pony form.

“You have been blessed, my young friends. For our illustrious new ruler, Dragon Lord Spike, offers you all his love and affection! And for it, he misses you greatly and now respectfully requests you join him at Sugar Cube Corner!” The former Noteworthy pronounced grandly to the now-six members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, reciting from a scroll he had materialized out of a puff of dragon-like smoke to the surprise of all.

“Dragon Lord…” Silver Spoon began.

“... Spike?” Diamond Tiara finished in some confusion as the original CMC members glanced at each other. “Uh, since when was he lord of anything?”

“Since he imparted to all of us his love and his most wonderful gifts! Since he made us all his!” Noteworthy beseeched them all as he sensed their reluctance and skepticism. “Please, my friends, we mean you no harm—far from it, in fact! I understand you three were our blessed lord’s original consorts, so do not deny your destiny at his side!”

“Original consorts?” Diamond Tiara blinked hard.

“Wait… you three and Spike?” Silver Spoon realized at the same moment, trying and unable to immediately visualize it.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag—not that it matters any more,” Timberbloom admitted with a wistful grin. “Yep, we were! That little dude’s eager, and he could do all three of us at once!”

“All three of you?” Cherilee asked in astonishment, calculating probabilities and only coming up with unlikely ones. “How?”

“Twin organs, and a tongue that wouldn’t quit! We’d already gone through half the Pony Sutra book with him!” Fireflight added to the envy of the two Kirin girls.

“53.43% of the pages, actually,” Cyber Belle corrected with a grin. “And that doesn’t count the human version of the book, which gives us a lot of new material!”

“Well, we did say we were gonna meet him later,” Timberbloom admitted. “So I guess we could do it now?”

“Aw… but what about Rumble and Button Mash?” Diamond Tiara pouted. “We were gonna do them next!”

“If you wish, we will bring them to you!” Noteworthy suggested eagerly. “Just as we would for our master, we will bring you whatever ponies you desire! So please, my new friends—do not keep our great and noble lord waiting! It is you he desires above all!”

“Okay. So whaddaya’ll say?” Silver Spoon asked, eyeing appreciatively the half-pony, half-dragon forms of Noteworthy and his companions, realizing only at that moment that they all had double drakehoods and wondering how hot her own flame burned compared to their dragonfire. “I mean, he’s your coltfriend!”

“Yeah, he is. So, how about it, girls? Shall we go see him now?” Cyber Belle asked her longtime friends. “Given their forms and the fact that we were aged up, I now calculate a 99.97% chance that Spike has grown as well in both size and stature, and can now satisfy us properly!”

“But would he accept all of us?” Cherilee asked as the same calculation flashed across her own eyes, and her sensual subroutines tried to automatically activate for them. “Even those he wasn’t with before?”

Noteworthy grinned broadly, showing two rows of pointed teeth from between which puffed green fire in his excitement. “Be assured that he will accept all ponies to join his new family, especially the friends of his favorites! So come with me now to receive his love, and all will be revealed!”

“Now how can we resist an invitation like that?” Timberbloom asked with a wry grin. “So, shall we, fillies?”

“Let’s do it!” Cyber Belle stated, then led the next chant herself. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dragon harem makers, YAY!”

It took them less than five minutes to make the walk to Sugar Cube Corner, escorted by nearly a dozen dragon-converted ponies.

As they got closer, they saw the grounds outside were full of activity, with many dragon-winged ponies coming and going, the former bringing back captured and unconverted ponies while the latter went out in search for others. The six mares were looked at with some surprise, but none made a move towards them, perhaps recognizing that they were already converted or were otherwise spoken for.

“Inside, please!” Noteworthy motioned to the front door with a sweeping bow. “Do not hesitate, my dear friends! Your destiny awaits!”

They all exchanged a final look before doing so. “Huh. Well, reckon this oughta be good…” Timberbloom mused as she took the lead, entering the doorway to the confectionary and coffee house first. As they entered, they saw many converted ponies kissing and cavorting, some over tables on which sat drinks and various treats, while others did their own work converting the unconverted; as they watched, they saw one unicorn mare being spitroasted before sprouting dual dragonhoods as she climaxed with a great cry of pleasure.

