Fire and Shadow: The Rebirth of Spike and the Descent of Sombra

by Dr Sharaz Jek

Rating: mature
Tags: Porn, Fetish, Spike, King Sombra, Somnambula, Profanity, Non-consensual, Violence, Sex, Death, Twilight Sparkle, Anthro, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, My Little Pony Comic, Drama, Original Character
Length: 126470

Spike is reincarnated, and loses control, as his friends and family try to calm him down. At the same time the Necronomicon stirs, and Sombra summons his apprentice and Somnambula to explore the tome's interior which is composed of many dimensions.

Many years after a hard won peace by the alliance, a number of disturbances arise across Equestria. First the Necronomicon begins to stir, and Somnambula swears she recognizes the creature that emerges, prompting Sombra to summon his apprentice and form a team with the last Pillar to seek the truth within the grimoire which houses many dimensions.

Elsewhere the Dragon Lands are a paradise, looked after by Spike's retainers, particularly Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder, but when the Dragon Lord who sacrificed his life for the alliance returns, the all-powerful drake loses control in a mindless rampage. Can his friends and family calm him down?

Note: Thanks to NotaPonyPerson, who will be contributing to this tale, including permission to use his characters! Go check out his work!

Published 2020-06-27 00:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-02-14 06:30:57 UTC

Chapter 1

Heavy eyes surveyed the civilization before him. Built under his instructions, Sombra's Empire now spanned a large portion of the deserts, yet he couldn't have achieved this without the aid of his Queen, Inky Rose, nor the priestess-turned Sphinx named Somnambula, who helped direct him behind-the-scenes and acted as sacred guardian to the land and its people.

From the side of the pyramid where he stood the sun bore down on his half-naked musculature, wearing the skirt-like attire that was custom of the culture, a silver crown adorned on his skull. A hot wind traced his pecs. His ear twitched at a swish behind him, they sway of Inky Rose's transparent costume announcing her presence, silks swaying when she arrived beside him.

You seem troubled,” murmured Inky who pressed her equally silky flesh to his, holding onto his arm and laying her head on his shoulder. She still wore her dark mane in braids, and kept her plume pressed close to her slender back.

He forced a smile onto his saturnine features, felt the soft crush of her breasts upon his chiseled chest. His snout pressed to hers, and she cooed into his wet, sensuous kiss. “It's probably nothing,” he admitted when their mouths withdrew in a trail of saliva. “The Necronomicon has been stirring, like the Demiurge is determined to break free...and I dread that it might one day succeed.” He held her to him. “Sometimes, I consider that we might seek outside help...”

“You mean Beatrix Belladonna,” she noted and he nodded. “But will she answer Somnambula's summons?”

“I don't know. And I'd rather not summon my apprentice on a false alarm. Much as I'd enjoy her company, we have our own lives to lead, and I prefer to take care of my own troubles.” He pursed his lips, proud of his people and children, who toiled away but were nonetheless content. His expression softened. “For now, let us indulge ourselves.”

Inky smirked when he cupped her bottom and squeezed, barely contained under a thin veneer of silk. “Make love to me my King,” she whispered huskily into his ear, which she nipped, her half-lidded eyes heavy in stylized makeup.

Scooped into his toned arms, she giggled and clasped her wings to him, and he reentered the pyramid carrying her bridal-style. They passed corridors lit by torches on sconces and lined in hieroglyphics, past bare-chested stallions who stood in silent vigil with spears in hand, and bare-breasted handmaidens who wore transparent gowns below, each picked by Inky for their beauty.

Up the tunnels they ascended to their bedroom near the apex. She continued to kiss him with soft coos, hands clasped around his neck, and he hungrily returned her fervor, tongues dancing as he almost stumbled in their eagerness.

“Father? Oh, sorry!” Cerise Silhouette stepped out of their path, his pigtailed daughter with dark fur like him, and the neon pink mane no doubt from her late mother, Pacific Glow. “I didn't mean to interrupt you!”

“It's no trouble,” said Inky who was gently set down on her feet. “What may we do for you?”

Cerise hesitantly looked between them. “W-well...I'm not sure exactly, but I want to be more useful to you! My siblings have accomplished so much, running parts of the country for you, but me? All I really know how to do is dance!”

Sombra smiled patiently. “We expect nothing more. These are peaceful times. You enjoy the fruits of the alliance's victory.”

“It's not fair, though. I know I'm not the brightest, but I'd like to chip in somehow, too.” She coiled a tied lock around a slender hand, her slender yet shapely figure contained in a scanty, bikini-like hot pink number. Attached to it were a few small bells that jingled when she moved. “Maybe I can help entertain guests who come here? Let me show you something. Can you dim the lights?” Sombra nodded, and with a flare of his horn deepened the shadows, the darkness snuffing out the torches with a hiss.

Entombed in darkness, Cerise began to wave her ample hips, arms upraised. Her bright eyes shined in the dark, her face suddenly drawn in concentration, Her breasts and buttocks swaying, barely contained with her sensual, deliberate movements that hypnotized even these two under her spell. Piece-by-piece, she removed her garments and let them fall.

Dancing naked before them, Cerise's thin coat began to light up in splotches of neon colors, like she'd been doused in spray paint to further accentuate her supple flesh. Heat radiated from her, the pair captivated.

Sombra realized he was falling into a trance, not unlike the mind control he'd placed upon his crystal pony slaves so long ago. Could she be working the dart arts too, unintentionally? It seemed absurd. She hadn't studied them, and it went against her earth pony nature. Yet a theory he'd long held replayed in his mind about her true nature, one he'd shared with Inky.

Could she really be a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow? Perhaps some of his darkness had passed onto Cerise, when he'd impregnated her mother? She stopped her dance, beaming with pride and shyly recovering her scattered clothes with a small blush. He felt a newly found responsibility for her, and like Inky couldn't help but feel he'd failed to protect her mother.

“Most impressive indeed. You wish to help me?” She nodded at him. “Very well. Return in an hour.” He pulled Inky to him by the waist, making it clear they needed to satisfy their own needs first, so their heads might be clearer once the stresses of ruling bled away. “You can help me check on the Necronomicon in the tombs below. There's a theory I wish to test...”

*****

A volcano in the Badlands erupted. The sky shook and lava dribbled down its sides, rocks tossed about in the hellish rocky lands. From the smoking depths arose a dragon that matched the fallen Torch in size, this one with shiny purple scales, his leathery wings unfurled to a massive span, spiny tail lashing, nostrils flared with wispy grayish-black and eyes burning.

Having risen to the position of Dragon Lord, Spike sacrificed himself for the love of his people. His faithful retainers, Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder had buried him here, in hopes that a fable among dragons was true. Yet the promised rebirth was said to take centuries, possibly millenniums. Yet a quirk of the magic Somnambula used to unlock his potential now quickened his rebirth, but at a deadly price. Rather than be reborn as an egg, he blossomed to his full hulking size, mind swallowed up.

He howled skyward, his musculature flexing, surveyed a familiar land he didn't understand anymore on pure instinct. All he knew was something had gone awry, that he needed to locate someone that could give him answers. Familiar faces flashed in his mind, those of Twilight, Ember, Smolder, Somnambula, and Sombra in particular.

With another splitting cry he leaped up and beat his wings in flight, sailing in the crimson atmosphere. Molten rivers bubbled below, lava hardened and cooled, some still dripping off his form, more explosions thundering,

Most of his followers now lived underground, in an evergreen paradise cultivated by two of his lovers, Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. He vaguely recalled them, and so many others, some lost in a war with the Eldritch.

Wandering aimlessly, he sniffed the ashen air, stretched thick muscles covered in armor-like hide, his snout rumbling through jaws that opened wide and spat an inferno that made the heated air twist further. Embers danced between rows of teeth, his soft underbelly boiling inside, what consciousness there warring with predatory needs and a desire to reclaim what was his...

*****

Grunting, Sombra thrust into his love with a certain desperation, and she mewled under him, ensnaring him with her plumage, her nails digging into his chiseled back lined in sweat, her legs crossed around his buttocks to pull him deeper into her. Her heavy breasts gleamed with perspiration beads under the thin lamp light, and she wetly kissed him, the squish of her moist pussy sounding each time his cock speared her, their mixed juices dripping down the curve of her ass and over its pink, puckered hole.

He peppered her wide nipples in pecks, erect and darkened after she bore their children. A combined, overpowering musk from both of them suffused the interior, their heads swimming in a drunken amorous stupor. Whatever urges he maintained to dominate and conquer she gleefully satisfied, allowing him to shred her garments and ravish her daily to his heart's content.

She adored how full he made her feel, empty without him inside her, completing her. He stuffed her, tickled her slippery foalhole, brushed over her spongy g-spot, making her whine and wiggle below his chest, lined in stringy dark fur tufts.

Sometimes he would take her right in front of his guards, who tried to remain stoic despite their visible erections, and the handmaidens, exotic beauties which Inky often invited into their bed to spice up their marriage.

Age hadn't slowed either of them down. In fact, it left them more ravenous than ever before.

Their lips repeatedly met, chewing on each other, his hands wandering over her soft flesh, greedily kneading them. “I love you,” he growled with lust, feeling that no matter how much he said it that was never enough.

She smiled and tightened around him, milking him, his voice and affection the greatest aphrodisiac to her, not that he remotely lacked for physical prowess. Her pulsing pink walls nursed his vein-lined tool, his flare embedding itself in her cervix, and she came first with a muffled cry, gushing over his loins. With a grunt he joined in, slamming himself balls deep and unloading in spurts that washed over her convulsing walls. “Ah...mmph...” She whimpered in quiet glee, squeezing out the last drops.

Inky panted under him. “M-much as I'd like to do this all day, we're almost late for our appointment.”

He brushed her gray cheek and tangled braids. “...yes.” He wanted to stay buried in her, and from the way her slit occasionally clenched on him, knew she wished the same. But with reluctance they withdrew their ragged forms, his still mostly erect penis popping loose of her wide hole, oozing with a messy white murk that dribbled down her inner thighs.

Quickly she hastened to wash them with a basin, toweled them down, and redressed him and then herself. Just in time, as a knock sounded at the chamber door. She opened it to see Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, dressed in a similar but fancier manner to the other handmaidens, and the pair smiled with a bow. “Somnambula awaits you,” they announced as one.

Leading the way, they descended down to the tombs where the pharaohs lay in sarcophagi, the spirits there to help watch over the Necronomicon. Past the piles of treasure, their golden glow shimmering in the torchlight, stood the Sphinx named Somnambula, sacred guardian who had inherited a similar form and duties from her closest, now deceased companion.

Slit eyes studied them, Somnambula settled on all fours, wings pinned to her feline back. Her large head rested on her front paws, and her leonine tail flicked about. “Welcome back,” she purred with Cerise already at her side. “I have sent a summons to Beatrix, but do not know if she will put in an appearance. Rising and stretching, she said, “Follow me.”

Previous rulers were carved into the sarcophagi that lined the way, and the light gave way to shadows further in, until they arrived at a stand where the dark tome sat. The Necronomicon was woven in stitched together, mummified flesh, the faces of the Eldritch a patchwork forever frozen in their final alien screams. Its embroidered surface pulsed at his approach.

His eye trailed over it and Cerise, noticed it pulsated more in her presence, like it sensed the darkness in her and her naivety. Even with all the powerful spells woven around it, and the spirits nearby to quell its potential, still it tried to compel her to grab it and set it free, so the Demiurge trapped in its labyrinthine pages might be loosed to bring death and chaos across dimensions.

“This may be a mistake,” he muttered to himself.

“It's horrible,” whispered Cerise who nevertheless stared without blinking with her wide, bright eyes, mesmerized. Inky gazed too, its hypnotic effect similarly trying to lure her in, while unlike them the Sphinx appeared completely lucid.

The spell was broken when the air itself split, reality opened into a bluish-white oval that hovered in the air which rippled around it. From this tear emerged a heeled boot, shimmering like the coat of an ursa minor, the attire coming to the shapely bare thigh that peeked out with a long stride. Beatrix Belladonna skipped out with a flourish, starry cape clasped by a stylized eye at the neck, her shapeliness clad in a high-cut leotard, her platinum hair with a violet tinge topped by a witch's hat.

“Sorry we're late!” She could have been her mother Trixie Lulamoon's twin, the tall unicorn wearing fingerless gloves that came to her upper arms. Her cleavage had a comical bounce, her lips drawn in a playful smirk, her skin a light violet and her eyes a darker shade. She called over her shoulder, “Hey Bellatrix, you're still there, aren't you...?”

Behind her arrived an angel with radiant pale skin, golden locks, and seraphic feathers, a halo above her head. Her bright blue eyes settled on them when she slunk through, garbed in a white lacy one piece that resembled lingerie. “We've returned,” announced Bellatrix Primadonna, former succubus-turned-angel by a holy book once wielded by Sombra. “My, you all appear well.” She traced her porcelain cheek with meticulously manicured nails. “So, what is the occasion? Pleasure, or...?”

“Business, I fear.” Sombra shook his head and managed a small smile at them as Beatrix closed the rift with a finger waggle.

“The Necronomicon,” said Bellatrix with pursed lips when they all turned back to study it. “Has the Demiurge escaped?”

“Thankfully no,” said Inky. “But we fear it might be necessary to travel into it and calm its growing power. I hear you're the expert.” She'd been told a number of tales by Sombra amidst their pillow talk of his past misdeeds within its pages.

“Hmmm...” Beatrix bent over for a closer look and scratched her chin in thought. “If this is similar to the former Necronomicon, there could be countless dimensions inside!” She managed a giddy giggle, simultaneously curios for the adventure it offered, and repulsed by the possible horrors. “I'm willing to try, but I'll need a team.”

Bellatrix sighed. “I suppose I'll help,” she said in a haughty manner and gave a dismissive, dainty wave.

“I too wish to explore its innards,” admitted Sombra who met his wife's frown. “Worry not, you're more than capable of running this land in my absence, and I'm certain Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow shall be happy to assist.”

“That's not the problem.” Inky clasped him possessively. “What if you never return...?”

“For you my love, I would storm the deepest parts of the underworld,” he assured cupping her cheek and meeting her worried gaze. Yet it was more than his flesh she feared for, but his very soul, like he might be tempted by that darkness and fall into old ways. “I've learned my lesson well. The darkness will always be a part of me, but it does not define me..”

Inky nodded once with watery eyes. “That's all I needed to hear.” Gently he kissed her thick-lashed eyelids closed.

“Awww~” Beatrix beamed at the couple, hands clasped behind her back. “We'll need more than that, though! I usually had a team of around five or so...” Starlight Glimmer, the one from her world, had in particular been instrumental!

Somnambula said, “I too shall come. Magic alone can only take one so far. You will need muscle as well.” She opened a large paw and flashed her claws and razor teeth, her massive bulk layers of sensuous curves on lithe muscles. “We may need to seek outside recruits. Mere soldiers shall not do, as the ones we have here lack the experience dealing with such evil.”

Contemplating all their options, Sombra returned to the now split alliance, their ties still close. Most of them were retired or had other duties that made it unlikely they could come to their aid. Assuming they would help him, who to choose? Fleur de Lis was quite skilled an active despite her age, but deep down she probably still resented him for how he'd treated her and Fancy Pants.

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia? Now a traveling band who had set aside their weapons. Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder? Possible, although they weren't exactly close friends with him. Shining Armor and Cadance were busy ruling the Crystal Empire, the latter and their daughter still partially crippled by what Chrysalis did, so they were likely out of the question.

Trixie would surely rush to aid Beatrix...but he wondered if she'd be more trouble than she was worth. Yet a shared look with Beatrix and he knew she was already ahead of him, desperate to be reunited with her family here.

“Very well,” he said. “I will send a request to Miss Lulamoon.”

“Tee-hee...if you want,” tittered Beatrix with a wink, barely able to contain a child-like enthusiasm.

Suddenly the Necronomicon rose from the column, its dried pages fluttering opened where it hovered, each inscribed with ancient runes that even Somnambula struggled to discern, pictures of various demons within the grimoire. Somnambula pounced into action with a hiss, repelled by an invisible barrier that hurtled her back into a bed of gold coins that bounced up.

The mages on hand acted almost as quickly, falling into a familiar pattern despite all the time that had passed, Sombra acting as focal point as he weaved a spell with chants, hand gestures, and a glowing horn, Beatrix and Bellatrix dropping all pretense to support him, knowing that if the Demiurge escaped the nightmare that devastated this Equestria could begin anew.

From the book arose a series of black tendrils. They coalesced around an obsidian shape, massive and horse-like, trying to birth itself from its confines. “No, it cannot be,” whispered Somnambula between her teeth. “I am the last of the Pillars! You-”

The shadows lashed out, seized Cerise Silhouette, who screamed and writhed. “S-so cold...”'

Sombra and his companions launched their spell, but were forced to restrain the destructive, combined elemental force, lest they slay the hostage. Flames licked at tendrils which smoldered, some were frozen and shattered, others lanced apart by shrieking winds, but the shadowy intruder withdrew into the pages, Cerise in tow when the Necronomicon slammed shut and went still.

Inky called, “Cerise~!” Tears leaked down her face, twisted in a pained grimace, and she spread her wings to fly forward.

“No!” Sombra barred her way and seized her, stroked her hair to console her. She shook in his arms, face warped between grief and fury, heart hammering and fists clenched then unclenched. “There's nothing we can do right now.”

“But...but we can't simply abandon her!” She tried to calm herself, aware she wasn't being rational, yet her mind raced with all the horrible fates that might befall her. “What if he devours her soul? What if we can't get her back...?”

“I shall. This, I swear.” His hands gripped her upper arms, aware that to her she was like having her friend Pacific Glow back, that to lose her would be to fail her again. “There's no time to waste. Will you chance it for Cerise's sake?”

“We're with you,” said Bellatrix who nodded with Beatrix. The aftermath of the spells settled, the air still hot and cold in certain areas, a wind whistling through. Otherwise, there was but eerie silence, each step and movement echoing.

Somnambula called, “Diamond Tiara, Cozy Glow, I leave this all in your hands. Send out messages to the alliance informing them of the situation and request aid.” They bowed, and she padded up to Beatrix, who opened the tome. Its surface was cool to the touch, and she flipped through, trying to guess the pages the creature had arose from off her memory. “Here,” said the priestess who pointed with a nail. “All we need do is concentrate, and it shall do the work for us. Pray we succeed.”

The travelers formed a small circle, and were sucked into the Necronomicon, their likenesses appearing in stylized forms within the dried flesh parchment. Next to it was the fabled 'Pony of Shadows', an abomination encased in supernatural darkness...

Chapter 2

A labyrinth stretched out before the travelers, like a thick haze that grew thicker the closer they ventured. Sombra led the small party of Beatrix Belladonna and Bellatrix Primadonna at his sides while Somnambula took up the rear to guard their backs. Stars swirled through the cosmos though thankfully, the air was breathable.

All of them were aware this was but one of the many dimensions within the pages of the Necronomicon. The walls around them loomed, carved of solid stone, a ceiling closing them in.

“Kind of nostalgic, actually,” noted Beatrix with a grin. “Like that one time, I was in a minotaur's maze! Shame, none of you were with me during the time. Would have been way more fun!” Her expression changed to melancholy as she traced the cold wall, the interior enshrouded in deep shadows. “You should feel right at home, teacher. All this darkness around us. Like that time, we battled in the depths of the Necronomicon.”

“Aye, that was... another lifetime ago, it seems,” replied Sombra, who turned to study the angel.

Bellatrix stood with her arms crossed and met his gaze with a calm expression. “You both saved me. Without you, I would have remained a wandering, aimless monster until the day I died, likely another victim to be experimented on by the Eldritch. You two are the world to me.” She pursed her lips, struggling to admit her feelings openly, thinking it far too sappy of her.

Beatrix threw her arms around them and snuggled them both with a laugh. “Cheer up, Sis! We're all together again, free to love and conquer whatever stands in our way. Hey, Sommy! you want some of this?”

The Sphinx chuckled with a shake of her head. “Do not mind me. My concern is simply for our welfare, dear Cerise Silhouette, and the creature that spirited her away. It was touched by the dark arts like you, Sombra. Its mind and spirit were warped beyond recognition. I fear that, like you claimed to have done in that other dimension, this being shall-”

“Seize control of the Necronomicon's interior and manipulate the dimensions inside to its own ends,” finished Sombra with a dark look. “I'm surprised this hasn't already begun as we speak. Makes me wonder if the Demiurge melds with its new, potential ally.” His boots echoed with each step, having summoned up a sword sheathed at his hip and silver armor complete with a crimson cape that trailed after him.

“There isn't time to waste then. We must complete the maze as soon as possible,” answered Somnambula, who padded behind them in the narrow corridors. “I overcame the former Sphinx's riddles several times, and have inherited her knowledge on top of my own. I do not mean to indulge in hubris, yet I also have faith that working together, we may overcome any challenge.” She steeled herself in determination, slit eyes narrowed, glowing in the dark and reflecting off Bellatrix's natural ethereal radiance.

Quickly they arrived at the first crossroads. “We don't exactly have the numbers to split up,” muttered Beatrix to herself, who scratched her chin. “Unlike last time where we had Starlight Glimmer, who could teleport us away. Or help from the Smooze! Without him, I've felt pretty vulnerable ever since,” she continued to nervously ramble to herself.

“Stay focused,” gently chided Sombra, who cupped her cheek and made her flush, her heart skipping. He returned a sly smirk. “There are few who can master the teleportation spell. Thankfully, it only took me a few years to get it right, just in case something like that should happen again.”

Bellatrix quirked a brow. “Why not simply fetch whoever we need, then, before we undertook this journey?”

“That would take time, which Cerise may not have. I would have to negotiate with anyone who might aid us. And in truth, while I might claim mastery, such a spell takes time to recharge after each cast and puts an enormous strain on me,” he confessed with a certain bitterness. "I come upon the limitations of this form. Taking on permanent flesh for my rebirth weakened me.”

“Beats being a cheap smoke monster. Lord knows Inky would be miserable without having her physical husband to claim her~” chided Beatrix with a wink, trying to stir him up for old time's sake.

He chuckled at her tease, then turned serious again. “I see no visible difference between these paths, other than the runes.” He started to read what words he could aloud in an alien tongue, and Somnambula joined in, filling in the blanks.

“This way.” Somnambula pointed a path towards the left. She now took the lead, wary of what they might encounter on the way, be it unspeakable monstrosities or traps. “Spirits guide us,” she whispered in prayer, having taken the more difficult route of the two, sensing that it would eventually lead them to the exit...if they survived the tests to come.

From the walls opened a pair of eyes, watching them intently, following each movement. They rested on Somnambula in particular, sensed an old kinship between them, now lost with what the creature had become in a state somewhere between life-and-death. It also sensed the darkness within Sombra, wishing to swallow it up and claim it for its own.

*****

In the bountiful gardens below the Badlands, a pastel paradise stretched wherever one looked, littered with exotic, oversized fruits and vegetables, and partially tamed wildlife that thrived in the vast greenery. The sun somehow shined down below, the rush of waterfalls echoing in the distance, turning into rivers that ran through the spacious arena.

Most of the inhabitants didn't bother to wear clothing, choosing a more naturist lifestyle, those closest to their former Dragon Lord, Spike, doing their best to maintain the utopia he'd set out to create. Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder were at the head of his lands, a number of his offspring inheriting various portions and setting up their own tightly-knit clans.

Twilight Sparkle sat her plush bottom on the riverbank, letting her feet dangle into the calm, sparkly waters. She flexed her wings, enjoying the breeze and the sunlight caressing her completely bared form, her exclusive diary opened in her lap where she exchanged notes with Sunset Shimmer. “I hope the Dazzlings are behaving,” she wrote with her quill dipped in ink.

“They've been fine,” came the reply from Sunset, the words materializing on the page. “They're still working on their band, running odd jobs on the side, and I've been helping out after... you know.” She didn't like to talk about Adagio's loss, nor the Eldritch who had caused them all so much grief. Instead, they simply tried to put those dark times far behind them.

Twilight sighed and paused in her reply, remembering her own part in all that. Her meddling with the dark arts, Starlight Glimmer conditioned to be a tool of the enemy.... Best not to focus on that. She watched a number of her friends enjoy the fruits of their victory all those many years ago, Tree Hugger lounging nude with Fluttershy who she fed strawberries to, Rarity and Sweetie Belle bathing together, splashing and giggling. “It's peaceful as ever here,” she scrawled back.

No sooner did she speak when an ear-splitting roar reverberates throughout, causing a number of those who lazed about to shriek and cower in a panic. Leaving a hasty farewell to Sunset, Twilight was instantly on her feet, horn flaring with a prepared barrier spell to challenge whatever was to come. “Wait...Spike?!” Her ears flicked, barely able to believe it.

Yet the roars were so familiar, shaking the area, the titan thundering closer. She was met by Ember and Smolder, who landed at her sides, both garbed in armor and carrying weapons. “It's him,” said Ember. “Our plan worked.”

“Impossible,” cried Twilight, who didn't want to get her hopes up. “It should take centuries, at least!”

“We saw 'em ourselves,” said Smolder, who rested a hand on a muscular hip. “Trouble is, he's not exactly aware at the moment. We gotta try and calm him down, somehow. He's tearing apart the rock above, trying to claw his way in!”

Twilight swallowed, realizing the lava could leak into her, killing hundreds. She knew he'd never intentionally harm them, but he'd been reduced to a bestial state, all instinct and raw emotion. “Fleur de Lis,” she called to the head of her soldiers, and the unicorn strode over with a sway of her wide hips, naked as the day she was born. “Escort everyone you can to safety.”

Fleur saluted them. “Leave it to me.” She turned and rushed in, quelling the pandemonium and organizing them as Fancy Pants once had, not bothering to waste time fetching her clothes. Her long legs moved with unmatched grace, and she tossed back her silky mane, the smooth globes of her buttocks swaying with a ripple of bare flesh with each calculated movement.

With no time to waste, Twilight took the dragonesses by their claws and blinked away in a flash. They resurfaced amid the hellish wastes above, although to the dragons, she knew this was preferable. She choked on the grayish-black smoke, tearing up her eyes, the waves of heat making sweat begin to build on her skin, reminding her of how naked she was.

She cast a spell to summon up a simple tunic with a skirt and sandals, weaved another spell to make the atmosphere around her radius more bearable, swishing aside ash and vapors with a beat of her wings. Her stare settled on the muscular behemoth ahead of them, the hulking brute of a dragon matching Torch, scales gleaming while he clawed through rocks, tossing them about. Cautiously she sailed closer with the duo, watching him snort and snarl, desperate to burrow in.

Aware that he could bring down the surface at any moment, she approached the hulk of a drake, who was like family to her...

*****

Goosebumps prickled all over Cerise Silhouette's skin, through her thin black coat of fur, the stone slab of the altar cold upon her slender back. Her captor had chained her by the wrists and ankles, stripped her nude, and left her in the dark. Her breasts rose and fell with each sucking breath, nipples stiff in the eerie, whistling wind that passed through the chamber.

Her bright pink eyes widened, seeing the creature poised in the shadows, a phantasmal stallion surrounding in a series of writhing black tendrils, a horn jutting from its forehead, its eyes like sunken white pits. Its wispy mane and tail rolled behind it like a cold fire, its demonic plumage widened to fullness, like it was poised to consume its prey.

“H-Hello?” Her squeaky voice echoed about the room. “Please, if you can understand me-”

The abomination swirled with the dark arts like this was a mere shell composed of energies drawn from the abyss itself. Even while it loomed over her in a predatory fashion, eager to siphon the darkness within her, she sensed the stallion that lay buried inside, lost, and detached. “I am called the Pony of Shadows,” it stated. “You can relax, little one. I will not harm you as long as you draw the others here.”

“You mean my father?” She gulped, hopeful that he'd rescue her, but fearing what might happen if he tried.

“Yes... His power will add to my own. And.. perhaps yours. I sense raw darkness within your soul. And it is very delicious.” His empty gaze trailed over her, taking little interest in her body, instead concerned with the essence that animated her. “You don't have any idea how unique you are, do you? Haha, I suppose fair; I doubt he comprehends, either~.”

“W-What do you mean? I'm just a dancer.” She turned her head aside. “Nobody important, not really.”

“And yet, you could be! There is so much potential, you're vessel is dripping with it! Given time and the opportunity.” Portions of her skin and coat started to glow a hot pink neon again, lighting up the dungeon, the gray stonework illuminated by dancing spots of color she cast. “When Pacific Glow was seeded by Sombra, he infected her womb with part of his dark essence. It altered you long before birth! And on your mother's deathbed, her soul transferred to yours, mixing together and creating a hybrid between her and what you were meant to be.”

Cerise struggled to take all this in. “You're saying I'm a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow...?”

“Precisely. So much raw power, and you don't even understand how to wield it. Sombra may believe he mastered the darkness, but I shall debase him of that notion. And I shall have my vengeance on her...the last of the Pillars,” he stated with finality, his eyes staring at the drab walls, more speaking to himself, his thoughts trailing obsessively over past wrongs.

She whispered, “You mean Somnambula? You knew her?” She rattled in her binds. Realizing he intended to sacrifice her, subjecting her to a fate likely far worse than death as her soul was consumed, she couldn't help but a whimper, teary-eyed.

He shuffled about the dungeon, ignoring her, savoring the moment he enacted his vengeance.

“Bah! This vessel has reached its limit. You will have to do... until someone far more worthy is within my grasp~.” The creature's form dissipated into a wispy smoke cloud, and she huffed when it enveloped her, slowly flowed into every opening it could find. She writhed and panted, broke out in a cold sweat, dotted in goosebumps, and shaken by an unnatural chill that bit into the marrow of her bones.

Within moments she and the entity were united as one. The binds around her wrists and ankles broke, and Cerise Silhouette rose with a malicious smile, the earth pony mare trapped inside and forced to watch her body manipulated like a marionette. "Oh yes... this form will do very nicely for the time being~" It purred through her voice while taking a moment to fill up its new body before a whimpering sound caught its attention.

With cool detachment, she surveyed the unicorn slumped naked before her. “Stygian, was it?” He shook, curled up in a fetal position. “Hmm, I could kill you. But why waste what precious little energy it would take when you're already on the verge of death?” She kicked his side, and he whimpered, a rib snapping under the impact from the blow.

Whistling, Cerise's hands flared with an aura, and she summoned up her usual clothes. She wandered out of the dungeon, the door creaking on its rusty hinges, out into the clammy, crumbling stonework in pursuit of her father.

Stygian groaned and swayed to his knees once she'd gone. “S-Somnambula,” he whispered. He'd let the darkness consume him, use him, reduce him to nothing more than its tool. He pushed himself to rise out of desperation, ignored the pain that wracked him, the weakness of his tired muscles, determined to seek out the last Pillar, and somehow set this all right.

He stumbled out into the gloom. Water dripped between the cracks with an echo that made his ears twitch. He leaned on the cold stone for support, uncertain what exactly had happened to him. Far as he could tell, the Pillars had saved him from his fate as the Pony of Shadows, so how had he ended up like this? The last he recalled was the arrival of the Elritch, and...

He understood. They must have slain him at the height of the war like so many others. But the Necronomicon drew in those touched by the darkness, which included him, and the entity that contaminated the dark tome's interior, the Demiurge, must have been able to reawaken the Pony of Shadows within him once his departed soul ended up trapped within the pages.

Yet he was a mere dabbler into the occult, a scholar. Sombra had attempted to master the shadows. Doubtless, poor Cerise would be forced to seek him out and transfer the power to him. He gritted his teeth, almost collapsed, pushed onwards...

*****

Fin shaped ears flattened against Spike's head. He paused before the familiar trio before him, sniffed the air, and his consciousness threatened to resurface, however momentarily. He couldn't understand the unicorn, who took the lead, but immediately knew she was somehow important to him. Yet, for some reason, she barred him from others he wished to see, far down below.

“Can you understand me, Spike?” She placed a tentative hand on his massive snout. “It's Twilight Sparkle! Please, if you're in there, listen! I know you want to see everyone again, but if you tear a hole down there, you could end up hurting them!”

He titled his head, unable to comprehend the gist of her words, despite his inability to understand her language. A whine escaped him, wingspan pressed to his scaly musculature, saddened that he couldn't reunite with his friends and family.

“It's okay,” she assured him, holding his snout. “I'll find some way to fix this, I promise!”

“Whew. That was easier than expected,” said Smolder, who rested a claw on her powerful hip. “Close one, though!”

Ember shook her head, arms folded. “It's not over yet. A Dragon Lord isn't supposed to be reborn like this. At least, not according to the legends. He should have come back as an egg and started his whole life over!”

Smolder heaved her shoulders. “Well, it was a fable. We didn't really expect it to work, no matter how much we hoped.”

“I'll help him find himself,” said Twilight, who narrowed her eyes. “I won't let him be reduced to a mere animal!” She pressed her head to him with a soft sob, thankful that one of the many she'd lost to the Eldritch had miraculously returned. She'd lost far too many, most in senseless ways, all because a mythic race had arisen from the Necronomicon to wreak havoc.

They had slain the Eldritch to the last. Yet their dark messiah, the Demiurge, could only be contained in the tome. Even if they were to somehow annihilate it, she sensed it would only return in a new form and continue to build its power.

It was an idea, a force-of-nature, and how could one ever honestly hope to be rid of a concept?

Smolder said, “So what do we do with him for now?”

“He can stay in the Dragon Lands,” replied Ember. “Plenty of room to relax and play here.”

“Now, you're talkin'! We'll keep him company! I don't like it as much down there anyway,” admitted Smolder. “I mean, it's an okay change of pace once in a while, but I prefer the smoky air, the hot bubbly lava, the-”

While he couldn't make out the words, Spike listened anyhow, felt the warmth and humor in his old friends. With them, he'd been able to push past any obstacle, despite what the invaders had repeatedly thrown at Equestria. He lazed by them, curled up in his spiny tail, tried to settle down into a slumber that would finally ease his restlessness with a tired snort.

He kept an eye open, felt his heart slow, and his muscles slacken. But before he could lose himself in dreams of his former life, a psychic scream threatened to shred his brain, and he roared, rising to all fours and breathing a cone of hellish fire at the air.

“Spike! What's wrong?!” Twilight kept her distance, unable to fathom his sudden burst of rage.

Instinctively aware that in his current state, he was a threat to them, Spike hurtled himself into the crimson sky and beat his massive wings in a desperate, aimless flight. His addled mind recalled familiar horrors. The Eldritch. The Demiurge.

He swooped past the Badlands, to where an old enemy-turned-ally lived, sure the Necronomicon would have the answers...

Chapter 3

The labyrinth inside the Necronomicon began to shift. This made Sombra theorize that perhaps somewhere, sealed in the bowels, the Demiurge had taken control. If this were the case, then they needed to hurry. However, that task proved difficult when a solid stone wall slammed shut before him, sealing him off from his companions. “Damn..." he hissed.

Knowing that it would take too long to destroy it with brute force magic, he attempted to dissipate into a black cloud, only for his power to fizzle out. He snorted on frustration. “I've taken flesh for so long, that avenue's been cut off from me.”

He silently cursed the limitations of his physical shape. His silver armor and crown gleamed in the gloom, and he unsheathed the black sword at his muscular hip, confident that with Somnambula present with them, Bellatrix, and Beatrix would remain guided through this everchanging maze. He shook his head, hopeful that his apprentice would manage without going in over her head.

It had been his idea to summon her, after all. They were forever tied to the black tome and its machinations.

Aware there was no way to turn back, he was forced to continue onward. His boots echoed on the stone, and he navigated the maze, his face drawn and weary. He'd promised his loving queen to bring back their daughter. And that was a task he would not fail!

For an hour, he walked alone as darkness began to swallow the light before him. He once thought that he was most comfortable in the shadows. But as he kept walking for what felt like hours, he felt a longing to see his family and friends. Another reminder of how much he had changed. That with his new life, he now had infinitely more to lose.

A chilling shiver crawled up his spine, distant giggling could be heard through the halls. It sounded... child-like? Was the Demiurge playing tricks on him? No, wait.... This felt much more ancient. Much more...sinister. Malevolent thoughts and feelings all too familiar to him coursed through his body. When did the air get so cold that his breath was visible? He could no longer see anything, except the pitch black of the abyss before him.

Something within that abyss was gazing back.

Then...something moved towards the corridor's termination. Shaking off this daze, he followed it as the light appeared again, providing a silhouette in the mouth of the entrance. "No more tricks! Show yourself," he demanded as he unsheathed his sword.

“F-Father? Is that you...?!” Into view came Cerise Silhouette, stumbling her way towards his side. Completely naked, her dark fur-coated her shapeliness, neon pink pigtails looking messy. And bright, watery eyes that complimented the sadness in her smile. "You came for me! I knew you would."

It pained Sombra to take a step back, but he was still uncertain after the tricks of the Demiurge he experienced a moment ago. “Daughter.... How do I know it is you?" He asked in a stern tone.

“Daddy, please.” She whimpered with a soft sob and padded closer. “I barely managed to get away!”

“Stay back,” he warned, wishing to believe it was true. Yet he was far too familiar with this trap. Whatever demon was using his daughter as a facade, it would force him to pierce its heart with a double-edged sword.

"Father..." Cerise said, her smile more bright and cheerful before she suddenly started to dance. Her arms were upraised, her massive breast jutted out, her body swaying in tune to exotic music that began to play around them. Her hips, buttocks, and tits jiggled, splotches of neon color swirling over her supple flesh, a soft blush on her cheeks, eyes half-lidded, full nipples erect and her tight labia moist.

And Sombra could do nothing but watch his daughter put on such an alluring display. Much like Pacific Glow before her would do. Whatever illusion was cast, it was working...

“Daddy,” she cooed. “Wouldn't it feel more comfortable if you were naked, too?”

He gulped uneasily but nodded weakly as his blade fell with a clatter. More clangs sounded when he removed his armor, piece-by-piece until he too stood denuded. He approached her with a swollen cock; his body filled with suppressed lust between them.

Subconscious and unspoken, a taboo he'd never dare even think of breaking was spinning around his head. But for every 'no' going off, a subtle 'yes' was hissing into his ear pleasantly, like a snake.

Before he realized what he was doing, Sombra was upon her, lifting her up by her thick thighs and pressing her against the cold wall. She whinnied in anticipation, and he sank his flaring genitals into her, past the medial ring, fully buried in her warm, moist, and incredibly pink tunnel which clenched in desperate need around him.

Huffing, Sombra made love to her, her arms and legs wrapped around him. Their lips met with a smack, tongues wrestling, and he peppered her neck and breasts in more kisses. His fingers and nails sunk into her buttocks, so soft and pliable.

“Y-Yes! Ahh~! Give it to me, Daddy! M-make love to me! Make a foal with me~,” she pleaded in a sensual whisper with heated cheeks and smoldering eyes.

Grunting, he wrapped his teeth around a nipple, pulled and distended a tit, and she whined with her head tossed back. Her pussy clamped around him, milking him for his royal juices. He slammed into her faster, more forcefully, pounded her ass into the stonework, her ass slapping on it, her twat shooting spatters of her juices and running down his groin, desperate to take his seed into her womb.

He was similarly compelled to plant it there, groaning in desperation for release, “Oh daddy,” she repeated over-and-over with a flutter of her lashes between moans. She clamped her twat down on him, shrieking and squirting over his crotch.

“C-Cerise~!” His cock flared, locked within her cervix to properly seed her, and he unloaded directly into her slippery womb, painted her walls in repeated shots of his hot, sticky essence. He huffed, unable to stop himself even if he wished to.

The tainted deed was done. Sombra held his daughter to his broad chest, unable to think clearly as the pair were still intertwined. “Oh, thank you, Daddy. I love you so much,” she murmured. Still locked in her cum-packed uterus, he gripped her tight, never wanting to leave her warm confines.

What had possessed him? He'd mocked Shining Armor and Beatrix Belladonna for a similar dalliance they'd had in another world. Still, they'd been compelled by the Demiurge inside her to break the taboo, to create a vessel for the dark messiah of the Eldritch.

Holding her to him with a pained smile, he pondered how he would ever explain this to everyone. Let alone his own queen.

Just as he kept pondering what he would do, a flash of dark pink caught the corner of his eye. Something hopped back into the darkness of the labyrinth.

*****

Beatrix Belladonna swiveled her head about. “Teacher? Sister? Sommy?” Her words reverberated back at her. It had happened in seconds, the walls had slammed down, the party separated. She considered one of the tubes hidden in the sleeves of her inner cloak, an alchemical concoction that could blow the stones away, but worried she'd be caught in the blast. “That would be a rather embarrassing end...plus, if this place is constantly shifting its dimensions, they could be miles apart by now!”

With a shake of her head, the witch wandered on. Her heels skipped on the stones, and her wide-brimmed cone hat bounced on her head, while her platinum hair and cloak swirled past her. She came to a junction. “Hmm, which way to go? They all look the same to me.” She scratched her chin, pulled a coin from seemingly nowhere, and after a flip where it called tails, she shrugged and moved to the right.

Shivering, she felt a pair of eyes upon her, and darted her gaze back, but they closed before she could see them. Her shadows trailed on the corridors, brought out by the torches that crackled on the sconces. It felt like anything could happen here.

Her ears flicked when she heard a soft moan coming from the distance. It was followed by an unmistakable male growl. “Wait, is that...?”

Peeking around the corner, her eyes and mouth went wide, and heat rose into her cheeks upon her discovery. It was Sombra, though he appeared much younger than she remembered, atop a lovely unicorn and gently pushing into her flanks. They were locked in a tender embrace while they made love. Her proportions were average but well-shaped, her coat a soft lavender, her mane azure. “Sombra.... My love,” she murmured tenderly and caressed his cheek.

“O-Oh Radiant Hope...I'm close...!” He stroked her locks mid-coitus. “Please...become my Queen, and let's rule the Crystal Empire; together!” His hand slid between her supple breasts, rested over her heart, and he listened to its gentle beat.

“All I want is to be with you,” she cooed each time he slid in-and-out of her silky wet slit.

The two shared a beautiful climax with each other. Never had Beatrix seen her teacher looked so serene, not even with Inky Rose or herself! A twig of jealousy struck her heart, but not enough to distract her from the scene. As the two lovers caught their breath and shared another kiss, Sombra rose up with an all too familiar smile. "Oh, Hope.... My ambitions will be much more than this. I've...done a lot of studying in some...powerful magic."