“Wha? Spike?” Fireflight spoke for all of them as the group beheld the formerly baby dragon, now bearing big bat-like wings and the stature of a large and powerful adolescent. He was sitting on a makeshift throne fashioned for him out of the lounge cushions and a large table while he was attended by nearly a dozen converted ponies, who kissed and caressed every inch of him while he held an unaltered earth pony stallion named Meadow Song down on his lap; one of his two organs already inside him to the hilt with the other being serviced by several mares.

“Whoa. He’s a stud now!” Silver Spoon looked him over with some interest from head to toe.

“You said it!” Diamond Tiara agreed, finding her eyes drawn not just to him, but the two dozen half-dragon ponies around them, appreciating their hybrid forms immensely. “And he’s made everypony else studs in the process!”

“Girls!” Spike’s slitted eyes lit up with great warmth as he looked up and noticed them, his toothy grin somehow friendly enough to belie his much deeper voice and far more menacing features. “It’s so good to see you again! Just give me a minute and I’ll be with you!” He resumed thrusting into Meadow Song, whose expression of shock was rapidly being replaced by wonder and then sheer ecstasy before Spike came inside of him. The drake’s climax triggered his own, causing him to shiver and spurt out of his own rigid organ as the first stage of the transformation overtook him, making his eyes turn slitted and his breath hot and smoky.

Spike barely paused before starting again. “Sorry for the delay, fillies, but it turns out I have to cum in him twice to complete the transformation!” he explained shortly as he simply shifted the stallion from one of his twin organs to the other and resumed his thrusting, the first organ barely going soft before hardening again. Half a minute more and the captured stallion was screaming Spike’s name, openly making out with him as his tailhole was claimed by his new dragon lord, causing him to sprout a second stallionhood and a layer of rock to form over his shoulders, from which a pair of wings sprung as his belly fur fell out, revealing dragon scales.

“There you go, Meadow! You’re now part of my family, too! So what do you think?” Spike asked as his newest harem colt slowly pulled himself to his hooves.

“I love it!” He leapt for joy, admiring his new features and trying out his new wings for the first time, flapping them and managing a brief hover. “And for it, I want to be with you forever, Spike!”

“And you will!” Spike promised, giving him an affectionate hug and kiss before letting him go and rising to greet his new guests, to the disappointment of the ponies clustered around him. “Greetings, girls! I’m sorry I’ve taken so long to find you. I’ve been wanting to see you ever since this wonderfully crazy night began!” He knelt down to hug all three of them at once.

“Oh. Well… it’s good to see you too, Spike,” Timberbloom offered in amazement as she returned the gesture. “We grew up, and reckon you did too!”

“Did I ever!” he agreed, admiring himself in a mirror briefly as the dust from the latest molted pony was swept up by another mare, while behind the counter, the Cakes were whipping up batches of gem-filled pastries. The latter was spiked with Cup Cake’s ‘Prench Vanilla and cream’, consisting of a squirt from her sex followed by one from her very swollen teats. “But for all my new harem mates, I realized I’d never be complete without the three of you! No offense, Mister and Mrs. Cake…” He turned to his right, looking behind the counter. “As the first additions to my harem, you’re definitely my favorites and I love you both to death, but it’s just that they’re my original lovers!”

“Quite all right, my dashing young Dragon Lord!” Cup Cake replied, only to perk up as she spotted the newcomers. “Oh, hello, dears! So good to see you again!” She waved a hoof as she quickly put together a fresh platter of food suitable for their guests. “Here are some gemless goodies, and if you’ll wait, I’ll get you all some fresh cocoa! It’s on the house tonight. Then again, everything is!”she couldn’t help but add as she began making out from a hover with a fellow dragonmare, pausing only briefly to breathe a quick burst of blue fire on the platter to rewarm the drinks; the color of the flames matching her fur coat and scales.

“Order up!” Mister Cake called out from further back, sliding a fresh platter full of exotic drinks and pastries forward onto the serving area. “And Amethyst? Raindrops? If you don’t stop sucking me off, we’re never going to get the diamond donuts baked!” he said in a slightly unsteady voice before finally giving into them, rolling over on his back to let them attend him.

“Cup Cake? Carrot Cake?” Cherilee called to them both in astonishment. “You too?”

“Oh! Hello, Cherilee! Yes indeed, dearie! And you as well, it would seem.” Cup Cake came out from behind the counter, flying right over it to land in front of the cybernetic schoolteacher and look her over from head to toe, still holding the platter, which she immediately offered their new guests. “A robot pony? How interesting! And I really like your mane! It reminds me of our youth. Especially that time we spent together in Las Pegasus so many years ago, before we settled down…” she recalled happily as the food was immediately snatched up. “Do you remember what we did then?”

“I prefer 'cyber pony.' As I have total memory recall now, I believe it went something like this?” Cherilee gave Cup Cake a sultry look with her glowing eyes, and she immediately moved to kiss her, initializing her erection and deploying some tendrils to tease the other mare. She spared one to pluck a fresh pastry and eat it, delighting in not just the sugar but the taste of her longtime friend she instantly remembered from so many years earlier. “We should really go back there again to relive our misspent youth! But until then, our weekly book club meetings might be more interesting now!”

“So, Spike…” Cyber Belle began after observing the pair, having sent a quick bluetooth communication to her former teacher asking for an explanation. She was promptly given one in the form of an encrypted memory stream back; its contents enough to make her blush even after all she’d already been through. “Are you planning to make us dragons as part of your harem, too? No offense, and I really do wanna be with you, but I kinda like the way I am now!”

“Me too!” Timberbloom added, immensely enjoying the scene around her. “Being like this just feels right, you know?”

“Me three!” Fireflight added. “Listen, we love ya to death, Spike, but we are what we are now! And as much as I really wanna ride your lap again, I really don’t wanna lose these new wings of mine!” She cut a couple glowing trails in the air with slashing motions of them.

But far from disappointed, Spike grinned broadly. “You’re in luck, then! Because actually, it doesn’t seem to work that way! I’ve already rutted a couple converted ponies—both thestrals—but they didn’t change! Well, except for getting a second stallionhood and some ability to see heat. So I think that if you’re already changed, you can’t change again except in minor ways?” he mused aloud, rubbing a large taloned paw behind his head. He then reached over to a newly delivered platter and plucked out a fresh pastry, biting into it with a loud crystal crunch. “Wow! Great diamond donut, Carrot Cake!” he called over.

“Thanks, Spike! But we’re going to need more gems, soon!” He pointed out as he started mixing a fresh batch.

“No problem! I got plenty back at the castle, and can always dig out more. Hay, now we all can!” he pointed out happily, licking the frosting off his muzzle and talons.

“Whoa! So you’re just giving all your gems away and eating them? I thought you’d keep them as part of your hoard!” Diamond Tiara pointed out.

“Well, yeah! Because I don’t want a hoard! I want a harem!” he explained, making a wide sweeping motion to the room full of altered ponies around him. “I mean, I get it now, girls—all this time, my race had it backwards! For what are gold and gems compared to love? Compared to desire? Compared to sheer sexual pleasure? Compared to all… this?” He puffed more smoke into the already foggy air; the sweet-smelling vapor causing desires to stir anew in the CMC. Cyber Belle and Cherilee performed a rapid analysis of its contents and found it to have a very strong aphrodisiac and mellowing effect, adding its composition to their respective databases for future use.

“This is the true treasure! And for it, I want all ponies to be part of my family! Including all of you!” he invited them, then set his eyes on the former Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “Wow, neat… I’ve never seen a Chineighse fire pony before!” he mused, his eyes roving over them from head to toe. “Always thought they were just myths! But now that I see them? They’re really hot!” He licked his muzzle suggestively.