"W-what kind of magic, my love?" She asked with a confused look.

"Magic so ancient and so vast, not even the former Queen could control it. But I have discovered that I am a much suitable vessel. I just need a bit more time...a bit more power... Before...ugh! Before I can claim what is rightfully mine~!"

His eyes radiated with a wispy glow. Radiant Hope gasped, and his maw opened, fangs exposed, his horn twisting into a jagged mess. Black smoke arose from his muscles. He gripped her harder before resuming to thrust into her again and again, hammering into her body with relentless aggression. Clawing so hard into a breast and asscheeks, he left small cuts and bruises on them, he nipped a tit until it bled from small marks.

Radiant Hope paled, horrified. She tried to resist and pushed him to stop, whimpering in pain. “S-Sombra, slow down! S-stop, you're hurting me...” Yet he ignored her. He was a stallion possessed, his hand wrapped around her throat, as if to strangle her very life while impaling her cervix.

She sobbed when the flare buried there and he howled. His muscles clenched and he dumped his seed into her womb to claim his Queen. Yet the darkness of the Necronomicon had infected him, and he lost control in a bestial rage. She screamed.

“Stop!!” Cried Beatrix with wide eyes and wrapped her aura around him to try and fling him off. Yet her magic levitated nothing. It was like she wasn't really grasping anything. She kept trying before her magic depleted as the scene continued on, leaving her to watch with little choice of stopping it.

Radiant Hope closed her eyes with a muted whine when her body betrayed her, and she came on him. In the throes of his orgasm, he sunk a claw into her breast and tore out her still-beating heart, presenting it to her wide eyes. The very last image this poor mare would see is her lover with a manic grin, and glowing red eyes devour her own love for him, blood sliding down his chin.

Beatrix shook like a leaf. Even though this was an illusion, the smell of blood hung heavily in the air. As the monster imitating her teacher left, she slowly crawled towards Radiant Hope's body remained. “W-Why...?” Was her only response. Not to why this happened, she knew better.

It was a vision of the past, the stallion he'd once been, when the darkness of the Necronomicon infected him. But why show her this gruesome scene? She didn't really know this unicorn, and yet she felt strangely connected. She kneeled down by her side, covered her face with both hands, and softly sobbed for her anyhow, still in disbelief.

She told herself he wasn't a monster anymore, that he'd changed, and she'd been instrumental in that. She'd seen and known the terrible deeds he'd been capable of, but it was a stark reminder, and she couldn't help but feel guilty, that she too was culpable for every sin he'd committed if she loved him. Yet his apprentice couldn't deny she still felt strongly about him.

As she mourned for this false lover, she failed to notice two tiny glowing eyes peering over her. A low, rumbling chuckle emanated from the vails of darkness around her as if the Necronomicon was laughing at her.

*****

Spike circled around the pyramid. Scales gleamed under the baking sun. He stared down at the arrivals, a legion of guards that flanked the Queen, Inky Rose, armed with crossbows and spears. “Stand down,” she ordered with a wave. “We couldn't halt him anyhow.” Her sheer, transparent black gown whipped about her ample form while she studied him with a frown.

They were forced to scatter when he descended with claws outstretched and smashed into the lower portion. Masonry crumbled and stones were tossed into the dunes. He took care not to harm anyone but proceeded to dig into the tombs, where he sensed the Necronomicon was buried, an alien scream pulsing in his head, drawing him to it in his quest for answers.

With the guardian of the sacred tombs, the Sphinx currently absent, Spike tirelessly clawed his way into the depths and unearthed the treasury. Under normal circumstances, dragon greed might have driven him to procure the vast treasures, but he ignored them and plucked up the black book, the mummified and stitched faces of the Eldritch drawn taut across its covers.

Inky pushed past her guards and came between him and the grimoire. Her heart raced, but she stood at her full height with her plume unfurled, her bare feet upon the piles of gold, and staring up into his eyes in grim determination. “Spike, can you hear me?” He tilted his head and paused. “Please... You'll make a grave mistake if you continue down this path. Control yourself!"

Spike raised a claw, ready to swat her aside, but not wishing to harm her. Still, the Necronomicon called to him, and another psychic headache threatened to split his skull. He howled, and beat his wings, whipping about a sand storm.

Inky stood her ground until she was forced to instinctively cower before his primal display of dominance, a reminder that to him, she was mere prey. His nail hooked into the cleft of her garment between her breasts, and shredded off her clothes, clasping the pegasus in his claws, his jaws slavering and dripping hot drool all over her writhing, naked form.

“S-Spike! Don't do this,” she whispered before shuddering in disgust as he dragged his tongue over her flesh.

He opened his mouth, baring his rows of razor teeth. Arrows and magic bounced uselessly off his hide, spears snapped on his armored scales, the Queen's loyal followers determined to lay down their lives if necessary to save her.

A blink sounded. “Spike!” He turned to the familiar voice, some awareness returning. “Stop it! You're not a monster!”

He managed to find his voice. “T-Twilight...?” He shook his head, trying to blot out the psychic reverberations, and gently set down Inky, shamefaced. “I...I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me.”

“I-It's alright, you're forgiven,” said Inky, who tried to wipe off the saliva coating her pale gray body. "Just...try to regain control sooner next time..."

Twilight Sparkle said, “It will be okay. I promise. We received your message, Inky Rose. I went around and gathered several allies to help.” Behind her stood a number who'd answered the King's and Queen's summons; Rarity who'd come for Spike, Sunset Shimmer who by studying Beatrix's powers the had been able to travel back over through an experimental machine which had broken down after one use, Fleur de Lis who claimed she had 'unfinished business,' and Trixie Lulamoon and Flurry Heart, who came in support of Beatrix. “I put together a team to rescue everyone from the Necronomicon!”

“Well done,” said Inky. “Please, save my husband and daughter. I'll be eternally in your debt.” She clutched the ankh hung by a chain that dangled between her bare breasts, which made her wonder if her destiny was always tied to this exotic land.

Twilight nodded. “Let's not waste any time, then.” She stared at the book deep into the unearthed pit, settled atop a column. Carefully she approached the tome, which made her shudder with its mere, eerie presence, cold to the touch.

Rarity sidled up to the dragon and pressed her white dress clad curves to him. “My Spikey-Wikey,” she purred. “We were so concerned, dear. Especially poor Fluttershy. I promised to make you see sense and bring you back home.”

Spike nuzzled her back, ignoring the buzz in his head. “Thanks.” He grinned at the other arrivals.

Sunset approached and laid hands on him, dressed in her old costume. Her eyes went white when she peered into him in search of answers. “Huh.” Answers flashed by her thoughts in rapid succession. “It's...it's the Demiurge all right. And the...Eldritch? No, that's impossible, we must have destroyed them all! A-ah!” She suddenly screamed, overwhelmed by rapid visions.

She collapsed and quivered, still howling, going into seizures when the psychic howl threatened to shred her psyche.

“No!” Twilight sank to her side, tears in her eyes. With help from her companions, she held her down and stuffed a cloth into her mouth so she wouldn't bite off her tongue. “We have to sedate her until we can fix this!”

“Leave it to me,” said Flurry Heart with pursed lips. She wore a simple dress with a cloak over it, reached into her satchel, and opened a tube. The bubbly contents were poured down Sunset's mouth, dripping down the side of her lips. Within moments Sunset settled into a deep slumber. “She'll be okay. Physically, at least. But her mind...”

“I'll save her. I swear it.” Twilight grit her teeth and balled up her fists. “It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought her-”

Rarity held her. “You couldn't have known. It seems the scars left by the Eldritch shall never leave us.”

Fleur de Lis was dressed in form-fitted white attire enchanted to serve as armor. Her stylized halberd, its blade shaped like her namesake, was leveled at the cursed book. “I shall proceed into the Necronomicon and slaughter any Eldritch that remain!”

“We had better return home, darling,” said Rarity to her love. “Your family misses you dearly, as do I...”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, I...agh~!” His mind threatened to split again as another psychic shock wave pulsed through him.

The Necronomicon shot into the air, hovered, and opened up to admit them in. “Guards,” shouted Inky as black tendrils shot from its interior. One wrapped around Rarity's midsection, and she squealed, dragged towards the tattered pages.

“Rarity!” Spike growled and dived past them after her, only for the pair to vanish amidst a brilliant light, sucked into it.

“Inky, please look after Sunset. Let's go.” Twilight nodded to Flurry, Fleur, and Trixie, who followed after her.

“My little Beatrix,” said Trixie in her dramatic fashion. “We'll be there soon, I swear it! Nothing will keep me from you!”

They too shrank and were sucked into the brightness. Twilight couldn't help but think the tendrils looked familiar somehow. The black cloud Sombra had once been? The Pony of Shadows? The darkness that once transformed Luna into Nightmare Moon?

Somehow she sensed they were all connected, perhaps a byproduct across dimensions, an infectious evil that warped one into a monster. The Eldritch were merely another tool of this malevolent force of nature. She swore to put an end to it.

*****

Somnambula carved her way through solid stone with her claws, but it was far too late. “At least I managed to locate you,” the Sphinx said to Bellatrix Primadonna. Her slit eyes surveyed the decrepit gray and lime-colored stone maze, which could be infinite in its dimensions. “Be wary. Anything may occur within the accursed Necronomicon.”

“I know. I was born here, in a sense.” Bellatrix crossed her arms and sighed. “I wonder, was I a demon drawn here, like so many others? Or was I merely a fictional character that Sombra breathed life into when he liberated me?” She'd been a typical succubus once, and with Somnambula's holy book, he'd eventually altered her into her current seraphic state.

“I feel partially responsible. For all this. I released Spike's full potential and sacrificed his life...” Soft sobs escaped Somnambula. “I have always done whatever it took to preserve Equestria, and yet my sins are heavier than most.”

Bellatrix shrugged. “So what? You're not a bad person now, are you? Without your knowledge or guidance, we'd likely all be dead.”

“Curt like always. Yet you may have a point. Wisdom from unexpected sources,” she mused with a soft titter. She paused and sniffed the air as a scent wafted their way. “You smell it too, do you not? The reek of blood...” She padded towards it, and spreading her plumage Bellatrix sailed next to her, her white radiance shimmering off the cracked tunnels.

“S-Somnambula...” Stygian tried to focus and leaned on a wall for support, bruised, and bloodied.

“Stygian?!” She bounded over to him, stricken. “Please, hang on!” He sank to the floor with a thud.

“The-the Pony of Shadows...has returned,” he managed before he slipped unconscious.

Somnambula chanted a prayer, and in a flash of light, temporarily abandoned her Sphinx form to retake her pegasus shape. She sat in her silk gown beside him and placed his head in her lap while she stroked his forehead. “Poor Stygian. We Pillars made a terrible mistake when we underestimated him. Was he delusional, or has the Pony of Shadows truly returned, independent of him?” She closed her teary eyes, eaten away by guilt and hopeful she could still save him.

“I may be able to heal him,” said Bellatrix who placed her palms on him. She concentrated and filled him with her holy warmth. Gradually his cuts and bruises receded, and his bones knitted, but he remained unconscious. “There, that should... ugh...” Her form suddenly felt heavy as she collapsed onto her knees.

“I am thankful for your help, but that act has left you terribly weak,” observed Somnambula pensively.

Bellatrix wavered in place, struggling to stay conscious. “I...I'll be fine. I just need to rest.”

“We may not have the time. This place is infinitely more dangerous than Tartarus. We have seen only the outer edges.”

“Again, I used to live here... not really that surprised,” Bellatrix sighed with a prissy huff. “I mean, the constant shifting plains is new to me, but everything isn't unrecognizable...” She struggled to her feet and carried Stygian the best she was able. “Still, we're going to need your protection if we're to get out alive.”

Somnambula nodded and, with another chant, return to her Sphinx form. “Leave it to me.” She led the way ever more profound with her transformation, her faith placed in the spirits to guide her. All her life she'd been committed to her sacred duties above all.

The possibility that they might never escape frightened her. Yet she steeled herself, knew she couldn't let doubts creep in, and crush her spirit. Without her, Bellatrix, Stygian, and perhaps the rest of their distributed team would be doomed to an eternity of suffering.

They needed to find them and fast!

Chapter 4

“The spirits must be disturbed,” observed Inky Rose, who stood with her arms crossed and studied the overturned tombs. Phantasmal energies swirled about, and she swore faces were visible in them, which made her shudder. “If only Somnambula were here. She'd know what to do. Alas, at least I don't believe they wish to harm the custodians of their land.”

"Perhaps I can be of assistance, yer majesty," a calm, gentle voice called to her. The queen jumped in alarm and turned to see someone walk into the open. Mystical blue robes flowed with her movements while she walked with a staff that resembled a dreamcatcher. Curved horns protruded from her hood that tried to hide her face with light blue hair braided underneath. Warm, honey-colored eyes looked back at Inky's cautioned expression. "If you'll permit me, that is..."

"And who am I permitting?" Inky asked, covering her arms over her exposed breasts.

"Oona Ewe, dream shepard of a lost world. Normally I would never come physically to people's affairs, but..." Her smile disappears upon looking at the Necronomicon. "I fear trouble is brewin' by all those who've messed with that lil' black book."

The pegasus clutched the book as if trying to protect her friends within it from this stranger. "W-what business do you have with the Necronomicon?!"

"O, plenty yer majesty, plenty," the goat woman responds, slowly easing Inky to place the book down as she flipped through the pages. "You're probably aware that this book connects many worlds and dimensions with its black magic, aye?"

Inky narrowed her gaze while watching her. "Of course! Our world has suffered thanks to it. It brought upon the Eldritch who nearly eradicated our existence."

"So it has. And just where do ya think the Eldritch come from?" Ewe asked before finding a page near the very end of the book, coated in nothing but black ink.

"T-the... the Demiurge..."

"Ha. If only that were true. All my problems and worries would be just that. But I'm afraid something else is the culprit. Something, not even the Demiurge, is likely aware of."

"T-then speak, shepard!" The dark queen demanded, tiring of this goat and her riddles. "If you're here to help, then please explain what it is! My husband and friends are trapped in there!"

Ewe touched her cheek if only to calm her nerves. Her caress was so soft, Inky felt herself growing drowsy.

"Queen Inky Rose, I assure you I will help protect your king and anyone else whose fallen victim by the torments of the Necronomicon," Lady Ewe insisted. "But ye must understand. The purpose of it was to contain the most wicked and darkest of spells and magic. It's the only thing keeping him from breaking free.."

"Him..? You mean the Pony of Shadows?"

She shook her head before beginning a light hum left the ram's muzzle as blue aura formed into a single dewdrop to wet the paper. And by its majestic, the mysterious black page was revealed. And what it showed frightened Inky to her very core.

The page detailed a dark mass of a black...thing. A thing with many tentacles and appendages wrapping around what looked to be a sun, many eyes sketched into it. And near the base of where all the tendrils met was what seemed like an endless pit of teeth.

"Sombra, Luna, and Stygian have all tasted the madness that came from this creature. None do know where it came from, only that it has existed before time. It is known by many names; Sun-Eater, Sen-me, the Shadow of Humanity itself. His real name... is Zeloph."

"Zeloph..." The very mention of this thing's name left an unsettling shiver roll through her spine.

Ewe nods, her own face contorted with dismay. "Another shaman and I managed to seal the demon away into this book, in hopes that no one would read it. But time and desperation proved us wrong as many would find it through different periods, different dimensions, and give into it's insane and illogical design; forming and creating new spells that cost many their lives...just for a taste of power. I fear that if the Demiurge digs deeply into the source of the Necronomicon, Zeloph will break free."

"T-THEN WE WARN THE OTHERS!" She yelled in a panic. "Beatrix, Sombra, Spike, Twilight, Sommabula. None of them are aware of what lies waiting for them!"

"It's why I am here," Ewe exclaimed, clutching her staff while casting a spell over the cover to activate a new portal into its confinement. Clutching the queen's hand, she would whisper, "Pray for us, your highness. Pray for our swift return. And above all, keep hope we will succeed!" And with that, the mystical ram vanished into the Necronomicon.

Inky Rose could only stare blankly at the black book before hesitantly picking it up. She just couldn't process what she just discovered. All this nonsense about many sources of darkness linking to one primordial being, all from this strange goat woman. What could she genuinely believe in? What would make this all go away? What would bring her husband, their child, and friends home safely?

“My Queen,” said one of her guards who flanked her. Her handmaidens had retrieved another sheer black gown for her, and a golden sheen reflected off them from the scattered treasures. It seems they failed to notice Lady Ewe's entrance. “There is no need to despair! King Sombra will return soon.”

Her gaze softened before she managed to force a smile on her face. “Yes,” she agreed before looking to the Necronomicon and then resting it back on its column. “They will make sure of it.” She clutched the ankh between her breasts, a symbol of her faith, and sighed. “Oh, Beatrix...I hope you'll return to him. I know your love for him is strong too...”

With their mistress away, Somnambula's priestesses Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow stayed close at Inky's side to watch over her. “You're restless,” said Tiara, who quickly added, “Understandably, under the circumstances.”

“We'll take care of the trivial stuff,” offered Cozy with a smile.

“Thank you all.” She would have to trust in everyone who entered the dark tome, for the sake of Pacific Glow's daughter, who she'd raised like her own, and with the knowledge that if they failed, it could incite an incident between the alliance.

The Eldritch and the Demiurge still haunted her, like they did many of the survivors. And even after their defeat over many years ago, new scars kept showing up in their new foundations of Equestria.

It hurt her as much as it hurt looking towards the sun or the moon, reminded of the mistakes of the alicorn sisters. “The old rulers are mostly dead,” she whispered. “We must build a better world on our own.”

It's the reason she had given herself to Sombra, tried to soothe his pains, and turn that darkness towards the betterment of all. He would help her create a society they all wanted.

A united Equestria that outdid what Celestia and Luna ever achieved.

But as she glared over to that accursed book, and the image of the beast within it clear, doubt began to root into her faith on if there would ever be peace in Equestria.

*****

Knowing she couldn't mope forever, Beatrix Belladonna wiped her eyes on the back of her glove and started to rise. She half-stifled a shriek when the mare whose head rested in her lap stirred. “What the!! Y-you're alive?! N-no, this is just this wretched place tricking me.... It can't be?” She studied her with eyes dilated, uncertain whether the dimensions here were playing more tricks on her.

Yet Radiant Hope slowly rose up, holding her chest were the hole in her heart was. Her eyes looked pale as she looked over the place and the quivering unicorn. "W-Where am I...how am I...alive?"

"Here...let me...geh!” She helped her stand back to her feet before removing her cape to wrap around her. “This place is crazy, but we're gonna find a way out, I promise! My name's Beatrix Belladonna, and if we can find my sister, maybe she can heal that up," the witch introduced herself while pointing out the mare's wound.

“Radiant Hope..." She coughed. "And considering you're the only one here present, I'll follow you. Just...don't do anything to harm me, please?"

She grinned and raised her index finger, which sparkled with magic. “You can trust me!”

A sad smile graced Radiant's muzzle as the two traversed the labyrinth, steps echoing, and the chipped walls would audibly shift on occasion, which chilled them to the core. It was a reminder they were trapped here, little more than prey, observed every moment.

Beatrix knew there were many potential exits from the Necronomicon. The trouble was locating one. Especially if the Demiurge really had seized control over the interior and could twist it. They could wander aimlessly forever, or quickly fall for a trap.

She stayed close to Radiant Hope, thankful that at least she didn't have to undertake this venture alone.

Neither spoke unless necessary, and their footfalls echoed in the silence. There was so much Beatrix wanted to ask her new ally but figured it was better left for another time, especially since it involved Sombra. She at least wanted to know her teacher's side to this grim tale.

“Wait, is that...?” Just as she was thinking of him, he suddenly appeared resting around the corner, a naked mare by his side.

"Sombra! Sombra...” Radiant Hope repeated, her voice hissing low without a hint of emotion.

At his name being called, he and Cerise turned to them. “My student, you came to-” Any joy he would have had in reuniting with her died the moment he laid eyes on his 'deceased' lover. And after the tainted deed was done with the awakening mare beside him, guilt and shame were difficult to hide on his face. Swallowing, he gently rose up with hesitant steps. “R-Radiant Hope...” He whispered. "I-is it really you, or is the madness of the Necronomicon starting to overcome me?"

She exposed the cavity in her breast where her heart once rested. “You tell me.”

Beatrix bit her lip, wanting to hug him as well as yell at him. With a breath inward, she settled for as neutral an approach she could manage. "There are...many questions I need to ask you. The first being... well..."

Sombra nodded uneasily. “I can't comprehend how this place plays with our minds, but during that moment, it felt...right," He brushed his daughter's hair, who cooed with a smile. “It's like we're being compelled to obey a greater force, much like you did when the Demiurge was inside of you," he pointed out, recalling the time it overwhelmed her to rut with Shining Armor.

“Y-yeah, don't remind me. The Demiurge saw him as a perfect mate for me to try and bring about a suitable vessel for it to possess.” And while she had more than moved on from that compulsion, she still had trouble getting over Sombra, like the obsession had transferred. Of course, she wasn't ready to admit that to him. Her faces flushed at the thought. "Just so we're clear, say it wanted us to sleep with each other. What would you..."

“Contraceptives are easy to craft,” he reminded. “I'll make sure there are no accidents." The witch sighed in relief, though a darker part of her felt disappointment.

"I'm sterile now anyhow," mumbled Beatrix.

Cerise rubbed circles around her belly with a soft blush and murmured, “I wouldn't mind, daddy...”

"Hush love!" Sombra insisted, struggling to keep a calm composure. “We must find a way to escape here.” He stood and helped Cerise to her feet. They collected their scattered garments and redressed, though Sombra kept his distance from Hope. “I have done as I swore. Now then, my student. I'll trust you to guide out of this horrid place."

Beatrix clicked her tongue. “I mean, I'm doing my best here, teach. I'm not worried, but I've gotta keep hope I'll figure something out!"

And like that, they were off, Sombra wisely choosing to let his pupil figure up while his daughter and former lover followed behind them. Still, he couldn't help a dark chuckle, unaware that the darkness came from within. The Pony of Shadows had successful phased into Sombra when he gave in to his lust with his daughter.

Soon, he would take root within his new vessel and show him who the real master of shadows was...

*****

With claws and flame, Spike tore through the walls that closed in on him, determined to find one of his loves. Due to his bulk, whatever traps he triggered were easily dealt with. He smashed and melted stone, straining his muscles below his armored scales, smoke swirling out his flared nostrils while he made his ceaseless advance. “Rarity,” he cried.

“I'm here, darling. Come closer.” Her sweet voice whispered sensuously from the gloom.

His ears flicked. To his wide-eyed shock, his body started to shrink. “What's happening to me...?” He could still hear Rarity call to him, and he found himself unable to resist her sweet voice, which drew him closer despite his reservations.

A sparkly mist like moon dust rolled around him, enveloped him in a dense shroud, and chilled him into a dazed stupor.

“My little Spikey-Wikey.” Her bright eyes appeared in the miasma.

He gasped and realized he'd shrunken down to his average size, thankful that he hadn't been turned back into the awkward drake with a crush he'd once been. Still, he couldn't help but feel intimated in her presence, not helped by the fact that he was naked.

Her eyes trailed over his muscles in approval. She wandered closer, nude as he was, her mane swirling about her. Her fur had turned dark, and she had filled out even more to an impossibly voluptuous figure. Somehow she had become 'Nightmare Rarity,' or 'Nightmarity' as he'd nicknamed her, and moved with a sensual grace that swayed her wide hips and massive tits.

Frozen to the spot, he practically drooled. Her smile widened, half her face obscured by her wavy mane. She cupped her pendulous breasts in both palms, rubbed them inc circles with a squeeze, and tweaked her dark, erect purple nipples.

His twin cocks rose and twitched at sight. She moved so close, her breasts pressed upon his bare chest, and his shafts rubbed on her belly, beaded with precum. He grunted and resisted the urge to simply seize her with his claws and ravish her. She made a move for him, guiding his claws to her generous buttocks, and he squeezed the soft marshmallow flesh with a needy groan.

“This...this is wrong,” he whispered, trying to maintain his sanity.

“Why? Don't you want me, dear?” She batted her lashes. “I'm yours for the taking, however, you wish.” She dragged her tongue around the inside of an ear, tickled him with her warm breath. “I know how much you love to stuff my lower holes full...”

Unable to restrain himself anymore, his eyes glazed over, and he bared his teeth in a show of bestial dominance. Flipping Nightmarity over onto all fours, he mounted her like an animal, desperate to rut her absolutely senseless. She whined in appreciation when he yanked her thick mane, and he pounded into her pussy and asshole, spread her wide amidst his relentless assault.

With his loose claw, he alternated between squeezes and slaps at her buttocks and tits. He'd pull her head back, pressed his snout to hers, force his elongated tongue down her throat. She cried out encouragement at his dominant behavior, determined to make him hers, aware that she'd missed her chance to be his favorite with her coyness and fallen out of his favor over the years.

With each grunt and hammering thrust, her body rocked under him. He left small red claw marks on her tits and ass, bite marks on her neck, spank marks from the beating he handed her plush derriere. She blushed and whined, clenched her fuckholes around his fleshy, ridge-lined tools, and he plunged balls deep past her cervix, all the way into her slippery womb.

“Shoot it in me,” she demanded with a hiss. “I want to bear more of your offspring!”

Spike's cocks pulsed and unloaded. An excess of cum filled her up, made her belly swell up as he'd heavily impregnated her, and he fired into her with such force she came too with a lusty, continuous moan, repeated squirts painting his groin and sluicing down his heavy balls. His leather wings flared out, silencing her cries with another forceful kiss.

He slumped atop her, and she murmured, “Stay with me, Spike. Forever. I'm yours to do with as you wish. I led you on, teasing you, manipulating you, using you. Better that you let it all out, darling. Ravish me until I'm full of your love~!” She stroked his cheek, and he panted, still embedded deep in her. His seed sloshed within her stomach.

Part of him wanted to accept her offer, to finally have her love as he'd always wanted. Once she'd only treated him as a friend, and even after she became his lover in his harem, he could sense her resentment that she shared between several lovers who competed for his affection.

He partially surrendered, wanting to make love to her again.

*****

Twilight Sparkle watched through a cloud of dark mist she couldn't penetrate. “Spike! Come back to us!” She tried to teleport in, simply to end up in the exact same place. She balled her fists and snarled in frustration. “Somehow, we have to find a way in there. The last time this happened to Rarity, it took all her closest friends to wake her up from this nightmare.”

Fleur de Lis tried to pierce the miasma with her halberd only to be rebuffed by an invisible barrier. “Brute force won't work.”

“Perhaps we need a touch of more magic,” said Trixie, who started to flare her horn.

“Allow me to help,” offered Flurry Heart, who poured her own aura into opening a way through the mist. At the same time, she had improved her artificial horn and wings, both brutalized by Chrysalis when she and Cadance had been her slaves, the extension sparked from the rush of pure power, barely able to contain it without cracking as it pulsed under vibrations that hummed.

“If only Sunset were here,” lamented Twilight with regret and added her own power to what they'd channeled. They strained themselves to the fullest, and Fleur added in her own aura, hopeful they could tear a simple rift in the blockade.

At the same time, Spike and Nightmare Rarity continued to intertwine. They lost themselves in flesh and its pleasures, moments drawn out like hours like they were trapped in a dream neither of wished to be awakened. Repeatedly he claimed her, and she submitted to her mate, driven to possess him in her own way, to make him a slave to her affection and desire.

Sweat poured down Fleur's strained brow. “It's...no use...”

“Don't give up,” called Flurry Heart who tried to redouble her efforts. “We can do it!”

“Too much...” Trixie swayed and nearly slipped unconscious.

Gritting her teeth, Twilight called, “A little more....!” The spell between them shattered with a crackle that tossed them all onto their bottoms. “Damn it.” She punched the stone floor below them. “If Sunset or Starlight were here-”

“You would have used me, just like before.” They turned and gasped at the sight of Starlight Glimmer, dressed in the same leather attire like she had been under the Eldritch, complete with the torn wound in her skull where their cybernetic implants had once been.

“Impossible,” cried Trixie with a snarl. “You're dead! We all saw it!”

Starlight pursed her lips, an unnaturally wide smile on her face. “Maybe you wished I was dead. I mean, it's far easier to accept that then deal with what has become of me. Or deal with the fact that it was your fault that I became an abomination!”

Trixie shot up. “Starlight wouldn't say or even think such things, I know it! You went off alone to face the Eldritch and abandoned me!” She balled up her fists, and tears ran down her cheeks as she vented her frustrations.

“Why would I ask someone who never believed in me? Or trusted I could overcome the Eldritch? That's why I went alone. And you.” She turned to Twilight while scratching at the cybernetic implants on her face, drawing black blood. “My dear teacher, look at your star pupil. Look at the mess you made! Is this what you had in mind? Just another friend, you made a monster?”

Twilight shook her head with watery eyes, refusing to accept this reality before her. “No, I-I never wanted this!” The weight of her failures hung heavily on her, ate at her soul, gnawed by the guilt she needed someone to absolve her of. “I'd do anything to set this right...”

Starlight Glimmer tilted her head to one side, a sickening crack in her neck. “How foolish. You could have set things straight from the beginning! Remember the spell I used to travel through time? Use that, and you could have made sure the Eldritch never attacked, then things could be like they used to be. Like how Equestria was~.”

“No.... No, that's too dangerous.” Twilight remembered she'd made a similar pitch to Beatrix, who'd almost accepted before Sombra intervened. She believed it was another trick of the Demiurge, that it would provide the Eldritch with another opportunity to make their plans a reality. “You're not Starlight. Just an evil phantom that's wearing her face!”

Taking a step forward, Trixie added, “That's right! The mare I love would never blame us for what happened!” She blushed a little at her confession but continued to press onward. “Now leave us, before you face the full brunt of Trixie's wrath!”

'Starlight' began to twitch violently before her body flexed backward, and a harrowing crackle echoed in the halls. Twilight and Trixie both readied their magic before a sickening sound stopped them. Flesh began to peel back from the other side of Starlight's face as shadowy tendrils sprouting from her appendages. Slowly, eyeballs opened from each tendril to gaze over the horrified expressions of the mares. Inside the void of Starlight's face, where muscle and bones should have been, was instead pitch-black darkness. Darkness and a set of teeth fixed into a smile.

"Phantom? Oh no, child~! I am but a truth you refuse to accept!" A voice emanated. It sounded like a deep octave mixed with different genders and tones, all while screams provided its bass. "Lurking within your very mortal minds, I've been patiently watching...waiting for these bonds to weaken. My time is approaching, little ones. I guarantee it~."

Wriggling about, the dark monstrosity bent its body crookedly backward and rapidly crawled back into the thick mists. Frightened by what they just saw, each mare clutched at each other for comfort in whimpers.

Whether that was an illusion or real being, it mattered not as they we're no closer to a way in, and could do little more than watch while Spike and Rarity mated, their words unheard. The foursome slumped down to rest, drained by the spell they'd attempted to cast as they tried to think up another method.

“It may be up to Spike,” said Flurry who massaged her horn. “Unless he chooses to reject the temptations, he'll remain trapped.”

“You may be able to influence him.” The voice came from Somnambula, who walked through the curtains of miasma with Bellatrix and the unconscious Stygian in tow. “I am aware you have questions,” she began raising a hand to silence them. “But for the moment, my concern is with our egress. The longer we tarry, the more likely we will end up corrupted, or lost forever.”

The priestess moved close as she could to the barrier that divided them, still in her pegasus form. “Focus your thoughts on Spike and Rarity. Try to draw them back to us. What happened to Spike is my responsibility.” She pressed her palms on the invisible wall, closed her eyes and concentrated, her faith in the idea that they would eventually be reunited.

Her allies moved to support her. Their emotions focused on Spike and Rarity, the latter who Twilight worried was far gone already, and she sniffled with the pain of another close companion now forever gone.

Spike paused between his latest session with his lover, flicked his fin-like ears again, and swore he could hear the faint voices of those close to him, but t no avail.

*****

"Gotta be...somewhere," Beatrix groaned. It felt like they were roaming through the labyrinth aimlessly. Not helped that all parties with her were silent. Sombra and Raident wouldn't say a word while Cerise gripped her father's arm tightly. At this rate, she wondered if she would ever figure out a way out for them.

Suddenly, a door opened amid the maze and light spilled from the white room, blinding them in its serenity. “This way,” came the soft but firm voice. A goat woman appeared in the frame, horns curled about her head, her bluish-white curls pulled into braids that connected at the bottom by a purple jewel. Her tall form wrapped in robes and sandals covered her feet.

She beckoned them in with her curled staff, her features delicate and warm, eyes alight with wisdom that belied her youthful appearance. Inside was a stark contrast to the horrors of the Necronomicon. A blue valley of grass and life that faded into the light mist. It took Beatrix a few seconds to recognize this mystical land and the lady who welcomed them in. "I...I remember... Lady Ewe?" She asked, recalling the shepard during a previous adventure.

“Aye,” she replied and waited for all of them to enter before closing the gate. “Ya'll may relax. This place is safe from the Necornomicon's magic or the influences brought by it.”

Cerise swallowed, looking around suspiciously. “C-can we really trust her? This feels like a dream... too good to be true."

Beatrix nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Of all the people who I met, she's one of the few I trust with my life! Oh, I can't believe you're here~!" She took Ewe's hands and shook them, practically hopping on her heels. “How did you know where to find me! This place defies all logic?!"

Lady Ewe tittered with a smile. “By now, I've got a familiar lock on your powers whenever you've traveled. It takes me time, but I'm never far in case you may need me. Even with the Necronomicon destroyed, that was merely a shell that contained the wonders here. As I drew close to this world, I sensed familiar energy and chaos; compelling me to venture to you. I'd say though if circumstances were better, I'd be happy to see you~."

Radiant Hope sat and wrapped up in Beatrix's Ursa Minor cloak. “So what do we do now? Wait here forever?”

"Not forever, I'm afraid. You'll need to head out if you want to leave with your minds intact," Ewe warned.

“Then, for now, we take it easy, I guess,” said Cerise who settled down next to her. “I'm not afraid. Daddy will lead us out, won't you?"

Sombra did not answer, looking away while Ewe approached him with a stern look.

"You've gotten yerself into some wicked trouble, lad," she said knowingly. "I'm half tempted to release you back to the void and let the darkness consume you."

"W-what?! No," exclaimed Beatrix with concern. "Why would we, Sombra is my teacher, my friend, m-my..."

“Sombra,” interrupted Radiant, who sat up while quietly studying him. All he could do was stare back at her, unable to mouth anything in his defense. For he knew, both her and the goat woman were right. “He's not the stallion any of you think he is. I learned the hard way.” She brushed her fingertips around the hole in her breast.

Cerise winced. “W...what happened to you?”

“Only know that your father is to blame,” she replied curtly. “And hope the same fate doesn't befall whoever your mother is.”

His eyes bore into hers, full of guilt and sorrow as he turned to walk away, unable to face her. Beatrix, in her emotional state, pursed her lips while walking past Oona.

"Let me try and talk things out with him. I'm sorry; I just don't wanna lose any more people in my life..."

Oona simply nodded with a glint in her eye. “Understandible, child. I only wish you picked yer friends more wisely. That one has a lot of demons to fight.”

Rushing to him, Beatrix stopped and watched the once proud ruler, his back turned, and his crimson cape behind him. She'd seen him brood many times, but his saturnine mood seemed particularly bleak at the moment.

“I never wanted any of you to see this,” he admitted with his head bowed. “The part of me I thought was buried during the war with the Eldritch. The part of me you got through to see who I truly am."

Carefully she approached, and trembled, realizing that he was softly sobbing. He winced when she caressed his cheek and said, “Radiant Hope was the first pony I ever loved. The one I betrayed in pursuit of power. My greatest regret that still haunts me to this day. Seeing her again should ease the pain, as it gives me a chance to make it right, but instead, it's another reminder of my failures and makes me wonder if one can truly change. If some sins are beyond forgiveness, no matter what I do.”

“D-don't beat yourself up like this. Inky would understand. She loves you with all her heart. I-I will too," she murmured almost inaudibly, pressed close to his armored chest.

He drew his apprentice close and kept an arm secured around her, feeling the weight and heat of her bosom squish into his arm while feeling the rhythmic beats of her heart. “For all I know, Radiant Hope is another trick of this labyrinth to weaken my resolve. Another cruel test.”

"She is alive," Ewe's voice interrupted while she walked to their side. Muted footfalls sounded on her approach. “A spirit given form here by the power you once sought and the emotional heartbreak you left her.” She shook her head. “I'm not here to judge you for what you've done. You've have plenty of people ready to do that. I only hope to see you do what is right."

“I can set her spirit free,” he considered, looking up to her. “But only if she accepts my wishes.”

She nodded with a reassuring smile. “Give her time, Sombra. That one has her own path to figure out. Excuse my intrusion, but it's best not to return to the labyrinth with bleak outlooks or hopelessness." She stepped away and left them to their intimacy.

Sombra narrowed his eyes and squeezed Beatrix. “That goat.... She is familiar to me as you were. Maybe some version of me met her once.” At least some version of him that dabbled in the dark arts the Necronomicon before h was reborn to this vulnerable form. His potential was almost endless, but with it came a heavy burden. He tried to draw from faint memories. “We may have been reluctant allies, once.”

“Here. Let me talk with Radiant,” Beatrix suggested while kissing away his tears. “Show her who you've become-”

He shook his head. “I fear this one I must do alone. Still, I am forever grateful for your support, Beatrix."

“She was your first love,” lightly teased Beatrix, who poked an unarmored portion at his side. “I hope Inky won't be jealous!”

With a chuckle he said, “She's not that kind of mare. Especially since she routinely invites her handmaidens, Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow included, into our bed. Or allows me to do stuff like this...” He teased her back, cupping her ample buttocks hardly contained by the thong portion of her leotard and giving the fleshy cheeks a firm squeeze, which made her giggle.

“Frisky, aren't we? Once we get home, maybe I'll join you and Inky for a little celebration.” She half-lidded her eyes. She felt him stiffen against her scantily clad crotch, clear that he wished he could take her right here.

Her breasts heaved when she flattened the supple globes on his breastplate, her nipples stiff through the thin fabric. She was tempted to rip off her clothes and ignore the others, to have him inside her again, but knew this wasn't the time. They needed to return Cerise Silhouette home soon, and fast! Besides, the anticipation they built would make their session all the sweeter!

Breaking away from him, she headed back to the others, Lady Ewe, in particular, who she wished to learn more from. She considered her another teacher, too. She was his opposite in a way—a kind master of the arcane arts, her connection with nature, and benevolent magic far greater.

Her attentions briefly trailed over Cerise and Radiant. It was their duty to protect them. After all, like her father Shining Armor would say, it was their place to fight on behalf of those who couldn't. The ones who made a peaceful society possible by their day-to-day struggles.

Sometimes, it was the little moments like these which made her adventures worthwhile.

Chapter 5

Ewe stood on guard in the dark corridor while Beatrix and friends remained asleep. Soft blue clouds hung above their heads, a work of her magic to keep their spirits and minds from the corrosive influence of the Necronomicon. Or something far worse than that.

It's just as the shepherd feared. She could feel Zeloph's presence all over the place. The Vice Lord could be lurking around the very corner that they resided in. Would it even be him or just an effigy to further frighten them?

It was a good thing she got to this dimension when she did, or these stubborn ponies might have unleashed something they wouldn't have the capacity of understanding. And it was her duty, no matter how wicked or malicious the variants of these alternative realities, to not allow one to fall to a Vice Lord.

The infamous sound of static in her ear caught her attention as she held her staff tightly while looking around each section of the hallway.

"I know you're here," Ewe called out. "You can hide in the shadows all you want. I still see you!"

"Oh? And what is it that you see, shepherd?" A voice asked through the signal noise, speaking directly into her mind. On the left side of the corridor, many eyes opened to look over the hardened shepherd before glaring down. "All I see is a feeble old goat, trying desperately to hang onto hope."

"As long as I stand between you and the way out of this accursed book, you will not go free! I refuse to let your mania spread to these ponies!"

All around her, laughter echoed in different tones and voices.

"Haha! Hearing you proclaim such meaningless bravado never gets old! It's just too funny how foolish you are," the entity mocked. "I can't be stopped! As long as I exist in the darkest part of their minds, I will never die. And it's only a matter of time until these mortals drive each other insane. The more time they spend here, the more freedom I have to influence them! In all honesty, I should be thanking you for giving me plenty of company~."

Ewe growled, doing her best to ignore the deranged laughter serenading her inner thoughts. "They will not be staying here long. Once they escape, I'll-"

"You'll what? Try to cleanse me away with a silly little seance? I'm not some nightmare you can blissfully ignore," the voice snickered, knowing its remark would strike the ram deeply where it hurt. "I am beyond your concepts and physical manifestations. I will be leaving the confines of this labyrinth. And deep down, you know in your heart that you can't do anything to stop it. So if I were you...I'd quit lying to yourself and accept reality. Let's see how long it'll take until one of these weak-minded ponies slips off the edge of sanity. And falls gently into my grasp~."

"Never!" Ewe bellows, bright illuminating light from her staff shining through the darkness, if only to ward off the dark entity momentarily. As the light dimmed, the eyes of Zeloph disappeared with Ewe struggling to keep herself under control.

As it turned out, her outburst of anger leads to awakening Beatrix and the others as she stretched out her limbs. "Auuuugh...Lady Ewe?" yawned the violet unicorn. "What happened. We were all safe until everything went dark..."

"Yeah," Cerise murmured as she clutched onto her father, shaking off the sleep. "The sky opened from the clouds, and a bunch of menacing-looking eyes was looking all over us. So creepy!"

"Seems your sanctuary isn't safe from the Demiurge for long," Sombra concluded while looking to the Dream Shepard with furrowed brows.

'That fiend!' Ewe said quietly to herself before she turned with an apologetic look. "The more we stay here, the less protection we have for our minds and hearts. We must find the others here and leave immediately!"

"Right," the witch nodded, shaking her face to steel her determination. "Let's get a move on, everyone!"

*****

The blackish-purple mist sparkled and rolled around Twilight Sparkle and her companions, who continually called out to Spike and Nightmare Rarity, tapped and pressed on the invisible barrier that separated them. A cool breeze swept around them. Tempted as she was to surrender, she decided to rest, particularly since once their magic recharged they might break for it.