“Hey, we’re hot enough for you, Dragon Lord!” Diamond Tiara answered with a toothy grin as she and Silver Spoon lit their internal fires briefly, igniting their manes and tail tassels to great interest from the dragons at the exotic flame they generated. “Wanna taste?” They turned around and flagged their tasseled tails at him, waving their flaming tips in his face.

He gave a low growl at the sight, as did several of his harem around him, who fractionally stepped forward but took care to not intrude on the scene. “Wow, such unusual fire! Let’s see…” Spike looked mesmerized for a moment as he stepped towards them, his organs newly throbbing. He flicked out his tongue into the fire of their tail tassels to sample it. “Mmmm… spicy! Like hot cinnamon... and Siracha!” he said as he tasted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s flames in turn. “I really like!”

“Well, then there’s plenty more where that came from!” Silver Spoon offered, backing into one of his organs while Diamond Tiara did the other, grinding hard against them. “Whenever you want, stud!”

“L-love to…” Spike managed as the rest of the CMC pouted mildly but didn’t object. “B-But not just yet.” In an incredible display of will, he forced himself to step back, to their visible disappointment. “No offense, girls—I really wanna do you both, but you don’t have dibs on me! And the only ones who do are…” He turned to the original CMC, who were still staring at him in wonder and renewed respect for placing them first.

“So, do you like, girls?” He displayed himself fully, turning to the side and thrusting out his twin erections, each over a foot long, ridged and quite tapered. “These belong to you first!” he told them as he squeezed and massaged them, working some more fresh spunk out of their tapered tips, letting them drool on the ground in front of them.

“Wow, Spike…” Timberbloom stepped forward first to sniff at them with her newly sensitive nose. “You’re so… big.” She took a whiff and immediately felt lightheaded as the powerful male musk assailed her senses, both her mare and stallion attributes beginning to engorge beneath her belly in response to the overpowering scent.

“And gorgeous…” Fireflight admitted, hovering closer, drawing her fiery wingtip across their tips, to which the fireproof dragon only closed his eyes in deep pleasure and rumbled.

“Oh! So that’s what Phoenix fire feels like…” Spike licked his lips appreciatively. “Like a pool of fresh basaltic lava, but better!”

“Hmmm…” Cyber Belle studied the proffered organs closely, rapidly cataloging its dimensions and charting its nerve pathways, calculating how both best to pleasure it and how it could best pleasure not just her, but all three of them. She then ran through all the pages of the Kama and Pony Sutras, looking for something suitable. “Remarkable, Spike. I’ve been thinking that with our new size and forms, the best way for you to do us all at once would be… page 143?” she projected a very lurid image from the Pony Sutra into the air.

“Wow, I like the way you think, Cyber Belle!” Fireflight gave her a playful nudge. “So how about it, ‘Dragon Lord’? You’re big and strong now, but so are we! Think you’re stud enough that you can satisfy all of us?” she asked playfully, displaying her wings in their full Phoenix glory.

“I’d love the chance!” He licked his lips and began stroking himself again in eager anticipation. “So, who gets to be where…?”

There was no opportunity for an answer before he abruptly hiccuped hard, causing a message to materialize out of a puff of greenish smoke. “Huh?” he plucked it out of the air.

“There’s always an interruption…” Timberbloom groused.

“Is that from the Princess?” Cyber Belle asked.

“No, it’s from Twilight!” Spike said in astonishment, scanning it quickly before his eyes narrowed. “Holy.. she says she’s facing down The Nightmare! And for it, she’s now asking me to join her at the castle, and wants me to bring all of my new harem with me!”

“Wha? How’d she know about you?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“No idea, but… she also says she’s sending her own soldiers to escort me!”

“Huh? What soldiers? Fireflight asked, reading over his shoulder

“That would be me, squirt!” a new voice called down as a thestral-converted Rainbow Dash flew in the open window, followed by a squadron of equally converted and very well-endowed bat-ponies.

Twilight and Sunset stared in shock as Delta’s song completed and they saw the results of her work; the stallion reverting to his natural form before their eyes.

“You did it…” Sunset realized as they stared down at the unconscious earth pony before them. “Delta, you did it!” She gave a very filly-like leap of joy as Twilight stayed silent, staring transfixed at her readings. “This means it is possible to cure cursed ponies!”

“No… it isn’t…” Delta barely got out, her normally strong voice sounding uncharacteristically weak. “Not by me.”

“Huh?” Sunset gave her a confused look, turning to glance at the stallion for a moment before returning her attention to the pegasus mare. “What do you mean it isn’t possible? You just proved it is!” Sunset motioned down at the reverted pony, moving him in her aura and laying him down on a patch of moss to sleep it off. “He’ll probably wake up with a hay of a headache and need a good therapist after this, but at least he’ll wake up in his own body!”

“You don’t understand…” the weakened Court Bard all but rasped as Sunset helped her back to her hooves, sounding to Twilight like she was on the verge of losing her all-important voice. “Even with most of the magic already purged, curing him took everything I had! The effects of the curse were dug in so deeply that it took my full power to cleanse even a single pony!” she explained through panting breaths. It was several seconds before she could continue, accepting a sip of water out of an odd cylindrical container the human Twilight passed her.

“So you mean—” Sunset began again after Delta had taken another healthy swig from Twilight’s thermos.

“I mean even my magic only recharges so quickly! Working in concert with those amulets, I might be able to cure one or two ponies a day at the cost of being constantly exhausted, but not the whole town!” She took in a slow breath before exhaling it. “In the meantime, the curse will spread much faster than we can treat it! And that means fixing this is a job for the Elements of Harmony, not me!” she announced in frustration, gulping down more water.

“I see…” Sunset felt her raised hopes plummet. “Then I guess we’re back to plan A—use the amulets to drain the Element Bearers. Even if they don’t revert their transformations, hopefully they’ll at least be like this poor colt was and come to their senses. Maybe that’ll be enough to use their Elements?” she mused, not sure if she believed the theory herself.

“So we just have to isolate the six ponies who can fix this, simultaneously drain them, unite them with their elements, and then hope they’re in any shape to use them, all the while escaping the curse ourselves?” Twilight stated dubiously, wondering and worrying again why Midnight was being so quiescent within her despite all the sex she found herself surrounded with; a constant background presence and tug on her own newly-equine desires she couldn’t easily ignore. “That’s not exactly a high-probability plan, Sunset.”

Sunset couldn’t resist the urge to growl in frustration as she gave Twilight an exasperated look. “I know, but we don’t have many options here, Twilight. Do you have a better idea?”

“I might…” Twilight said carefully, adjusting her glasses on her face as she began typing at her laptop keyboard with her magic, amazing Sunset that she’d gotten so good at it in such a short time. “I was studying your magic while you were singing, Lady Requiem. It’s very unique, and for it, I think you might yet be the key to fixing all this.” She shortly explained what she meant, causing Sunset to blink and Delta to look at her in some confusion.

“I’m not sure I understand, Twilight Sparkle. You want to use me as a ‘conduit’?” Delta gave her a sideways look.

“For earthside magic, yes,” she explained further. “Our friends are waiting on the other side of the portal to create a counterspell song; replicating a tactic my counterpart and Sunset’s friends used to defeat three Sirens who got cast into our world long ago.

“You see, in our world, magic is generated most easily through what I call Harmonic Resonance—large H, not small—i.e., through song-expressed friendship. I’ve found no upper limit on the amount of power it can potentially generate with enough participants, and right now there’s an entire schoolyard full of students just waiting for our signal to create it. When they do, we can pour power into the portal.” She said with a glance at Sunset, whose brow was furrowed in thought. “We just need somebody to serve as a nexus. And you seem to fit the bill, Lady Requiem.”

“So by ‘conduit’, you mean we’ll use her as a living battery…” Sunset said, looking as impressed as Delta looked uncertain. “What do you think, Delta?”

It was several seconds before she spoke, looking down as she considered the question. “Honestly, I think it’s crazy! You’re asking me to channel an alien magic and then use it to power my own megasong spell?” Delta summarized dubiously. “I’ve never heard of that being done in all the spellsinging chronicles! But I also don’t have a better plan,” she admitted as they heard another distant cry of pleasure, followed by several more half-dragon ponies flying overhead.