A thin sliver of light pierced the dark and slowly spread. Soon a warmth that tickled their skin penetrated the area, and from it walked Somnambula in her pegasus form, followed by Bellatrix Primadonna, who carried Stygian with her.

“Stygian?!” Twilight gasped. “Does that mean the Pony of Shadows-”

“Missing, for now. Something strange indeed is afoot,” answered the priestess who approached the two lovers continuing with their rutting, trapped in a shared delusion and enslaved to pleasure. Her eyes watered, and her lips trembled. “I must save him,” she murmured with eyes narrowed. “Whatever the cost. After all, I did this to him.”

With a chant in a long-dead language, a flash cocooned her, and she transformed into the Sphinx, sacred guardian of her beloved homeland. “Lend me your power,” she called to them. “Declare your love for them, so we may reach their hearts!”

They nodded and focused on the lovers, yelled to them, and Somnambula felt the barrier start to weaken under her claws, which she sank into the invisible shield and attempted to pry apart. It glowed and sparkled, her muscles straining with a groan, not caring if she snapped her bones in the process, aware she'd driven him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Stygian stirred with a muted blink of his eyes. “Please,” he murmured. “Allow me.” He, too, added to their chants.

Somnambula gritted her razor teeth, and her paws shook under strain. “Quickly, Twilight-!”

Twilight managed to blink into the hole, past the magic barricade which was now no match for her power and arrived before Spike and Nightmarity, the latter straddled atop while she rode him into blissful submission. She blushed and cleared her throat. “Spike, Rarity, can you hear me? Please, it's time we returned home!” She touched his firm shoulder.

Color returned to Spike's glazed eyes. “T-Twilight...?”

Nightmarity bristled mid-coitus, her cold gaze biting into the intruder. “Jealous, are we darling? Unable to accept some part of him will always see you more like a mother, that your beauty does not remotely compare to mine?”

She slipped off him and stalked to meet her. Twilight looked over her shoulder, only to realize the barrier had closed back and trapped her. “My is that all?” Nightmarity looked her up-and-down with disdain. “So skinny. Barely a morsel.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes with a scrunch of her snout. “Hey! My proportions are perfectly average!”

“Oh, really now? Let's test.” And with a flare of light from her horn, Nightmarity wrapped her aura about Twilight's clothes and shredded them right away, exposing her modest breasts and slightly curved hips for all to see.

Instinctively, Twilight covered her breasts and crotch with her hands, face burning, aware most of them had seen her naked many times but flustered by the unexpected assault. “How dare you! Release Rarity now, you monster!”

“Not a chance,” she answered with a slow lick of her lips. “Spike clearly prefers me this way-”

“Wrong.” Spike rose and grabbed her arm as he came to his senses. “Thanks for helping me see clearly, 'Rarity.'”

“Spikey-Wikey,” she drawled sensuously with a flutter of thick lashes. “Wouldn't you like-”

“No,” he stated firmly and brushed aside her attempt to stroke his crotch. “I love the realRarity. Not this monster that wants to exploit us like we're dolls!” Spike clasped her hands, leaned in, and affectionately met her lips.

She melted into his passion, exotic dark skin and fur regaining its pristine natural radiance by the second, and she slowly shrank back to her natural state, arms wrapping around his neck with soft sobs as her consciousness returned. Reluctantly she withdrew from his maw and met his stare with a faint whisper of, “Is it finally over?”

“For now. We still need to find an escape,” noted Somnambula, who strolled forward through the dissipating mist into the blank white void which replaced the fog. “And locate our allies, of course. Thankfully I have no doubt they will be fine.”

Spike rubbed his head. “What happened to me? It's like voices were screaming in my head...”

“Sounds like the Eldritch,” muttered Bellatrix with a curl of her lip. “But they're all dead, aren't they?”

“Their cursed spirits may yet roam these dimensions,” explained Somnambula. “But I sense something else at work. The Demiurge is akin to a cancer, but it is like that power is being manipulated, compelled by an intrusive force. Whatever the case may be, they have the advantage here, and we must make haste to bring everyone back home before we end up trapped.”

“Better stay on guard,” said Flurry Heart, who patted her satchel. “I brought a lot of potions I mixed up, just in case!”

“Follow my lead,” said Somnambula. “The spirits shall guide us to our destination.” They stalked the white void, which seemingly stretched forever until ghostly apparitions began to billow up like vapors. Their warped, mutilated faces trapped in silent screams. “Creepy,” muttered Trixie with a shudder. “They look so familiar. Wait, are those-?!”

“Phantoms of the Eldritch,” sneered Bellatrix. “Think they messed with Spike's head?”

“Perhaps,” said Somnambula, who swatted with a paw and dispersed a few into the ether. “Yet in this state, there's no way these evil spirits acted on their own. It must be true. Some creature has infiltrated the Necronomicon and seized control. I do not think it likely the Pony of Shadows could do this on its own, however. Whoever this mastermind is, their power rivals the Demiurge.”

Aware there was nothing to be done here, the group moved on past a sea of disembodied Eldritch, who numbered in the thousands. Sometimes, they could hear the faintest whisper of alien babble, thankfully too weak to penetrate their thoughts.

Rarity pressed close to Spike, who shot her a reassuring smile, hopeful they would finally overcome this nightmare.

*****

A search between the parties came to an end as they came face to face with each other at opposing ends of a four-way crossing. Flurry ran up to hug her half-sister. "Thank goodness you're safe! ...uhm, who is this?" She asked upon looking at the shepherd, who gave a slight smile.

"She's a friend! I'll explain once we get out of here," Beatrix offered while returning the embrace.

“We have what we've come for,” Sombra proclaimed as his daughter continued to hug his arm. His gaze narrowed back to the dragon taking the front of their group. “Ahh, good! Glad to see you and Rarity have made a recovery. Now, if we can just find an exit...”

"Don't wanna stop this touching reunion, but we better get a move on! Look!" Spike exclaimed, pointing below them. Everyone gasped as a white tornado started to swirl from the void's center, stretching so high they couldn't see its top. The whirlwinds themselves were made up of countless Eldritch specters that swirled about.

Their distant, uneven screams echoed throughout the labyrinth, causing many to clutch at their ears to withstand the horrible noise. It looked like the aliens were driven to madness, like a swarm of ants scattering all over the place after losing their queen. In mass numbers, they had been highly intelligent. Alone they were eventually reduced to crippled, almost mindless abominations, which might have invoked pity if not for all the memories they stirred from damage inflicted on their world.

“Through the east corridor,” insisted Lady Ewe, pointing her dreamcatcher staff towards the mouth of the other hallway. “I believe there may be an exit that way.”

Somnambula padded up by her with a nod. All at once, the group followed their lead. “There is a vast amount of spiritual energy here, at least. I believe the Eldritch is drawing towards it to escape as well. We must endeavor not to let that happen, lest they retake flesh.”

Cerise shivered and clutched at her father's side. “Daddy won't let that happen! Will you?”

He shook his head and stroked one of her neon pink pigtails. “Certainly not. Though we must take caution. If the exit is at the tornado's apex-”

“Someone will have to fly up there,” said Spike, who pursed his snout with a nod. “Allow me.” He spread his leather wings and shifted his muscles, prepared to shoot skyward. Twilight and Rarity touched his broad shoulders, and he toothily grinned.

“Show off,” said Beatrix with a light chuckle. “Can't blame a slice of beefcake like him, though!”

He flexed his scaled muscles, showing off his naked, chiseled musculature to the ladies. Trixie rolled her eyes, yet couldn't help but sneak a look, too. Stretching, Spike hurled himself upwards, staying outside the tornado's range but following it to the top. He was joined by Flurry Heart, who without a second thought rose to aid him, inclined by a kindness instilled by her parents.

“Aren't those wings still experimental,” yelled Spike over the eerie howl that washed over them.

Flurry Heart furiously beat her plumage to keep pace, faced steeled in determination. “I'll be fine, promise!”

They pushed against the gales and sailed higher and higher. Within minutes they spotted a dimensional tear, radiating with energy that they hoped could transport them out of the dark tome. “Guess we'll have to carry them one at a time...”

“Maybe not,” called Flurry, who dug into her satchel and procured a vial. Using a formula Beatrix had told her about, one created by one of Flurry's counterparts based on an alchemy creation by a version of Sunburst, she popped the cork and shook the bubbly liquid. When it poured out, the substance turned into thick vines that crawled below.

More vines grew from below, Beatrix using her own potions so that the growths met in the middle and intertwined into a dense, gnarled trunk with a crackle. “It's like the fairy tales mother used to read me,” said Flurry with a giggle.

Spike gripped it and said, “We'll keep it steady while they climb!”

Battered by the winds, a precarious climb began. Flurry, lighting her horn, cast her aura to help them keep hold. Cerise was pushed up first by her father, followed by Stygian, who struggled in his weakened state to maintain his grip.

“I'll go last,” said Sombra, who coolly met Radiant Hope's empty stare.

“How noble,” replied Radiant, who strained to pull herself up, helped by a still exhausted Bellatrix.

One-by-one, the weaker members of their party made the trip and vanished into the rift. “Oh no,” Somnambula, in her Sphinx form, hurled up to the dimensional tear and yelled, “It has started to close! Hurry, we may have minutes at most!”

Lady Ewe clung to the Sphinx's back tightly, all too aware at who was interfering. "Zeloph...”

“You go ahead,” said Spike.

Flurry Heart pursed her lips. “But-”

He shook his head. “No way am I letting anyone die for me! I've lost too many friends already!”

Reluctantly, Flurry turned and vanished into the rift, Somnambula carrying in Lady Ewe too. Beatrix shot her mentor a worried frown, but he pushed her upwards with a pat on the bottom. Pretty soon, she scurried up with help from his aura to speed the process until he and Spike were the only ones still trapped within the collapsed dimensions.

The two leaders locked gazes. Spike asked, “Want me to carry you?”

“I can manage on my own,” replied Sombra, who realized like Twilight had predicted if he tried to teleport upwards he might be pushed off and like her decided the risk was too high. “Save yourself, hero.”

“As I said, I won't abandon anyone. Not even you,” noted Spike, the tension between them still thick.

“How...touching.” Sombra realized he still didn't fully trust him, and honestly couldn't blame him, not after what he'd done, especially with the reappearance of Radiant Heart who'd reopened the wounds of his past sins. In truth, his faith in himself had been shaken.

Had the Necronomicon compelled him from the start? Stirred to drive him to it in hopes he would liberate it? He climbed onward.

He was nearly at the apex when Spike suddenly seized his head within his claws and howled. The Eldritch tornado stirred faster, whirling into a frenzy, and unleashed another psychic scream that sliced through the dragon's psyche.

His eyes went white, jaws snapping and drooling, and overwhelmed by primal rage, he lashed out blindly with wild swipes.

“Damn,” cried Sombra as nails sliced through the vines. They snapped amidst a crunch, and he tumbled with a yelp.

Spike clutched at his skull, which throbbed under pressure, and on instinct zipped into the rift moments before it closed.

A desperate teleport enabled Sombra to catch himself, but still, he landed with a thud. He hissed under a snap of ribs below his silver armor. His head swam, and his vision blurred. He trembled and struggled to rise, shaking and staring at the stirred up Eldritch ghosts. He growled and bared his teeth, seething with bitter resentment, unaware of the darkness that festered in him.

He was alone. At the mercy of whatever lurked in the book. Forced to seek another exit by his lonesome.

Resigned to this fact, he adjusted the sword sheathed at his hip and marched on. He swore faint voices whispering to him, directed him to an exit. “What is this...” He questioned. Was it the shepherd still reaching for him?

No, it couldn't be. These voices didn't sound like her. Still, he had few options to turn to and chose to follow the voices calling to him.

Yet the more time he spent alone, the more the Pony of Shadows could infest his spirit and warp his mind, bringing forth all the malice and evil he spent years trying to hide.

The mastermind behind these events had intentionally driven the Eldritch to psychically assault Spike, forced him to attack Sombra, and then make his escape. Within the Necronomicon, separated from his loved ones, it would be much easier for the darkness to take root, especially with a renewed belief that the alliance would never truly accept he'd changed.

Not after the infidelity he committed with his daughter, nor the state of Radiant Hope...

The pain that bit into his fractured ribs made it harder to think clearly, to blot out the disembodied whisper inside him. Some would always think him a monster, no matter how he strove to prove otherwise.

He snarled and clenched his blade's hilt, narrowed eyes aglow, fantasized about sinking it into the dragon's heart...

Chapter 6

With his skull still shaking like it threatened to split, Spike spilled through the rift, which closed behind him and he tumbled into the tombs of the pharaohs where the others waited. Inky Rose immediately ran to him, horror clear on her face with the rift gone and one still missing.

"N-no...Sombra! Where is Sombra?!” She demanded, looking between the familiar faces, cast in a gold sheen by the treasures scattered in piles around them, her husband nowhere to be seen.

“Gngh! He was supposed to go ahead,” mumbled Spike while rubbing at his head to ease the ache.

Bellatrix Primadonna narrowed her eyes. “You abandoned him.”

“No! I'd never do that, no matter what's happened between us!” Spike insisted, trying to remember what exactly happened. Yet the last thing he could recall was the former tyrant's climb up the vines, nearing the exit before he blacked out.

“Perhaps it's the fate he deserves," Fleur de Les muttered, having never fully got over her hatred for his past aggressions.

Radiant Hope rubbed the empty cavity below the cloak she'd borrowed from Beatrix. “It would be fitting,” she said with a curl of her lip. “Consumed by the same darkness he sold his soul to in pursuit of power.”

Inky whipped her head back to shoot a dangerous look at the two mares. “Don't you dare say that!"

Fleur cast back her mane, leaning on her halberd. “We do not answer to you.”

“Yet you both stand in my kingdom. And I will not allow these remarks to fly unless you wish to be banished!” The two mares started to approach one another before Beatrix cut between them.

“Hey, that's enough!” Beatrix proclaimed. “There's no point fighting each other here. If Sombra is still trapped, we have to go back!”

Fleur pursed her lips. “You're correct about one thing. There's no need to fight as we have what we came for."

“Sombra is part of the alliance,” reminded Twilight Sparkle. “Without him, we wouldn't have beaten the Eldritch.”

“Leave it to me,” requests Lady Ewe, looking back to the dark tome. "I can provide safe passage for Beatrix to go retrieve him."

“Me too!” It was Bellatrix who spoke up and stepped forward to her sister's side. Despite her angelic appearance, she was giving Spike, Radiant, and especially Fleur a look that would remind some of her previous demonic nature. “You're all free to go, no need for the likes you anyway.”

“B-but wait! You must still be feeling weak,” noted Stygian, who leaned on a wall. “If you didn't heal all my wounds, you would be much stronger. T-Thanks, by the way.”

Bellatrix shrugged it off with a shake of her white plumage. “Pft. Think nothing of it. Not like I'd do it solely for you.”

"Hold on. Look..." Somnambula, who'd retaken her pegasus shape, approached the dark tome. It was small at first, but it started to crackle with reddish lighting. “I sense something is trying to impede reentry. If you tried to go back in, it might shred your bodies apart.”

“B-but what about Daddy!?" Whined Cerise, clutching at her mother figure's side, almost equally upset over the possibility he would not return.

Inky remained vicious in expression while comforting the younger mare. “I refuse to abandon him, not when that thing's still inside with him!”

"Thing? What thing?" Beatrix asked in confusion. The rest of the participants looked together, wondering the same thing. Was the queen referring to the Demiurge?

Oona steps forth, a look of grave dismay on her face. "I apologize, I should have told you all sooner," she spoke gently before looking back at the Necronomicon. "Inside that book is an ancient monster known as Zeloph. Like Beatrix and I, he comes from another dimension, feasting on the minds and lives of everything with a consciousness. I fear his presence is what's causing the flow of things to unravel."

"Just sounds like another villain to be beaten," Spike scoffed with confidence, but the ram shakes her head.

"He is no ordinary opponent, Spike. With every consciousness he consumes or mind he corrupts, his power grows stronger. If there is darkness or fear in your heart, he will exploit it until he drives you mad. He's been a plague on the souls of creatures for centuries, learning to imitate people, play on their weakness. He has tainted the kindest of spirits and made them into psychopaths!"

Her honey filled eyes turned from the dragon to the two unicorn mares. "Sombra has done many crimes and atrocities. But trust me, friends; Zeloph is the last inmate you want him imprisoned with."

"Then, there isn't time!" Beatrix exclaimex. To think that they spent a long time trapped there and something like that was stalking them! She felt horrified knowing Sombra was lost in the labyrinth, unaware of this 'Zeloph' creature. "Somnambula, please! There has to be a way to get back inside!"

With a stroke of her chin, Somnambula mused, “I shall try and impede the black magic that blocks us. However, I cannot do it alone. Please, I request that any casters here aid my cause.” She was joined by Beatrix, Bellatrix, Ewe, Stygian, Flurry Heart, and after a moment's hesitation, Twilight and Fleur. Holding hands, they started to chant and weave a united spell.

For the moment, Rarity remained too weak to intervene, and Radiant Hope refused outright, not that she could summon up much effort either in her current state.

A shimmer was cast from lit hands and horns, reflecting off the circle that focused on the book, which continually crackled.

*****

The clop of heavy boots and squishes sounded when Sombra navigated a sea of corpses. He noted they were all crystal ponies, naked and pale, piled into a cold mass he was forced to walk over. A black mass not unlike the one he'd once been able to turn into rolled about the skies. He kept his gauntlet-covered hand around his sword hilt, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

They were his victims. Some butchered at his own hands under his tyrannical rule, others executed with a detached dismissal. At first, he'd only resorted to such extremes for severe criminals, most condemned to slavery until they died of exhaustion. Later, to merely question or look at him wrong meant one would lose a digit, at least, if not suffer torture, humiliation, and then death.

Keeping his snout drawn impartially, he ignored the dead and carried on in search of an exit. He reminded himself he'd changed, that his research had corrupted him, that he'd paid a heavy price in search of redemption.

But if he truly was redeemed, then why did he still feel such hatred?

Not just for himself, but for those who always despised him without outright stating it. No matter how many times, he still felt the weight of his sins hang from his shoulders. And it only felt like new ones would stack up.

"Why even bother trying to hide it?" An ominous voice spoke, a couple of whispers backing it up. "We all know who you really are."

Sombra's gaze widens as each head of the corpses suddenly twitched to life, twisting their necks to stare up at him. A bunch of eerie-looking eyes flickers in their sockets as those closest to him tried to reach for him. All while the whispers grew louder, repeating many phrases over and over,

"Tyrant!"

"Murderer!"

"Rapist!"

"Filthy Demon!"

"Daughter-fucker!"

"M̸̨̛̀́ ҉͞ơ̴̧̧ ̸͞N̴̛͘͜͝ ̧̛͏s̨̧̢̨̀ ̡͢͜҉T̴̴ ̸̛͞͏҉e̕͘ ̴̴͜R̸̴͡"

"NO!" He roared, kicking the crawling bodies away before using his magic to blast them all apart. Panting, the dark stallion looked over to see that they had stopped moving or speaking to him. Or maybe they were never were. "N-no, I can't be...I'm no longer-"

"Sombra," two voices called to him unanimously.

As he turned towards the horizon of the pile, twin mares approached him. Their manes were in bob cuts, like their sparkly, crystalline bodies a prism of shifting colors contained below maid costumes. “Look upon your work,” said the one with slightly fuller hips.

Her bustier sister said, “Did you really think it would be that easy? Aren't some things beyond forgiveness?”

He kept his guard while walking closer. “I...I remember you. Yes, you worked for Cadance in certain dimensions. Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, wasn't it? Are you two real, or are you more phantoms from my past coming to haunt me as well?” He scoffed and drew his blade with a ring.

“Who knows,” said Foal-Bearer with pursed lips. “Killing us here won't mean a thing. We've been dead for a long time.”

Wet Nurse's eyes watered. “In this world, we never even had the chance to meet Cadance. You raped and murdered us when we'd barely reached adulthood. It amused you when you discovered we shared the same pleasures...and pains.”

He recalled the empathic bond between the twins, symbolized by the female symbols linked on their flanks in worlds where cutie marks were a thing, which meant they experienced the same sensations at all times, a sort of magic-induced psychic link.

“You forced me to watch what you did to my little sister,” reminded Foal-Bearer. “Worse, made me feel her shame and agony.”

“It's not like that anymore! I've become a better stallion than that! I-it wasn't like you didn't start enjoying it after I took you,” he insisted through bitter mockery, trying to shut out any guilt, to drive these spirits who dared haunt him away.

"Have you no shame for what you've done? You do not regret soiling both of us in the dirt like you did everyone who hated you?"

“You expect me to apologize?” He waved a gauntlet at the ocean of carcasses. “To throw myself upon my saber in shame?!” He leveled the weapon at them. “No.... This is all just in my head. You're just remnants of a monster who has been slain. I just...I just want to be with my family and friends again.”

Foal-Bearer mockingly laughed at him. “Oh, Sombra. You truly haven't changed then. And very soon, they'll all see your true colors.”

“You never slew any monster. You are the monster. Just lying to yourself that you became a hero to your lover and friend.” Wet Nurse agreed with a stomp of her heel. "You can hide from them, Sombra, but not from us! We see you for who you really are! You cruel, sadist fiend!"

“ENOUGH! You want a monster so badly? Fine, I'll give you a monster!” He bellowed, eyes glowing and heart darkening, unable to keep the darkness within at bay anymore.

With a wide slash, he opened their tops and split their bras, their ample breasts bouncing out, sparkly and dotted by full colorful nipples he eyed while drooling.

They didn't resist when he cut away their skirts and panties until both were down to their headdresses, frilly fingerless gloves, stockings that came to their upper thighs, and buttoned up heels. Pushing his blade to Foal-Bearer's throat, so close he bit into the skin a little with a trickle of blood, he pushed her down and undid his pants, pushing himself into her with a growl.

All rational thought abandoned him. The twins were his stress balls, and he ravaged them with brutal thrusts, Wet Nurse yelping when she was forced to feel her sister's ravishment, the puncture of his phantom cock which stabbed deep in her moist cunt.

“A-aah,” cried Wet Nurse, who scrunched up her pink-stained face, betrayed by the electric tingles of her clenching sex holes.

Foal-Bearer shot him a blank yet defiant stare, her cheeks bright too, but unlike her more sensitive and emotional younger sister, she refused to cry out or moan no matter how he battered into her. Squishes sounded each time he spread her wide, impaled her, and he took one of her massive tits into his maw, biting so hard he almost broke the skin and left red marks on the supple flesh.

Grunting, he thrust a final time, sheathed himself deep as he was able, and loosed his seed into her womb. A pop sounded when he yanked loose, his cum dribbled out her distended pink birth canal over her asshole, and he turned his hunger on Wet Nurse, who whimpered when he shoved himself into her with fangs bared, determined to break his accursed tormentors.

Pants broke from Foal-Bearer's clenched teeth, unable to take the forced pleasure that rocketed through Wet Nurse.

He backhanded Wet Nurse's tits and watched the globes, which would no doubt bruise, wobble. She whined and clenched around him, milked his dick on instinct, which pulsed and filled her uterus with repeated, messy spurts. Huffing atop her, the pair sweaty and ragged, a moment of lucidity returned, and he slowly withdrew from her with his face drawn in self-disgust.

“I am a monster,” he muttered to himself. “But if cutie marks determine our fates, was it ever truly my fault...?” He desperately wanted to believe he was a victim, that anyone else forced into his position would have committed the same terrible sins.

Standing, he buckled his pants. “Come with me,” he demanded. “There's much I still wish to know, and maybe you two can help. If you're not ghosts, that is...”

Foal-Bearer managed to sit up, wincing at her sore, lacerated vagina. Her smile spread wide, almost unfitting for a face so beautiful. “You believe we can help you locate an exit.”

“We can help you,” said Wet Nurse, stretching out before swaying to her twin, as if she didn't just take a brutal pounding.

"All you need to do..."

"... Is let u̕҉s̷̢ in~."

The twins hobbled before him, naked and knees knocked, and his sword tip poked at their backs and buttocks. Again he was tempted to embrace the monster within.

Only memories of those closest to him, Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Beatrix Belladonna, and Bellatrix Primadonna, enabled him to cling to remnants of his sanity, teetering as he felt tendrils sling onto his flesh, the Pony of Shadows becoming one with him.

He could hear another voice cackling somewhere in the abyss, and it was almost soothing.

*****

A thunderous boom sounded from the Necronomicon, and Twilight Sparkle barely raised a barrier in time, deflecting the storm of crimson lightning that almost ripped into the casters. The dark tome floated up, pages fluttered when it opened, and from it emerged twin crystal mares, followed by Sombra, who landed behind them on his knees as his saber clattered.

Red sparks popped around Inky's feet and static filled the air when she approached. “My love...”

“Daddy,” cried Cerise with hope when she ran to his side.

“I knew you'd make it,” said Beatrix with a wink, restraining her own urge to dash over and embrace him.

Bellatrix, however, remained cross. “Care to share with us what really happened back there. Spike hasn't been exactly honest.”

“I'm sincere,” insisted Spike defensively. "I just...couldn't remember. Please, tell me. What did I do...?”

Sombra rose and recovered his sword. He snorted in the dragon's direction. “Oh, it was nothing. Just another attempt on my life is all. I've gotten used to that.” He rubbed his side and felt the fresh sting of cracked ribs now that the adrenaline had cooled down. “You were quite fierce, though. Swinging and clawing at the vines to ensure I fell.”

“I...I'm sorry,” answered Spike, who rubbed the back of his scaly neck. “I didn't mean to...”

“Obviously, he didn't.” Beatrix desperately fished for some explanation. "Surely, it was the remaining forces of the Eldritch..."

"Or this Zeloph guy," Bellatrix added sarcastically.

"Sombra," Ewe said with a stern look on her face. "Did you at all encounter anything not in the realms of possibility? Like meeting an old friend you know is dead?" She, too, was desperate to make sure that creature hadn't escaped.

“No,” he lied without hesitation. "And even if I did, it matters not. I can no longer trust any of you." Sombra looked to the party of ponies and creatures with a sharp glare. “Consider my nation's part in the alliance terminated. Furthermore, Spike and his entourage are forever banished from my territories.”

“What...?” Inky sucked in a breath. She usually never openly dared question her husband before others anymore, knowing it was better to talk it over with him in private. But an outlandish display of power needed to be addressed. “My love, you can't possibly mean that! Surely, the foundations of our trust with them are stronger than that. Please, let's reconsider this and-”

“I will not. That 'strong foundation of trust' almost cost me my life! For all I know, His rebirth is the reason the Necronomicon started stirring up again. And don't think I'm not aware that you nearly killed my wife in a fit of madness. You're a threat to my family!” He pressed the saber to Spike's chest, and Fleur snarled and readied her halberd, Sombra's guards arriving with spears at the ready.

“Stand down,” said Spike with a frown. Guilt was evident on his face, but Sombra was correct. Regardless of what force brought him back, his actions were his own. “We're leaving. If this is the way things are to be, then so be it. I just hope you can forgive me, Sombra.” He turned to Twilight, who sighed with a shake of her head. If there was something she was going to say, it never happened as she instead waved their allies to them and blinked away in an instant.

“Ha! Good riddance. Bunch of help they turned out to be,” Bellatrix snorted with a crack in her nose.

“Knock it off, sister. This is serious,” muttered Beatrix, struggling to believe that this was happening. She genuinely wondered if she was cursed. Wherever she traveled, things seemed to unravel. “Teacher, this can't be a wise decision. All those years, building trust and resources with friends. All of it will be thrown away!”

“It's too late now,” he stately flatly. “Guards, I want a summit prepared by tonight, attendance mandatory. I wish to make an announcement.” He looked between those still here, some not by choice; Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Beatrix, Bellatrix, Radiant Hope, the maid twins, Somnambula, her handmaidens Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, and Stygian.

“Make our new guests presentable,” he said to Inky's handmaidens with a cold glance at the twins. “They'll be added to my queen's staff. Also, look after Cerise, and make sure Stygian feels at home. Beatrix, I wish to see you in private. And as for you..."

His attention turned to the goat woman, who was frantically looking through the pages of the Necronomicon. Growling, he stopped her by grabbing her arm and pulling her away with a forceful yank. "I don't see much use in you...outside of a few ideas," he leers, eying the shepherd's motherly figure within her robes while she glared back at him. "You are to leave as well."

"What!? Teacher, you can't, she's my-"

"Relax, Ceann Oga...I won't be far from you. But I know where I'm not wanted." With a huff, she turned to leave the treasury as well, already aware of the truth. The page that depicted Zeloph had gone blank.

Before the witch could suggest otherwise, Sombra wasted no time to hurry off to his chambers. Beatrix hesitated but eventually followed him. Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow hurried to obey their orders while Inky Rose turned to Radiant Hope and Bellatrix, trying to understand what was happening.

Torches swirled and cast twisting shadows down corridors lined in hieroglyphics. “Teacher...?” Beatrix's heels clicked when she scurried after him, his cape sweeping behind him, his weary face drawn and trying to hide a wince from broken ribs.

He moved past his guards without comment and threw the door open. “Get in,” he hissed, grabbing her by the wrist, pulling her in, and slamming the door behind her. He unlatched his armor, throwing it on the floor with a clatter, and lit a dim lamp with a flicker.

“You're hurt,” she noted with pursed lips. “M-maybe I can-?”

Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her to his half-naked body, mashing his snout to hers. Her eyes widened, and her heart raced as she relaxed into his forceful kiss, his teeth chewing on her lips. Withdrawing, a string of saliva still connecting them, he sized her up with a nod of approval, then clasped at the top of her leotard with both hands and ripped it open with a shred.

She swallowed a small gasp when her breasts toppled loose, his hands roughly latching onto them, kneading them. He tore the fabric further, ripped away the rest of her costume so that she was down to her hat, gloves, and boots, her chest huffing when he seized her again and hurled her onto his bed. “Ugh~?!” She landed on her butt with a couple bounces on the sheets.

Throwing aside the rest of his clothes, he tackled her, pinning her to the bed. She repeatedly blinked but didn't resist, feeling his hardening tool press at her puffy labia, and she grit her teeth with a muffled cry when he plunged into her moist tunnel.

She didn't understand his sudden hunger but couldn't deny how right it felt to feel her insides filled. To have her needy marehood molded to fit the shape of his cock, which sunk in deep with a squish, her ears flattening. She surrendered to his brutal lust, lifting and spreading her legs to allow him in quickly, and he battered into her with grunts, aware only of his own needs.

She hardly minded though, gaze locked on the animal need on his twisted face, his chiseled chest heaving too. Her birth canal moistened and dripped between the crack of her ass, over her puckered pink asshole, happy to be used by him, to be wanted and needed when he treated her as nothing more than his plaything, lost in the heat of the moment, biting and molesting her.

A low yelp escaped when he nipped at a tit so hard he left red marks on it. His hands clasped around her throat, squeezed down, and her eyes went wide again, tearing up when she met his cold stare, heart racing but wanting to trust and please him.

She clenched around him, her fingernails biting into his back, head cast back, and knocking off her hat when she came on him with a muted cry. Again-and-again her lower holes gripped, milking his cock, her body screaming its biological need to take his seed into her womb, even though she was barren. He groaned with a final angry slam, emptied himself into her.

"Yessss," a voice whispered insidiously to him. "g͏͏̶͝͡į̨͝͠v̸̷̡̀e͏͜ h̀͟ȩ͏̶̛r͟͞͠ m̴̀ơ͠r̨͢͡e̵̡~!"

His body reacted violently by pushing himself off of her, sweating bullets. She panted, sweaty and ragged, his cum oozing out her gaped slit to dribble down her rectum. Locks of her violet-tinged platinum mane stuck to her face when she studied him with glazed eyes and murmured, “W-was I good...?”

He rubbed his throbbing temple with a curl of his lip in a moment of lucidity. “Get out,” he said flatly.

She rose to a seated position and tilted her head. “Huh?”

“I said, get out! Now.” He tossed the remnants of her costume into her arms, pulled her hand, and opened the door, shoving her out between the guards on duty. “Make sure she's safely escorted out.”

He slammed the door behind him, not wanting to look at her confused and hurt expression. Sombra was no longer certain what had happened, but aware he was a threat to her. To everyone. He stared at his sheathed sword on the floor.

"Perhaps...it better I end this before--GRRAAUGH!"

The Pony of Shadows would not allow him to take such an option. He hissed when it hardened his heart anew. He stumbled and collapsed onto his bed, still stained with their sexual activity, aware his apprentice was safer on her own—tendrils wrapped around his mouth, preventing his screams from being heard.

"Seems some shred of sanity still exists in you. A pity the Pony of Shadows could not bond with you completely. Otherwise, that last climax would have fulfilled my plans."

In the shadows, a being made of static glitched from within, eyes swarming around the room.

"No matter, heheh. I just need to find a convincing disguise while the two of you spread my mania like wildfire. This is so much more interesting. I can't wait to welcome all these ponies to our growing f̸̨̢̕ą̵̢̀͢m̸̵͢͝i̶͜͠l̴̛̛͟͡ỳ̷̸~."

Laughing madly, the sinister presence disappeared from the room, leaving the struggling king to suffocate in his past transgressions.

*****

Outside the capital, the guards pushed the young mare out without so much as a chance to say her farewells. Beatrix looked back with a frown at the structure, twinkled her fingers, and summoned up a copy of her torn leotard, akin to a second skin forever tied to her. Then she set down the lonely road and followed the trade routes. She had a feeling it would be a long walk.

She couldn't believe what Sombra did. She felt betrayed. Used. If only she knew what happened when Spike lost control during their climb out. If she were faster, she could have secured her teacher, no sweat!

But it was too late, and the damage had been done. She might as well just leave this universe, seeing everywhere she stepped foot, something wrong always happened.

Unfortunately, teleportation magic remained beyond her, perhaps a limitation of her ability to traverse dimensions. Sadly she could only open one rift at a time, because she subconsciously knew to tear another hole would connect the pair in a loop and cause the dimension she was in to collapse upon itself, taking her with it. At times like these, she felt tempted to do so.

“Self-pity isn't appealing,” she muttered to herself and watched the sun start to dip below the horizon while she walked. “I wonder how two connected rifts would look. A Klein bottle or something? Ugh...such stuff is beyond me.” She shrugged it off. She could be witty, sure, but was hardly a genius.

From her mother, she'd learned a particular trick that could transport her short distances with the use of smoke bombs, but it let her travel a few feet at most, and where she ended up seemed random. Sometimes she'd simply reappear in a poof of smoke at precisely the same place! “Why is my mother's bloodline so unlucky?!”

As if on cue Trixie's wagon rolled up and scattered a cloud of sand when it stopped. From it, her mother emerged, followed by Lady Ewe, Flurry Heart, and Bellatrix. “My little hellspawn, are you okay?!” She ran up and hugged her.

Beatrix wheezed under her mother's iron grip. “Y-yeah, I'm fine! Just disoriented.”

“Good! Trixie would accept nothing less from her daughter,” she replied with a warm smirk.

“Something's wrong with Sombra! Could it be connected to the Necronomicon? Duh,” Beatrix chastised herself. “What am I saying?! It always is!”

"Perhaps not this time, my friend," Lady Ewe said while rubbing at her shoulder to comfort her. “Rest assured, We'll do what we can to stop him. Unfortunately, he's exiled most of us from his lands. We must be away before sundown, lest we be captured.”

Flurry Heart frowned. “He's threatened to have us all hunted down and executed if we don't obey!”

“It's not him,” hissed Bellatrix. “It's like he's reverted back to the demon he used to be. Whatever Spike did to him-”

Oona Ewe shook her head. “Zeloph is the one responsible for this madness. He must have slipped free when we tried to bypass the barrier around the Necronomicon. Spike will be our best bet in figuring out a way to stop him. I'm curious about the effects of whatever brought him back alive. But I insist we head to the Badlands.”

“That won't be a problem,” said Flurry. Despite her weakened state, she'd learned to work with her artificial horn, which she improved all the time, and could now transport entire groups and cargo a mass distance. Of course, it also left her terribly weak afterward, but she didn't tell them that, determined to show how useful she could still be despite her setbacks.

With a blink, the crew arrived back in the underground gardens, wagon and all. Unknown to Beatrix, through her mentor, the Pony of Shadows had left part of itself in her uterus while he'd taken her, dark magic manifesting itself to take root and begin the process of making her fertile...

*****

From the pyramid's side, Sombra overlooked his empire. The packed-in masses teemed like insects below. He balled up his fists, reminded that they needed an iron fist to rule over them, to make them stronger and help them reach their potential.

The weak would be cut away like so much chaff under his rule. At his sides stood the inner circle of his entourage.

The moon hung in the starry night sky, the lands lit up by braziers that whooshed with crackling reddish-yellow flames. Far and wide came the attendees that were able to arrive in time, which included his other children, fully blossomed into adulthood, who ruled over distant regions and carried out his whims to maintain the united empire he'd always dreamed of.

Through the use of magic, his booming voice was carried over the crowds. “Dependence on the alliance has made us weak! The time for our proud empire to secede has arrived! From here on, we stand alone!” He raised his fist to uproarous cheers.

Quieting them down with a wave, he continued. “To celebrate the occasion, I now take my first love, Radiant Hope, and my daughter, Cerise Silhouette, as my brides! Like the ancient pharaohs, I wish to keep my sacred bloodline pure whenever possible!”

The mob erupted once more, and he pulled the pair close to him, dressed like the rest of his companions in fancier versions of the silk garments the handmaidens wore; bare-breasted with sheer, transparent gowns that clung to their lush curves.

Their nipples were stiff in the cool breeze, soaked in sweet perfume, with bits of jewelry that decorated them. Flames from the urns around them made the shadows crawl over their supple forms, which shimmered by contrast under the harsh light.

“Your w-what...?” Inky Rose tried to make sense of his decisions, letting the words sink in. "You can't be serious."

Cerise pressed her soft, bared breasts to him with a hug. “I've always dreamed of the day I'd become a bride, daddy.” Tears filled her eyes. “I'll make you proud when I bear your children. Isn't it wonderful, mommy?”

Inky said, “No...no, this doesn't make any sense. None of you are acting like yourselves! Lover, please stop this. You're not thinking straight!”

“On the contrary, my dear, I've been thinking clearer than I have in years.” He'd brooded earlier over the loss of Beatrix and Bellatrix, yet told himself it was for the best. His apprentice, in particular, was too soft for what he intended. “Tell her what we've learned, my daughter.”

Cerise nodded with enthusiasm and a hop. “I'm a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow! It's like I get to be reunited with my old friend all over again! I don't fully understand it, but somehow daddy's magic melded Pacific's soul with mine! Isn't that awesome?!”

“That's impossible,” exclaimed Inky Rose. "As much as I miss her, I understand when things should remain dead. Sombra, please, if we can just-"

"You're wasting your breath," Radiant Hope snarled while glaring at the people who celebrated below. “He's a complete monster. I learned that the hard way.” She caressed her chest, the surface wound healed over by Bellatrix's magic before she'd been banished, but unable to fill the empty cavity where her heart should be. Yet somehow, she still lived. “He's always been a cruel tyrant. I was too blinded by love to see it...”

“You're wrong,” said Cerise, who tightened her grip on him. “Just wait, you'll see!”

Sombra stroked his daughter's hair. “Tonight, we celebrate. All of you, to my chambers.” He also nodded to Diamond Tiara, Cozy Glow, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse, who he'd made Inky's personal servants, his eyes lit with lust.

"Sombra!" Somnambula stood at the edge of the overlook with her mouth drawn. “You are headed down a dark path. Call this off! Or else-”

“You're words no longer yield wisdom to me,” he spat. “All I hear now are the babblings of an idiot! Guards! Escort the priestess out of our land!”

“Madness,” whispered Somnambula, who spread her plumage and hurtled from the overlook. The pegasus beat her wings, barely evaded the arrows that were fired her way and whizzed by, and with a chant, she was enveloped by light and retook the Sphinx shape she'd inherited from her oldest, dearest companion. Bitter tears stained her drawn expression.

She'd always known this day might come. That he could fall to the darkness. She only hoped Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow would be okay. A shaft from the archers thudded into her side, and she hissed, arrow buried under her ribs, barely missing her vitals.

Pawing at the offensive arrowhead, hot blood seeping around the wound, she nearly lost her balance amidst a desperate flight.

But she nonetheless sailed into the night sky undeterred, dodging more missiles, determined to seek out Spike and set it right.

Sombra waved down his men. “Let her go. She's made her decision. In time, they'll come to understand my vision...or else.”

By his decree, the further militarization of his empire began. His craftsmen forged helmets based on his own designs, ones he planned to imbue with his own dark magic, and 'persuade' those who failed to share his ambitions. Thankfully, most of his followers were fanatically loyal to him, and through hard work, his land would further prosper.

Realizing he could use Stygian, he'd forced the scholar to continue his research on the Necronomicon, surrounded by a cadre of elite guards. They forced him to work to exhaustion tirelessly.

With its secrets uncovered, Sombra would become greater than before! Oh, how he missed this sense of power. He could feel his heart race with suppressed excitement.

Now would be the perfect time to seek out his wives and their assistants to celebrate!

Chapter 7

Never had Fleur de Lis felt so anxious. Reclining in her bed, she stared over her ample breasts topped with puffy pastel pink nipples, her toned belly, and her spread thighs, her husband pressing his flared tip to her welcoming slit. Fleur cooed with contentment, and he moaned with her once he entered her. She could feel his heart beating fast from her fingers tracing over his torso. “Ooh la la, mon amour~.”

“Oh, you know how much I love it when you speak Prench to me, love,” chuckled Fancy Pants as he gently cupped her tits, rolling them in circles while pushing in-and-out of her matching, pastel pink pussy with wet, noisy squelches and spatters of her juices that ran down her bright, puckered asshole. “You must be so eager to bear our first foal."

She nodded, her face flushed. "I-I've been waiting so long for this moment. I thought it might never come..."

“Trust me, my dear. The only thing coming will be you and I. Over and over~” He teased while pumping his hips firmly to make sure she took him down to the hilt. His horn lit, and his face scrunched in concentration while he worked an incredibly complicated spell, one that should be far beyond him.