“Then it’s decided,” Sunset mused with a wary glance up, relieved to see that Delta’s earlier concealment spell was holding as they did not look down. “But there are still several things we have to work out. How we get word back across the portal, not the least of them.”

“One of us could go back to tell them,” Twilight suggested.

“We’d have to power up the portal again for that,” Sunset warned. “And a portal passage is like lighting up a magical beacon. Twilight—er, Eclipse—would sense it instantly. She’d teleport here in a heartbeat, at which point it’d pretty much take another alicorn—or a Nightmare-possessed pony—to challenge her.”

“Or me,” Delta replied. “The Nightmare can detect and counter me, but Twilight can’t—at least, not immediately. I need some time to recover enough power, but if we can get past whoever The Nightmare possessed, then I might be able to distract or restrain her long enough for you to slap one of those amulets on her.”

Twilight thought about that, only to shake her head. “No offense, Lady Requiem, but if you’re talking about my counterpart, it’d be beyond belief she isn’t aware of your presence and hasn’t already developed a plan or six to deal with you. Or would be so clumsy as to just stumble into a simple trap like that.” She removed her glasses long enough to rub her eyes with a hoof, momentarily startled by the fact she didn’t have fingers again, startling Delta in turn to see her without glasses and realizing how alike to Princess Twilight she truly was. “From what you’ve said, she’s aware you’re here, and I can only assume she is aware of Sunset’s presence as well?”

“She’d pretty much have to be,” Sunset admitted in turn, sensing where her friend was going. “When I arrived through the portal, it was in the Ponyville spa around a bunch of siren ponies, who I then stunned before teleporting myself and the portal out. That’s close enough to the castle that Eclipse would have sensed not just the portal passage but all my spellcasting—and recognized the pony responsible. I’m probably lucky she didn’t teleport in immediately right then and there.”

“Which means that the only one Eclipse isn’t aware of yet… is me.” Twilight visibly swallowed, not sure if she feared more confronting Midnight or her equally corrupted equine counterpart. “And that in turn means… that I’m the only one who could potentially surprise her and get close enough to siphon her. If we can take her out, we can probably hold off the others long enough to get the portal feed and cleansing spell set up.”

Sunset and Delta glanced at each other before the latter answered for both of them. “Very well. So how do we do that…?”

“My ‘so-called’ army?” The still-angry Nightmare chuckled unpleasantly from her side of the room. “It’s far more real than yours, darling. And since I wish to humiliate you before ending your impudent existence, perhaps I’ll use it first to strip your remaining servants of their will! Sirens! To me!” she ordered, causing the eight or so such ponies to float forward.

“Such wonderful obedience, don’t you agree, Twilight Sparkle? Know that the true mark of a Queen is that they have the power to command respect and unite so many disparate beings, binding them all to her will!” she boasted even as Eclipse’s grin remained firmly in place. “You might be able to resist them, my former friend, but I’m certain your remaining servants cannot! Now, my loyal pets… charm this so-called Queen’s remaining slaves and turn them to my side, just as you did the Timberwolves!”

“Yes, our mistress!” they proclaimed as one, and began to sing in unison, using a lulling melody that caused the very air around them to resonate with magic, tugging on the bodies, desires, and very souls of all present.

Seconds passed as the singing continued, yet none were moved by it, most notably Eclipse herself, whose grin morphed into a confident smirk.

“Wow. So pretty,” Maud mused after almost a minute passed. “But still not as nice as the melodious sound of a rockfall or the strike of a pickaxe against stone. Sorry, Nightie, but I am unmoved,” she announced in her usual monotone.

“So am Ah supposed to be impressed?” Annie Smith rolled her eyes as she manifested a moss-like filter to form over her wooden ears. “By some cheap choral trick coming from a buncha wannabe singing fish? Reckon Ah ain’t interested in your offerings unless it’s country tunes on a banjo!” She turned up her nose.