Her eyes twinkled in fascination when a rune appeared on her stomach, bright pink and in the shape of her uterus and ovaries. She whined and whinnied when the craft took effect, a miniature orgasm rippling through her loins and her lower orifices clenching in need, inflamed and moistening with a primal, animal lust that simulated estrus and made her face fully flush.

She huffed and heaved her tits, holes clenching, milking his deeply buried cock, which made him grunt. “It's-AH~! A fertility spell,” he managed to gasp, barely able to restrain his need to immediately loose himself in her. “Twilight Sparkle taught it to me in return for our assistance. She also said this wouldn't wear off until I've seeded you at least a dozen times, my dear.”

Fleur happily giggled with a wiggle of her hips and buttocks, burning all over. “But can you keep up with me?”

“Oh, quite! Thanks to a fertility potion, my sperm count and stamina should now rival Spike's,” he boasted with a puff of his powerful chest and subdued pride, ready to fill her womb to overflow with their lovemaking.

Her giggles became louder, more girlish, and she hissed, “Prenez-Moi~!.”

Without needing further encouragement, he picked up his pace. He bucked his hips over and over, driving himself deep into the slender unicorn's birth canal. Fleur oozed like a waterfall between them, the glowing uterus and ovaries tattoo stimulating her sex parts and her brain's pleasure center, dulling her rational thoughts and making her obsessed with being bred to completion.

He, too, surrendered all common sense. All they saw through a haze of lust and love was the beautiful, outstanding foal they'd create through this intimate act. She traced his firm chest, back, and muscular buttocks, now in a sheen of sweat, moaned out her bliss.

“A-ah! Oh, Fleur de Lis, I-I'm close,” he groaned, unable to take her vise-like grip, that sucked his cock with moist schlicks.

“Oh, Mon Amour~” She beamed and poked his mustache, felt his flare locked in her cervix. “Please, fill my womb with your love!”

And just like that, all her ecstasy and pleasure soon became dread that made her blood run cold as a wicked grin spread over his muzzle. Her eyes widened as his body started shifting while he continued to thrust.

Light fur turned dark; his stylish mane flowed wildly. Her beloved husband took the form of a monster she knew all too well, his teeth turning into fangs that drooled over her bouncing tits. His nails became claw-like, raking over her breasts, making her wince at the nasty red marks he left over him.

His eyes glowed, and he snarled in triumph. “Gladly, my whore,” mocked Sombra, who brutishly slammed into her, making her shake, scratching her tits. "I'll give you all the rotten children you could ever need~."

“N-NO! TAKE YOUR DIRTY COCK OUT OF ME, FIEND!!” She shrieked hysterically, kicked, and clawed at him with bared teeth, flaring her horn only for the magic to fizzle out in sparks. He cackled maniacally, slobbered on her bare chest, and she whimpered through tears, body forced to betray her through the cast fertility spell the imposter had woven.

She choked out sobs, squirting on him, toes curling when she cast back her head with a pained moan of lust that filled her with renewed self-loathing. Horrible memories returned during the war with the Eldritch. How to save the alliance, she'd been forced to sleep with the bastard.

And worse, he took her in front of her husband despite her loyalty to him. Fancy hadn't blamed her, but she'd never forgiven herself. Her honor and vanity were shattered, replaced by humiliation and hatred. Not even with Spike's help could she overcome this overwhelming shame.

“Admit it, Fleur de Lis. Your weak husband could never satisfy you like I can,” he taunted. "You'd look much better in my growing harem of concubines. Now..." Tendrils rose from his back, the inky tentacles curling around her wrists and ankles, pinning her, raising her feet around the sides of her head as he mashed all the way through her cervix in a mating press, making her bite her lower lip in a wince, flare locked in her cervix. "Take my seed like the lowly whore you are~!!”

She watched in rapt horror, helpless, the tattoo shimmering and giving her an x-ray view into her womb when he loosed the first of his volley, packing his gooey filth into her churning, slippery pink walls. He grunted and pulsed, unloading a volume that overfilled her belly and kept it swelling up to the point where she appeared heavily pregnant.

Tears dribbled down her cheeks when the excess dribbled out her snatch and over her asshole. He yanked loose with a loud wet pop, still not finished, more bursts slapping her face and sticking and mixing with her running mascara, into her mouth while she whinnied and whimpered, over her tits, his dick pressing to them, smearing his thick sperm into them.

“You belong to me,” he chuckled, more of his clammy tendrils sinking into her lower holes, gaping them open and watching his sperm gush out and pool under her plush buttcheeks. “And as my property, you'll take every last drop of my seed until you're a walking foal factory. I can hardly wait to see what our children will look like~!”

*****

“NOOOOOOO~!” She shrieked like a banshee, threw herself upward, awakening back in her cove within the pleasure gardens. Covered in a thin sheen of perspiration, she sat cradled in the dimness, thankful the noise apparently hadn't carried out the cave.

Her sheet was absolutely soaked in her wetness, and she cast it aside with a snort of disgust. Any pleasantness of her dream was scarred by the devil who'd ruined her life and indirectly led to her beloved's demise.

She rose naked and grabbed her halberd, its stylized tip shaped like her namesake. “Fancy Pants...” She touched her heart, rolled her fingertips down between her ample breasts, over her stomach, and wished they had conceived a foal. At least to carry his legacy into this world, a memento of him.

Her gaze fell on her stacked up armor, and she contemplated wearing it, but with a sigh and flick of her thick mane decided against it. In truth, the risk to this place was currently minimal. Though maybe some patrol work would clear her mind.

The rich gardens were quiet save for the distant rush of water, quiet chatter, and chirp of insects. She took a slow, sensuous walk with an exaggerated swivel of her breasts, hips, and buttocks, a vain reminder of her days as a model before she'd become her future husband's bodyguard.

She'd pretended to be little more than his trophy wife, a bit of eye candy that made stallions slobber and mares seethe with envy. Yet she'd trained hard as anyone to become a superb soldier, skilled in warfare and magic.

She'd dreamed of hunting down and finishing off Sombra. A trip into the Necronomicon had seemed the perfect opportunity, and unless the devil died at her hands, she and Fancy would never have proper closure. She squeezed her halberd, seething.

A sound caught her attention, and immediately her stance changed, her grip on her weapon tightened. "Who goes there," she demanded, ready to take her pent up frustrations out on the intruder.

A silhouette wandered out over the sand dune of a beach. He frantically looked about before spotting the mare with a gasp.

"Fleur? O-oh good heaven's, is it really you?"

'That voice.' Her eyes widened. “It can't be.” She fluttered her thick lashes with rapid blinks at the stallion before her.

Standing naked in the pale moonlight was Fancy Pants, rugged-looking with his once stylized mane messily drooped over his face. And yet, he smiled at the former model. That same smile that charmed the slender unicorn all those years ago.

"M-mon Amour?! N-no, I saw you die before me. This is just an illusion. This beach is playing tricks on me!" She refused to let her hopes be torn from her by another sick ploy.

"I-I thought so too.... I woke up from where I died, astonished I was still breathing. I spent many days trying to find you and...here you are," Fancy spoke before slowly approaching with his hand reaching for her.

Hesitantly, she kept her weapon high until his hand touched her cheek. It felt warm—the warmth of her lover. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body eased before embracing the nude unicorn.

Her voice edged on hysteria. "Mon amour.... I-I can't believe it's really you! When I heard Spike had been resurrected, I thought--no. Prayed that maybe you would be, too..."

"Shhhh," he brushed her long mane in his hand while nuzzling into her neck. "I'm here. We can be together again, my love."

"Oh, please.... Please, don't wake me up. Let this be true!" She sobbed happily, a feeling she hadn't felt in ages. Her lover chuckled before pulling her face up to look at him. His smile spread slightly.

"I can assure you, Ma amour," he whispered sensually into her ear. "This is real. I am real. And there is something I need you to do for me, now that we're reunited again..."

"Yes! Oh, yes!" She exclaimed, pulling him tightly to her as she gazed up, lovingly into his eyes, her mascara running. "I've dreamt of this moment for the years I thought you were gone. I'll do anything, Mon amour, anything for us to become one~!"

With both hands holding her face, he brought his closer as the two gazed endlessly into each other. Finally, with a broad smile to his face, he whispered into her ear what she was longing to hear,

"All you need to do... i̷s͢ l͝҉ e ̶͟͡t̕m҉ e̵͢ į̶̷͠ ̸͟͟n͜҉~̷̵!̢̀͟͢"

*****

That same night the returning heroines exited Trixie's wagon, parked in the middle of the gardens. Most went in their own directions, Flurry Heart promising to make a report to Spike, who was still settling back into his homeland.

Beatrix sat by herself on the dew-speckled grass, still so wrapped in her own storm of troubled thoughts and feelings that she didn't notice that Lady Ewe had taken a seat by her side. The goat shepherd took a deep breath while looking up to the night sky. "No matter the universe or calamity, the stars will always illuminate the galaxy," she said softly before turning her head towards the sulking witch and placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit before looking back at Ewe.

“You have a lot on your mind, my friend. I believe you'd find a measure of solace if you shared them out in the open."

“I-I'll be fine,” promised the witch with a forced smile, rubbing at her cheek to hide any forming tears.

Oona shook her head, scooting closer before wrapping Beatrix in an arm. The shepherd's robes felt silky soft, yet warm. Naturally, the witch curled herself closer into her friend's embrace as she felt Oona's hand brushing through her hair. Finally, Beatrix let out a long sigh and gave in.

“I know teacher's not himself,” she mumbled with a sniffle. “I just can't get over the pain of him using me like that. For the longest time, I thought I wanted that. Him wanting me, depending on me, loving me even.... Am I that selfish? I feel so stupid!"

“Being hard on yourself won't take away the pain. This wasn't your fault, Ceann Oga,” the goat woman reassured before looking off to the far distance, forlorn. “Even without Zeloph's influence, I fear he would have submitted to the darkness once more. It's in his nature."

"I swear, the moment I find that abomination, I'll make him pay..." The witch seethed.

"No, Beatrix! Do not turn to vengeance," the shepherd warned, pulling her body around to face her. Her eyes remain soft, but her grip was firm.

"Zeloph is a pure unknowable horror! He thrives on stripping people of their humanity and watching their minds warp and unravel until any trace of who they originally were remains in memories. If you try to seek him out now, you'll walk away as something unrecognizable!"

"Then how do we stop him!?" Beatrix demanded, clutching Lady Ewe's robes. "Isn't he one of those Vice Lord's you fight against? Surely you know of a way to defeat him."

The goat woman shook her head. "Zeloph existed long before the Vice Lords were formed, Beatrix. He's only named under them because he found it amusing. Of all the foes I've faced, he's the most insidious and dangerous. I've seen many people lose their minds to his will. And it is a horrifying to think of what he'll do, should he claim another dimension to corrupt."

Ewe turned her head away in shame. "The only thing that can slow him down is resisting his call. If he can't get into your head, you have some defense."

Beatrix tilted her head. "Some..?"

"He'll trick you into believing in impossible things, or pose as people you know. He loves imitating people, and using their bodies to help ease your mind, until there's just enough room for him to slip inside and contort your form to his liking. He can't be fully stopped, and he will have your mind eventually."

"So there isn't any way to-"

"I don't know, Ceann Oga. That's why I'm here; to discover any new weaknesses or exploits to put an end to his madness once and for all. I promise I'll help you save Sombra from his descent to darkness. But ensuring this universe doesn't fall to Zeloph takes first priority."

Beatrix remained quiet before nodding. While none of this made sense and she still felt unsettled, she did feel grateful that someone was trying to help her.

They sat in silence for a while, listened to the soft sounds of animals, the tinkle of water that flowed nearby. Through the work of Fluttershy and Tree Hugger, it had become a peaceful place in Equestria. A variety of trees had grown with exotic fruit and vegetables. Looking between a tree close by and the witch, Oona stood up to reach for one branch and managed to pluck an incredibly juicy peach. She offered it to Beatrix.

“It's strange,” said Beatrix with a giggle and took a bite, succulent juices running down her chin. She munched on it, saying with a full mouth, “Who would've thought it was possible to grow trees with all sorts of fruits, even with magic?!”

“Many things are possible," Oona nodded with a smile before wiping some of the sweetness from Beatrix's lips and chin. "Your very existence is a miracle. The moment you embrace that, the world around you flourishes with wonder."

"I...I guess. Thank you, Lady Ewe, for being a friend to me."

"Not just a friend, Ceann Oga. There is much I wish to show you, teach you even. If you were to indulge me~."

Beatrix noisily chewed some more before swallowing. “Such as...?”

Her eyes went wide the moment she felt a pair of lips touch her own. The act shocked her to jump backward, her face blushing red against her violet skin. "A-agh! W-wait, what was.."

"O-oh!" Oona held her mouth while looking away sheepishly. "W-was I too forward. Oh, do forgive me. It's just, you never notice when I flirt with you, and..."

“Flirt with me?! W-wait, you.... You like me? Like, more than a friend?” Beatrix trembled, barely able to contain a girlish glee, shyly avoiding her eyes. For so long, she had looked up to Lady Ewe as a strong mentor. Never could she imagine the goat woman would hold intimate feelings for her!

“I've made no attempt to hide it, ever since our few journeys together,” Oona confirmed while tittering back towards the startled witch and holding her hands over her breasts. “You just always seemed to be so into others that I kept to myself. But make no mistake, Beatrix. I'm not a saint. I've longed for the loving touch of another for a quite some time. And with Sombra's recent actions heavily hurting you, I figured I'd offer a more soothing, healing touch to ease your pain."

“R-really?” Beatrix stammered, feeling like a school filly discovering one of the popular kids had a crush on her.

A rare, sensual grin spread the goat's muzzle as she leaned forward to wrap her arms under Beatrix's backside, her hands trailing up her back to make the mare quiver. "Really~" She whispered before resuming her kiss. For once, Beatrix felt lips that weren't simply hungry for her body or wishing to control her. These lips were tender, tasting her like a sip of warm coffee. How could she not give in and deepen her kiss?

It felt like minutes passed before the two parted their mouths, gazing heavily at each other while Beatrix whimpered under her touch. She pouted, Oona heavily covered in her robes while she only had her leotard and accessories. And yet, the young witch couldn't hold in her delighted gasp as Oona stripped her piece by piece.

Her body was shivering from being exposed, and having those soft hands explore and feel up her generous amount of flesh. A coo left the goat woman once getting a full squeeze of Beatrix's bosom.

"Heh, always exposing your girls like this. You make it very hard not to stare," she teased while running a thumb over one hardening nipple below exposed cleavage, making Beatrix whimper in embarrassment.

"E-excuse me for liking my choice in wardrobe. I-it's not like I wear so many clothes to conceal myself.... M-mmm~!"

"Fair enough~" She giggled before pulling away and laying her dreamcatcher staff onto the ground. Raising up, she carefully removed the hood off from her horns, her light cyan hair flowing along the braid. With a deep sigh, she slowly pulled off her long robe before tugging off the shirt underneath.

To Beatrix's surprise and excitement, Oona was incredibly well-endowed. Her breasts looked more bountiful than her own! And as the goat bent forwards to slide down her wooly pants, she boasted a motherly figure with large hips and a slightly round belly. Untrimmed hair hung above her mound, which glistened with eager wetness between her thighs.

“I'm very proud of my body, but as you can guess, to wear clothing too small would make me uncomfortable, both in wearing it and being stared at,” she admitted while blushing hotly, though her smile remained as she strutted back to lightly push her friend down. "But this isn't about me. It's about you. Let me take care of you, Ceann Oga~" She whispered hotly before gradually parting the witch's legs and kissed her way up to Beatrix's dripping pussy. She lapped and wriggled her wet tongue along the lips before slightly parting them with small, quick jabs.

“A-ah! Oh...oh, fuck~!” Her swollen clit peeked from its hood, and the tender tongue wiggled its way into her gooey, pink tunnel. She shook her hips, dripping down her butthole. “Wow. Y-you're really good at this~!” She squealed, squirting a little in her mouth. Her flush deepened. “S-sorry,” she mumbled, her marehood winking in satisfaction and further neediness.

Oona snickered before licking some of the nectar off her lips. "Mmm, your honey is far sweeter than I imagined. No need to apologize for providing me a sample~.”

“T-then let me make you feel good, too!" She insisted, pulling herself away to push the goat woman on her back, a startled yelp coming from Oona as she felt Beatrix kiss and suck on her ample flesh.

"O-oh stars~!" She whimpered, feeling her friend eagerly taste her before dragging her tongue down to her belly.

But just before Beatrix could reach the shepherd's honey pot, a rustle alerted them both as someone was coming towards them from a distance.

"W-what is-?! Ahh, just when we were about to--"

“There will be time later,” assured Oona, though she too looked miffed about the interruption. The two quickly redressed before walking towards the approaching stranger, who turned out to be Fleur de Lis. She walked tiredly passed the two, weapon in hand and body bare, sweaty and hot.

"A-are you okay, Fleur?" Beatrix asked. "You're not looking so good."

"Yes, I simply...had a rough night. I decided to patrol and see if any intruders were nearby, but I guess I got lost along the way," the former model insisted, looking up at the two before stumbling to sit against the wagon. "I-I'll be fine! Just let me rest a bit."

“Let me know if there's anything you need," Ewe offered. "I have ointments and medicine in my pouch."

The slender unicorn nodded and closed her eyes, her body easing into the wood of the wagon. Beatrix looked back at the shepherd with a contented smile before she decided to head back inside to get some sleep herself.

Ewe returned the smile in kind, but it disappeared as she looked towards the horizon from where Fleur came from.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

*****

Elsewhere, it was a night of celebration for Sombra, who indulged himself with his queen, his would-be wives, and their closest handmaidens in his chamber. “Entertain me,” he'd ordered, and after that Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse disrobed and pressed their pussies together with a squish. The sparkly crystal pony twins dutifully carried out their orders with reserved expressions.

“Like this?” Cozy Glow selected a two-headed dildo shaped with a serpent's head on both ends, sinking it into herself and Diamond Tiara, the lamp's light enveloping the pair who giggled while they made love for his viewing pleasure.

Radiant Hope shot him a sour look, but let her sheer silk attire fall anyhow. She sat on the wide bed, parted her thighs, and pressed fingers into her sex which she drew in-and-out with messy schlicks, shutting him out to focus on her aimless masturbation.

He stood nude before his wife and daughter, who knelt before him, reluctance written on the former's pained face. “Daddy,” mewled Cerise Silhouette, who playfully smacked his flared cock and watched in fascination with how it bounced and throbbed.

“It...feels wrong to do this,” argued Inky Rose who winced. “I nursed you, changed your diapers, bathed you-”

Cerise smiled at her. “We're all adults here! Besides, like I told you, I'm pretty much Pacific Glow reborn! Didn't you used to do much kinkier things with her, even before you two hooked up with daddy?” She groped her mother's plush buttocks.

Despite her protests, Inky's wings unfurled with a pleasant shiver. Still, she fought against her attraction and longing for her deceased friend. “You resemble her so much, I-I just can't get over it. Pacific Glow's soul, embedded with your own by his sorcery? I do miss her terribly. I want to believe, however-”

“Don't overthink it!” Cerise mischievously rested her palm on Inky's head, and pushed it down, onto her father's vein-lined, precum smeared cock. She dove in herself, helping her lap at his twitching, fully erect tool which they worshiped.

Though hesitant, Inky submitted to her daughter's direction, mostly when they stared up into Sombra's face, which twisted in rapt pleasure. Wet pops sounded when they sucked and licked all over his cock and balls, drenched in their mixed saliva, their cunts wet and dripping down their inner thighs between spread legs, breathing in his and their potent musk.

Pretty soon, Inky was entirely lost in the moment, she and Cerise's faces fully flushed, burning. She whined a little in need, their marehoods clenching the air, trying to milk a dick that wasn't inside them. She cupped one of her plump breasts, and the much larger bust of Cerise, playing with the soft, squishy globes, slurping down his precum, which stuck to their moist lips.

His hands buried themselves in their manes, directed them while losing himself to this feeling. Within himself, he felt the Pony of Shadows playing on the darkness in his heart, which far surpassed what Stygian had ever been capable of.

He'd turned his need to conquer and dominate towards positive ends and expanded his empire until it was one of the mightiest nations in all of Equestria. Yet it wouldn't be long until his lust for all these fertile females overruled him, treating the ponies he once deeply loved into little more than slits to carry his children.

Upon looking back at the twins, he casually asked, “What kind of parents name their daughters Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse?”

The twin maids paused, still buried in their partner's moist snatch. “Those aren't our actual names,” said Foal-Bearer flatly. “In truth, we can't remember what we used to be called. We threw our old lives away when our parents abandoned us.”

“They called us perverse,” said Wet Nurse with a grimace. “But it's not like we asked to be born with this power!”

“Indeed, I can sense this strange magic within you two. Makes me wonder what else there is to it,” he noted, stroking his wife and daughter's heads.

The twins shared a subtle look. “T-true,” admitted Wet Nurse, who realized they couldn't keep their secrets forever. “We chose these titles for a reason.” She squeezed ample tits, and milk squirted from her nipples at will, dribbled down the slopes.

Similarly, Foal-Bearer's pussy became more inflamed and wet on command. “I'm especially fertile. I wanted to bear foals-”

“-which I would feed,” finished Wet Nurse. “We have these faint memories of other worlds, where we worked under Cadance, and with her permission birthed beautiful children through Shining Armor. If only that was our fate here,” she lamented.

Sombra approved, licking his chops at conceding these two to their designed fate. He looked forward to the many ways he could play with them later. But for now, he turned most of his hunger on Inky, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her onto the bed.

She yelped when he slammed into her, but relaxed into his desperate thrusts and stroked his fur-lined muscles, her free hand linked with Cerise's who watched him take her with a smile.

“Give it to her, daddy!” Cerise cheered them on, her eyes bright when they followed the bounce of her mother's plush tits.

“M-my king,” wheezed Inky, who panted, like him reduced to a bestial need, lustful to take his seed into her.

Suddenly his hands wrapped around her throat and tightened. She and Cerise's eyes went wide, while he relished the way she instinctively tightened around his flared dick, which he buried into her womb. Her wings fluttered, helpless to do anything but take his rough breeding, and Cerise rubbed her messy twat with muffled moans, biting her lower lip at his display of dominance.

She hissed and came on him in warm sprays. Her eyes rolled into her head with strangled gasps, closed, and she went limp when he choked her out, clenching further around him when he buried himself against the wall of her slimy uterus and flooded his limp queen with his virile sperm.

Grunts continued to arise when he packed her to the brim with warm shots that stuck to her walls. He dropped her, pulled loose, Cerise unable to do little more than tremble and stare in shock.

“Daddy? W-why'd you do that, mommy could have...” She sniffled until snot dribbled from her nostrils.

A moment of lucidity returned, brought on by a sickening feeling when he checked her pulse. “She'll be fine. Just unconscious. I...should have taken more precautions,” he chastised himself, afraid of himself, of how close he'd come to ending her in the heat of the moment to sate his needs. Yet the darkness refused to let him free. “Clean her up,” he ordered coldly. “With your mouth.”

“Dad....?” What had seemed like a dream had turned nightmarish, yet Cerise didn't dare disobey and sunk between Inky's wet thighs to lap the sperm and pussy juice that rolled from her slit and over her butthole.

Forced to bend over to do so, he landed a slap on his daughter's ass, which wobbled, and pressed his still erect flare into her winking cunny, insatiable.

He pulled her pigtails, landed more blows on her asscheeks, and she softly sobbed, confused but wanting to make him happy and proud. However, she couldn't help but worry about Inky, despite how easily her flesh still responded to him.

She mumbled, “P-please be more careful with her n-next ti-AGH~!"

He ignored her pleas, buried a finger up her asshole, which clenched around him. The Pony of Shadows reminded him they were his rightful property, to do with as he pleased. He was the absolute head of his nation. And someday he would be a God!

Yet first, there was the alliance to deal with. With the death of Spike and Twilight, their forces would surely crumble...

*****

Somnambula knew it was suicide. Yet she refused to abandon an old friend. “Spirits protect me,” she whispered, and the Sphinx, who'd removed the arrowhead and patched her wounds the best she could in the desert, doubled back on the pyramid.

Thankfully after Spike's attack, the tombs were still damaged, defended only by a small army of guards who lined the area.

A column with the Necronomicon was placed at the treasury's heart, and a chair before it where Stygian sat, slowly turning the tattered pages. Whenever his eyes, heavy with dark circles, began to close, he was prodded at spear-point by the barechested, muscular stallions around him. “I would work better with some sleep,” the scholar argued in a soft-spoken voice.

“Lord Sombra demands results. He said to work you to exhaustion if needed,” answered one of them with another prod.

His eyes struggled to focus through the bright colors cast by the riches and torches around him. The torn up area was still covered in the cast about stones, and he shivered in the cool night air, unable to do more than proceed with trembling hands.

“Monsters,” hissed the priestess to herself. “Surely, my ancestors must be enraged.”

Her claws extended, and with a roar that made their fur stand on end, she dived in with her plume spread and fangs bared. She pounced and knocked several of them away in a cloud of gold coins that were cast about with clinks, swatted a soldier who dared train a crossbow on her with a paw, slamming him to the ground with a crunch. She hesitated to kill but broke his bones to disable him.

“To me, Stygian!” She swiped and slobbered, her slit cat-eyes glowing like she was possessed by her righteous fury.

He stumbled in his tattered robes and barely climbed onto her slender yet muscular back. “Th-thank you.”

“Hold on tight, my friend. We have not escaped yet!” She howled, and some of the guards cowered on instinct, but others readied crossbows on her from all sides, and she realized escape would require a miracle. And so she prayed for one.

The ancient spirits of the pharaohs answered her. They swirled from sarcophagi, which fell open to reveal mummified corpses below caked in so much dust, and the ghostly presences whirled around them like a tornado, screaming, not unlike the Eldritch. But these were benevolent and tossed aside the arrows that hurled towards them.

Some of the specters sank into Somnambula, filled her with warmth. She glowed in a golden sheen, rose upwards with a furious beat of wings. “My thanks,” she whispered with a tear and sailed past the pale moon.

All that mattered was their survival. In haste, Somnambula cursed herself for forgetting the Necronomicon, too focused on saving her old friend, yet she wasn't certain the accursed book would even allow such a sacred creature to touch it.

Guards yelled and loosed a hail of arrows that did nothing to deter her escape across the desert. His arms wrapped around her neck, and she took comfort she could at least save one of those closest to her.

*****

A guard burst into Sombra's chambers. “Forgive me, my lord.” He swallowed and noted that the tyrant was busy with the entertainment of his lovers, still buried deep within his bent over daughter. “It-it's about Somnambula and Stygian....”

“What about them,” replied Sombra with little interest, not bothering to pause while he claimed his latest bounty with repeated thrusts.

He strained to find the words. “Th-they've escaped...”

“What?!” His horn flared with a crackle, and he summoned his blade with a telekinetic lift of his aura into his hand. His swing was so fast they were unable to track it when he lopped the guard's head from his neck. The offensive object rolled, and Cerise screamed, her face and breasts splattered by a hot, wet crimson spray that slapped her furred curves.

“Ghh~!” She instinctively clenched his cock in sheer terror and he fired his massive load into her.

The guard's body slumped with a thud. Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow paused in shock, but dared not say a word against him, pretended to remain loyal to him, but hopeful they would survive this nightmare and be reunited with Somnambula.

Cerise pulled herself from her father. “W-why? He was just a messenger! You didn't have to go that far!”

“Don't question me,” he warned and wrapped a hand around her throat. She whimpered and slackened in submission. To punctuate his threat, his blade's tip poked at her erect nipples, a reminder he could easily sever them. “Clean up this trash and dispose him outside of my city,” he demanded, and the twins snapped to obey.

The sisters collected the corpse, and he studied the unconscious Inky. “Handmaidens,” he said to Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow. “Bathe and put my wife and daughter to bed. They've had a most troubled day,” he said with a dark chuckle.

Cerise's maw quivered. “P-please...”

He pressed to her backside, groped one of her breasts, another sliding to her belly. Working a complicated spell with his uneven horn, a glowing tattoo appeared on her midsection, showing her uterus and ovaries. She twitched with a muffled, choked moan from the electrical tingles that stimulated her watery loins. “Listen carefully, daughter. You will not question my judgment again, do you understand me? Just keep quiet and bear your father lots of wonderful foals.”

“Y...yes, daddy,” she promised meekly with her head bowed. “Just don't hurt mommy. Please,” she added.

“As long as none of you disappoint me, I'll ensure no harm comes to you.” He dismissed her with a possessive swat on her rump. She squeaked and hurried on, his lustful gaze locked on her hips and buttocks, which swayed with her sudden movements.

Radiant Hope watched them all leave and curled her maw. “There really is no end to your evil.”

He stalked over and backhanded her. She gasped, and blood ran from her split lip. “Just as there's no end to your useless blabbering. Be grateful I don't muzzle you,” he warned.

Radiant stared him down with a heave of her breast. Below the warm skin that had healed over due to Bellatrix, unknown to them, rested a tiny shard of the crystal where her heart had once been.

It continued to slowly expand, had protected her and the twins when Zeloph had raised them from the ether in the Necronomicon and allowed them to take flesh, cloaked its presence lest Sombra claimed it.

A comforting warmth she didn't understand filled her bosom, made her sense that somehow, whatever befell her, she would be okay. The destroyed Crystal Heart had started to rebuild inside her, determined to protect its people...

Chapter 8

From all over the pleasure gardens Spike's friends and family gathered to meet him, and he couldn't hold back a wide grin. “You've taken great care of the place while I was gone!” He exclaimed before hugging Ember and Smolder, who'd helped Twilight run his lands in his absence. “Whew, I think I could use a snack after the long journey home!”

Spike had yet to reveal that the alliance was crumbling, not wanting to sour the mood. The dragonesses helped him sit on a boulder, and he tried to focus on the jubilant atmosphere around him, aware he'd have to let the truth free eventually.

Beside him sat Rarity, and she pressed her nude body to his own, while he held her and stroked her mane. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, darling, I'm fine. What I said and did back there...” She looked away, teary-eyed. “Forgive me.”

He shook his head and squeezed her. “Nothing to forgive. You weren't yourself, we all know that.”

“Wasn't I? Indeed, I often took you for granted and only attempted to stake a claim when I realized how handsome and powerful you are. I've been absolutely deplorable, and understand if you wanted nothing more to do with me. Still, I-I do truly care for you.” She meekly met his eyes, mouth drawn in pain, and stroked his firm pectoral muscles with her palms.

“I want you. I've always wanted you.” She flushed at his confession, his claws wrapped around her hips, and he could barely contain the lust he felt, aware this wasn't the time no matter how their bodies screamed for it.

He felt a drip of her wetness splash on his tail and roll down it, and he shivered in delight. His claws slid further, cupped her buttocks and kneaded them, a smile shared between them for what was to come when she shot him a coy wink.

Thankfully it appeared there weren't any remnants or aftereffects of the evil that had possessed her.

His gaze trailed over the exotic flora that lined the massive underground cave. Fluttershy and Tree Hugger returned his smile, their voluptuous shapes plush as he recalled, even after their pregnancy had reached its end. Sweetie Belle lounged in a pond, able to bask in their hard-won peace. It was everything he'd hoped for with the destruction of the Eldritch.

However, his snout fell when he spotted Sunset Shimmer placed within an open glass coffin, a magical creation used to preserve her unattended. She was trapped in stasis by it, lost to a coma by psychic feedback. Twilight Sparkle, who routinely returned to her and sobbed, speculated this was caused by the remnants of the Eldritch, their haunting screams shredding her psyche.

She appeared so peaceful, contented even, a smile on Sunset's face, arms crossed over her bare bosom. “Hang on, Sunset. I'll find a way to fix this,” swore Twilight, who gripped her friend's tender arm. “I won't lose any more friends to the Eldritch!”

He and Rarity strolled over through the grass. “Whatever it takes, we'll get her back.”

“Yes, without her, we wouldn't have made it this far,” said Rarity, who also looked stricken. They all stood in silence around the glass coffin, thinking up possible solutions to break her free from this trance.

With a blink, Flurry Heart appeared with Somnambula and Stygian on the Sphinx's back. “Sorry to butt in,” she said. “But I figured there were still more people who needed our help at Sombra's camp and decided to check! Lucky, huh?”

“Thank you. But you shouldn't act on your own,” chastised Twilight. “You know how dangerous it is!”

“Without her, we would not have made it back,” said Somnambula, who still glowed bright gold. “I believe the spirits must have sensed our need, and called young Flurry Heart to aid us. Sombra has fallen to madness, reverted to his tyrannical ways.”

"Figures," Twilight spat. "Reading into the Necronomicon would have surely brought back memories of cruel power. It was only a matter of time until he turned rogue again."

"That may be so, but remember. The dream shepherd suggests another power at play this time, using his descent as a catalyst. If Sombra fell so easily, I fear what will happen when this entity comes for us."

Twilight said, "Well then, maybe the Necronomicon can help us find a way to free Sunset!"

Rarity shook her head. "Perhaps, but that accursed tome is still in Sombra's lands, is it not?”

Stygian slid from the Sphinx's back and stumbled. “That may not be a problem...” He reached into his tattered cloak and unveiled the dark tome he'd hidden there. “With a little glamour, I disguised another of Sombra's books on hand and switched them. Thankfully, he left a mook to watch over it. But it won't fool him the moment he checks.”

“Brilliant,” said Twilight, who stared at the flesh-bound, mummified grimoire.

“It makes me wonder if the book is aiding me. To take it here may have been a mistake, should it seek to spread its evil in this paradise. Yet neither could I leave it in Sombra's hands.” The scholar frowned. “I've heard the tome compels one to possess it...”

“Whatever the case may be, we'll have to try.” Somnambula chanted and turned back into a pegasus. “Though we shall need ample time to prepare. To return to that labyrinth without a solid team would be fatal.”

“I'm down,” said Flurry with her usual cheer. “I'm sure Beatrix will want to help us, too. Where is she currently?"

"Trixie's wagon is parked near the edges of the pleasure gardens. I'll go fetch her and company," Rarity proclaimed before walking out with a swish of her marshmallow rump.

Spike licked his chops, momentarily distracted. Between his team, he hardly needed to lift a claw, but he knew he couldn't afford to be lazy. Not when the alliance was dealt a devastating blow, and it seemed any numbers of villains waited in the shadows to make their move. “So let's theorize here. Say Zeloph wasn't pulling strings, and Sombra fell back to his old habits on his own. What are the chances of saving him?"

Despite their differences and the crimes he'd committed, he'd almost considered him a friend for a time. And whatever he or anyone else believed he wanted to save him.

Though he accepted the fact that it was probably beyond possibility, and even if it weren't, the damage he would cause in the meantime would be far too significant.

As the Dragon Lord, he had to act decisively!

****

“...and that's the situation we face right now,” said Rarity, relaying all the events back to Beatrix and company.

"Huh," said the violet unicorn with a scratch of her chin. She was seated at a table in Trixie's wagon. “Then, it settled. I'll do anything that may help save Sombra, especially with those around him in danger! If it means another trip into the Necronomicon, then I'll do it.” She sat back with one leg crossed over the other and took a sip of her steamy, freshly-brewed tea.

Lady Ewe took a sip of her own cup. "Zeloph remains hidden among us, though I don't think he'll want to return to his prison. We should have our best casters informed to ensure your minds remain safe."

"I'll remain here," Fleur de Lis said. "That tyrant will have already figured out the book is missing and will send agents to retrieve it. We'll need people on guard for that."

Beatrix said, "So that leaves..."

Trixie shot up with legs spread and hands thrust to her wide hips. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will come, too! No way will I let my little hellspawn do this alone! Remember, our magic works better in tandem, as we're the invincible mother-daughter team!” She proudly cast back her mane with a smirk, boldly determined to take on whatever awaited them.

“Yeah, why not, I'll come too,” Bellatrix grumbled with pursed lips. “Can't say I care for many people here currently.”

“That's what you want people to think," grinned Beatrix with a wink. "Deep down, we both know you're just a big softie~."

"Bite it, Sister. Demons don't waste time on pity or sentiment."

“Funny considering you're no longer a succubus," the witch noted while looking over her sister's angelic appearance.

“Just because I have a halo over my head, doesn't mean my heart isn't as black as night! I am born from the Necronomicon! Always have been a devil, always will be!"

“Knock it off you two,” cut in Flurry. “We'd better get prepared! Sister, will you help me mix up more potions?”

“Sure. But I'm a little rusty,” admitted Beatrix, who hadn't practiced her alchemy much recently. She reached into the hidden sleeves of her cloak and laid out corked tubes that bubbled and fizzed a multitude of prismatic colors. “That's my batch! Not much I know, but hey, some of the places I traveled too haven't made it easy to grab ingredients!”

Flurry Heart laid out her own across the table. “I cooked these up in my spare time!”

Beatrix studied them. “Well, we can't all be geniuses like you, sis!” From the version she'd met in her homeworld, the alicorn princess who taught her alchemy was potentially the most powerful mage in Equestria. Sadly her potential here had been curtailed after the torture she'd endured under Chrysalis. Despite that, she'd grown quite a bit through practice.

But the false horns and wings Flurry constructed had their limits. Charge them with too much magic, and they would shatter, limited to how much they channeled at a time. At best, she and Cadance would be able to reach a little under Sunset's level.

“A shame you won't be backing us up with some muscle, Fleur," Bellatrix huffed while folding her arms. "I don't think the big guy is gonna be enough this trip around."

“Yeah, that is pretty unfortunate," Beatrix agreed while looking over her hands. "Most of us kinda suck when it comes to fisticuffs!"

"Pha!" Scoffs Trixie. "Who needs brute force when magic is so much stronger?"

“Somnambula will be there,” reminded Lady Ewe. “But regardless of which is better, a balance would be nice. Are you sure you can't come with them?" She asked, turning to the Fleur, who shook her head.

"I'm really sorry, but I can't afford to go back knowing Sombra is out there planning his next assault. I don't think I'm mentally prepared to return there, as well. You're better off without me."

The goat woman sighed. "I suppose you have a point there. We'll need all the help we can get, both here and in the Necronomicon."

A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” called Trixie before the door creaked open.

“Forgive the intrusion,” said Stygian, who bowed his head, a scroll carried in his hands. “I've studied the Necronomicon and unearthed several secrets.” He settled into a chair the hostess pulled out for him. “Thank you, Miss Lulamoon.”

She smirked at him, posing in her chair to show off her impressive bust. “Charmed, always happy to allow company interested in me~."

“O-oh, um, no, actually,” He flushed and hastily unrolled the scroll. “I was mostly referring to Miss Primadonna.”

“What?” She perked up with a furrowed brow. “Somehow, I'm not sure I want to know what concerns me.”

“I-I know it'll be a lot to take in, but please bear with me! I researched the various demons the Necronomicon's author wrote into their spellbook. One of them was a race of pleasure demons, the succubi. Pieces of the writer's fiction told how they would summon to mindlessly seek pleasure.”

"Uh-huh, what about them?"

"Well, that's the thing. It's said the species were wiped out thoroughly, and any material to summon one mostly relies on written text to manifest their lust into a physical form."

Bellatrix's face slowly sunk when the implications dawned on her. “Wait...you're telling me that I'm not real?!”

“N-now, hold on!” Beatrix raised her palms. “Let's not jump to conclusions!”

With a saddened look, he continued gently. “I fear she is correct. You were merely a piece of fiction until Sombra interacted with you. Strange as it may seem when he made you his slave, he 'rescued' you from your aimless existence. Your time with Beatrix also helped immensely. Through them, you've achieved a level of self-awareness that shouldn't be possible for an apocryphal creature.”

Bellatrix stared in horror, her face void of any emotion as the truth settled in her mind. "I...I'm not supposed to exist..?" She whispered, trying hold back sobs in her throat.

The rest of the party couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Ewe looked down into her cup while Fleur stroke her chin in thought, a slight curl to her lip. "How fascinating..."

“Sister...” Beatrix gripped her shoulders and calmly leveled with her. “I know this might seem too ironic coming from me, but it doesn't matter how you originated. I thought since the Demiurge was part of me, I'd never be able to make a happy life for myself, but look how far I've come. Blood doesn't matter, not to me. You're family.” She smiled at her.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to be a downer. But I thought you'd like to know,” said Stygian apologetically.

Bellatrix met his gaze. “It's whatever. I don't live on bullshit, even if reality is insufferable. Wish I could meet the sick fiend who wrote this damn book and give him a taste of hell.” She laughed with another sniffle, breaking into a pained cackle. “Just perfect. Life's
already abysmal. If Sombra can't be saved, then-”

Oona stepped in to place her hand on the angel's shoulder, stroking her gently. "Perhaps it's best you don't come with them as well. This shocking revelation will no doubt affect your mentality."

"What, no! We barely have enough people going in as it is! If I can't go, who's gonna..."

Stygian drew his mouth into a line. “I'm no warrior, but I can take your place. I think I have a good shot in finding more secrets within the grimoire. Possessed as I was by the Pony of Shadows, I know the malice it's capable of. The more darkness one holds inside them, the worse it proves.”

"A-are you sure?" Ewe asked gently.

"While I can't guarantee my mind's safety, It's the least I can do to repay for my rescue," he nodded, determination clear on his face.

Much as she hated to admit it, Beatrix knew the evils her teacher was capable of. She'd seen some of them firsthand in other worlds. The depravity he'd sunk too was far worse than all the other would-be conquerors Equestria had faced. Only Chrysalis had come anywhere close when she sided with the Eldritch, something that even Tirek and Cozy Glow had refused.

Once, she'd been drawn to his darkness because she thought only someone warped like her could possibly love her. She'd believed the cute unicorn she appeared as was a hollow shell, that the 'real' her was the monster that lurked below.

Her separation from the Demiurge had given her a new lease on life. And since her teacher helped saved her, she wanted to repay the favor! Nevertheless, to do so, there was a risk she would clash with others who sought a more expedient solution.

"Wait," cried Beatrix who spotted something from the corner of her eye. "That shine?!" She was immediately reminded of the Crystal Empire, knew this was somehow connected.

Hastily the group spilled outside to follow the speck, and tracked it all the way to Stygian's study in a cave, where Somnambula kept vigil over the Necronomicon. The book rested on a desk surrounded by candelabra.

The grimoire opened and the sparkle vanished into it. "You know the Necronomicon best," said Beatrix to Stygian. "So keep watch, okay? No time to quibble!"

"As you wish," he replied with a bow.

Lady Ewe warned, "It could be a trap to lure us inside. Still, I see little alternative."

Within moments a team was selected, and the party descended back inside...

*****

To reclaim the Necronomicon, Sombra knew he'd need to raise an army that could take on the alliance. He'd conscripted more soldiers from his citizens, and those who clearly doubted his cause were taken to a private chamber hidden deep in the pyramid, to be 'persuaded' with his creation, a rather demonic helmet infused with the dark arts.

The moment it was placed on someone they fell under his control. At the moment he could only craft a dozen since it drained him terribly to make one, and he had to imbue a small fraction of his power into each which divided him. But it was worth it to ready another elite guard, and as for their frightful appearance as they stalked the streets, he claimed it was to terrify their enemies who only understood intimidation. “Dragon Lord Spike has become a brutal tyrant,” he'd informed the masses. "He must be stopped!"

To boost morale and help persuade the mob, he ordered Cerise Silhouette to follow him everywhere. At his command, she would put on a slow, sensual striptease, her contortionist-level dance skills putting onlookers into a trance.

Cerise forced a smile, swaying her breasts, hips, and buttocks with a jiggle. It was almost like everything she ever dreamed of...if not for how weird and cruel her father had suddenly turned, seemingly overnight.

“Maybe we babied you too much,” Inky had said. “But now's the time to grow up. Something is wrong with my love. I wanted to believe it was part of some long game he was playing, a plan he couldn't even let those closest in on, but there's no mistaking it. He's gone mad." The queen held her throat, where he once grabbed her, bitter tears streaming down her face.

“Careful mom,” she'd whispered back. “If he hears you questioning his rule, he'll have you executed.”

Inky laughed dryly. "I think I'm more afraid of losing you than I am your father's wrath. An incarnation of Pacific Glow or not, your safety is my priority."

The young mare nodded before nuzzling into her arms. "Dad was never this scary before..."

"No, he wasn't. Beatrix's friend spoke of a creature that fed on insanity. I have every reason to believe it's the source of this growing civil war."

Cerise gulped, recalling hearing a menacing voice during her capture in the labyrinth. It whispered horrible things she shouldn't have known. And it only stopped talking to her when Cerise and her father made love for the first time. She felt like this was all her fault, but she dare not reveal it to Inky Rose.

Within mere days their world had been completely turned upside-down. At best, they could take slivers of comfort in each other when Sombra was away. But they were careful not to confide in anyone else, uncertain if they could even trust the rest of his entourage. He'd taken turns with all of them each night, seemingly unable to be satisfied anymore.

Cerise winced when she danced, her lower-half still quite sore, especially her hind end. She rubbed her bare buns, coated in a thin sheen of perspiration after another long and wild dance under the blazing afternoon sun.

She spotted her father marching the streets, flanked by his elite troops shrouded by those masked demon helmets with horns, and ducked out of their sight with a deep inhale. Hurrying on, she headed to the marketplace, where merchants called out to would-be buyers and offered a variety of standard and exotic goods. She noted one of the twins, Foal-Bearer, she thought, was there.

Other than a hooded cloak and sandals, she was otherwise dressed in the usual sheer, bare-breasted attire the handmaidens wore. The crystal pony carried a wicker basket that hung from one harm and bent over while she made her selection. “This one please,” she said in a clipped, professional manner, produce and wine bottles placed into the basket. “That should be all.”

She'd been sent to fetch what the king ordered for his celebration and memorized the list. Her lips were drawn tight, worried about leaving her little sister alone, and so wasted no time with her chores to hurry back, her coins dropped with a clink. “A-ah!”

The turban-clad merchant asked, “You okay, miss? You look a little under the weather.”

Foal-Bearer's face burned, and she winced, the glowing tattoo of her uterus and ovaries materializing on her midsection, sending pleasant electrical currents throughout her, particularly concentrated in her heated loins. She dropped the basket, some of the goods rolling onto the streets, and sunk to her knees, trying to muffle a moan as a mini orgasm rocked her to the core. “I-I'm fine.”

Cerise was tempted to run and help but worried she'd make it worse if she intervened.

Foal-Bearer's eyes momentarily widened, and she felt her lower orifices churn like they were being filled. She panted and crawled, thighs quivering, collecting her spilled items and ignoring those who looked her way. “You lured me away from Wet Nurse on purpose,” she hissed in a murmur. “You bastard...umph?!” She felt her throat filled as well and writhed.

“What's going on?” Cerise dashed between the alleys between buildings, trying to stay out of sight, back to where she'd seen her father and his men headed. She sucked in a gasp when she spotted them in a tucked away area, where her father and his men hammered away at Wet Nurse, using her as their plaything. She whined out muffled moans, her belly aglow too.

A rustle sounded behind Cerise, so caught up in watching that she failed to notice until they were upon her. She started to shriek, and a hand closed over her mouth. “Hush. It's me,” hissed Radiant Hope, who also wore a hood and cloak.

“Wh-what do you want? Have you come to report me for neglecting my duties or something?”

“Hardly.” They relaxed, and Radiant faced her. “We all know how dangerous Sombra is now. We have to work together.”

Cerise nodded. “But I don't know you. I'm not sure I can trust you, or the twins.”

“You'll have to take the risk, or we're all dead anyway. Your father will grow bored of us eventually, probably not long after we've had his foals. He's already becoming crueler to sate his sadistic needs.” She tilted her head in Wet Nurse's direction, who was taken by him and his dozen elite guards in a variety of positions, her hands forced to stroke the horsecocks that couldn't currently fill her.

They moved automatically, almost like machines who treated her like a piece of meat, and with a muted gasp, she realized what it reminded her of; stories her parents had told her about Eldritch technology. Had her father used his knowledge of the invaders' tech to craft their helms? A fusion of cybernetics and dark arts to control them?

“I...I'll think about it,” said Cerise, who wanted to cover her ears and blot out reality.

“Think fast. Talk it over with Inky Rose. I'm putting myself at considerable risk, too. I would've done anything for Sombra. I believed in him when everyone else lost faith.” She gritted her teeth and clawed at her upper arms, eyes watering.

Cerise embraced her. “It'll be okay. It has to be. Maybe if we can somehow contact Spike...”

“Spike. Yes. I've heard he was a noble hero in the Crystal Empire.”

Cerise watched them dump Wet Nurse, soaked in their seed, which ran from her, and Sombra waved his men to clean her up and carry her home.

He smirked in self-satisfaction, and Cerise ducked back into the alley when his gaze trailed their way, heart hammering. All she'd ever wanted to be was the dutiful daughter, and now had little choice but to betray him.

*****

“Let me love you,” drawled out Rarity, who straddled her lover. “Like you deserve.” She'd taken his twin dicks into her, the pink extensions covered in fleshy nubs that pleasantly scraped her moist walls, tickled her spongy g-spot, buried deep in her ass and pussy. Gradually she rocked atop him, traced over his pecs, her supple body thick with perfume and a sheen of oil.

The scents of incense mixed with their musk. “You didn't have to go out of your way for me,” said Spike.

“Nonsense. I want to make up for all my poor behavior. Whatever you've always wanted to do with me, it's yours for the taking.” She smiled at him, nestled up in a private little cove, able to lose themselves.

He'd earned this, hadn't he? A moment entirely for himself. But he couldn't evade his responsibilities forever, wouldn't abandon his lands and family to the care of his retainers. While he'd shattered the Bloodstone Scepter, most people still called him the Dragon Lord, and as such, he needed to appear strong and confident at all times. Now he knew how Celestia had felt.

He groaned in bliss, reached up to her jiggly globes, cupped their marshmallow sweetness in his palms, and squished the soft tit-flesh. He flicked his claws over her erect pink nipples, and she moaned, squeezing around his dragonhoods.

“If only I could be more useful to the alliance,” she lamented.

“You and Sweetie crafted the runes that powered our weapons and armor with magic,” he reminded and dragged his spade-tipped tail over her buttocks, landed playful swats on her wobbly cheeks. “You saved us.”

“Perhaps.” She batted thick lashes at him, content to be wanted by him.

Soft footsteps echoed when someone approached. “Forgive my impudence,” said Somnambula, who entered the cave. “Pretend I am otherwise not here and continue. Nonetheless, I believe it imperative you knew the limitations of your rebirth.”

Spike intertwined his fingers with Rarity's while she continued to make love to him, reminded that they'd seen it all anyhow. “Guess I was long overdue for bad news, huh?” He'd worried that his new lease on life would be short-lived but hoped otherwise.

“In a sense. It is your dragon instincts that are keeping death at bay. Otherwise, you would quickly burn out. You must give into them to survive, though we all know the risks that carries. Greed and anger could turn you back into a wild animal that lashes out blindly, like when you first returned. So far, slaking your lust as you currently are will help slow down the process. Unfortunately one partner will not be sufficient...”

“Like most males, you crave constant novelty.” Rarity frowned. “Dragons have always been possessive.”

Spike swallowed hard. Greed? Of course, being a male, the feelings of taking and claiming so many females always excited him. And there was plenty of room to leave his legacy in any worthy takers.

One of those that caught his interest was the goat woman they met back in the labyrinth. "Hmmm, perhaps Lady Ewe could help out? She seems very strong...as well as exotic."

Somnambula nodded. “It wouldn't hurt to ask her. All that power from your full potential has been collapsed into this comparatively small body, which teeters on constant burnout.” She turned with a sigh to hide her tears. “Again, I fear we have only delayed the inevitable. Who knows how long until your time inevitably runs out."

“Yeah.... And being Dragon Lord means this rebirth is a one time deal,” Spike sighed, knowing this was a miracle and to expect anything else was just fantasy.

“Please forgive me," the priestess asked sorrowfully, plume drawn close. "I've condemned you to this terrible fate."

“Nah. As I said, I couldn't choose otherwise.” He pulled Rarity to his chest, grunted when he loosed into her, and her stomach swelled out, the impact making her whimper and gush on him, the pair shaking while they completed their union.

He rocked her in his strong arms, still buried in her warmth. Twenty years? It was more than enough, so far as he was concerned.

He could see his family and friends, many of the children he'd fathered fully grown...and perhaps even find that sliver of a chance to rescue Sombra from his curse.

And if not, he swore to finish the tyrant himself. He owed him that honor, at least.

Chapter 9

“... And that's what I've gathered so far,” said Radiant Hope, who huddled with her fellow conspirators in the master bedroom. They were rarely left alone, with soldiers guarding the door outside. She sat in a circle with Cerise Silhouette listening intently, Inky Rose looking skeptical, and Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse appearing neutral.

“You suggest we pool our information,” said Foal-Bearer with pursed lips. “And watch each other's backsides.”

Wet Nurse met her sister's eyes. “Sounds like our best bet. Not like we can easily seek outside help.”

Inky, however, folded herself in her arms and wings, frowning profusely. “With my daughter being the exception, I don't feel like I can trust any of you. How do we know one of us isn't a mole for my husband?”

“There's no time to suspect foul play!” Radiant insisted before she reached beneath her cloak and unsheathed a curved knife. Cerise yelped, and Inky protectively covered her while the twins watched the shining blade, which caught the lamplight. With little warning, she turned the weapon to her open palm and sliced a line through it with gritted teeth. “We make a blood pact together, to swear on our lives we end this devil's reign!"

Foal-Bearer nodded her understanding at the sacred ritual and grabbed a goblet from a desk nearby, where she collected the warm scarlet into it. She took the knife and cut herself next, Wet Nurse wincing and doing the same, followed by Cerise, who whimpered a tad, unused to pain and feeling faint at the sight of blood. After some hesitation, Inky slashed her palm too.

Radiant mixed their blood and said, “Now we drink.” She downed her sip, and the rest ifollowed, warmth settling in their bellies.

Cerise was so shaken she could barely hold the goblet. She still remembered the messy spray when her father beheaded that poor messenger, had suffered nightmares about it ever since, unable to stop blaming herself and wishing she could have somehow intervened. Her tears tinkled on the blood.

When they finished, Radiant Hope set aside the empty goblet. "From now on, we're sisters united by blood, sacrifices to our cause; the mad tyrant's downfall. May a terrible curse befall whoever breaks our pact.”

“Okay, no need to get melodramatic,” scoffed Foal-Bearer while helping wrap her and her twin's wounded palm.

“Forgive my sister. She's always taken our job ultra seriously,” said Wet Nurse apologetically.

Foal-Bearer's eye twitched. “One should take pride in their work.”

“You've always been the strong one,” lamented Wet Nurse.

“For all the good it's done us. But let's put that behind us.” The twins embraced.

“So sweet,” said Cerise with a smile. Her bright pink eyes fell on the bloodied bandage around her palm.

“Best we keep those hidden,” said Inky. “Maybe with the right application of makeup-”

Radiant touched her horn. “A glamour will help. Better we keep it subtle, however, or else it will draw attention from that devil.” She continued to seethe every time she recalled his brutal betrayal and drew her sisters in close. “Here's my plan...”

Cerise listened and flattened her ears. To her horror, she would be at the center of it. But it's not like the others could pull it off.

They would have to wait until after the wedding, and hope they could convince Sombra to heavily drink in celebration after he wore himself out with his new brides and handmaidens.

What if Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow were there? Could they trust them, too? Her heart hammered, and she anxiously considered the many ways it might all go awry.

*****

From all over his nation came the summoned masses to attend Sombra's wedding. Extravagant displays flooded the capital, and exotic dancers that numbered in the dozens stripped and gyrated wildly for the cheering crowds. A military presence now swarmed the streets, as he promised a small fortune to every soldier that now expanded his already vast army.

To take on the alliance, he would need all of them. His mood had only darkened when he visited the Necronomicon and learned it had been replaced by a fake. To punish the guards that had failed to stop Somnambula and Stygian's thievery, he'd imprisoned them in preparation for the next batch of helmets he'd craft. “Perhaps you'll serve me better this way,” he mused.

Bells sounded with rings when night began to fall. With a glance at the moon and stars above, he stalked down streets lit by torches, dressed in ceremonial armor and a crimson cape that swept beyond him. His brides-to-be were lined up before the crowds, their usual garments unchanged except for the jewelry and tiaras that decorated them. He smirked, drank them in with a leer.

Radiant Hope met him with a blank stare. Cerise Silhouette forced a smile. Inky Rose stood at the head, and offered rings to both women that matched her own, symbols of obedience to their husband.

“The handmaidens will do the vows, seeing as the priestess went awol.” He nodded Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow over before looking to each of his brides, a look of dissatisfaction clear on his face. "Mmm, perhaps I have room for one more tramp to grovel at my feet. A pity she made off before I could fully inseminate her."

*****

Somewhere deep inside the horrible visage of the evil unicorn, small fragments of his once gentle soul remain trapped. For a time, Sombra had been able to take control in brief moments, whenever he'd gone too far.

Now he was buried so wholly in the Pony of Shadows, he'd reawakened and found himself back in a familiar black abyss. “Back inside the Necronomicon.... Where I belong."

At least he could move freely here and witness what the fiend was doing with his body. He tried to peer further on, in hopes he could see what Spike's camp was up to. Sadly, he couldn't see beyond the windows of his physical vessel, helpless to watch his friends and family be tormented.

“It's hopeless,” he weakly sighed. "I don't think I could escape on my own even if I dared try." He speculated at best he would end up back where he started, only able to take command of his flesh under extreme circumstances. But there were more horrible possibilities...like a chance his soul would be ripped apart, scattered throughout oblivion.

In time, even he began to believe that Radiant Hope and the twins were right about him. It was his nature to fall into the darkness. After all, it was so easy for the Pony of Shadows to possess him, and resume his reign of tyranny.

But the most horrific thing he bore witness to was watching his wife and daughter suffer his abuse. He would have ended his own life before any harm came there way. At the very least, he found solace that both Beatrix and Bellatrix were sent to safety.

Yet he felt the darkness stir with a potent need. To see Beatrix impregnated and bare a spawn with robust genes and magic. And he feared the Pony of Shadows had left something inside her to make that possible.

For hours he wandered, again over a sea of corpses made from the denuded bodies of crystal ponies. “Try a new trick,” he muttered but wasn't sure anyone other than himself was responsible for what he saw.

For all he knew, these nightmares were drawn from his subconscious, and the realm around him simply warped to match his darkest memories and desires.

Strong evidence that no matter how much he longed for it, love and redemption may be forever out of his reach.

He lost count of how long he traveled aimlessly, but somehow he was drawn to the source itself. The air itself shuddered, and the atmosphere grew more solemn, more oppressive, screamed that he turn back. His stomach turned, threatening to empty its contents under a wave of nausea, a trickle of blood leaked from his eyes and nostrils, but he grit his teeth with a snarl and pushed on.

His ears flicked at the sound of an uneven, alien heartbeat. The Eldritch? No. But something familiar, nonetheless.

Soon enough, he finally found it. A black mass at the Necronomicon's heart, the cancerous tumor covered in inky tendrils that extended from all sides and attached to the realm, suspended, each portion of the gelatinous abomination covered in bloodied, sicklily glazed over eyes. An slimy black liquid oozed from each bloated socket.

“The Demiurge,” he hissed. “Figures you'd be behind this, you foul monstrosity."

Its eyes trailed over him, the maw of razor teeth opening and closing like it was trying to swallow more air. No matter how violently it twitched and wriggled, all it could do was slowly expand and devour whatever it crossed. “Ha," scoffed Sombra with a cruel laugh. "It appears I'm not the only one rendered helpless here. Without the Eldritch, you're nothing more than a mindless parasite. Though that leaves the question; if you're not responsible, then who?"

"Ahh," A voice suddenly answered. "T̨͏he͠r҉̷e̡̕ ̕͜y̧͜o͞u̕ a̡͡r͠͝e͢~͜!̴́"

All at once, the labyrinth grew darker as countless glowing eyes opened all around to gaze at him. Sombra stood on guard, though try as he may, his fear was hard to mask. A low chuckle slithered through his mind.

"I was wondering what became of you, though I hoped the Pony of Shadows finished consuming every last trace of your goodwill."

"You..!" Sombra growled. "I remember your voice, continually whispering calamity to me, making me believe I deserved this! That goat woman knew your name..."

"I have many names," the primordial creature mused as the eyes slowly circled him, they're unblinking gaze locked on the dark unicorn. "But among them all, Ź͠e̵̸l͜͏o͏̡͘̕͡p͟͠h̵̵͠͡ has inspired the most fear and awe~."

"And you still remain a prisoner in the Necronomicon."

"Oh no, I've long ascended from this plane. What you're speaking with is my remnants, assimulating the last bit of energy I need from the Demiurge. L͟o͡ok mor̶è ̕cl͏o̷sely~."

All at once, the eyes paused in midair before rolling towards the struggling biomass of the Demiurge. Growing out from the cancer-like tumor was a series fo stems and veins that pulsated in rhythm with the echoing heartbeat, leading up into the void of the Necronomicon.

"I-I don't understand," Sombra spoke puzzled. "Why siphon off the Demiurge if you're so powerful?"

"Life has always fed on other life," answers Zeloph. "You should know this better than anyone! After all, your thirst for conquest never perished. Just laying in dormant waiting to be f҉͢u̵̡͠l̴̛f͘͠i̸l̡͝l̸̛ę͜d̶~!"

"N-no, you're wrong! I've become better than this!"

"Evidently not," the ominous voice cackled before all of its eyes resumed orbiting around him. "You can lie to yourself all you want. But Į̶̕͟͢ ̶̨͏s̀͠͠é̡҉e̶̡̡͡ ̶͞y̵̴̡͘̕ơ̵u̢͜. I know the darkness in your heart. And deep inside, you know it too~!"

"It...it may be too late for me. But the others will stop you!" Sombra proclaimed, desperately tried not to let despair fester. "My star pupil, Lord Spike, Radiant Hope, they'll rise up to end your madness!"

The entire labyrinth quaked with manic laughter as the many eyes of Zeloph froze in place once more. Suddenly, Sombra felt long tendrils coil around him, strangling him in its cold grasp. He struggled to free himself before gasping. At each end were mouths full of jagged teeth that opened to reveal more enormous eyes, rings of color-changing around the iris hypnotically.

"Every time you mortals declare this statement, it never stops being f̴̛͢ú͘n̛͜n͏y," the primordial being exclaimed. "But perhaps its time I show you miserable flesh bags how insignificant you truly are. À̶̧̡̕l̡̀͞ļ͢͡o̸͘w̨̨͘͏ ̧͢͠ḿ̶̕͝ę̕ ̢͜͜t̡͘o̵̡͜͜͝ ̧̨͞e͏̀͟n̵̵l̴͘͢͡͞í̧͞g̵̢͘͟h̢̕t̡̛͘͘͟ȩ̶̵͠n̴͢͡͝ ̶͏̷̕y̛͡͝o͠͡u͞~."

Try as he might, his spirit couldn't look away from the rays of color and beams flowing through him. Before he knew it, the colors died out to reveal he was now floating in the depths of space itself. Stars and small galaxies swirled around him.

"W-what, impossible!?"

"Maybe for you," Zeloph's voice lingered. "But I have long existed outside the rules and realities that bind you, what you see before you are the memories of this dimension. See that small little blue speck? That's you. T͢͢͠҉̵h̵̛á͢͏t̸̀͜͡'͟͏s̛͡ ̵̧͡a̢̡͡͏l̵͟͝l̡͢͠͞ ́̀͡ơ̴͡f̢͠ ̵̀͘y̴̧ó̴̧͏u̴̷̕͞~."

Sombra looked to see that the small looking dot among all the stars and swirls was indeed the planet they resided on, only a few spaces away from the sun.

"See how small and insignificant you all are? Just one continent size meteor could wipe you all out, and nothing could stop it."

"Hmph. And yet, you're so oddly fascinated by us 'inferior' mortals," Sombra replied.

"Oh, quite! When you've drifted eons through the cosmos and discover one tiny planet has so many different minds, animals, and consciousness? I͟͢t̛͢͠͝'̴͞͡s̵̡͘͢͠ ̵͟͠͡͏a̡̢͜l̡͡͞m̕҉͟͏͟ó́͘͘s͏ţ̷̴̢ ̡͘c̵̵̸̡͜o̴͏m̸̵̕e̶͘͜d̶i̷̶̷̕c̶̴~."

A small wormhole glitched into existence from behind the moon. And Sombra could only stare in horror at the abomination that crawled out. Its torso looked dried up, no stomach was present under its ribcage. Only teeth and dislocated limbs acting as jaws.

Yet below were large wriggling tentacles, a series of small mouths bearing underneath each arm like suckers. Its head resembled that of a cuttlefish, with its smaller tentacles unfolding like a flower to reveal its maw, baring rows upon rows of teeth.

And all over this monstrosity were a thousand eyes, all looking off different directions before settling on the planet before it.

"Quite the looker, aren't I~?" Zeloph's voice said humorously.

"You're hideous..."

The body that best depicted Zeloph contorted unnaturally and shrank down to resemble a meteorite before hurling itself to the planet.

"As you see, I came to this planet to discover all I could about these sentient beings. What made these creatures tick? What made them ḑ̷e͜͢͞s̡͟i̢͝ŕ̸̴ab̢͞l̷͟͜e͢~. And when I learned all I could, I became bored with watching. So I decided to have a little f̶̕u͜͏̷͟ǹ̶͡͞~."

"By flaying their minds for your own amusement?"

"As if you're one to talk," the voice of Zeloph countered. "You're all ants to me! Just puny insects with filthy little minds just waiting to be v̵͞i̢o͞la̡͜͞te̸d̀ and t̷̛̕o͏̴̧͜͜r͟͝͞n҉̴̧́͏ ̶͏̴̧͘a͏͜p̕҉͝á̛͘͢҉r̶̴̨͜t̷̡̕͞~! And when I ran out of things to play with, I kept searching for more, crossing over dimensions to partake in the differences between people."

"Is this your whole game?" Sombra asked. "Use whatever species with intelligence as puppets?"

"For ̕th̕e ͢mos̸t̸ ̸p̴a̵r͢t̕~," the primordial creature admitted. "But then Ewe came into the picture and managed to seal me within this accursed book. She'll get what's coming to her once I claim a more suitable vessel. One who is also a strange anomaly in the space-time continuum~."

The implicants were not lost to him as Sombra felt his blood run cold.

"Beatrix..!"

"Or her sister. I'm not incredibly picky~!" Zeloph mused before ending the vivid hallucination, Sombra finding himself back before the heart of the Necronomicon. The veins snapped off the withering Demiurge before disappearing into the darkness. "Well, there's nothing left for me here! It's been fun chatting, Sombra. If you do manage to get out with your sanity still intact, I hope we can converse again~."

"You wretched fiend!" Sombra shouted. "You stay away from Beatrix, you hear me!?"

"Oh, ho~!" Crowed the disembodied voice. "I'd love to see you try. You're the one who doomed Beatrix and her friends the moment you let darkness back into your heart. T̸͘h̨͢͞i̸͜͢s̀͏ ì͞s͠ ̡͡a̧͢l͡l͘ ̨̨͜b͘͢e͢c͘á̧u͘͢sé̴ ҉̷͏o͟͠f y̷o̵u̴͜,͘ ̢̀S̶͢͟o̵m͏br͠a̡͢! A͏̷̧l͘͠L̨̡͢͟͢!̧̢͢ ̢̡Ý͘͠͡o͢͜U̡̕͝r̶̨!̸͞҉ ̶̧͘F͏̶̛͡Ą̕͡u̵̸͠͠Ļ̀t̛́̕͞~̀͠!̵̢͟"

Zeloph's deranged laughter disappeared along with his many eyes closing. The primordial abomination had vanished entirely from the Labyrinth.

In his fury, he unsheathed his blade and flung himself at the monster, bellowing out his anguish while repeatedly slashing the Demiurge. It was a pointless endeavor.

It would take forever to dismember the alien, and even when its shell was destroyed, the Demiurge would gradually rebuild itself, unable to truly die even on dismemberment.

Sombra felt his spiritual body sink onto the ground as his raw emotions settled. He watched a window reopen to show him what his physical self was up to, and tears were finally allowed to stream down his cheeks.

"Inky...Cerise...I've failed you both."

*****

The moment of truth was nearly at hand for Cerise Silhouette, who tried to stifle her trembling, aware everyone depended on her to enact their plan. Sombra slowly licked his chops, his brides and their handmaidens taken to his private chambers. He dimmed the lamp to an eerie soft glow, the room suffused with thick shadows, where he'd always felt most at home.

The tyrant stripped his ceremonial armor, uncertain where to begin. His jagged horn radiated, and he began to experiment with a number of spells. First, he made the tattoos of their sex organs materialized on all their bellies, making them tingle and moan from unwanted stimulation when their loins started to heat up, satisfied they were nice and fertile with estrus-like arousal.

Next he worked another trick. “Crystal ponies always were a curious breed,” he whispered and with a click of his fingers made Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse sparkle and glitter when they went transparent.

“How? That shouldn't be possible without the Crystal Heart,” cried Radiant Hope.

“Through the dark arts, nothing is impossible!” He reminded and pushed Foal-Bearer onto the bed, shredding her scanty costume and driving himself into her. She yelped, forced to take him womb-deep on the first thrust, his buried cock visible in her uterus between her glassy form and the spell cast on her. He watched in fascination as he pushed in-and-out of her depths.

Wet Nurse whimpered, aware how powerless she was to stop him. “It-it hurts...”

Foal-Bearer tried to keep a straight face, flushed and wet while he had his way with her, her sister forced to experience each impalement which left small lacerations along her walls. “S-stay strong,” she mumbled to her twin.

Radiant maneuvered over to Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, unable to simply watch. “Perhaps you should fetch more wine?”

“Hmmm.” Tiara watched him empty the contents of a bottle over Foal-Bearer's tits and lick it up. “Yeah, he'll probably need it.” She tried to hide her disgust at his behavior, afraid to openly defy him and eager for an excuse to slip away.

“We'll empty the wine cellar before the night's over,” chirped Cozy Glow who winced at the brutal display.

The handmaidens hurried out, much to Radiant's relief, who sealed the door behind them. She couldn't be certain whether they would side with them or the tyrant.

Thankfully he took little notice of their absence, wrapped up in the moment, already starting to drink himself into a stupor. He was a slave to his vices, unable to be satisfied, even when he grunted and emptied his balls, wine soaked on his chin.

Foal-Bearer gasped, watched his repeated, viscous bursts spray against her womb walls, and her belly swelled a tad. He patted her stomach, the first of them to be seeded, but knew his work had just begun. “Now, who to take next? Your milky sister, maybe?”

“H-how about me, daddy?” Cerise bowed. “W-would you like me to dance for you?”

He took another drink from the goblet offered by Radiant, swished the contents, and said, “Why not?” Cerise dimmed the lamp to the point it was nearly snuffed out, let the gloom envelope her, and raised her arms when she started to sway. Shimmying out of her sheer slip, neon splotches appeared on her curves, and glowed when they shifted about in contrast to her dark fur.

Watching her weave, eyes drawn to the jiggle of his daughter's squishy flesh, the spots rolling over her suppleness, he continued to down the goblet which Radiant refilled each time, unable to suppress his need to indulge.

He started to sway unsteadily, eyes glazing over, falling into a trance when she started to draw upon the mysterious power she was blessed with, helped by his half-drunkeness.

Radiant fondled a knife she'd hidden under the mattress, ready to bury it in his black heart and be done with it. She didn't care what happened to her next. She would gladly sacrifice her life to make certain this devil was brought to justice.

Inky looked to the twins, realized they were too sore and worn out to act. It was up to her. She waited with bared breath for the right moment, when he was at his weakest, and tried to hide her tears, aware there was little choice to save her daughter.

Spreading her plumage, she hurled at him in a dark blur, twisting his arms behind him. “Now,” she yelled.

“You dare?!” He wrestled with her, weakened and slowed from his drunken state, not to mention the trance Cerise had him spellbound under. Still the willful sorcerer resisted with a snarl, yanking from her grasp the moment Radiant shrieked and charged at him, both hands tight around the hilt of a knife that slammed towards his black heart.

Inky was hurled back by him, and slammed into the wall with a crunch, screaming when the bones of her wing cracked, bent at an awkward angle. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and she flashed back to past moments, a similar wound she'd received to a wing during an Eldritch attack, the horrific moment when Chrysalis had stabbed an impregnated Pacific Glow.

Sombra barely twisted in time, the blade buried to the hilt in a gush of hot blood, struck below the heart and the knife snapping against a rib. He backhanded Radiant, split her lip, and sent her spinning, ripping the weapon out in a spatter of crimson and tossing it aside with a clatter.

“Wanton sluts,” he wheezed, growing more demonic in appearance, surrounded by inky tendrils that thrashed and his eyes turned to a hellish scarlet, glowing in ethereal wisps. “I'll have you all crucified for your insolence!"

Advancing on Cerise, she was shaking too hard to dance anymore, sobbing, barely aware of the warm urine trickling down her legs, certain he would choke the life out of her. “D-daddy...I-I love you...please!”

His horn shined and his aura called his saber into hand. “You must be properly punished,” he stated, mouth drawn back in a low snarl.

Spinning, he brought down his swing, and severed Inky's still good wing with a single stroke. Bone shattered, muscle tore, and blood splattered, but the worst part was the ear-piercing howl she emitted, going into shock from the sheer agony.

“Mom~!” Cerise howled, clasped her hands to her head, and swooned onto the bed with a thump, unable to take anymore.

Sombra shook his head. “The next time any one of you shows disobedience, your punishment will be more severe. You're now responsible for your companions' actions. I'll remind you all of this later, when you're in a better state.” His eyes trailed to Inky's dismembered plume in blood and feathers.

Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow quickly cleaned up the mess upon their return. He sat on the bed's edge, saturnine, determined to father more heirs on them to further run his expansive empire. Dreams of conquest consumed his every reverie.

None of them were aware that the Crystal Heart continued to swell inside Radiant Hope's bosom, a small trace at a time.

*****

“What the...?” Sombra's attention was drawn to a slim glimmer of light that pierced the gloom, and caused the Demiurge to try and shrink away from it. He wiped his bloodied nostrils on the back of his fist, thankful he had an excuse to leave this oppressive area, and followed after the shimmer which danced about as if it wished him to chase it.

It slowed to let him catch up, like it wanted him to follow. Somehow the warmth it emitted was so familiar. “Can it be?” He couldn't believe it. Somehow, the Crystal Heart he once coveted had returned! Albeit it was incredibly weak compared to its prime.

Realizing it was merely a projection of its power, that the object itself must be elsewhere, he saw little option but to pursue.

He ended up back in the corpse ocean. “Wait,” he called and reached out when the tiny speck of light flitted ahead.

A rumble sounded below, weak at first, then building in intensity. The carcasses below began to writhe, twisting and rising, and he drew his blade at the dead before him. “Zombies? Please. You'll have to do better than that,” he yelled at his tormentor.

He chopped into the clammy flesh, removed heads and limbs of those that stumbled his way, glassy-eyed with maws that hung open. Rather than blood, maggots and pus spilled from their open wounds, and he mercilessly dispatched them again, unwilling to shoulder blame for what he'd done when touched by the darkness. “I'll pay my debts by living on!”

They clawed at him, spilled from all directions, lethargic, drawn to their executioner. Through sheer numbers the mass attempted to overwhelm him, and he carved through dozens, snarling with a rush of adrenaline.

And when he started to believe there was no end another quake rippled throughout.

A small mountain of cadavers arose. Gradually the crystal pony remains took shape, formed into a titan that loomed into a bleak sky, and the area shook with its first tentative steps. He pondered who was capable of such sorcery. Perhaps Tirek or Discord, but they were surely dead.

His speculation was cut short when it grasped with surprising swiftness and he jumped out of the way, slashing into its hand which spilled more bloated maggots. He charged his horn, certain that his most powerful spells were his only hope.

A blast of lasers rippled from his tip, striking the hulk's chest and burning a sizzling hole into it. A devastating blow if it weren't for more corpses crawling up to mend the damage. “Gugh, damn it! I'm just not strong enough. How will I-”

"What the heck is that thing!?" A chirpy voice called.

“Who cares,” answered another prissy voice he knew. “Ready a spell, sister, and let's tear this freak apart!”

A calmer woman said, “We must cast it as one. Anything less and it will simply regenerate.”

“Good thing you brought the Great and Powerful Trixie,” added the fourth arrival.

A sigh of relief washed over him as he watched them launch the magic together. With what little strength he possessed, he added his own force into the swirling whirlwind of destruction.

They loosed it upon the titan, a combination of energy and the summoned elements, exactly like he'd taught them. The storm ripped into the giant, burnt, froze, and zapped it all at once with deafening noises.

With a thunderous boom carcasses and portions of them scattered in all directions, some blazing and blackening, come twitching and cooking, some flash frozen and shattering. The ground around it iced over with a crackle surrounded by vapors.

“Whew.” Beatrix wiped her brow before her eyes widened at the weakened unicorn before them “Teacher!” Her voice called out in delight before her tone dripped into sorrow. “Is...is it really you?"

Lady Ewe walked over to Sombra, her staff raised as if about to hit him. He winched, preparing the blow. But it never came. Instead, she waved it over him as the jewel embedded glowed faintly. "It's him," the goat woman nodded.

“I think it was rather obvious.” He scoffed and turned to his pupil as Bellatrix and Trixie walked with her. “Why are you here?”

“A mysterious light summoned us to the Necromicon,” explained Bellatrix with a dismissive wave. “Stygian is watching over the grimoire. We were supposed to come along with Spike and his lackeys, but I much prefer it this way. Less drama to deal with."

“Be nice sister,” gently chided Beatrix. “But yeah, we couldn't wait around! What's gotten into you?” She tapped her heart, clearly hurt.

Convinced the danger was momentarily over, Sombra returned his blade into its sheathe. “Thanks to that abomination known as Zeloph, the Pony of Shadows hijacked my body and militarized my nation. Worse, my wife and daughter are at risk! We must inform the alliance at once.”

“Yeah, they're unhappy with you or whoever was in control,” mused Trixie who tapped her chin. "For now, we better find the exit."

“That is much easier to arrange this time," Ewe said with a smile. "By drawing on Stygian's spirit, we only need to keep close and follow my lead."

As the group set off, Sombra drew his apprentice aside. “Beatrix,” he began with his head bowed. “I hope you can forgive me for how I treated you. I won't make excuses. I failed to resist the Pony of Shadow's influence over me. It amplifies the darkness in those it possesses, and this proves mine is far darker than Stygian's. Should I do terrible harm or worse to my family-”

She clasped his shaking hand. “It's okay! We'll put an end to its destruction. It and Zeloph!”

"Yes, a bit of his essence still remained here, sapping the Demiurge nearly dry. We made contact, though, briefly just to remind me of my failures. Dare I say it, he's a formidable foe. And he's after you and Bellatrix."

"Oh, but of course he is!" Bellatrix grumbled with a pout. "Always gotta be about sister or me, doesn't it?! Can't we find one universe where we're not priority number one?"

Beatrix asked, "B-but, why us?"

“He's after your ability to travel through dimensions," Lady Ewe suspected. "Once he's mangled all free spirits in this universe, he'll likely want to go to the next. If what Sombra said is true, there are limits to his influence! Meaning my sealing spell must have weakened him! Oh, what luck!"

"So we can defeat him?" Beatrix asked, hopeful.

"Possibly," Ewe turned to Sombra. "It matters not how briefly he spoke with you, any information you provide will be appreciated."

"I'll relay what I can," Sombra agreed. Once more, they looked for the way out of the Necronomicon.

Crossing the sea of the dead, it eventually gave way to a decrepit catacomb. He instantly recognized it from his own time, an area hidden below the Crystal Palace, where at first, he honored the dead until his experimentation with the dark arts turned it into his personal laboratory. He'd started on the recently deceased, he recalled, and brushed his nails over a stylized coffin.

The stonework had started to crumble, the iron bars were rusted, the area decorated with wormy skulls. A thick layer of dust and cobwebs covered what appeared more akin to a dungeon, which it pretty much was once he moved to testing on live specimens.

“Creepy,” mumbled Beatrix who shuddered and wrapped up in her cloak amidst a draft when a hairy spider crawled by.

“Seems kind of trite to me,” mused Bellatrix with a dismissive shrug. “I presumed you'd be more creative, at least?”

He snorted. “No love for the classics. For me, this place carries many dark memories.” He snatched a torch from a sconce and the shadows twisted under the flicker of embers. A musty, stale odor filled their nostrils, mixed with formaldehyde and the reek of sulfur.

Beatrix's lower lip trembled, reminded of his past crimes. "H-how many have you killed?”

“Oh, I lost count along the way. You saw a number of my victims back there,” he answered honestly and turned to face her, his expression neutral. “Still, it baffles me how you can still hold me close to your heart, even after you witnessed my atrocities."

Beatrix swallowed and answered so softly it was almost inaudible. “N-no matter what, I'll always love you. I can't help it."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted her chin with the other. “Thank you.” Cautiously he kissed her eyes closed, and she cooed, shivered at his touch, content to be close to him. Oona looked back with disappointment in her eyes, feeling a little hurt that she'd fall for him so easily.

He said, “Once we escape this place-”

Gates slammed down with a thud that echoed and blocked the stairs upwards. The party looked around them, watched the iron bars fall, in attempt to seal them in.

Bellatrix curled her lip. “Do they think we're amateurs?” The angel readied a spell, her fist aglow, reflecting off the white lingerie she wore on her radiant curves. “All we have to do is burn through this nonsense, and-”

“Wait,” warned Oona who raised her staff, but Bellatrix had already fired off the shimmery sphere.

“Ah,” cried Bellatrix when it struck the gates, coated in an invisible barrier, and deflected, smashing into her chest. She was thrown backwards, smacked into a coffin that rolled from its compartment, and clutched at the bloodied wound with a pained hiss.

“Sister~!” Beatrix sobbed and dashed over, kneeling at her side.

“D-damn it,” hissed Bellatrix, eyes half closed and wincing. “M-my healing powers don't work on me! Can't even shapeshift anymore now that I'm no longer a succubus. Tell me I'm not about to die in such a stupid way?!”

“No! I already lost you once!” Beatrix shrieked out her rage, her fists balled up.

“Hold still,” said Lady Ewe, who also crouched down. “We'll get you out of this. I'll tend to you while you rest up."

“I'm not real anyhow,” lamented Beatrix amidst bitter tears. “Maybe I'm better off this way. Just another cliche piece of fiction...”

“Don't say that!” Beatrix wept and desperately fished in her cloak for potions. “Yeah, maybe this'll do! I'll seal up the wound, no problem!” Her hands quivered when she withdrew a tube and shook its contents.

“I want you to live, too.” Sombra met the angel's tired eyes. “After all, you also helped redeem me.”

Bellatrix laughed dryly. “Heh. There was a time I would have literally killed to hear such praise from you...”

“Pl-please,” whispered Beatrix when her sister closed her eyes, and she uncorked the tube, applying the glue-like substance within to Bellatrix's bosom where the mass sealed over. “I based it on the Smooze. I still miss him really bad. He was one of my first pals.”

“Good times,” wheezed out Bellatrix who slumped, hanging by a thread to her life.

“Hate to break this up,” butted in Trixie. “But we're hardly alone here! Look!” She pointed theatrically with a swish of her cape.

Caskets started to pop open, and skeletons rose from inside with a rattle. They crawled out from all sides, and Sombra took up a battle stance alongside Trixie, aware it was up to them to defend their allies while they tended to their downed member.

*****

Horns sounded throughout the pleasure gardens. At the Dragon Lord's request, Ember and Smolder summoned his followers, and Spike fitted back into his ceremonial armor, his muscles rippling underneath when he inhaled deeply. He couldn't put this off any longer. It was time he told them the truth, despite how it would spoil their reunion, for the alliance's sake.

He cast them a toothy smile from a hilltop, flanked by his entourage. “Welcome, everyone! It's nice to be back, and to see you're all well!” He'd politely dismissed the speech Twilight had written for him, knowing that while he was hardly an orator, he figured it was better to speak from the heart. “Unfortunately, troubled times are headed our way again.”

Murmurs rippled through the mob. He continued. “Sombra has decided to split his nation from the alliance. I'm not sure what he plans, but there's a chance he'll invade the Badlands. We have to make preparations, just in case!”