“Meh. I’ve heard better,” Pinkamena shrugged after listening for a few seconds, going back to picking at the grooves of her hooves. “Just wish I had my smartphone with me so I could play some real music!”

“You said it, sis!” Limestone added with a bored expression. “You call this music, Nightie? I mean, come on! Where’s the human metal?” She stomped down hard. “I’ve been addicted to that ever since I first heard it!”

“Well, I kind of like it,” Marble offered tentatively, staying behind Limestone as she swayed lightly to the beat. “Though I still prefer some of that ‘pop’ music Pinkie played for us. Especially by that Bee-ber human.”

“Huh? What do you mean ‘metal’? And where did you two hear human music?” Maud asked idly, now ignoring the Sirens completely as both they and the Nightmare stared on in disbelief, the former redoubling their efforts to no visible effect.

Limestone grinned evilly as Pinkamena simply smiled. “Oh, didn’t she tell you? Guess you’ve been away with Mud Briar for a bit, but that Pinkie’s not our sister. She’s the human Pinkie Pie!”

“Was,” Pinkamena corrected again. “Been switching places with your sister every so often. Sorry for not telling you, Maud. It was nothing personal—I just promised my sister I’d leave her alone for a bit, and I figured that carried over to you.”

“Wow. What a twist,” Maud answered in pure deadpan, not otherwise reacting beyond a raised eyeridge. “Good to meet you, human Pinkie. Though you might have told me that while you were screwing my sphincter.” Her new stallionhood abruptly engorged beneath her belly.

“Good to meet you too, Maud,” Pinkamena likewise went erect; her expression softened for just a moment before turning flinty again. “And sorry, but it didn’t seem important at the time. Though I still wanna talk to you about your boyfriend…”

“Okay, I think we’ve all heard enough.” Eclipse flashed a strobelight spell at the Sirens, punctuating it with a shrill, piercing shriek that caused their song to cease and everypony present to recoil, the Timberwolf ponies shrinking back and whimpering, many clawing at their ears.

“Sorry, Nightmare, but the real reason I sent my loyal thestral soldiers to collect Spike is that they were the only ones potentially vulnerable to Siren song. As you can see, the Pie sisters and Annie Smith here are made of much sterner stuff. In any event, you’ve had your turn. So here’s mine!”

Her horn glowed as she played a very strong, metallic and guttural song from her own memory that drove the Sirens slowly mad and then into sleep, their chest gems cracking as they collapsed one by one to the ground. Off to the side, Flutterbat likewise whined and winced, but tried to shield Discord’s ears instead of hers with her wings as Starlight’s eyes watered, unable to vocalize her discomfort.

After an interminably long half-minute, Eclipse ceased her spell. “Fascinating creatures, Sirens…” she mused as she stepped forward to face off with The Nightmare. “They are in fact seen in both pony and human mythology. In our world, they were able to charm other ponies into doing their bidding with the power of song, but later on that power got corrupted by dark forces and they had to generate strife to sustain themselves. Individuals of both types traveled or were banished to the human realm in times past. I faced down and defeated three of the latter—with some help—and researched them more afterwards,” she explained, slipping back into lecture mode as the Nightmare looked like she’d just swallowed a lemon.

“What… did… you… do?” she asked through a snarl as she beheld her fallen first line of forces.

“My homework. It turns out that Sirens are very vulnerable to highly discordant melodies, which certain human musical genres have in abundance. So was that ‘metal’ enough for you, Limestone?” Eclipse called back as an afterthought.

“That was that ‘Old Man’s Child’ group, right? Yeah, perfect!” Limestone had a very pleased expression on her face and a hoof on her stallionhood, bobbing her head and stroking herself happily to the remembered beat. “You know any more of those, Queenie?”

“I might. But it doesn’t end there, Nightmare. Having driven them mad and into a coma, their minds are now blank slates, free of your control. Free to be molded… by other songs!” She immediately began playing a far different and more soothing melody, causing the Siren ponies’ reptilian eyes to open and their gems to begin to heal, hoofed arms reaching out towards the source of the song like starving foals.