He'd contemplated Twilight's proposal. “I'm sure the key to saving Sunset is in the Necronomicon,” she'd said.

But he wondered if she was being used, too? After all, she'd dabbled briefly in the dark arts herself to combat Starlight Glimmer, who'd been perverted by the Eldritch into their greatest tool. Did the tome hope to corrupt her to seek a fresh host?

It didn't matter. He'd take the risk to save Sunset. Already a team was being prepared.

He considered calling on his allies for help, aware he was lacking in proper warriors. No doubt Ocellus and her changeling swarm would come to their aid! But no. Their numbers were still low and another war could drive them back towards extinction. The same applied to Crystal Empire, which still struggled to thrive. Somehow, his country would handle this on their own.

After his speech finished the crowds started to disperse and he turned to his entourage who bowed and awaited his command.

“I'll keep a lookout for Sombra's forces while you're inside the book. I won't let you down!” swore Fleur with a clipped salute.

“Good! Ember, Smolder, continue to watch over the Badlands while I'm away.” He turned to Twilight and Somnambula who'd already agreed to venture back into the dark tome. Flurry Heart came too, and they followed him to Stygian's study in a cave, where he watched over the Necronomicon. “Hey there. Looks like we have no choice but to go exploring some more.”

“About that.” Flurry stared at her feet which she shifted like a child. “My half-sister and her friends, uh, kind of went ahead...”

“Sorry about that,” said Stygian with a humble bow. “But Beatrix thought it prudent when a light appeared before them.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “A light? What else did she say?”

“Not much. Simply that it reminded her of the Crystal Heart,” the scholar finished.

“The Crystal Heart?! Could it really be?!” Twilight raised a hand to her breast, hyperventilating. “If that's true, do you have any idea what this means? Equestria might be trying to rebuild itself! Maybe the Elements of Harmony will come back!”

“We must not get ahead of ourselves,” reminded Somnambula. “But I, too, wish to believe we can have our old world return.”

“One way to find out,” noted Spike who glanced over his shoulder at the glass coffin stored here, where the scholar watched over Sunset Shimmer and searched for some way to save her. “Watch over us too, will you?”

Stygian nodded. “Consider it done. If only I were stronger...” His hands trembled when he opened the mummified tome.

Twilight asked, “Will this team be enough?”

“Have to work with what we've got,” said Spike with a heave of his broad shoulders. He smiled at his team, his faith in them absolute. They'd overcome the Eldritch, after all, despite the odds. Whatever awaited them, he'd be ready to tackle it head on!

With a flutter of tattered pages the Necronomicon opened. Stygian kept his distance, and whispered, “Good luck,” as they shrank and were sucked into the dry pages, their likenesses written into the margins.

The grimoire crackled with scarlet electrical sparks, and the scholar shivered, watching the images of his allies shift about within...

Chapter 10

By now, the Pony of Shadows was fused entirely with Sombra's flesh, multiplying his potency in the dark arts many times over. These he tested the limits of in private, continuing experiments he'd long ago abandoned. His first order was to punish those who conspired against him, to break and shatter their wills, as a reminder of the price disobedience carried.

To further influence his rule, he purchased exotic beasts from the marketplace. Two Orthros, in this case. These were fused with a portion of his power, turning the ordinarily docile creatures into snapping, snarling hellhounds. The duo of two-headed beasts drooled, with studded collars, held by chains he grasped in a tight fist.

“N-No,” whimpered Wet Nurse, who scrambled back on her bottom, pushed into a corner of his bedroom. The savage closed in, razor teeth bared, and warm urine pooled under her buttocks, sure it would tear her to pieces.

The other hell beast advanced on Foal-Bearer, its fur standing on end when she glared at it, defiant.

“Leave them alone,” called Radiant Hope. “I pushed all of them into this.”

“Precisely why they must take punishment. Those who stray from loyalty are just as guilty as the perpetrator,” he mused, his erection already thick. “Besides, my new pets have their own needs to be sated."

Cerise sat beside her mother, who was stricken. “S-surely, this will all work out, somehow...” She whispered hopefully.

But Inky Rose ignored the young mare to favor the stubs that once bore her wings. “No. We're in hell,” she lamented, unable to look upon what her lover had become. “He's stripped me of my right as a pegasus and flung everything we worked for into a bottomless pit of despair. I want to die!”

Fabric shredded under teeth when the Orthros denuded the scantily-clad twins. The muscular, dog-like monsters pushed the sisters onto all fours with massive paws, the dual penises each was blessed with swelling, red, wet, and vein-lined before they mounted the yelping females, knots swelling to lock themselves in spread assholes and pussies.

“D-don't worry about us--Gaah~! We're the most expendable,” Foal-Bearer pleaded to Radiant Hope, despite how horrible it proved to bear witness to such depravity.

The Orthros wrapped their jaws around the twins' necks, making them submit, hot slobber rolling down the curves of their backs. Their soft buttocks bounced and reddened under the slap of healthy hips, furry balls swinging and smacking into their cooches with each brutal thrust into gaped depths. Juices leaked down their thighs, the dogs panting with tongues lolling out.

“It would seem they're pleased,” he observed with a stroke of his chin. Looking between his lovers, he yanked up Radiant Hope, dragged her before a full-length mirror Inky once used, and ripped off her slip, burying himself in her. She yelped, forced to watch him casually take her, her ears flattening, forced to hear the creature's pant and the twins mewl while they were bred hard.

Their hanging breasts swung, nearly buckling under the overpowering force from the relentless savaged beasts, bouncy rumps covered in bruises and small red scratches.

Sombra watched the crystal ponies flush, their flesh forced to respond. “Had you two behaved, I would have granted you the honor to bear my heirs. But now, with the work of my magic, you will instead have your lowly bellies filled with the pups of these ravenous, filthy beasts!” He laughed, watched their faces twisted in horror, as with a final slam, the Orthros came with duel howls.

Thick, gooey spurts fired into their wombs. The twins sobbed and squirted all over their groins, now thoroughly bred and sinking to the floor in a sweaty, sticky mess. He groped one of Radiant's tits, the other bouncing with each push into her, and she squeezed out fresh tears, clenching her teeth, wondering how it had all gone so wrong.

He dropped her like a sack of potatoes with a thud, his seed leaking out her, his face drawn. His eyes trailed over the twins, relentlessly bred to the point where they were rendered dazed and senseless, and he wondered if they'd recover.

“Come,” he commanded with a clap of his hands, and the Orthros padded over. Taking their chains, he exited the room.

Shaken, Radiant Hope rose to her side. “Ugh.... That could have gone worse. How's everyone fairing?”

But Cerise sniveled up upon gazing at the mangled mess that was the twins. Whatever hope she clung onto had diminished. “Th-they're unconscious. It's all my fault! All of this,” she confessed with a choked sob.

Radiant shook her head. "Please, Cerise. This isn't your fault. It was obvious Sombra could never become anything but a monster."

Taking a moment to try and compose herself with a sniff, Cerise let all she'd kept buried spill out. “That's not true! In the Necronomicon, I remember the Pony of Shadows captured me. He did something to me.” She rubbed her skull, trying to drudge up vague memories of the innocent the monster had suppressed when it invaded her. “I must have passed it on to daddy when we-we made love. I'm not sure if it was the tome, that creature, or something else, but we couldn't resist its pull...”

“That doesn't make you any less than a victim,” noted Radiant.

“That doesn't excuse it, either! I passed it to him and doomed us all! Maybe the whole nation and Equestria!” She trembled and touched her mother's arm. “If-if I'd been stronger, you'd still have your wing and your husband! Y-you probably hate me now-”

Inky shook her head. “I could never blame you for that. You mean the world to me. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to turn on Sombra if your life wasn't at stake. Cerise Silhouette, Pacific Glow, or whoever you are, I can't lose you again. I love you.”

“M-mommy...” She buried her face in Inky's bosom and wept.

“Flurry Heart made a prosthetic for herself and Cadance, did she not?” Radiant recalled what she'd overheard the alicorn discuss in the short time she'd met her. “Perhaps if we escape, she can craft you a replacement-”

“I don't want a fake,” answered Inky with more bitterness than she intended. She clasped her hands to her upper arms, twitched her one right-wing, felt the phantom of the one she'd lost, and whimpered, unable to blot out the moment when he'd severed flesh and bone in a bloody mess. “Even if this isn't Sombra's fault, I would rather he dies with honor than as the tyrant he became again.”

“He researched that cursed book, despite how Celestia and Luna warned him!” Radiant continued to scoff.

“You weren't there,” shot back Inky. “He strove so hard to make amends, battled the Eldritch, made a number of sacrifices. He's certainly no saint, but I never expected him to be. I saw the stallion he could be. The stallion you believed he could be.”

Radiant lowered her head. “I was young and foolish. An obsessed, naïve fool like Beatrix is now. How many must repeat my mistake?”

“He was a hero to the alliance,” broke in Cerise, who used a napkin to wipe her nose. “Can't anyone be redeemed, if they try?”

“At what cost?” Radiant nodded at the broken twins, sprawled on the floor soaked in sweat and semen. None of them answered, and so she said, “It's my fault. It was a half-assed plan. I was ready to die if necessary to stop that devil, and so were the twins, but I'm not so sure about you two. Had we succeeded, surely his followers would execute us.”

She sighed and lifted the sisters one at a time, then tucked them into bed. “Thank you,” she whispered and kissed them both on the temple. Crystal ponies were almost extinct since the Eldritch invasion, and she considered them her kin.

In her bosom, the Crystal Heart continued to grow, trying to draw on what little hope remained between them to empower itself and help protect them. But it remained too weak, and in desperation, it instead had cast its light into the Necronomicon itself, guiding those lost inside it on the faint chance they would eventually come to their rescue...

*****

Surrounded by his team, Spike boldly led the march into the Necronomicon's labyrinths. Aided by Twilight Sparkle, Flurry Heart, and Somnambula, he reasoned they were more than enough to deal with any threat.

However, his main concern was to find the other group that had entered, and follow up Twilight's hunch that Sunset Shimmer's soul was trapped inside. Despite her lack of proof, she trusted her intuition and denied that the dark tome compelled her to pursue the idea.

“Supposed that Sunset is here,” he said. “How will we even find her?”

“Perhaps the spirits shall guide us if it is meant to be,” said Somnambula, her midsection wrapped in bandages where she'd been struck by an arrow. She tried to confine herself to her pegasus form, threatening to reopen her wounds whenever she shifted, and she winced once another heated stab radiated below her ribs. “A-ah...”

Spike asked, “Sure you're up to this? There's no shame if you need to go back and rest.”

The priestess steeled her expression. “Nonsense. This is my duty. The sooner we complete our task, the less opportunities our enemies will have to spread their malevolence. With every second wasted, another victim might be claimed.”

“You're no good to anyone if you fall apart. I've had to learn that the hard way,” said Spike, peering around them. They were currently in what at first resembled the Badlands, minus the lack of lava and sulfurous skies. Dry dust rolled over the bleak, endless rocky landscape, which he reasoned from what he'd been told was pulled from his subconscious.

The terrain gave way to a graveyard of massive bones, made from the scattered remnants of deceased drakes and wyverns. He realized it was his entire race, wiped out almost to the last by the Eldritch in their final battle. Pride had caused the Dragon Lord, Torch, to take his army and try to stop the invaders on their own. The abominations had reacted with a massive psychic attack that drove the dragon horde mad, turning each on anything near, until after the chaos they and countless Eldritch lay dead.

That battle alone had almost turned the tide and left the Eldritch crippled and scattered. Had the dragons united with the rest of the bickering races, surely, Equestria wouldn't have suffered innumerable losses it still struggled to recover from.

“I want to take a look around,” said Flurry Heart, who sailed upward.

“Careful not to wander too far off,” called Twilight, recalling her days as a foalsitter. Her attention was drawn back to the Dragon Lord, and her eyes went wide. “Spike,” she gasped. “Look at yourself!”

“Huh?” He looked down and saw ancient Dragon Lord armor rested on his muscular bulk. It resembled obsidian mixed with cooled and hardened magma, frightening as it was magnificent, capturing a dim blood red sun that hung in the gloomy sky. Posing in it, he popped his bones with an audible crack, relished an invigorating swell it filled him with. "Looks pretty swell, doesn't it?"

“Don't let it go to your head,” warned Twilight with a laugh. "Even if you look like cute."

“Thanks! Though this would be a lot better if this place wasn't so creepy.” Spike pushed aside a giant rib with his boot. “Wonder how many of my ancestors are here? Good thing Ember and Smolder had to stay behind, they might freak seeing this! Nah, they're way too tough for that.” He chuckled. “Man, without them, I wouldn't have made it this far.”

“We have little time to reminisce,” reminded the Sphinx, and clacks sounded under her paws when she stalked over bones.

“I know, I know.” He strode ahead, picked up a skull so massive it towered over him, and wondered what the dragon it once belonged to looked like. He remembered his own transformations into such a massive beast, a creature of pure instinct.

And to survive, he'd have no choice but to submit to aggression and base lust. To embrace a beast he kept locked deep down.

The mere thought of surrendering to those feelings made him feel like a mere animal. And with that he felt ashamed of himself.

*****

Backed by the mother-and-daughter team, Sombra weaved a combination spell with the pair who'd trained under him in defense of Lady Ewe, who attended to Bellatrix Primadonna. The crypt shook under the elements they loosed, bits of debris scattering, dust rising in dense clouds. The skeletons that arose from their caskets shattered into bony, scattered fragments.

Torches flickered on their sconces, momentarily swallowed them in shade, the undead flash frozen and incinerated with ease despite their numbers with little effort.

The goat woman examined one skull whose sockets dimly glowed an unearthly glowing light. “Zeloph was busy here before he left. Must have sent these druids to delay our return."

“I mean, they're certainly not much of a challenge,” noted Beatrix who's hands radiated power. “But it won't be long until they've closed in! Tee-hee!" Her horn shined.

“Better not to underestimate them,” warned Sombra. “For what purpose has Zeloph chosen to slow us down?”

“I'm not so sure,” answered the shaman who added in a murmur, “Perhaps he intends to make certain you never leave.” She applied medicines to Bellatrix's chest, sealed by a hardened ooze from one of Beatrix's potions. The wounded seraph slumbered, face peaceful, lit up by a thin, melancholy smile, tears still wet on her radiant cheeks.

Minutes past before the battle ended, the air thick with vapors that swirled ominously. Trixie huffed and asked, “Did we do it?! Yeah!” She swept back her cape, horn and hands still lit. “Good work, my little hellspawn! United, we're unbeatable!”

“Great and Powerful indeed,” chirped Beatrix Belladonna with a titter. “You saw that, right, teacher? How we charbroiled the last batch?”

He chuckled. “Very good, you two. You make me proud.” His apprentice whinnied at his praise, earning a frown on the horned shepherd. “However, we dare not tarry here. Somehow, we must penetrate the magic barrier here and seek an exit!”

"And what do you plan to do once you've escaped?" Lady Ewe asked with a raised brow. "Assuming your spirit isn't forced back into the ether." Her honey eyes studied him.

He boldly declared his plans. “Seek my body, of course. Annihilate the Pony of Shadows and retake my nation.” His skin crawled at the thought of what that imposter did to his wife and daughter, left at his mercy.

Whatever reputation he'd built with hard work had likely been forever tarnished. Would Inky and Cerise ever be able to forgive him? He dreaded to consider otherwise.

With a huff, Lady Ewe rose and strolled over to one of the rusted gates. “See these runes?” She traced her dreamcatcher staff over the etched stone. “Think of them like a complicated mathematical equation that must be solved for us to progress. More traps by Zeloph to slow us down. I can decipher them, but it would take hours, at the least. One mistake would be disastrous.”

“Something will happen like the force that struck sister, huh?” Beatrix followed the shaman's nod. “Hmm, they're not so different from the formulas Flurry and I use to craft alchemy. Except, um, way more confusing than what I'm used to! Flurry's a genius at this, so she might be able to solve it, but I have to admit I don't have a chance!”

“Just leave this to me,” said Oona with a light giggle. Cautiously she traced the barrier with her fingertips, the energy appearing in a prism of color that sparkled and shifted. Piece-by-piece, she translated the messages hidden within and chanted them aloud.

Sombra considered helping, but realized he was more likely to distract her. Besides, while he had no doubt as to his own considerable knowledge, he conceded she had familiarity with this mysterious Zeloph.

He'd heard her and Beatrix mention this Vice Lord when they conversed, and knew he needed to uncover more so that he might put an end to this nightmare.

Instead, he settled down by the angel. “Bellatrix Primadonna.” He stroked her blonde curls. “I've done you a number of terrible wrongs. Ones I can never truly make amends for. And yet you forgave me anyhow.” Were it not for her now tattered lingerie, stained scarlet by her gash, she would be absolute perfection, at least on the surface. Yet she stewed with inner turmoil.

Whoever the Necronomicon's author was, they were likely dead, and from some distant dimension, he realized there was a time he would have been no different. The dark tome offered power and pleasures beyond compare. He could have had a whole planet's worth of horny, servile succubi to please him in every way imaginable. He scoffed in disgust at his weakness.

A mere piece of lost fiction? She meant far more to him than most 'real' creatures he'd met. Her bosom softly rose-and fell.

Watching as Beatrix and Trixie conversed, he was reminded of what it was like to truly be alone. He'd ended up banished to this dimension, reborn and amnesiac, only to be rescued from near death by Fancy Pants despite the protests of Fleur de Lis.

He smirked, certain she was right to want him dead. He was a monster who now simply used his darkness for positive ends.

And yet there were still those who believed in him. Who would never abandon him, despite his numerous faults.

And he couldn't be more grateful.

*****

Hours passed before Spike's party encountered what they sought. Twilight Sparkle sucked in a breath, unable to contain her enthusiasm when the sphere of light started to dance before them. “There it is!” She pointed. Convinced it had to be the Crystal Heart, she spread her plume and sailed after it, over the dragon's graveyard that stretched across the wastelands.

Her companions struggled to keep pace. “Careful Twilight,” called Somnambula who spread her full span. “What if this is a ploy?”

Yet Twilight refused to be deterred, certain if it was a trap, her magic would be more than sufficient to deal with it. She would take whatever risks were necessary to have the old Equestria back. The sphere stopped, hovered, and sank below the bones.

“Come back,” she cried and started to furiously dig with hands and her aura, entire skeletons tossed aside. The area quaked with a rattle, and she toppled backwards, horn still lit and ready to unleash offensive and defensive spells as needed. She rose skyward, sailed in place with narrowed eyes, and wondered if the dark tome would now seek to test her, too.

More skeletons were tossed into the air, and from the fissure left behind emerged a tentacled black mass, not unlike the Demiurge. The abomination thrashed, its extensions dripping with slime, covered in sore-like suckers that pulsed.

At its center was a wide maw, pitch black in the middle, its sides lined with rows-upon-rows of discolored, jagged teeth.

“Sunset!” She spotted the nude figure of her dear friend, lifted by the tendrils, which oozed over her glistening flesh.

“Th-they're so cold and clammy,” muttered Sunset Shimmer, who helplessly writhed in its grasp. They coiled around her thighs, drew her arms apart, and she shuddered when one traced the curvature of her back. “Twilight, stay back! I'm too weak to work so much as a simple spell. Whatever this is, its drained my powers with its touch!”

Twilight cried, “The Demiurge?! No, it's much weaker,” she surmised, trying to scan it with a spell to gauge its magic signature. Nevertheless, the abomination's might was beyond substantial. She started to fire a series of shimmery beams from her horn.

Soon, the Sphinx, Spike, and her niece joined in to combine their efforts into a destructive elemental whirlwind. This caused the monster to shriek and hiss, lashing back with swats of its pudgy tentacles.

Sunset wiggled and moaned, more of its goo running down her curves, leaving viscous trails that dotted her in goosebumps and rolled off one of her erect nipples.

“Gross,” she muttered with a flushed face, ashamed they saw her in such a compromising position.

Flurry called, "It's working! Too well! Watch out, it's about to drop Sunset!”

Sunset yelped when the tendrils lost control and she plummeted towards the mouth of the abyss. Blinking in, Twilight seized her faster than Spike or Somnambula could sweep in, and teleported her a safe distance away. “Whoa. That was close. Thanks. Sorry, I'm all sticky now.” She winced and shivered, thankful to be away from the monster.

“I couldn't abandon you,” said Twilight with watery eyes as they watched the team drive the beast back into its hole. “It's my fault you came to Equestria when the Eldritch arrived to begin with. My fault you're here now, and I almost lost you, all because I'm selfish.”

“Hey, I knew the risks.” She smiled at her. “Without you, I could've ended up like Adagio, or worse.” She'd heard about how the Eldritch split her skull with a psychic blow, the pressure too much to bear.

“Speaking of which, how are the other Dazzlings? And Wallflower Blush? I hated to pull you away from them.”

“They'll be fine,” said Sunset with a chuckle. “It took some time, but Aria and Sonata fit into society okay now. They're still living with Wallflower and I. Of course, they still miss Adagio terribly. I wasn't there, but I feel bad I couldn't save her.” She exhaled.

Twilight nodded. “Another victim of the Eldritch.”

“Their ghosts almost scrambled my brain for good,” noted Sunset. “In fact, I should be brain dead after such an intense psychic attack. My theory? That sphere of light somehow protected me. It was so warm. I think it pulled my soul in here to save me.”

“I think it's the Crystal Heart,” explained Twilight. “But it's still weak. Without hope, it will wither and die!”

“We'd better help supply some then,” said Sunset. “If I didn't get caught up like this, you wouldn't have to come back here.”

Twilight shook her head. “You led me to the Crystal Heart, so consider it even. We'd better track it down before we leave.” She watched her companions sail their way now that the danger had passed. “Any idea where the light went?”

The Sphinx pointed a paw towards the horizon. “Our destiny lies elsewhere. Let us continue.”

Twilight asked, “Will your powers come back?”

“I think so,” said Sunset. “I can feel them start to return already.” She sparked her horn. “Will take some time, though.”

The Sphinx nodded. “From what Beatrix claimed, all manner of abominations lurk in the Necronomicon. It draws them here, traps them, drives many of them even madder. From what she said, they can do any number of things. Some convert you into monsters, eat you alive, or sate their lusts on their victims...”

“That one got a little too intimate for my tastes,” noted Sunset, her curves still slick with stickiness.

Twilight nodded and recalled her own limited research into this area. “These creatures are effected by their surroundings, and those they encounter. They often act how people expect them to, and well, if we assume they all wantto make us incubators...”

Sunset smirked and nudged her ribs. “You saying it's my fault? I'm kidding, Twilight, relax. But you can't blame me for, well, expecting what looks like a monster to act that way.” She relaxed in Spike's arms when she was passed to him, still too weak to move well on her own. “Shame about my clothes, still. Feel a little vulnerable here.”

Flurry sifted through her satchel. “Think I can whip you up something with one of my potions! Glad you're okay!”

“You too,” said Sunset with a wink. “Your prosthetic horn and wings are amazing.”

“Aw, it was nothing.” Flurry blushed and continued to dig. “Aha, here!” Within moments she uncorked a bottle, and from it spilled a liquid which hardened into a fabric. “It's fragile and temporary, but I hope this will do!”

“It will. Thanks.” Sunset accepted what she wove, a thin top and wrapped skirt that barely made her feel more clothed. She couldn't complain, not after the hell they'd surely went through to seek her out.

With everything in order, the Sphinx waved them on once more, guided by her intuition. Thin trails of ooze were all that remained of the creature in the pit. Gliding down the wastes, the group continued to seek the remnant of the Crystal Heart.

*****

Fully entrenched in the Pony of Shadows, what his people believed to be Sombra returned to a hidden laboratory he'd set up in the pyramid, made to resemble a similar, dungeon-like abode below the Crystal Palace so long ago. His masked elite guards slid the secret compartment closed behind him, and silently trailed behind, ready to obey his every command.

His boots clinked with an echo on weathered gray stone. He waved his gauntlet-decked fist, lit the torches on the walls, and rattles sounded from the cells where he kept those who dared disobey him until more helmets were prepared. Notes were scattered across the tables alongside the equipment. Shelves were lined with bottles that contained the pickled remains of beasts and various alchemy creations. A cracked skull with a half-melted candle rested before his chair, and he lit it too with a sigh.

The fake book created by Stygian was laid out before him. “Hmm...mostly filled with spells I've already mastered. He's an amateur compared to me. However...” He thumbed across the tattered pages. “Maybe I can still use this.”

He reasoned whoever authored the Necronomicon had begun in a similar fashion. Calling on Sombra's memories, he took a quill, dipped it in ink, and furiously wrote all he could recall into the blank spaces of each section. He also recounted the creatures he'd seen illustrated in it, and copied those too, in an attempt to create an inferior but potent recreation of the tome.

Hours passed while he worked like a stallion possessed. His eyes glowed and he also poured his power into it, watched the letters light up, until the glow reflected off his grim face. “It needs more,” he decided.

With a nod, his guards opened a cell and yanked out a stallion. He whimpered for mercy, and was stripped naked, bone visible from the stretched flesh after how little he'd fed them. The soldiers held him in place, and Sombra unsheathed his blade, a casual swipe of his blade opening his throat. Gurgles sounded, and warm blood rolled from his lips to splat on the page.

“A sacrifice. The first of many. Have him flayed. His dried and stretched skin will make a nice cover. As for the rest of him, I'm certain the Orthros are famished.” His men bowed and lifted up the headless, still warm carcass, and dumped it on a slab.

He stalked in a circle around the room. “I know the price of the black arts. Stygian, you fool. You left more secrets behind than you intended.” The scholar had written his own limited research into the fake, theories about the Necronomicon...one which included how its power might be linked to all such grimoires into the forbidden. Given time, he reasoned, he could link this fake with the real deal, use it to create a method to travel into the multiple dimensions that lurked inside its infinite depths, and claim its secrets.

No normal sorcerer could have worked such a miracle. But no one matched his insight into the dark arts, either.

Chapter 11

Translating the last runes, the barriers around the crypt shattered with a shrill ring, the prism of energies hardening to resemble stained glass before they fractured and tumbled in jagged pieces. Lady Ewe watched them fall at her feet with a clink and announced, “It's done. We better leave immediately before more harm comes our way,” she said, gesturing to Bellatrix.

“I'll look after her,” said Sombra, who lifted the unconscious angel into his arms. He kissed her forehead again, feeling ever responsible for her as he did for the calamity happening outside the Necronomicon. If not for him, she would have remained a 'myth.'

“Ugh, finally! About time we left this horrible place,” said Trixie, brushing aside strands of a thick cobweb. “At least I got to spend some time bonding with my little hellspawn. I must say, I'm deeply impressed at the spells we cast!”

Beatrix smirked and nodded, almost her twin when she stood at her side. “It was wonderful, wasn't it?” Her fist balled around the eye-shaped Prima Materia that held her cloak, a good luck charm that returned to her every time she summoned her attire.

The cracked stairs threatened to crumble under their steps when they ascended the winding stairs. After a long climb, the group arrived in a corridor made from crystalline, and the polished floors reflected their images. They instantly recognized the Crystal Palace, but it looked abandoned, ghostly wails whistling about the halls and snowflakes creeping in from the windows.

An eerie, primal cry in the distance made their fur stand on end. Trixie stammered, “W-wendigos?”

“Could be,” agreed Beatrix, who huddled in her cape and shivered, flesh dotted in goosebumps below her thin violet coat. “Anything's possible inside the Necronomicon. Especially since it draws on our subconscious.”

The witch wandered to Sombra's side, and he cast her a smile. She tittered with a blush, while Oona did her best to ignore it.

In time they exited the empty palace to discover the entire land outside was frozen over, the crystal ponies once on guard and citizens alike embedded in concrete blocks of ice, expressions of horror etched on their preserved faces. The city beyond was buried under a dense layer of snow that spread to the wastelands. The continuous low howl of a gale met their ears.

Crunches sounded when Beatrix took a few awkward steps forward. “It's so deep. We'll never make it on foot!”

“I could burn our way through with a spell,” reasoned Sombra. “Although I'm not sure that would be wise.” He also considered a teleportation spell but knew it would leave him exhausted, and besides, he lacked the power to transport them with him.

Raising her dreamcatcher staff, Lady Ewe said, “Perhaps a more gentle touch is needed.” Warm glowing spheres of blue light helped part the snow and carved a path through the frozen city. She grimaced over the icy bodies stuck on the ground. Turning back, the shepard cast a stern look to Sombra before marching forth.

"Hmph! Seems Trixie isn't the only show off here," he huffed. It was no secret he and Ewe were on anything but friendly terms. Not only could he tell she held no faith in him, but he also suspected some jealousy towards him and Beatrix. And was it not up to them as mentors to nurture her?

They wandered about in search of an exit from the book. Catching sight of an armored figure from the corner of her eye, Beatrix spun to stare at the top of a snow-capped building, yet saw nothing there. “What the-?” She shook her head, wondering if the grimoire was playing tricks on her. Here, she reasoned, one's mind was your worst enemy.

She raced to catch up, more crunches sounding on the frozen-over dirt where Lady Ewe continued to cut a path. Slipping a hand under her cape, she fingered her alchemy tubes and smoke bombs for comfort, shivering and chattering her teeth.

Trixie paused. “Huh?” She noticed her wagon, half-buried in a hill of snow. Using her aura, she tossed the door open and clambered up the stairs, surprised to find the interior was warm. “Uh, hello? You think it's safe here?”

“Careful,” warned Sombra, who was nonetheless relieved to discover a place they might be safe for a moment. He placed Bellatrix in a hammock and took in the immaculately-preserved interior.

“I don't sense any ill-intent,” admitted Lady Ewe, who opened the cabinets and found some coffee beans. “Beatrix?”

However, Beatrix failed to hear here, distracted again by a figure in the cold mist, garbed in ghostly white armor that made him blend in. “F-father? No, that's impossible! You're back in the Crystal Empire with Cadance, aren't you?” Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but cautiously follow when he turned and stalked down behind a series of buildings.

She told herself it was stupid. Every time, this was the result of some monster trying to deceive and lure her away, but she had to know! Besides, she couldn't run and hide behind others all the time, didn't want to depend on others for the rest of her life!

Following him into a clearing, he stood with his back to her. “Father...Shining Armor! I-is that you?” Decked from neck-to-toe in white armor, complete with a run-inscribed broadsword sheathed at his hip, he was the classic example of a Paladin from legends. Gradually he turned, his face stoic, and studied her with cold, distant eyes. “S-say something, please!”

“Yes. I'm your father—the one from your homeworld. The same one you abandoned to die,” he finished.

Her labored breaths were visible in the frosty air. “What? I wasn't even there!”

“Exactly. My forces separated, and while you were off dealing with the Smooze, I paid the price.” Undoing the top of his armor, he stripped it, exposed the chiseled musculature of his chest and stomach. But what should have been a breathtaking sight turned horrific when a wound opened across his belly, intestines leaking out in a spatter of crimson that stained the snow.

“Y-you're not him! He'd never talk to me like that! Never blame me! He died a hero in battle!” She curled her fists with a sniffle at her foolishness, but she'd so desperately wanted to believe! “All I've ever wanted to do was honor my parents, you bastard!”

He scoffed. “Is that why you always run from one dimension to the next, leaving your poor mother alone?”

“All Trixies are my mother, so far as I'm concerned! That's why I want to meet every one of them! And I try to visit her between each adventure! But I also need to spread my wings and find myself!” She'd learned much about herself on her travels.

“How many have you failed? How much worse have you made every dimension due to your selfish interference? If I'd gotten so many killed, I'd run away from my homeworld, too!” He brandished his sword, pointed it at her heart in accusation.

“That Equestria went to hell long before I was born! I tried my hardest to fix it! No, I did make it better!” She stomped her heel into the snow like a petulant child, rose to her full height to face him down.

He shook his head. “You're a bad omen. A curse born from the Necronomicon, a parasite Trixie's compelled to love until the Demiurge could be born from you! And not only that, you brought a whole new terror to this plane of existence!” His harsh words stung deep, despite her denials, and she shook, stared down at herself, watched her body flicker and spark with a hum like she was rendered out-of-phase for a moment.

“N-no...the Demiurge isn't part of me anymore!” Her costume shifted too, covered in almond-shaped eyes and mouths filled with jagged teeth. The organism continued to change about, snapping and oozing with a life of their own, a reminder that once, under her innocent appearance, she carried an ancient abomination that waited to be birthed into existence all the time.

“Look at that thing and tell me you have nothing with the Demiurge! If not, then Zeloph! You're covered in his eyes!" And sure enough, the pupils of each eye began to glow an eerie, indescribable color. And each unblinking eye fixated on Beatrix.

“Shut up! That isn't true! I want nothing to do with this bullshit,” she hissed, half-blinded by tears. Her horn and hands lit up, ready to unleash her most potent spells.

“You know I always preferred Flurry Heart. She's the one with the good heart. That's why you're jealous of her, aren't you? She's a natural talent, and you've always been second-rate!” He marched at her, sword raised, snout drawn back to show his teeth.

“I indeed envied her, but I never resented her! I love her with all my heart!” She launched a storm of magic, and his flaring horn countered with his own, the twos forces colliding and scattering about, the snow melted with a scorching hiss and leaving trails of charred, smoking soil and rock, tiny flames crackling with embers in the mist.

Her eyes turned to saucers in alarm. Whatever this thing was, its magic was far beyond her father's capabilities! She ducked back and nearly stumbled when his white sword swung with a whoosh that split the air.

A black blade flashed behind Shining Armor, whose head rolled from its shoulders. He dropped with a thud into the red-stained snow, Sombra behind him with a bloodied sword in hand, with Lady Ewe rushing to her side to embrace her. Instantly, her costume lost the eyes and teeth and appeared normal, but the witch felt anything but]/i] okay. “We grew worried," the shepard said.

“I told you I could handle her Ewe," Sombra growled, stepping forth holding onto her shoulder. "You should have stayed up there with the others an-"

"Do not touch me!" Oona barked back, pushing him away from her. For once, the kind-looking goat woman looked fierce as she glared deathly at him. "She is my student, as well. I feel just as responsible for her. This isn't about you!"

“No stop!” Beatrix pleaded, pulling away from her friend to brush herself while bristled with her wounded pride. She couldn't deny her suspicions now. Under any circumstance, she would have found her teacher's fighting over her flattering. But this was straight-up childish! Oona especially was being uncharacteristically demanding. "I can take care of myself. I just...need time. Look, let's head back and try to slip out of here, okay?"

Sombra nodded before turning his back to the shepard and returning to the party.

Ewe felt ashamed, letting her own emotions get the better of her. "F-forgive me, Ceann Oga. I only want what's best for you. And whether you like it or not, Sombra is not a good influence."

"Fast food's bad for us, but that hasn't stopped any of us, has it?" She teased with a prod at Oona's plump belly.

“Beatrix, I'm serious! He has harmed you in several ways. Possessed or not, that stallion is cruel by nature! The Pony of Shadows can only bring out the potential for evil that's already inside you. Just compare the difference between Stygian and Sombra when they were possessed. You saw the sea of corpses, the fact that he murdered Radiant Hope in cold blood! So why are you still defending him!?”

“BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!” Beatrix bellowed at her, tears streaming down her face while Oona stood before her in shook. "I-I know Sombra's the last pony I should be getting close to, but I can't help it! I can't help how my heart hurts being away from him. How it aches to be by his side! I can't choose who I've fallen for. But it's the same with you!"

Beatrix pushed herself up to the staggered goat, her hands wrapped around the shaman's neck before pressing their lips together with a wet kiss. She pulled back, maws still connected by saliva, and said with half-lidded eyes, “I love you as well, Oona. I want to please you, too! Fuck it, just say the word, and I'll stay by your side."

Oona gazed wearily at her distraught pupil, clutching hard onto her shoulders while bring her close, doing her best not to tear up. "Of all the ponies I've met and taught.... You mean so much more to me than just being my student. You are my friend, Beatrix. I don't want to see you hurt. But I don't want to see you unhappy either..."

“I know you can't trust Sombra. But trust in me, okay? I won't let him hurt me. Or you."

“I-I'll try..." Oona nodded, struggling to not say anything against her wishes.

"Good. And besides, this is just one guy stuck in one universe! You and I can cross paths in different dimensions. And get up to more than just cosmic adventures~” The unicorn teased, winking before she bounced into a peppy attitude. Ewe shook her flustered head, smiling softly before following.

Soon, all three returned to the wagon, the air filled with aromas from freshly-brewed coffee, a cup pressed to Trixie's lips who loudly sipped and watched over Bellatrix.

Between slurps, Trixie asked, “I wonder what she's dreaming about?”

Sombra stroked blonde curls from the angel's porcelain cheek. “Something pleasant, I hope. Can you see what she's dreaming about, Dream Shepard?"

"I can. And I can assure you, it's as pleasant as one such as Bellatrix can expect," Lady Ewe acknowledged, settled next to a massive treasure chest, and popped it open. Sifting about the contents, and looking through her own, she nodded before casting her uneasy gaze back to the dark unicorn. “You won't survive if you leave the Necronomicon, Sombra. And as much as I despise you, you're far too important to lose.” She selected a prop, a plain mask. “I can bind your soul so you'll remain with us in spirit.”

He narrowed his gaze over the object. The old goat could have picked something a little less mundane. "I suppose I have no other choice in the matter, do I?"

“It will take time, of course. You better hope we're truly safe here.” Oona immediately started to alter the mask with a combination of tools on hand and enchantments. It was a delicate operation, one that was past down to her by previous shepards.

For the moment, the party settled in, Sombra on guard in case they were watched. Beatrix seated herself by her mother and watched Lady Ewe work, in the hope she would pick up on her trade.

Outside the window, snowflakes drifted over the barren landscape, and more howls sounded across blue skies. He wondered, was he always destined to return here?

*****

“Snow?” Twilight Sparkle opened her palm and watched a flake drift onto it. “Wait, this is-” The mass of bones now gave way to a snowy wasteland. She recognized the Crystal Empire, confident the Crystal Heart must have intentionally drawn them to its home. The transition was almost instantaneous, the winter wonderland sweeping over the graveyard of dragons with a whoosh.

“Wow! I'm back home! Well, sort of!” Flurry Heart made a couple of loops in the air.

“It's quite a simulation,” agreed Twilight. “But don't forget it's an illusion.”

Somnambula said, “I recall Fleur de Lis mentioning the area. They never reached the Crystal Empire itself, but she discovered Sombra in the region, near death. Of course, it more resembled a desert at the time.”

Spike sailed up high and said, “Strange. It looks like someone already cut a path through here? Could be a monster, but it could also mean intelligent life is here. Guess we'd better explore further, see what we can learn.”

He puffed up his belly, ready to unleash an inferno when Somnambula called, “Wait. I can carry us over.” She plucked up Sunset, placed her on the Sphinx, and sailed over the thickest portion before she touched down on the carved trail. Following the icy path for a while, she pointed her paw at Trixie's wagon, a light visible from the windows. “There.”

The door creaked open on their approach, and an occupant marched out onto the steps. “Sombra?!” Twilight readied a spell with narrowed eyes, and he paused, hand on the hilt of his sword but hesitant to make a move.

“Wait. I sense something is amiss,” said Somnambula. “It truly is you, is it not?” She turned to her companions before analyzing the dark unicorn a little more closely. “Ahh! So the Pony of Shadows finally took hold of your flesh completely. Your spirit must have been drawn back to the Necronomicon. A fitting place for someone monstrous as you, almost like your own personal hell.”

“Nice to see you too,” he grumbled before relaxing his posture.

“I was blind to your true nature.” Somnambula bared her teeth, sure that no matter how many times he tried to redeem himself, it was inevitable he would slip back into his old ways. “I thought the holy book I passed to him would permanently alter him, but alas, he has proven to dangerous too let roam free. Allow me to deal with him.”

Spike came between them. “No! We don't execute people in cold blood! Especially if he's not responsible for what happened!”

“Oh, but he is!” Somnambula obsessively chewed on her lower lip. “If he had not dabbled in the black arts, none of this would have happened! The Necronomicon, the Eldritch, the Demiurge, I'm almost certain Zeloph wouldn't have escaped if not for you!”

“I bear some responsibility,” Sombra admitted. “But even I'm not so arrogant as to take credit for all that.”

The priestess asked, “Then who is to blame for this? Beatrix Belladonna?”

“Leave my apprentice out of this,” he warned, his hand gripping the hilt to his sword.

“You nearly claimed my life.” She rubbed her wound. “That I could overlook. But you threatened one of my oldest friends, Stygian, too.” She bristled with a predatory fury that was unlike her, unaware that the longer she maintained this Sphinx form, the more its instincts altered her serene nature. And unlike the former sacred guardian, she hadn't had untold centuries to try and master her true nature. Blinded by rage, her eyes turned to slits, and she hissed, fur on end, claws popped and readied.

“Enough,” Spike broke in. “We didn't come to fight. Are you alone here?”

Sombra shook his head. “Come inside.” They headed in sans Somnambula, who couldn't fit in her Sphinx form and didn't want to shift until she'd fully healed. Instead, she chose to stalk the perimeter should more dark forces come. “It seems the Crystal Heart lured us all here,” he surmised. “I also believe it's hidden somewhere here.”

“Well, it wasn't in the Crystal Palace,” said Lady Ewe, who continued to craft the exotic mask.

Flurry Heart plopped down on the floor. “Huh. Maybe it moves about? The creatures trapped here are likely after it.”

“That would make sense,” agreed Twilight. “Maybe it will return to the Crystal Palace?”

Beatrix finished another cup of tea and said, “Or it could come to us. Some of us can wait here and hope for the best!”

“You pulled a risky move, heading into the Necronomicon.” Twilight folded her arms.

“Aw, come on, it worked out! I do have some experience with this,” said a pouty Beatrix, growing tired of how they treated her like a child. Sure, she was admittedly a tad immature, but did they have to keep bringing up this fact? Granted, while she had been on a number of adventures before the last time she'd met them, for them over twenty years had passed after the war with the Eldritch.

For her, it had been a couple at most. Aside from her homeworld, she couldn't be sure how many years went by when she traveled back to a dimension, and suspected the only reason she always left off pretty much from her last visit with her own Equestria was that she considered it the 'prime' dimension, despite the fact that it probably wasn't.

Her mother barely aged each visit, and yet she couldn't help but feel that maybe she did neglect her.

Left with much to think about, the party settled in for the night. Elsewhere in the city, the wendigos continuously howled, swirling above in a building blizzard, drawn by the tensions that simmered between the group.

*****

With another day spent in ongoing work and research, Sombra snorted in frustration, locked in his lab, obsessed over penning his masterpiece. Dried skin was stretched and stitched over the tome, the skeleton of said victim huddled in one corner, broken and picked clean by his Orthros, who continued to growl and gnaw on the remains.

He couldn't stay cooped up too long. His people would expect him and his brides to make appearances. Perhaps he'd been too hasty with the removal of Inky's wing, but he needed to make his point clear, and his closest followers had helped him craft a passable replacement. He removed the prosthetic from its stand and decided he'd deliver it to her tonight.

During his work, he'd passed out and found himself back in the Necronomicon, or so it had seemed. Was it merely a nightmare? Yet he'd seen the Demiurge trapped in its heart, a tornado of Eldritch phantoms, and a menagerie of abominations, including one that lived in a black pit. Somewhere in the distance, a voice had echoed, “I'll share my secrets with you!”

He demanded back, “Who are you?!”

“A friend. Do you seek to link your grimoire to the Necronomicon? I can help with that. But to do so, you must bind a powerful creature to it. Perform the ritual. You'll know the one. More sacrifices will be needed, of course.” The voice faded away with a laugh, and he balked when the mass rose from the abyss, a flurry of tendrils that lashed about.

He drew his sword, sure the mouth with rows of teeth would draw him in. Yet he realized the beast, when it slapped in his direction, was forced to pause, unable to touch him. Somehow, the voice had bound it to him. He replaced his blade with a smile. And when he awoke, he opened the book with a trembling hand, saw the horror etched into a page, vividly detailed.

“I see. I must breathe life into you with sacrifices.” He read the lines under it, saw rituals that paid tribute to it.

Taking the chains of the Orthros, he and his elite guard headed to the throne room. He spotted Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow in the hallway and ordered, “Fetch my brides and their handmaidens.” The pair curtsied and hastily obeyed. “Oh, and...” He seized them with his aura, slowly ran his hands over their curves, and they couldn't help but shudder under his touch. “Join us tonight. You two will help amuse me.” He took a moment to massage their squishy buttocks and bare breasts before he let them loose.

He chuckled once they scurried away, watched their hips and rumps sway under thin transparent silk, all but naked below the faint torchlight that crackled and cast about shadows. He was tempted to take them now, yet knew that could wait.

Within the hour, he entered his throne room, stripped his armor with a clang, and settled nude onto his throne. Under one arm, he carried his dark tome, the Orthros pair chained near him. “Make yourselves comfortable,” he practically purred to his lovers. Knowing better than to disobey him, Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Radiant Hope, Foal-Bearer, Wet Nurse, Diamond Tiara, and Cozy Glow shirked their clothes. He licked his chops in approval, the room sealed, his guards lining the sides of the carpet.

Patting the throne beside his, he nodded to a guard who held the prosthetic wing. “A gift for you, my love.”

“Thank you,” said Inky in a flat voice, who took the wing and settled her bare bottom onto her cold seat. Reluctantly she fitted the object into place, a strange combination of science and magic which embedded itself to her with a click. She winced and tested it, found she could move it, although doubted it would be any use if she attempted to fly.

He cupped her maw, pulled her to face him. “See how much easier it is when you obey?”

“You have me no choice.” His touch, which once warmed her, now left her cold. Greedily he closed his maw around a tit, repeatedly sucked and pulled on it, and she whimpered with an unwanted thrill, wet eyes shut tight.

His other hand flicked the grimoire open to his bookmarked page. A pop sounded when his lips left Inky's puffy tit, which smacked back into place with a wobble, still connected to his mouth by saliva and covered in bite marks where he'd nibbled around her perky nipple. His eyes glowed, and he read in an unfamiliar tongue, started to chant.

“That...sounds like the Eldritch language,” gasped out Inky.

He ignored her, and his voice increased in intensity. The bizarre words that didn't sound like they could come from his tongue echoed about the chamber, the letters started to shimmer and bleed across the page, and the illustration of the abomination began to wriggle and hiss. It attempted to draw itself from the page, struggling to pull itself free with a tremble.

It needed far more. And only Sombra could supply the means to its creation into reality.

“Guards,” he called, and they marched up to him as he'd instructed ahead of time. Each unsheathed their swords cut their palms, and let their blood seep onto the page, fed the atrocity, and gave it substance.

He was tempted to have them throw themselves on their blades and speed the process with their deaths but wagered they were still far too useful to him.

Likewise, he considered sacrificing more prisoners, but he wanted to create more elite soldiers like these, and couldn't afford to let too many commoners disappear. Despite how much it pained him, he couldn't afford to rush if he hoped to beat the alliance.

Next came the release of sexual fluids, which wasn't hard to supply. Sombra needed to pervert his nation, to break taboos, sink to the depths to enact his plan. He yanked Cozy Glow to him by the waist, who gasped and dropped her onto his stallionhood. She yelped when he split her, took her cervix-deep with the first push, settled atop him.

“Gee, you're in a mood!” She blushed and giggled in an attempt to play it cool.

He nipped her ear, wrapped his aura around the book, and let it float away from him. “Consider yourself the lucky one,” he hissed between his teeth into her ear. “To be the first I claim today.” Her wings fluttered, and his hands kneaded her tits when she bounced atop him amidst wet smacks, the eyes on her freckled face crossing once the uterus and ovaries tattoo materialized.

At his nod, the guards were granted permission to amuse themselves. Removing all but their helmets, bare muscles shined under the light, and they moved like machines when they descended on his lovers. He again loosed the chains on the Orthros, who also bounded into the orgy that ensued. He watched them take his females, and the tome shimmered and hummed ever louder.

“Mom,” whined Cerise when guards pulled Inky from her throne and forced themselves on the pegasus. But the young mare only had seconds to worry before she was pushed down and mounted by an Orthros.

“Ouch,” cried Diamond Tiara, who was similarly pawed down by the other Orthros, forced to take its red pair of knots.

The real show started once the creature partially drew itself free, drawn by the musk in the air, the blood he savored, the semen and vaginal juices which splashed on its pages. Thick, rubbery tentacles rose from it and plucked up the crystal pony twins.

“Sister~!” Wet Nurse yelped, and the pair reached for each other, gleaming curves slathered in the beast's sliminess.

Their limbs were spread. Tendrils forced themselves into them amid muffled moans and wet noises. They were restrained by their wrists and ankles, forced to take the extensions that battered into them, their holes brutalized and their uteri filled until they swore their bellies would burst. Faces burning red, they wept, spattered their attackers in their juices, relentlessly drilled.

“Stop,” yelled Radiant Hope, who was bent over, and her hands pulled behind her when a guard pounded her. “You'll kill them!”

Sombra heaved his shoulders and continued to have his way with Cozy. “And? I must have sacrifices to raise the creature, and besides, those two arethe most expendable. Besides, they've started to bore me.”

They reminded him of lives long-buried. In other worlds, somewhere he'd brutally put them to death. Such as one where he'd run Wet Nurse through, cunt-to-mouth where the spear had exited, simply to watch Foal-Bearer's tortured reactions. He decided to repeat that experiment.

“Let's see what happens if the tentacles take them all the way through,” he mused.

“No,” cried Radiant. “They're two of the last crystal ponies left! Didn't you want to seed them so they'd carry your foals?” She desperately tried to think up some way to save him, but in her helpless state, all she could do was plea with the devil.

He paused in consideration, rolled Cozy's plump breasts cupped in his palms, and pinched her nipples, her voice lost in whines. “I've slaughtered more crystal ponies than I can remember. Imagine the rush of power, to drive a whole race to extinction!”

Radiant realized the twins were about to expire, and she likely wouldn't last the night, either. The Crystal Heart in her bosom, now grown to the point it almost filled her small fist, shimmered below, called by her desperation in an attempt to protect its people despite its still limited power. She prayed for a miracle, subconsciously poured her dwindling hope into the relic.

The twins whinnied, brutalized, the multiple puckered tentacles that rapidly drilled into them threatening to meet in the middle.

A brilliant white light exploded across the throne room with a shrill cry. Sombra cursed, momentarily blinded, his guards dropped with a thud, and the Orthros whimpered, the darkness he'd poured into them whirling out in smoky black trails. The abomination retreated into the grimoire with a shriek, and the book slammed shut with finality.

Radiant Hope rose and stared down at herself, her skin turning transparent, glittering like a precious diamond. She studied the twins who stumbled to their feet, and they too shined like jewels, invigorated by the Crystal Heart's power, which poured into them. Foal-Bearer said, “We're...alive? Sister...” She took Wet Nurse's hands, and her face twitched with emotion.

“Ah! It burns,” the tyrant cried and clasped a hand to his blank white eyes. The Pony of Shadows embedded in his soul bristled, barely able to bear the Heart's presence, even in its weakened state. “Guards!” Yet they all remained unconscious.

Radiant Hope watched the light dissipate, unable to maintain itself. The grimoire sealed shut, the devil desperate to open it, to no avail. A sigh between relief and dread exited her. She'd bought them precious time.

But would it be for the worse?

*****

A few chose to stay behind at Trixie's wagon, while the rest of the team would head back to the Crystal Palace in hopes they might encounter the Crystal Heart.

Spike traced his claws over his Dragon Lord armor, the same one that had manifested over him in the dragon's graveyard, which to his surprise hadn't faded after he left it. “Ready to head out, everyone?”

Somnambula, who watched him start to walk from the entryway, shook her large cat-like head. “You need to take care of that problem we talked about,” she reminded. “Or you risk a fatal burnout. When was the last time you bedded a female? Rarity, was it?”

“Uh...yeah.” He blushed with a bowed of his head and rubbed the back of his scaly neck.

The Sphinx pressed closer to him so the others wouldn't overhear. “You must make a move on Lady Ewe. Bedding her should reinvigorate you for quite some time. If she denies you, perhaps I could talk her into it. She seems to respect me enough.”

He shook his head. “Nah. I don't want anyone to feel pressured, let-alone coerced! Okay, I'll stay and ask her.” He sighed. “At least I'll still be a part of the 'action,' aye?”

She shook her head at his joke. “No need to be concerned, Twilight and I shall handle it.”

He scratched his chin. “Huh, I hope your team will be enough.”

“I'll back them up,” said Flurry Heart with a playful salute.

“Me too,” said Sunset Shimmer, who looked through Trixie's closet.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “You need to stay and rest. You're not dressed for this kind of weather!”

“I'll be fine,” replied Sunset with an annoyed snort. “As for clothes, that shouldn't be a problem since Trixie's offered me access to her entire wardrobe here.” She held up a form-fitted black leotard with silk leggings, the closest to something suitable she could find. “A skimpy showgirl outfit isn't exactly my style, but it will do in a pinch.”

“Fine. I'm just...worried I'll lose you again,” admitted Twilight, who crossed her arms. She stared into the building blizzard.

Sunset softened and touched her shoulder. “You worry too much. Relax. Whatever happens, I signed up for it.”

Sombra marched out past the Dragon Lord. “And will you permit me to come, too? I understand why none of you may trust me, but I'd prove an invaluable asset, and I also wish to seek the Crystal Heart. It could be key to defeating the Pony of Shadows.”

Somnambula said, “I shall watch over him. One wrong move, and...” She popped a claw and pretended to draw it across her throat, mouth spreading into an impossible grimace, slit-eyes pinned on him like he were prey.

“As you wish,” he said, figuring that being in this form for so long was making her vulnerable to predatory instincts. To reclaim his body and save his family, he'd submit to whatever they wanted, no matter how degrading he found it.

Spike waved and headed back into the caravan, convinced the team could take care of themselves. They had some of the most powerful mages in Equestria and an ancient, sacred guardian, after all!

Inside, Trixie tended to Bellatrix, and Beatrix sat by Lady Ewe, helping her finish up the mask. “I've decided to stay," Spike coughed, taking a seat by the Dream Shepard.

“As you wish,” answered Oona without looking up. A sly grin spread her muzzle. “Sombra will have to prove himself before I allow him safe passage.”

“I don't trust him either,” admitted Spike who wondered how to broach the subject of a little intimacy with the pudgy goat woman. “Say it was all the Pony of Shadow's fault. It can only draw on the potential evil inside you, right? I've heard some rumors about how his nation is practically turning into a militarized cult! Not to mention what he's done in the past!”

Beatrix scrunched up her face. “Hey, there are dimensions out there where you're a total bastard, Spike! Should I hold that against you? Yeah, when Sombra was reborn, all the versions of him that ever dabbled in the black arts then died were collapsed into one entity, but that also meant all the potential good in them became part of him, too! That's why we were able to reach him! That's only if we have faith in him, though! Do you want to drive him back to his wicked ways?!”

“Of course not.” He sighed and settled down with them next to the massive, open treasure chest. “I'm...not always so good myself. All these dragon instincts I struggle to control. Anger, lust, I feel like I'm just an animal, sometimes. I never really fit in with a dragon or pony society, and it made me a little resentful. Plus, I might not have much longer,” he confessed.

Lady Ewe met his gaze, a curious look to her. “It's a miracle you came back at all! How long do you have?”

“Don't know for sure. Somnambula speculates twenty years or so, pretty much around the same lifespan I had last time after I awakened my full power. There's a catch, though. To keep myself alive, she says I'll have to embrace my dragon instincts. That means, um, I'll have to mate quite often. Preferably with females I've never bedded before..." He admitted with a sheepish grin.

Oona paused, her own cheeks flourishing at his proposal. "I see.... I-I'll have to think more about it after we've made it back safely." Admittedly, this wouldn't be her first time being asked to bed with a version of Spike. And she was very tempted to see how this version measured up.

“Y-yeah, no pressure!” He couldn't help but feel his loins stir and heat in anticipation. Dragon pride made it difficult not to look upon all the attractive females as potential mates that he needed to claim as his horde, but he tried not to leer at them.

“See? We're all flawed,” said Beatrix with a wink. “Some of us admittedly a little more than others!”

Trixie turned to them. “This place is getting pretty cramped. Luckily, I can fold out the stage, give us some room, and much-needed privacy!” She rose and started to unfold the caravan with a grunt, and her daughter ran to give her a hand, the work intended for a whole team, but pride rarely allowed the witch to accept any outside help.

He decided to lend a claw by putting his bulk to use. Wading about tufts of snow didn't make it any more comfortable, but he carefully applied his heated breath and reduced it to a fine mist, revealing the rocks and soil below. Between him and their auras, the stage was rolled out and fully set up within the hour. He stripped off his armor, his bare chest now laced in perspiration.

“Hot,” mumbled Beatrix, who watched sweat drops rolling down his body.

“Not bad,” added Trixie who downplayed her attraction to his primal appeal. His male virility made him radiate a natural heat that smoldered in his belly, his kind gaze tinged by a predatory hunger he suppressed.

Beatrix plopped her bottom on the stage, legs hung over the side. She watched snowflakes drift in the wind with a dance, felt a cool prickle on her skin where they landed. “Guess we're the b team, stuck here.”

“Hey,” snapped Trixie defensively with hands thrust to her hips. “It was our choice! You want to look after Bellatrix, right?”

“True.” She tapped her cheek. “Lady Ewe could tend to her alone, but it didn't feel right to abandon her. I've often felt alone. I never really fit in.” She kicked her booted feet. “You're the same, aren't you, Spike?”

“Yeah. Thank goodness I had friends and family to keep me centered. Maybe that's where Sombra went wrong? Too much time spent in isolation? But he did have a love of his own, and it still didn't make a difference.”

“I...used to feel lonely too,” confessed Trixie, who hid her eyes behind her tipped hat's brim. “I ran away from home and tried to make the Lulamoon family name proud! It's a thing passed from mother-to-daughter. Not sure why your Trixie didn't pass it to you, Belladonna, but I'd wager she thought it was cursed, what with all our bad luck, and wanted to change your fate!”

Beatrix chuckled. “Didn't work out. Think she just named me after a poisonous plant she ran into on the road. Thought it would make me tough and sassy! At best, it just served as an inspiration to take up alchemy, since it's a common ingredient in potion-making.” She shrugged. “Sorry I was away for so long, mom. You're not alone, not while I love you!”

“Thanks. I'd hoped Shining Armor and I could bear you here.” Trixie stared into the icy land, unable to hold back a few tears. “But you're an anomaly, so that's not possible. According to Twilight's exam, I can't even have a foal.”

“Mom.” She hopped down with a crunch and held her. Did her mother back home suffer the same way, forsaken? She trembled and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back her soft sobs, tempted to run away and head back home. But between what had happened to Bellatrix and Sombra, there was still much for her to do! She squeezed her mother close, savored her warmth.

Spike pursed his snout. “I never was able to meet my parents. According to Celestia, she found me as an egg but wasn't able to hatch me. She figured it would take a powerful mage to do so. Sunset probably doesn't remember, but she'd tried back when she was Celestia's student. Using magic, Celestia made certain my egg would be preserved until someone finally hatched it!”

Beatrix tapped her cheek and asked, “You think Sunset could have been the Element of Magic if she'd taken a different path?”

“Maybe. Hard to say. Sunset certainly had the talent and raw intellect. If she'd pursued friendship early on, who knows how it might have turned out? Still, much as I like her, I couldn't imagine a life without Twilight.” Did he figure that if there were countless universes out there, surely something similar must have happened in one of them?

The trio sat on the stage and reminisced about their pasts. Their shared losses made each of them feel a little less alone.

Chapter 12

“Could it be...?” Twilight Sparkle sucked in a breath. Seemingly abandoned, their venture into the Crystal Palace took them to the throne room. Resting upon the stand was a ghostly image of the Crystal Heart. It radiated a faint light, filtered between a tangible and incorporeal form, barely able to maintain itself with the power it had recently spent.

“Allow me,” said Sunset Shimmer, marching forward. The moment her palm touched the ethereal artifact, her eyes gleamed pure white and her maw fell open. "A-ahh!"

“Not again! Are you okay?!” Twilight sailed next to her, pressing a hand over her heart and almost hyperventilating.

Within moments Sunset's eyes regained their color and focused in a dreamy haze. “I-I'm fine. I...I saw it all. What's been happening in Sombra's nation. Here, I'll show you.” She held hands with Twilight, who helped her form a circle with Flurry Heart and Somnambula, the Sphinx reaching a massive paw into the room. They were likewise assaulted by a series of visions.

Sombra's cries of anguish as the Pony of Shadows inflicted its abuse. Confirmation that rumors about the militarization of his land were legitimate, the helmets he forged to control and empower his elite guards, the abuses of his lovers, and the experiments he enacted with the black arts.

And most importantly, the revelation that the Crystal Heart lay in Radiant Hope.

Tears ran down Flurry's cheeks. “We have to help them,” she cried after they broke free of the shared vision.

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” said Sunset. “Of course, I want to help, but we can't just rush in ill-prepared.”

“Why not? I can blink in, rescue them, and be back in no time!” Flurry beamed.

“Maybe. Or you might be captured, too. Who knows what traps the Pony of Shadows might have placed around the pyramid? Remember what happened to Somnambula.” Sunset nodded at the Sphinx pacing around in the hall, unable to fit into the throne room. “She barely escaped alive! Not to offend you, but after what Chrysalis did to you, well, your powers are still unreliable.”

Flurry slumped her head with a frown. “Yeah, I suppose. I just can't stand to think about what he's doing to them!”

“I know. I could almost feel that creep's hands on me,” Sunset said with a quiver, arms holding each other to stifle the chill.

Uncertain she'd have another chance, Flurry sat on the throne and imagined herself as Queen. “I wonder, after what Chrysalis did, are Cadance and I still immortal? It's sad to think I'll have to watch most of my friends pass on.”

“I know the feeling,” Twilight lamented, strolling up to her niece's side. “I've lost so many friends and family. There were times I didn't think I could go on. I'm lucky that people like Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy are still around.” She sighed. “Not to mention Shining Armor and Cadance. It's a shame they couldn't come, but I understand they're still trying to get their lands back in order.”

“Yes, without the Crystal Heart around, it's been tough to keep the snow at bay. And that's without the rising Wendigos! Really hoped the Eldritch attack would do something to destroy them, at the least!” Flurry frowned and drummed her fingers on the sides of her mother's throne.

Sunset watched the Crystal Heart vanish into nothingness, its power to project itself spent. “Guess it's time to head back.”

Rejoining with the Sphinx, the team strolled back outside, nearly blinded by the blizzard that whirled about them. Twilight readied herself to teleport them back when a familiar howl made her pause. She and her companions stared into the sky, watched the storm of wendigos circle like vultures high above, and with a snarl, she stood her ground, ready to deal with them.

The ethereal creatures howled and whirled around them. Blinded by a swirl of snow, Twilight, Sunset, and Flurry lit their horns, and the Sphinx sailed upwards to take the fight to them directly. Blood dripped from the maws of the abominations, further warped by their nightmarish surroundings, fed on the frozen dead and the tension that simmered between those trapped here.

Blasts of magic tore through the air, obliterating chunks off the frozen crystal guards around the perimeter who erupted in bloodied chunks. Yells and screams were drowned in the flurry of the storm.

*****

Try as he might, Spike felt his instincts eat away at his resolve. Being surrounded by so many beautiful women wore at his restraint, the urge to take Trixie and Beatrix right there on the stage overpowering. His body burned with unfilled needs, and he recalled what Somnambula told him that if he didn't fulfill them, he would burn himself out before ensuring the safety of his family. Despite the frigid air around him, his belly burned with an inner fire, stoked by lusts that demanded to be slaked by what was at hand.

“G-gals...I need you,” he admitted with a growl, grabbing the pair of witches by their waists with his claws and pulling them into his lap. His hot breath rolled over him, nostrils flaring and smoking, mind dulling under base instincts to claim them as his trophies. To a male dragon, potential mates were a horde to be collected, symbols of status that showed one's prowess.

“W-whoa! Take it easy big guy,” Beatrix giggled while rubbing his scales with a subdued blush. “We're here to help you~!”

“Figures you'd go after the most alluring and beautiful of mares,” Trixie added with a sexy pout to her lips.

Given permission, he didn't hesitate to sink his claws into their costumes and tear them from their bodies. Breasts toppled free in bouncy fashion, and they would have shivered in the cold, were it not for the heat he emitted. Their nipples were rock hard on his bare chest, and he impatiently used his tail to remove the rest of his armor, a hindrance that separated him from them.

He bent them over the stage, propped Beatrix atop her mother, and without ceremony pressed his twin cocks to their pussies. Luckily the pheromones his musk emitted made them moisten, their twats inflamed, and he drove into them with a grunt. Growling, he humped into them, pulled their manes, spanked, and kneaded them, his fin-ears raised at their mewls.

Confident they could take it, he loosed his instincts, took them roughly, his eyes turned to slits. He panted, muscles rising and falling, raised his snout, and spat fires in the air. Their buttocks slapped under his thrusts, and he buried himself womb-deep, balls churning and ready to pump his payload into their depths, lost in a mad mating frenzy.

“O-oh shit!” Beatrix cried out, blushing hotly from how much fem cum was squirting out of her. "Y-you really needed this badly!"

“D-don't worry, Spike!" Trixie grunted with each rock of her hips. "J-just, focus on relieving yourself with our pussies! Y-YAAH~!"

He barely heard them, lost in a haze, and his heavy balls ached for release. But he could only find so much satisfaction from females he'd already bred and wanted more. He needed more. A more primitive state subsumed his thoughts, and in a brief moment of clarity, he wondered if survival were even worth the price, if he'd be reduced to little more than a horny animal.

Not that his current paramours seemed to mind. They breathed in more of his scent, whinnied and buckled under his savage assault on their overstretched cunts, content to temporarily be his sleeves, lost in the euphoria of having such a burly beast ravage them senseless without mercy.

He nipped the napes of their necks. Twitched his wings and landed smacks on their buttocks. Raked their asses and tits with his claws, left small little red marks that didn't entirely break the skin, but the unbearable pleasure drowned out the pain.

And in turn, he couldn't suppress a need to sexually dominate them, show them they were his mates, to please him, bear his spawn, fulfill their purpose.

His tips rubbed the walls of their contracting, slimy wombs. He cast back his head, roared another blaze of fire skyward. He pumped his payload into their depths, splattered their moist confines, made their bellies bloat up when they squealed and came themselves in messy squirts under the impact.

Their cascade washed over his firm stomach, groin, and thighs. Pulse-after-pulse was emptied into their core, made them wail.

“That's it, big guy,” mumbled Beatrix between pants. “Let it aaall out. Mnhf, fuck, I haven't felt so full in a while.” Cum sloshed in her.

“M-mhmm~,” was Trixie's only reply, lost in the afterglow with a goofy grin plastering her muzzle. He withdrew from them, and a mixture of their juices sluiced from their ravaged funholes, barely able to do anything more than lie there, gooey cum sloshing in their uteri. "Wow, better than I remember!"

His slit eyes refocused and widened when sanity returned. “W-whoa fuck! Sorry if I was a little rough on you two.”

“Pft, I've handled much worse,” snickered Beatrix, rolling off her mother and slumped beside her, thighs slick with their nectar.

Trixie sat up next to her and patted her tummy. “Well, I'm certainly satisfied, at least for now!”

“Good! I'd hate for this to be one-sided,” he muttered, knowing that this wasn't going to hold him for long. He hoped Lady Ewe would accept his offer before he lost himself completely. At least the inferno within him had cooled for the moment.

He strolled about in the snowfall with a crunch, stretched his nude, statuesque body to its limits with loud cracks and pops.

His eyes followed the blizzard blistering in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the storm, swore he could spot something move within them.

Wendigos? His suspicions were confirmed when the flash of magic lit the area.

He realized the creatures must have engaged Twilight's team in battle. What to do? Stay here as they wished and defend their temporary home? Or rush to aid them? He wanted to believe they could handle it.

Still, he worried that those monsters would prove more robust than ever in the Necronomicon, able to siphon the conflict between the twisted creatures trapped within this dimension to empower them.

His decision made, the dragon raced back to the wagon, prepared to share what he'd seen with Sombra and Lady Ewe.

*****

Blinded by the Crystal Heart's radiance, Sombra was appeased for the moment and retired alone to his chambers. In the meantime, his lovers were left to their own devices to await their fates. His elite guards had confined them to a private room, where they were fed, watered, a bath and restroom prepared for them. After the hell they'd suffered, it was almost a vacation.

Radiant Hope's translucent flesh continued to sparkle, as did Foal-Bearer's and Wet Nurse's. The room was rather barren, and they soaked in the vast pool with Inky Rose and Cerise Silhouette, surrounded by steam from the heated waters.

“Whatever happens, I'm proud of you all,” said Radiant, who smiled at them.

Inky rubbed at her false wing, stretched it with a wince, still plagued by phantom limb syndrome. “We owe you.”

“Not at all. I finally understand.” She clasped a hand over her heart, concentrated, and made the small Crystal Heart appear in her bosom, the tiny heart-shaped jewel now the size of her fist. “This saved us.”

“The Crystal Heart,” cried the twins in unison. Tears ran down their sparkly, coral cheeks.

Cerise chewed on her lower lip and paused between soaping up her black-furred curves. “What does this mean?”

“It could mean Equestria is trying to rebuild itself,” explained Radiant, washing the suds from her mane. Soft splashes sounded when she rubbed down flesh and fur, her curvature lathered up. “Given time, maybe the Elements of Harmony will also return?”

“I highly doubt it,” Inky said with a shake of her head. "The Elements haven't been useful in years. Especially with some bearers dead.”

Cerise pressed herself to her mother from behind and wrapped her hands around her midsection. “Well, I want to believe it, too! We need a miracle, and the Crystal Heart helped make that happen! It feeds on hope, yeah? We need to have faith in it!”

“You're right.” Inky managed a small smile. “You know, I tried to make Pacific Glow happy after I helping her overcome her addictions. Though in truth, I wanted happiness for myself as well. I often felt so alone and wanted someone to share my troubles with. Sometimes she was my sole reason to go on. I can tell she's in there with you, sweetheart. You have her kindness.”

Cerise beamed back. “Pacific's part of me, but I'm my own brand of happiness!”

“Want to know what I think?” Radiant met their eyes. “You said Sombra unknowingly worked his magic when he seeded Pacific Glow and embedded her soul to the unborn child. But I believe you played a part too, Inky. You never wanted to be alone from her, and that made it possible. Call it intuition, but I think because of how tied he is to the Necronomicon, Sombra still draws on its wicked powers in small doses. That's why he was able to be reborn. And why the dark arts come so naturally to that devil.”

“So he's like an extension of the tome,” reasoned Inky, who paused between preening her plumage and considered all the secrets he'd shared with her, pillow talk after they made love. “That makes sense.”

Foal-Bearer settled her wet bottom on the side of the tub and swished a foot. “This could be our last night to relax.”

Wet Nurse took her hand. “Do you think he'll have us executed? Branded traitors? He still needs his brides, at least, doesn't he?”

“We knew the risks. I'm not afraid to die,” said Foal-Bearer, who narrowed her eyes in determination.

“Now comes the hardest part. Where we're left to wait.” Radiant Hope knew they were out of options. Their fate was in the hands of a madman. Aware that it wouldn't help to dwell on their circumstances, she lathered herself up like the rest of them, and the soap subs ran down their suppleness.

She closed her eyes with a soft moan, contented to be with her sisters.

She wondered; if the Necronomicon was indestructible, did that extend to Sombra as well? She's heard about how many times he was defeated, reduced to ashes or rubble.

And each time, he came back stronger. And if the sins he committed became too much to bear, he could spend the rest of eternity trapped within his own personal hell, one caused by his own terrible deeds.

She bathed the twins, and Inky did the same to her daughter. The drip-drop of water echoed about them, ther nude forms reflected on the crystalline pool.

Inky met her daughter's eyes. “Cerise, dear, will you dance for us? I miss that.”

“O-okay,” she replied with wide-eyed bewilderment, uncertain what had brought this on. Despite the lack of music, the twins began to sing in harmony, a sweet melody that carried around them, and Cerise raised her arms and began to sashay her foal-bearing hips in a gradual, sensuous manner. She closed her eyes, unable to help but smile, dripping and breasts swaying.

“Pacific Glow was always happiest when she danced,” said Inky, who smiled back. “It allowed her to forget her troubles.”

Radiant Hope allowed a smile to grace her lips, realizing some warmth and levity was precisely what the Crystal Heart needed to grow. Strengthening the bond between them all could only help that. She couldn't help but admire Inky's wit and resourcefulness, certain whatever flaws that devil Sombra had, his taste in mares remained impeccable. A shame he treated them so poorly.

She watched the earth pony gyrate; her back momentarily turned to them while she wiggled her bottom. Thankful that she was able to hide the Crystal Heart at will, confident that Sombra wouldn't hesitate to have it carved from her breast, her thoughts wandered to the cities outside the pyramid, where the tyrant vigorously recruited more soldiers into his expansive military...

*****

Outside the wagon, Beatrix and her mother were cleaning themselves up. Lady Ewe and Sombra were resting beside Bellatrix, so it was best not to disturb them. Using magic to summon new costumes, Beatrix helped Trixie set up more displays around the stage, their bellies no longer swelled.

"Nngh!?" All of a sudden, the younger mage felt a sharp cramp in her gut, causing her to sway before stumbling onto the corner. Sweat poured off her forehead, and she churned with nausea. Her surroundings blurred, attempting to refocus before she bowled over by an assault on her senses.

Uncertain what caused these unfamiliar sensations, she plopped down on a chair next to a stack of props. Her palm slapped over her mouth, afraid she'd hurl, an acidic bite in her throat and her limbs numb.

“Are you okay, my little hellspawn?” Trixie rushed to her side and held her shoulders. “How about a cup of water?”

“Y-yeah, I think this place is getting to my head,” mumbled Beatrix between her fingers. Her face twisted when she swallowed down a chunk of vomit, tried to steady herself without success.

Something was incredibly off. She hadn't felt this ill her last time in the Necronomicon.

“Just wait here! I'll be back in a flash,” Trixie insisted before she rushed off.

With a weak nod, Beatrix stared into a snow-capped forest beyond the city walls. Maybe she'd taken it too hard lately, as she rarely rested between adventures. Fatigue and lack of food was catching up to her, that's all.

She clasped her Prima Materia in a weak squeeze, wondered if this or worse was how Bellatrix Primadonna felt in her condition.

Another pain rushed through her, causing the witch to lurch forward. Beatrix hissed, clutching at her head as her vision grew more distorted and chromatic. "W-what's happening?!" She wheezed, looking down to her arm before discovering a horrific sight.

Small slits opened all over her forearm as fleshy eyeballs peered out to gaze up at her.

"BWAAAAH!?" She shrieked, jumping back into her chair and frantically rubbing over her arm like it was covered in poison ivy. A second look showed that her arm was apparently fine. She clutched her form, breathing heavily, unsure of what was happening with her. Whether this was the Necronomicon's doing or something else.

"Keep it together," she told herself. "You'll be fine. We're almost out. This is just in your head!"

"What's in your head?"

Her eyes snapped open over the small delicate voice coming in front of her. Raising her head, a little girl stood before the older mare. Her head was to the side, staring at Beatrix with a sunken eye through long white hair with dark faded tips. Her charcoal black skin complemented her small white dress.

"W-what? Who are..." But before she could finish, the child floated away into the forest. "H-hey wait! No, come back!" Beatrix called after, stumbling to her feet, and slid off the stage to trudge through the thickening snow.

Even if this was just another mind trick, she just couldn't stomach the thought of a small child being lost in the Necronomicon. Snowflakes drifted around her, and her stomach rumbled, but she scrunched her snout and pressed on.

As she got closer to the tree, she heard a scribbling sound. Cautiously, she approached so as not to spook the girl hiding behind a trunk before bending down. The little unicorn was doodling something with a box of crayons in her lap, seated in the snow.

As Beatrix tried to look over, the girl jumped and clutched her picture to her chest. "It's not done yet!" She looked back with a pout.

"O-oh, sorry! I'm not trying to intrude, you just...came out of nowhere." She chuckled awkwardly before the girl seemed satisfied and returned to her doodle. "U-um, who are you?"

"Someone you haven't met yet. But you will soon," the child commented.

"W-what do you mean by that? I don't understand. Don't you have a name?"

She shook her head.

“Why don't you come inside? Aren't you cold?" Again, the child shook her head. Annoyance began to fester within Beatrix. "Look, I'm not really feeling well. Just tell me if you're real or not. I don't know if you noticed, but we're in an evil book and-"

The sound of sniffling stopped her from going on a full rant. The child had finished drawing in favor of curling her legs into her chest as her sobs grew louder.

"I just want to be home," she whined.

Empathy rushed through her as Beatrix wrapped her arms over the shivering girl with her cloak, cuddling her tightly to her bosom. "I-I know. I wanna go home too," she whispered. Though for the longest time, she wondered what was home to her?

She never settled on any place or time, too far wrapped up in adventures to really think about if she wanted to try living everyday life. Or if she even deserved one.

"Why don't we go home together?" She offered with a chipper smile.

But there was no response. It took Beatrix a moment to notice that she was cradling nothing in her arm. Her heart sank that she had been deceived, but something caught her attention as it flapped against her chest.

It was the picture the child had been drawing. Taking each end, she held up to get a better look before her eyes went wide. Three characters were scribbled together. One was the little girl in her monochromatic color. Holding her hand was what appeared to be herself, in her purple and blue coat and hat. But the third character next to her didn't look like anyone Beatrix knew.

It was tall, colored in black and gold with what she could only guess was a dark blue octopus for a face. But etched around them were magenta-colored eyes, much like the ones she thought were all over her arm.

"Zeloph..." She muttered coldly, a sharp shiver running through her as she picked herself up and kept the picture close. She felt never-ending dread over what that monster wanted with her. Or the girl she encountered and what she was. She hoped Lady Ewe had some ideas on what this could mean.

But one thing was for sure; they couldn't afford to stay in this wretched place any longer.

*****

How many hours did Fleur spend fighting all these agents of Sombra? She strained and sweat poured off from her voluptuous form as she gripped her weapon tightly. Another body kneeled as blood soaked into the sand.

"Scum," she muttered cruelly before clutching the soldier's collar and dragging him down the dune. Her head twitched violently as it reeled back.

The pale moon shined down on her complexion as she ran a hand over her neck. A delightful smile spread her muzzle.

"Don't worry, love, we're almost done," She insisted. "Just a couple more bodies and then Sombra and all his evil forces will be gone. No one can separate us again. We are one~."

With a giggle, she continued to drag the corpse along towards a pyre she had built, a stack of bodies piling on top.

What she failed to realize in her delirium was that the people she mercilessly butchered were not Sombra's men.

Just vagabonds looking around the oasis for safety, now reduced to charred husks.

Chapter 13

Equestria smoldered, swallowed up in an all-consuming blaze. Lava churned in the pits between the seas of rocks that steamed and hissed, the hellish crimson skies itself afire. At first glance, Bellatrix Primadonna assumed she was in the Badlands.

But upon searching the globe, she discovered that the entire planet was like this. And everything pointed to her as the one center in its devastation.

She sat naked on a throne made up of skulls, not unlike a Dragon Lord, the bones taken from various creatures. In response to her wishes, a full-length mirror materialized in mid-air before her, yet what stared back wasn't the radiant angel with blonde curls she'd come to expect, but the succubus she'd once been, with several alterations.

Her horns curled over her head like a ram. Black-and-white hair. Scarlet eyes. She pursed her scarlet lips in a pout, stretched the membrane of her leathery wings, twitched her spade-tipped tail, and extended her claw-like fingernails.

Ever since she'd slipped unconscious, Bellatrix has relieved this vision of fantasy and horror over and over.

"C'mon," she groaned, clawing into her head to try and wake herself. "This is just a dream; this is just a dream..."

"Stop lying to yourself, dear." A disembodied voice chuckled. Bellatrix's very shadow began to expand and rise from the ground, limbs and tendrils formed as many eyes opened all over the creature's vessel. It towered over her while continuing to remold its shape into something more humanoid.

"We both know t̶́h̸̛̀ì͟͞ś̕ is what you've always wanted. This is what your heart desires! This is what your reality could be~."

“I doubt this is anything more than an illusion you set up, Zeloph," she spat, her lips curled into a vicious smirk. “For all that goat's talk about how horrifying you are, this is some pity level villainy."

"A villain, am I?" The figure tilted his head while his eyes dilated. "And what about me is so villainous?"

"Don't play coy with me! You're a Vice Lord, your whole MO reeks with evil. You break the minds of mortals, drive your victims insane for twisted designs! You're the one keeping me hostage here! In this Illusion or dream or whatever!"

The primordial being chuckled in response. "Is a predator evil for following its instinct and killing meek prey? I thought you knew better, considering you've been following a stallion known for his atrocities and spite."

"You keep Sombra out of this! This doesn't con-"

"But it does. It a̵̶̡͠ļ̶͘ẃ͡a̢͏y͡s̵̨͘͡ has~" Zeloph countered before reaching out to grab hold of her shoulders. Bellatrix shuddered under his touch, strange waves of feelings pulsating through her body. "You misunderstand, Bellatrix. I'm not the one keeping you in the reality you crave. We both know you're too afraid to return to a world you never belonged in."

"A-augh! N-no, shut up!"

"You still consider yourself a monster. And no matter what angelic visage you took, you knew deep down, you could never change your true nature. You were born a lie~."

"Stop it!" She screamed, bitter tears streaming down her face.

"If you return, you know the ones you love will continue to domesticate you. Continue to tolerate your pitiful existence. Your aloof mask may fool your sister and master, but you can't deceive me, Bella. I̵͢ ̵̶͘s̸̵̵̕e̸̶̴̛e͟͠ ̷̀͡͝͠y̢̛ờ̕͜u͢͠ ̵̶̢̛͜f̸̸͜ó̢͘͢r҉̶͝͡ ́w̛͡҉̸̡h̶͡͏̸̢ąt̴̡̛̀͡ ͏̶y͝͏̵̕͏ơ͠҉ù̶ ̵͢͠͡͞a̕͝r̵͜é̶̸!!"

All at once, the red clouds opened up. More eldritch colored eyes peered down at the helpless succubus. The many emotions Bellatrix fought to keep down began to pour out from her like a fountain. She clutched onto the shadowy figure, who returned her embrace with a gentle stroke of his hand.

"It's not fair," she sobbed. "Why am I forsaken to such cruel fate?!"

"Shhhhh," the Vice Lord's deep voice whispered soothingly. "I agree that the circumstance of your existence is depressing. But there may be a solution."

"A solution?" She asked, rubbing the tears from her cheeks. She noticed that many of the eyes making up Zeloph's body were closing as skin, muscle, and bones began to materialize. The Vice Lord even had a mouth where his head loomed over her.

"Instead of being fictional, what if the world around you was? You may recall a dimension where Sombra unfolds the Necronomicon, causing it to consume the entire planet. Through my guidance, we could do something similar. You are bound to the grimoire still. The world that rejected you would become a story, one where you are the author!"

Her eyes widened, recalling that particular dimension. She pulled away to look at herself through the mirror, touching the surface. Her reflection was different. Instead of the horned sovereign of hell, she looked like a normal, happy-looking mare, wearing complimenting clothes and a big smile.

For a moment, Bellatrix yearned towards the appearance of normality before bitterly glaring at the reflection of Zeloph. "What you're suggesting would mean the loss of many lives!"

The forming body behind her shrugged his shoulders. "Mortals die all the time. Is the value of physical life not worth the high mortality rate of people you envied and despised?"

"But, you expect me to betray Sombra and Beatrix?!”

“I expect you to s҉͢ȩ̡͘d͢͢u̕͡cè̴͠ Sombra," the Vice Lord insisted, his eyes narrowing into a piercing glare. "He has denied himself of his true nature for too long. With his reputation in shambles, you can be the one to guide him back on a nobler path."

A possibility she once craved. In her fantasies and delusions, Bellatrix wished for her master to choose her and build a life together. And if she allied with Zeloph, that reality could happen. Yet, it sounded too good to be true. "A-and my sister?"

A low chuckle left the newly formed lips of the fleshy creature. "No harm will come to Beatrix. That I can promise. I have m̷ųc͏̵h̴ planned for her~."