“And in that state, their loyalty belongs to the one who sung to and awoke them—who fed and revived them. So welcome to my side, my new children!” Eclipse invited as they flocked to her, humming the new tune happily to themselves as they floated over to her half of the room and hugged her affectionately, kissing and caressing her as she favored them with some magical attention in turn. “Be at peace, and know that I will always love and cherish you,” she added to some foallike sobs before materializing a music box for them and sending them off with it, so it’s songs could nurture them further.

“I do thank you for creating these wondrous creatures for me, Nightmare—I admit, I didn’t have the capability to do so myself! Your Steedgyptian sorcery is truly something to behold! I look forward to adding its arsenal to my own.” She gave a low, mocking bow to the other mare.

“You will never get the chance!” The Nightmare seethed. “My Steedgyptian sorcery is also useful in other ways—like removing any and all enemies of my empire! Perchance my servants are no match for you, Twilight Sparkle, but I suppose the old saying is true—if you want something done right, you must do it yourself!” Her horn began to glow and the room began to shake. Several different spells began to charge around her horn at once as she drew on not only her own power, but Rarity’s ability to multitask magic.

Eclipse’s smile only grew broader. “A duel, Nightmare? You really are desperate! And a foal.” She lowered her head and charged her own horn. “Any real strategist would know better than to challenge an enemy on a battlefield of her choosing!”

“And any real general knows that the best way to break an enemy is to crush them at their strongest point!” Nightmarity retorted. “Your end is nigh, Twilight Sparkle! But don’t worry—I won’t kill you since I cannot yet upset my host! Instead, I’ll just cast you into the netherworld of limbo and let you slowly go mad within it! After a month in that featureless void, you will beg for death! And perhaps if I’m in a merciful mood, I’ll grant it!”

“How fun!” Far from frightened, Eclipse looked to the Pie sisters like she relished the battle to come, all present stepping back from the pair on both sides except Pinkamena, who stayed at the map table while Fluttershy wrapped her wings protectively around Discord and Annie Smith deigned to pick an equally helpless Starlight up and move her away from the scene. Eclipses eyes gained a look of hunger, but not one born of lust for carnal pleasure. It was a look of hunger for battle.

“We locked horns once before, when I was but a unicorn and you had possessed an alicorn! But now the roles are reversed, and with my added power, I am more than a match for you!” Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor as a crackle of arcane power surged between the two mares, though they were just as quickly healed by the intrinsic magic of the castle.

“But perhaps I misspeak. So, by all means, take your best shot, Nightmare, and we’ll see who the true magical master is…!”

Author's Note

Well, as much as I didn’t want to, I decided the chapter needed to be split up, sorry. It had just gotten too long. The second half will follow one week from today, and I don’t think I need tell you what it will contain! Hope you enjoyed seeing the CMC finally reunited with Spike, and the side action as Sunset, Sci-Twi and Delta try to figure out how to fix things. Additional reunions and action aplenty as Eclipse and the Nightmare face off for all Equestria in the next chapter, even as other adversaries/saviors continue to gather.

It’s worth noting that Eclipse shows what I feel Twilight Sparkle ultimately is--a master mage and scholar-turned-master strategist who does not rest until she has learned all there is to know about a subject or potential threat. I think it’s perfectly in character for to make contingency plans for such threats and do her homework, as she has here, and as the Nightmare is quickly learning. Eclipse is Twilight in her purest form, unencumbered by her inhibitions or fears but still all about friendship and spreading it at her core. The curse has certainly made use of that! The curse has also made use of Spike, and I gotta admit, I’m kinda fond of the little guy and thought he got the short end of the stick a little too often in the show. Guess I’m trying to make it up to him here!

Thanks go yet again to my prereading crew of Leo Archon, Silentwoofire, AJ_Aficionado, and Denim_Blue. Sorry I didn’t wait on everyone’s preread, but I decided it had been long enough and I’d already promised a Sunday release. The second half will follow in one week! Hope you enjoyed this in the meantime!