She scoffed. “And what is your plan? What will you get if I agree to help you?"

“Y͘͜͞͏ó̢͝ų̴͝͏'̷̛͜l̨͏̷́͜l̶̡̕̕͠ ̵͏̷̡s̶̀e̕͜͢e̴~," the eldritch entity promised as his almost complete body glowed in an ethereal light, ascending towards the skies, the many eyes swirling away into the clouds. "Consider my offer, Bellatrix. You and I are beyond mortal comprehension. I would much prefer you relish in my glory than perish."

“Heh, that's a first. Most have compared me to a rabid animal..." The succubus mused with a bitter laugh. Bellatrix eyes wandered to the volcanic mountain range, spewing blackish-gray smoke and spewing molten lava with a roar. What would have been hell to most was heaven to her.

She wouldn't have to feel shame, would no longer be restrained by pesky morals that confused and burdened her.

She raked her nails over her smooth, bulbous breasts, cooed softly, and felt her wide nipples hardened under her caresses. A warm tingle traveled down her entire body and pleasantly burned in her loins.

Her nostrils breathed in the sulfurous stench with a flare. The reek of brimstone filled the air swirling around her, threatening to burst into embers and dance around the succubus.

Crimson clouds broke with a snap of thunder, bloody rain sluiced over her, and she rubbed the red droplets dribbling down her curves into her tits. She reclined in her morbid throne and contemplated Zeloph's offer, now aware that she was free to leave this plane anytime she wished.

All he spoke struck true to her. And it was hard to compare the consequences of her choice with the reward he promised.

*****

Racing to the aid of his companions, Spike sailed into the blizzard swathed in ancient Dragon Lord armor. Sleet whipped around him, hissed under his natural heat, the instinctive rage and lust that Trixie and Beatrix hadn't been able to sate fully, making his stomach smolder, the flurry of snowflakes and hail that struck him turning to vapors in an instant.

Blood dripped from the maws of the windigos. They sailed around the magic beams that Twilight, Sunset, and Flurry unleashed in a rapid barrage, only for one of them to be tackled by the Sphinx who growled and swiped. Its stomach split in a plume of blood and guts, the splatter sticking to her thin fur, but she immediately turned her attention on another of the monsters.

On the battlefield below were black swirls of whirling smoke, scarlet streaks in the snow and roads, bloodied chunks of unfortunate frozen crystal ponies shattered in the crossfire. A storm of demons continued to arrive in a cacophony of phantom wails.

Inhaling sharply, Spike unleashed an inferno from his belly to blast the windigo with fiery force. It shrieked, burst into a greenish pillar, blackened and twisted until the full power of his blaze consumed it.

“It's no use,” cried Twilight, firing off more lasers. “There's far too many!”

“We're going about this the wrong way,” called Sunset over the gales. “They feed on conflict, right?”

Flurry Heart nodded and channeled more magic. “But we can't just let them slaughter us! What are we supposed to do?!”

Thinking it over, Spike attempted to cool his anger with another deep breath. He noticed Somnambula, who was usually one of the more level-headed allies, had almost lost herself entirely to her animal instincts.

Her eyes became slits, she hissed and bared her teeth, and he heard her cackle when she shredded another demon to chunks
of meat between her bloodied nails.

With each one felled, a couple more replaced them. Not to mention the windigos that remained swelled from the conflict around them, fed off it. No doubt, they were the reason this version of the Crystal Empire fell into a mockery of its former self.

He continued to fight alongside them on the defensive, unable to think up a way to deal with these creatures.

*****

Sombra had remained with Bellatrix's slumbering form, stroking her face in hopes some form of contact would awaken her. And sure enough, her eyes fluttered open before she shot up with a gasp.

"Ahh, you're awake!" Sombra exclaimed with a smile.

“And in a timely fashion," Ewe sighed in relief before holding up the stylish mask, fully woven and complete.

The angelic beauty shot up and stretched her limbs. "I feel like I haven't moved in centuries! Was I heavily sleeping?"

"Sadly, no. If you were, I would have been able to access your dream. You were in a trance similar to the one Sunset fell under."

“You were out for a couple of days at most," Sombra noted.

Bellatrix, still fresh off the feelings and images from her trance, gave the nod in response before looking around the wagon. "What has my sister been up to?"

“Oh, she's outside with Trixie. I believe they planned to put on a show while we wait for Spike and his allies,” Sombra explained before fetching her a cup of tea. Inhaling the warm fragrance, she took a sip and let the liquid melt her woes away. “Ah~.”

Suddenly, the door thudded open. “Ah, speak of the devil! How's the rehearsal going?" He asked as the busty blue unicorn rushed passed him to grab a bottle of water.

“Not important," she retorted. "Beatrix's ill."

"Ill? What do you mean?" Oona questioned.

"I-I'm not so sure. It looked like Beatrix was having cramps and trying to hold in vomit. It appeared like she had morning sickness!"

Bellatrix's eyes widened at this assumption. “W-wait, you're not trying to say that... No, that's impossible! She's-”

“I know, it sounds crazy, but I can't ignore that possibility given the weirdness of this place,” Trixie insisted.

“Well, hold on,” Lady Ewe said, standing up and taking her staff to follow the magician out. “I can prepare a balm to ease her pains. It will only take a moment.”

“Whatever may help.” Trixie tapped a heeled boot, eager to ease her daughter's troubles however she could. “Say that Beatrix did end up knocked up somehow. And say you were the father to her child, Sombra. Would you take responsibility or abandon her?”

His face flustered a bit. His mind raced back to the last time they slept together, his body slowly being consumed by the Pony of Shadows while claiming Beatrix for himself. That ominous voice was demanding he breed her. Perhaps it did something during that moment to make her fertile?

"If it's true, and I am to blame, I will be there during her time of need. I would never abandon her," Sombra declared, though uneasily.

“I'll hold you to that,” warned Trixie with narrowed eyes.

The click of heels sounded from the doorway. “I'm...thankful you're all so ready to make plans without me.” Beatrix leaned on the door when she stumbled in, another hand on her tummy. “But rest assured, I'm not pregnant. My stomach's just been bothering me. But I'm all better now!"

“You're pale and sickly,” said Trixie, who offered her a drink and doted on her with a pained smile.

Beatrix took a small sip. “I just need rest is all. Though I did see something,” she said hazily.

"Something? What was it?" Sombra asked with concern.

She plopped onto a stool. "I-I'll tell you about it once we're out of here. Ahh, thanks,” she said with gratitude to Lady Ewe, who mixed in the balm into her tea. As Beatrix drank, the heat settled in her belly. She turned her attention to Bellatrix with a happy smile. “Nice to see you're awake, sister! I was anxious if you would ever come back. How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, I'm fine," Bellatrix lied. She looked distraught, yet unable to converse with her family and friends about her encounter with Zeloph. His words were still ringing in her ear. Beatrix noted something was off with a quirked brow, but choose to not push her for it. She would tell her when she was ready.

“Great! Because Spike ran off to help Twilight and friends. How about we crash the party?” Beatrix suggested, looking to her two mentors. “I mean, have you seen the storms lately? They probably need our help, and we can't stay here on our butts forever!”

Lady Ewe nodded. “Yes. With my task complete and Bellatrix awakened, we should get moving.” The goat woman turned to approach Sombra, placing the mask to his chest. “The moment we leave the Necronomicon, this mask will harbor your soul. This is the best option I could give to you, I'm afraid.”

He took the mask into his hands, staring long and hard at it. With a weary sigh, he nodded before looking back into the honey-colored orbs of Oona. “I appreciate the effort; you have my thanks. Though I'm puzzled, how were Radiant Heart, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse able to take flesh?”

“No doubt due to outside interference,” replied Lady Ewe as she strolled around the interior. “Zeloph's power isn't limited to resurrecting the dead for his malicious intents. Alternatively, the Crystal Heart might have done the same thing, albeit for a benevolent motive. I believe it would reawaken should it sense the safety of its people was threatened. And a third option-”

“My connection to the Necronomicon,” he finished. “What should have remained ghosts were more like revenants offered a second chance when I drew on its power. Poor victims who couldn't accept they were truly dead. Or it could be a combination of all three. The tome toyed with my anxieties, to which the Crystal Heart and Zeloph played off in accordance to their motives.”

Regardless of the truth, he owed them so much. Like his wife and daughter, they suffered under the Pony of Shadows who'd taken his flesh. Inky Rose was one of the few he'd shared all his past crimes with, the nightmares that still haunted him on occasion, confident that no matter how terrible his sins, she unconditionally loved him. He'd wept in her arms, consumed by self-loathing, able to show her his weakness.

The sooner they escaped, the better the chance he could rescue them. He stroked the sword at his hip in anticipation. Lulamoon complained that she couldn't put on the performance they intended, but they readied themselves for battle.

With renewed vigor, the group rushed to aid their allies in the fury of the storm.

*****

On a throne sat the Sombra subsumed by darkness. White blank eyes stared ahead, blinded by the Crystal Heart, which had almost driven the Pony of Shadows from the flesh he invaded. By his orders, Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow attended to him, stripped his armor, and rubbed down his tired muscles. Neither dared speak in his presence while he seethed.

Rough hands wandered over their bodies. They were nothing more than vessels to sate Sombra's craving for flesh. Breasts, hips, and buttocks kneaded between his palms and nails, while the tyrant dwelt on his setbacks. For the moment, his dark tome, seated atop a stand not far from them, was sealed. He'd dismissed his guards and pondered what to do with his brides and their handmaidens.

No doubt, he'd crack the barrier around the book given time. By brute force if necessary. The dark arts multiplied one's innate powers, and the Pony of Shadows was the master of darkness, now embedded in a perfect vessel.

Despite the risks, he decided to move forward with the invasion. He would crush the alliance to the last.

A yelp rose from Cozy Glow, who he pulled onto his lap. Grunting, he impaled her, and she whimpered with a titter. She trembled under his touch with a blush, trapped between dread and arousal, her plumage erect under his strokes.

Taking a tit into his maw, he nipped at a nipple, pulled on the soft flesh, the breast distended far as he could manage. He released it then slapped Cozy's tit back in place, still connected to his mouth by a line of saliva. He bit at her other breast, clasped a buttock and slipped a finger up her asshole, groaned and hammered up into her, his thoughts far away.

Discontented, he yanked Diamond Tiara closer to them, slipped his fingers up between her inner thighs, and inside her with a wet schlick. She squirmed under his jabs, spatters of her juices washing over his hand each time he took her past the knuckle.

Cozy rested her palms on his chest and huffed. His horn lit, and he wrapped his aura around her clitoris, tweaked her love button until she mewled and writhed in desperate need. With a whinny and flush, she came first all over his lap in a messy spray.

Teeth clenched, he held back his release, determined to conquer Tiara first too. He fingered her faster, hand upturned so that he attacked her g-spot directly, and with a childish whine that matched Cozy's own, she squirted over his arm and clenched.

Satisfied, his flare, locked in Cozy's uterus, erupted. Repeated thick blasts battered her warm and wet confines.

The two spent mares went slack upon him. Their stud finished fulfilling their needs with nothing else on their mind but to continue pleasing him. He was a conqueror. He should be out there to lead his vast army.

But how could he, in his current condition?

Yet he needed to make a public appearance with his brides. His thoughts drifted to Somnambula, the hated traitor, and the priestesses she'd been forced to leave behind. He needed to punish someone, a scapegoat for his current condition, and either of her students would surely do.

He studied the pair and pondered; which of the two were of lesser value to him?

*****

Crunches sounded in the snowfall when Sombra and the rest of the party arrived near the Crystal Palace. With glowing horns and hands, he added his own power to the blast, trying to push forward. “Ugh, it's no use,” Oona called out to the others while holding out her dreamcatcher staff. “You'll never win through sheer force!”

Sunset nodded to Twilight and Flurry Heart, who touched down to aid the barrier they cast in concert. Spike swooped next to the Sphinx, and with a reluctant nod that went against her bestial instincts, she followed him down to the rest of the group.

“I see,” said Sunset, watching the windigos swirled above. “We wait for them to weaken.”

“We must remain untied," Oona reminded, taking hands to those closest to her.

“Very well.” After a moment, Somnambula chanted, and in a flash, retook her pegasus shape. She winced at a pain in her ribs but ignored the sharp stab. “I...forgive me, Sombra. It is wrong to blame you for this. Nor is it helpful.” Thuds sounded overhead, and the abominations repeatedly battered the invisible dome, their horrifying visages appearing briefly with each strike.

“It doesn't matter,” he replied. “Whoever is to blame, I must help put it right.” He shared a small smile with his apprentice and her sister. A certain warmth filled them all, soothed the bitterness that often ate at his heart, who he'd usually relied on Inky and Cerise to aid him. He'd come to depend on his family, who filled a hole he once tried to close in pursuit of power.

After what seemed like hours, the blizzard finally died away. The windigos withdrew, their eerie howls died out, and a clear blue sky opened up above them. Silence settled over the ghostly remains of the Crystal Empire, preserved in its abandoned state.

“There,” said Lady Ewe, who pointed at a nexus back to Equestria that swirled above.

Sombra drew his lips into a line. “Did you know this was here the whole time? Well, no matter.” Those who couldn't fly were carried by Spike and Somnambula, who retook the Sphinx form and lifted them onto her lean back, then hurtled up with him.

The rift shimmered and hummed. One-by-one, each resistance member phased through, where Stygian waited on the other side to make sure the Necronomicon remained open for them.

As the last member stepped out, the unicorn forced the book closed, and the portal dispatched. Everyone sighed in relief.

"We made it back!" Twilight exclaimed, hugging Sunset close to her who had rejoined her flesh in the glass coffin and rose. Neither cared that she was nude.

"Where's Sombra?" Spike asked, looking around. Ewe beamed before holding up the mask, a dark aura pulsating around it. "He's here. It'll be a while until he awakens, but he's safe," the Shepard insisted.

"Oh, thank goodness you're all here," Stygian said with a worried expression. "I don't know how long until the Pony of Shadow's sends Sombra's most immense armies to assail us. Fleur de Lis has been doing her best, keeping our location secret."

"Good on her then. Now that everyone's here, we'll need to form a new plan of attack. Fighting with Sombra's forces is inevitable." Spike sighed. "Wait a second.... Someone's missing."

Everyone looked up at each other in alarm before figuring out who was absent from the group. Bellatrix's eyes grew wide in fear.

"What happened to my sister?!"

*****

Beatrix found herself flung out from the portal; her body brushed into the sand. Spitting, she rose to discover that this wasn't the oasis. And that she came here alone.

"Mom? Sis?! Teacher? Ewe!?" She called out. Yet none of them were within sight—just innumerable dunes of sand and dusky wind. "What happened? How did I get separated?"

"Call it divine intervention," a sultry voice answered. Immediately, the witch whipped her head back to see the slender mare assassin wielding her halbert. Her skin-tight bodysuit looked ripped in places, expose her soft flesh and voluptuous form.

"Fleur!" Beatrix exclaimed before rushing towards her. "Where are we? How did I get here? What did you mean by-"

"We're not far off from the Oasis, don't worry. But there is something I must show you. Viens avec moi~!" The taller unicorn insisted, taking her hand and leading her down a sandy slope in the desert.

Beatrix felt exceptionally on edge. Despite knowing her for a while, Fleur never reached out to her in a friendly matter. Mostly due to her relationship with Sombra. So to have her now approach her about something boggled the witch. She looked too happy to see her.

'And is it me or do I hear a strange muttering?' She thought, hearing a small voice whispering from the busty mare. A strange smell of smoke hung in the air, causing her to cough.

"Ahh~ Here we are!" Fleur said, stepping away to show Beatrix her finding. But the younger unicorn only gazed with horror at the sight of so many charred corpses toppled over one another. And on each side of the pile were torches. Her astonished gaze wandered over the ground, only now noticing the blood stained in the sand.

"F-Fleur, what did you DO!?" She demanded, yanking her hand away.

"What I had to," she responded calmly, the smile she wore remaining. "Sombra's been sending spies around this area, looking for the group. I had no other choice but to dispose of them."

"But by burning them?! Don't you realize that they, too, are victims in all this?! This isn't Sombra's doing, it's the-"

"Open your eyes, Beatrix! He is the enemy! He will always be our enemy. The moment you let go of your feelings for him, you will see! He used me! Raped me! Took my beloved away from me! I longed for the day Fancy Pants would return to me."

"Fleur, look I--w-wait, what? What do you mean by that. Fancy is..."

A hollow of laughter erupted from Fleur's voice as her eyes leered down at the younger unicorn. "Fancy is here, Beatrix. Here, look~!" With a swift turn, the graceful unicorn flipped her mane up. And what Beatrix saw next caused her to scream.

Fancy Pant's face was embedded onto the side of Fleur de Les's neck, smiling as charismatically as he once did. Magenta energy glowed out from his eye sockets and mouth. "Charmed to see you again, Beatrix," his high pitched voice greeted. "It's been so long since we last talked."

"W-WHAT IS THIS!?" She screamed, stumbling down to her legs, unable to tear her eyes away from the grotesque sight.

"This is the gift bestowed upon us by the great Zeloph," the face distorted, making Fancy's grin wider. "He brought me back to my dear wife! Now, we are finally one once again."

"And forever~!" She giggled along with her husband.

"N-no! No, this isn't real! This can't be! You can't be doing this, Fleur! This is insane!"

"Relax, Beatrix! The time is upon us now," the unicorn noted as dark clouds began to form over the once sunny day. "The ritual must be complete. And soon, he will set us all free!" Fleur swayed her way to pick up both torches.

"NO! FLEUR, STOP!" Beatrix yelled, rising to put an end to this growing madness. But she found magic enveloping around her form to sit her back down. Fancy's horn glowed with his familiar aura and helped restrain her.

"Sorry my dear! But we can't have you getting in the way of all our hard work. Do try to relax~" He suggested before Fleur crossed over the torches and spoke an incantation, her eyes glowing that ominous ethereal glow.

"ℍ𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕒𝕙 𝕤𝕖𝕪𝕖, 𝕕𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕙𝕥𝕚𝕨 𝕤𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕔
𝕋𝕤𝕒𝕖𝕓 𝕕𝕖𝕙𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕨 𝕒 𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕔, 𝕨𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕓 𝕕𝕟𝕒 𝕖𝕧𝕠𝕓𝕒
𝔻𝕖𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕗 𝕤𝕕𝕟𝕚𝕞 𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕙𝕥, 𝕪𝕣𝕔 𝕤𝕝𝕦𝕠𝕤 𝕕𝕟𝕒𝕤𝕦𝕠𝕙𝕥 𝕒
𝕤𝕪𝕒𝕕 𝕗𝕠 𝕕𝕟𝕖 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕔, 𝕣𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕞𝕖 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕗𝕖𝕓 𝕕𝕟𝕒❕"

She chucked the torches onto the pier of burnt victims, setting them all on fire. Beatrix stared helplessly before the sound of screaming filled the air.

They were all still alive. Just incapacitated to the pier and unable to do anything but burn for the dark ritual. The fire erupted from the bodies before taking on the familiar magenta shade associated with Zeloph. The lick of flames also transformed, swirling around the smoke like leaves. The ashes and pieces joined the flurry as the light took form.

The wind blew over Beatrix, finally managing to break Fancy's hold on her, but continued to stare aimlessly into the light as a body took a step forth from the disintegrating ashes and bodies. The light dissolved, all the remnants of the slaughtered lost to the wind as the tall figure stumbled out from the empty pyre.

At once, Fleur knelt down before the enigmatic being. "The ritual is complete. You are free...Emperor Zeloph."

The form of a stallion stood tall, long midnight hair waving in the wind while wrapped around his beautiful lean body. The ends of each strand curled to resemble an octopus' tentacle. Feather wings unfurled from behind his back. The Vice Lord took a deep breath of the atmosphere around him before looking down at each hand. Eyes disappeared into his flesh. His gaze shifted to the treacherous unicorn, and a gentle smile spread his features.

"You've done well, lovers~" He praised before turning his attention to the speechless witch that gazed up to him. Confused and frightened, violet eyes were stuck staring into the magenta orbs of Zeloph, smiling down at the mare.

"Beatrix... S̴o͠ nic͞e ͝to f̵i͢nálly m͟ee͞t you͢~!"

Chapter 14

The sun was setting to the west of the desert, dark clouds nearly covering the skies. When Lady Oona first told her about the Vice Lords and the atrocities they've committed across the multiverse, Beatrix expected them to look like the Eldritch or Demiurge. Monstrous alien lifeforms that defied the laws of reality with their existence.

So then why did this one appear so beautiful?

Her heart was racing within her chest as the creature known as Zeloph stepped forward to her. Instinctively, she tried to scurry away in the sand. His deep blue hair swirled around his tall figure before he bent down before her, his magenta-filled eyes never once leaving hers. Never once blinking.

"You are afraid of me, aren't you," he stated while keeping his smile.

It took Beatrix a couple of seconds before finding her voice. "W-what kind of question-O-of course I am! Y-you're the shadow of humanity! The one behind my teacher's descent to madness! Why wouldn't I be afraid!?"

A light chuckle left his thin lips. "Can't help what feels natural, I suppose. I won't lie to you; I have done m̷͠a̢n̢y things you could consider atrocious. Rescrambling minds, corrupting hearts. It's hard to understand someone whose existence is to defy all things logical. However.... What if I presented a d̀įff̛͘͜eŕe͠nt̵̢ perspective? Would your heart be open to change~?"

Raising his hand, the particles of sand blowing around them in the wind began to form between his fingers. Confusion gave way to astonishment as a flower composed of glass formed. The light of the sun passed through its reflective surface; many colors shimmering off the petals. Zeloph reached his arm out to her, offering his gift.

"Is it not beautiful, Beatrix?" He asked again with a quirked eyebrow. "Or do you still think of me as nothing but a vile monster~?"

The witch stared for a long while at the flower, slowly taking it to marvel over its existence. It moved and bounced like it was organic, yet felt like the solid material that composed the plant.

But she shook off this wondrous feeling, her cheeks flourishing as her enemy stood up to his feet. And she reminded herself that he was the enemy, no matter how enigmatic or beautiful the form he took.

"You can't fool me, Zeloph," she insisted, rising while clutching the glass flower and shattering it to pieces, earning a frown from the primordial. "I know what you're after! Blinding me with flowers and riches will never sway me to your side. I won't allow you the last of the Necronomicon's power!"

"Oh, is that so~?" Zeloph questioned, stroking his chin curiously. "And what proof do you have that I'm trying to mind control you, hmm?" His response only made the witch angrier at his disregard for the reality around them.

"Look at what you've done to Fleur de Lis!" She bellowed, pointing to the assassin who rose an eyebrow while rubbing the face of her once deceased lover forming from her neck. "You've brainwashed her into summoning you! Worse of all, you fused a corpse into her body! How is that in any way feasible!?"

"What on earth are you talking about, Belladonna," Fleur interjected. "Zeloph did no such thing."

"W-what?! Of course, he did! How else would you agree with this...this..."

"Tsk, tsk. If there's one thing that I find annoying, it's when mortals refuse to accept the truth, especially when it's right in front of them." Zeloph sighed with disappointment before walking towards Fluer and Fancy Pants. "Contrary to what you believe, I hold no such ability. I can peer into the thoughts of many, heighten their primal emotions. But to take over a mind is... lsimply b̶̢e̕͢n̵͘͡e̡at̸̵̨h͏ ̢͘m͝e̴̡͘."

She stamped a foot. "You lie!"

"Oh, please, Beatrix! I know you're not so gullible as to believe everything Oona throws at you. If I really could warp your mind under my will, do you think you'd still be defying me~?"

Maddening as it was, what Zeloph said did make some sense. Sombra, at least the ones from other dimensions, we're guilty of using that method. Never once did he or monsters with similar magic use lies to get what they want. And as disgusted that she was at the nonsense he spewed, Zeloph sounded quite genuine. Still, as doubt began to cloud her, she would not lower her guard as the eldritch being placed his hands over Fleur's shoulders.

"Unlike your friends and comrades, it was me who gave Fleur de Lis the one thing she wanted most. Her l̶͘ov͏̛è̢͠r̵͟, alive and well and by her side. The circumstance of their union is, indeed, strange and unorthodox. But now, they can never be apart! Isn't life b̸̢̧̛͞é̸̕͡͡t͜͟͠t̸͢ę̸̴̨͞r̶̵͡ now knowing you and Fancy Pants will never be torn away~?" Zeloph asked as the slender mare nodded.

"It's nothing personal to you or the others, Beatrix. But I...I can never forgive Sombra for taking Fancy away from me. And for all of you to go on a rescue mission for that monster? I...I couldn't bear it!"

"But that's behind us," Fancy said, soothing his wife with his voice. "Now that we are together again, we can live life like before all this nonsense! Fighting with Spike or Sombra has only made the wars grow longer! But with Zeloph, we no longer need to live in fear of survival! No need for vengeance! No need for fighting! We can finally live in harmony!"

"H-harmony," Beatrix repeated slowly. It had been a word almost forgotten since the war with the Eldritch began years ago. And even today, this planet was nowhere near as harmonious with the threat of war between Spike and the Pony of Shadows. Nor the presence of the Vice Lord weaving his way between the lines of what was real or what was impossible. It couldn't be true, could it!

Was this all a misunderstanding? She learned Lady Ewe had her fair share of faults and mistakes. Was trapping Zeloph simply for existing one of them? Her head ached with uncertainty, clutching her temples.

"I understand it's a lot to consider," Zeloph chimed in, slowly approaching the witch. "Given my encounters with the others, they're quick to tell you I am dangerous. But now that the Necronomicon no longer holds me, I am free to flip the script to this story! You've mistaken my actions as evil. Apocalyptic, even. But I am not the catalyst that dooms humanity into insanity, Beatrix. No. I will become its s͘͠ą͘̕v͏̴̨i͢͡o͠r͏!"

"I-it's what?"

She flinched upon feeling his hand touch her shoulder. Where she expected a violent grip to affirm his superiority as a higher being, she felt only a gentle pet. Not unlike that of Lady Ewe. Her violet eyes gazed up into his shimmering gaze. An almost sorrowful expression replaced his smile.

"I have spent eons watching life form and evolve from this planet from within that tome. To see creatures give birth to new life, acquire new shapes, seek out new knowledge. I...I have been alone for so long, Beatrix. Even when I formed the Vice Lords with other spirits to merge our worlds, I've felt nothing but fear and hatred. All who saw me only saw a monster—the last remnant of a race that no longer exists in time. In watching and learning about this planet and the people who prosper, I coveted a chance to be one with you all. To belong! You understand what that's like, don't you? To want to belong somewhere in this space?"

The witch felt a warmth flow through her body as his fingers traced up to her cheek. In her mind, Lady Ewe's words echoed like an alarm, telling her to run. To not trust Zeloph or believe in his words. But her heart was heavily beating in her chest, empathy connecting the too strangers.

She felt her chest rest more into his hand, tears threatening to leave her eyes as Zeloph continued.

"You've traveled for so long, you've forgotten what it's like to live normally. Having witnessed so much death, destruction, and chaos in so many timelines, I must ask, w̶̡h̴̡̡e̛͝r͘e͝͏ ̴̕do̡e͡͞s ͏͟ì͜t̴͘ e̵̶n͜d͠͡? Time will never touch you, yet everyone you've ever known or love will perish eventually. And still, you'd give your life to save them! To help them in their time of need! That's what I admire about you! You've seen the good in people where others dread to look. You still fight to prove that Sombra can change to be the noble king and teacher you love! Won't you do the same for me?"

"W-what, I mean...yes, I've.... But how? W-why would-"

"Because you and I are the same. Don't you see, Beatrix? You, too, wish to be more than just the byproduct of the Necronomicon. Because no matter what your peers and family tell you, yo̡u ́nȩv͡e͢r ̧be̢li͞ev̸e̴d̵ th̀e̴y çoul̕d͏ se̸e ͞y͘ou̕ ͢as ̀ańyt̢h̛i̢n͏g ̧m͞ơre̶ t͝han ̢who͠ y͠o̢u ͜a̡re..."

"Believe in.... B-but I! Y-you're a.. .. I-I'm not.... I-I don't want," she whimpered, no longer able to keep a steady head or heart in front of the primordial being. Her head rested on his bare chest. Her tears stained her cheeks. "Why me? Why is the universe out to destroy me? I-I know I was made from the Necronomicon, but I've changed, haven't I?! I...I want to believe I belong with them. With my mother and father. My sister! My friends! My teachers! I want someone to see me!"

"I see you, Beatrix," Zeloph whispered, his forehead resting on hers. "I will always see you like the great and powerful witch that you are. Will you see me for who I am?" His hand reached to bring her hand to his chest, a heart beating just as fast as hers. "We could help each other. Show me what it means to be among you, and in return, I will help you find a place to call home. No more monsters. No more fighting. Just everlasting peace and happiness."

"Y-you can do that? B-but, how do I..?"

"All you need to do...is let me in," Zeloph murmured, his lips centimeters from touching her own. "Will you show me? Will you accept me?"

Beatrix hesitated, fear and excitement filling up her chest, her body succumbing to his advances. Leaning into him. Needing him.

Then she whispered, "...I will."

Their fates were sealed in a kiss. All at once, the world around them vanished as the two fell to the ground, deepening their connection. Their mouths kept touching and kissing one another; Beatrix feeling many hands remove her clothes, her hat, leaving her bare for his eyes to explore and take in.

Light gasps and moans left her mouth as she felt his mouth kiss and taste her bountiful breasts. It had been too long since she felt someone touch her in a way that wasn't just unbridled lust. To use her body like a condom to state their desires. She found Zeloph to be kissing at spots she didn't know were sensitive to the slightest touch as if trying to heal where it hurt. Tears continued to pour from her eyes while the Vice Lord ran his fingers slowly between her thighs, stroking and massaging her wettening clit and labia.

Nothing made sense to her anymore. How could someone she thought to be so evil be so gentle? Her form ached at the touch of something wet and long before realizing he was licking at her nectar. Memories began to race through her head.

Between her legs, Zeloph's form shifted to Lady Ewe, glitching into Sombra and then assuming the form of Shining Armor. All of the smiled lovingly at her before resuming to eat away at her marehood, making the witch cry out in pure euphoria.

"I-I...I can't~!" She panted, unsure if she just climaxed from the primordial being pleasuring her honey pot or not. "T-this... F-feels too good to be..."

"This feeling is yours and yours alone," Zeloph whispered, his long body crawling over the witch, his hair cascading around her like a curtain while petting her cheek. His eyes glimmered brightly while leaning back in to place a kiss. Beatrix's entire body lit up upon feeling something long and hard touch her nether lips. It dawned upon her that she never got a good look at the specter the dread emperor was packing between his legs, her hand trembling to reach and feel the throbbing organ. While it lacked in thickness, it made up in length from what she could trace with her fingers.

"Come with me, Beatrix. Let us embrace eternity together~!"

And with gentle prodding, Zeloph spread her pussy apart with the slow inspection of his member. Both of them hissed and mewled over the other, limbs entangling around each to pull the unicorn and primordial closer.

Beatrix gripped onto Zeloph's back tightly, each thrust of his length reaching the very back of her womb. She heard his moans muffle into the skin of her neck as his mouth latched onto it. The movements of their hips increased as a familiar pressure built inside Beatrix. Just as the throes of climax was about to hit her, her mind thought back to that little girl in the Necronomicon. Her sitting down under the tree to draw out all three of them together. But why now, did her thoughts turn back to the child?

Whatever sense she could make was lost as warmth erupted from between them. And in her mind, she saw flowers bloom and grow from her stomach. And yet despite the display, she felt a happiness bubble in her soul. She felt like laughing, crying even.

Zeloph let out a melodic sound while holding Beatrix closely to him. The pair gazed back hazily before capturing each other's lips as the world returned around them. It was as if time hadn't moved while the two shared intimate passion. As they pulled away, Beatrix stared up at her enigmatic lover, holding his head with her left hand, smiling up joyously into his magenta eyes.

"Zeloph, I-"

"LOOK OUT!"

Fleur's voice broke through the euphoria as a blast of magic stroke the primordial in the face, an inhuman screech roaring out from him as his body was flung off of Beatrix. Startled, Beatrix clutched herself before the sight of Lady Ewe and her sister came into view. The goat woman rushed to her side, protecting her friend in her woven sleeves. "O-Oona?" Beatrix said drowsily.

"Oh, Ceann Oga! Please forgive me. I was not fast enough. We didn't know where you were teleported from until fire shot up into the sky! Where did he-- NOO!!" Her eyes lit up in horror to discover not only was Beatrix naked, but white sticky essence was oozing from her slit. The dazed witch followed her gaze before realizing what transpired.

"Z-Zeloph and I..."

"A͘͠͡-̵͝A̷̶͢aá͢uǵ̨hn̛͘n̸̴͜e̷hę͢h͡e͏̧h͏̕͝~̡"

Both turned as the slender stallion stood up to his feet, a sickening cracking of bones as his limbs began to unravel. The entirety of Zeloph's stallion face had been blown off.

But instead of flesh or innards hanging off the side, a mass of tendrils wriggled wildly from the wound, and tiny eyes glowed brightly from within his head. All while the stallion side of his face formed a twisted expression of anger.

"Yo͘͘͞ư̷'̛ŕe̛̕ ͜͏́g͡e͢t͏҉̸t̷̢ìń̵g҉ ̵́̕o̷͟͢n͟ ̛m͝y̶͢ ̷͡n̵̨e̷͏r̨͜v̡̢̧e̶̢ś͘,͠͏͡ s̵h̷̛e͡e͠͏͝p̨!̧̕ ̛́I̵'̢̛͞ve ͝g̷̡͜r̴̢owń tí͡ŗ̵̀ȩd ̛of ҉̶y̢̡o͞u̢r҉̛ ̸c҉͘o͏̕n̴s̷̀́t̴̛a͞nt ̷҉̧įn̸̴̵t̷e̕͢r̷͡f̢er̨̛e̢͞ń͞c͝͠é̢̀!~!"

"I WILL NOT SEE YOU VICTORIOUS, DEMON!" Oona bellowed with rage. "I WILL NOT LET THIS WORLD FALL TO YOU!"

Mad laughter erupted from Zeloph's throat as his legs broke apart to reveal his long appendages, hundred of eyes fixated on the pair. Still, the monstrous Vice Lord did his best to maintain his form despite rows of jagged teeth morphing out his mouth. Beatrix let out a pained cry of horror, now realizing what she made passionate love with.

"Y̵ou ̛a̧re͞ ́y͡e̷ar͠s t̕oo ̧late͘ ̀to bè ̶t͠ryi͝n͞g̸ to̧ ̨stop̷ m̀e̸, ͟O͞ona! S҉o͠on͠, ̸th́is̢ ҉w̷o̵r͏ld̕ an̛d all ̀whó ͞ínhąbįt it w̨h͘i͠l͜e҉ co͘me to͟ em̷br͢ace̛ ̧me͢ - J͡u̶s̡t̷ as̸ ͠ỳo͏ur̀ P͜rot̕ege has͝~͟!"

"N-NO! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT. YOU TRICKED ME!" Beatrix sobbed. Her crying shifted a change in the eldritch abomination, his form shifting more and more back to the pony guise he wore. Zeloph wore a conflicted expression while rearranging his limbs and parts.

"What do you mean, my dear? I never deceive you! This is exactly what you wanted. Don't try and deny the emotions you and I shared! I͢ ̕k̷̡̛no͢͡͞w̵̢ ͝y̢o̷̶ư ̡͠śt̶̵i̵̕l̀҉l̶͝͏ ̴f͝e̕͜el ̷͞t̢heḿ̵!̢"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, FIEND!" Oona yelled, her staff flaring to fire orbs of arcane magic to destroy their target. But the tentacled terror was blindingly fast, squirming out of the blast radius. Not even when Bellatrix came flying at him did he allow any contact to be made. Fleur got between the party, much to the surprise and shock of Lady Ewe. "Fleur!? N-no.... Not you too!"

"You see, Beatrix? Feel her anger and hatred towards me?! Is this the kind mentor you look up to?" Zeloph snickered. "Not to worry, my Empress. We will reunite when the time is right. Until then, I'll keep close eyes on you. C̨ǫ̸͢me̴͠,͜͝ ̴̸L̴óv̵͘e̴̡rs!" Fleur nodded before the shadowy tendrils formed out from the ground, wrapping around the pair before returning to the earth below.

The three were left to the howling of the wind. Beatrix, through her tears, gazed up to her once gentle mentor. She was shaking, seething with wrath while gripping her staff tightly. Tears stained her cheeks as knelt, holding the witch tightly. "I-I am so sorry, my friend. I...I failed you," She sobbed as Beatrix held onto her, the two of them letting their anger and sadness flow between each other while Bellatrix gazed into the setting sun before muttering a single word.

"...Fuck."

*****

Another summit was called. Sombra made his first public appearance in some time, flanked by his elite guards, his brides, and their entourage. Blank, milky white eyes stared ahead, barely able to keep his eyes half-open in the sunlight that burned down on the capital. Several onlookers gasped at the state of him, and with the aid of his men, marched up to a podium.

He wanted to be close to his people, so they would see how the Crystal Heart had marred him. The Pony of Shadows continued to bristle in his flesh, almost driven out by the hated light. Yet he strained to restrain a smile that curled at the corner of his lip, determined to turn this setback to his benefit. The mobs crowded around them. “May I have everyone's attention, please?”

The chatter between the witnesses died down. He'd warned his brides and their handmaidens not to speak, lest he resumes their recent tortures. He raised a hand to his eyes. “Yes, gaze upon me and know that an alliance sympathizer nearly assassinated me!” He swept around the stage, letting the crowds witness him as they murmured amongst themselves. “And here, I ask, who among you would have the guile to commit such treachery!?”

Radiant Hope swallowed and looked between the twins. Would one of both of them now face execution?

His open hand swept over those on stage with him, his citizens watching with held breath before he finally pointed at the culprit. “You!”

“Wh-wha...?” Cozy Glow's heart nearly stopped, his attention and that of his guards focused on her.

“Somnambula acolytes, left behind to spy on me and give away our plan of action,” he explained to the conflicted crowd, wondering why he would target someone so young. “Understand my loyal subjects. While Diamond Tiara is guilty, there may be a chance to save her from this path and make her realize the error of following that insufferable priestess. But Cozy Glow has always been an opportunistic monster! She holds no loyalty to anyone and simply uses and discards them for her own accords! A ritual she prepared blinded and nearly killed me!”

“N-no, I'd never!” Cozy pleaded, taking a step back before tumbling. Boos and hisses emerged all around her. Few trusted her, tolerated her only because she'd been vouched for, and their resentment easily turned on her. Hatred was clear in their eyes.

His guards seized her scant garments and shredded them away. One clasped a collar and leash on her neck, one Inky used to let him use on her and Pacific Glow, and the pegasus was pushed off the stage and landed on all fours in a plume of dust before the masses. They spat and kicked at her, threw stones, cursed her. A whip snapped and lashed her back and buttocks.

“Ah-!” Skin tore under the strokes. Red abrasions painted her sore skin. A boot pressed atop her head, and she was forced to crawl, her breasts tender when they swung under her. The other women around Sombra watched in horror, unable to intervene.

“She does not deserve a swift death,” warned the tyrant. “I am not without my mercy, but I will not tolerate any more acts of deceit! Therefore, as punishment, she will be made an example to our enemies! Only until our message has been sent will I grant her death's kiss.” The guards herded Cozy at his command, who continued to weep and crawl on all fours, along the dusty streets.

They would run her ragged across the entire district. He fanned the flames of their hate, prepared them for the first wave of his invasion. Part of his army marched on the Crystal Empire, ready to conquer what had been denied Sombra.

Once his army found and fought the resistance, he would break Shining Armor, make his wife and child his own, and fully corrupt the Crystal Heart into his own instrument of destruction.

He could sense it somewhere, and Radiant Hope knew it was only a matter of time until he discovered it hidden within her chest.

*****

After their arrival back underneath the Badlands, Spike tried to settle back in. He visited his lovers and their children, now fully grown, thankful to see Ember and Smolder had kept up his home well in his absence. The ancient Dragon Lord armor was carried from the Necronomicon with him, a reminder that their recent journey wasn't merely a nightmare.

Shamefully his flesh still burned with lust all over. His first instinct was to rush to Rarity or Fluttershy, but instead, his eyes settled on Sunset Shimmer, still nude while she ran a palm over the smooth glass surface of the coffin that entombed her.

“Spike wants,” he growled lowly, barely able to restrain his instincts anymore. He removed his armor with a clatter, a hindrance between what he desired that made him snort in bestial frustration.

“Hey, Spike...huh?” She barely had time to turn to him before he scooped her up and slung her over a broad shoulder. “W-Whoa, easy there!” He repeatedly smacked her bare bottom with a palm in an attempt to put her in her place.

Her eyes went white when she stared into his soul. His recent thoughts flashed through her mind. Warnings from Somnambula that he needed to be sated constantly lest he succumbs wholly to his draconic instincts. Memories that were vague to her, when as a foal, she'd attempted to crack the egg he was housed in. Her first failure.

A painful memory, the momentary look of disappointment on Celestia's face, the start of her ambitions to surpass any caster that ever lived. Her wet eyes returned to normal, feeling more connected to him than ever before.

She could have been the 'Element of Magic.' Would she be happier that way? No, it was useless to think about that. “Okay, Spike,” she said with a grin when he carried her back to a private cove. “I'd usually prefer at least a pretense of romance, but I know you have needs, and well, I'll do what I can to fill them.” She allowed him to toss her onto a bed of sheets.

From the scents, she inhaled perfume. Likely Fleur de Lis' brand. “Hope she won't mind if we borrow this place,” she muttered, aware she could blink away at any time but didn't want to let him down. She smiled up at him, parted her thighs.

Wasting no time, rough claws squished at her supple flesh, and he pushed his wet, sticky cocks that were already swelled into her lower holes. She winced with a low moan, spread wide as he buried himself balls deep on the first thrust. Hot drool dripped onto her breasts, jaws closed around her neck, and she cast back her head with a cry, her warm body limp in submission.

Grunting, he pounded her against the wall. She rested her back against the smoother portion of the stone, clasped her limbs around him, quaked under the impact.

Lost to his needs, he took her without concern for her pleasure, but she clenched around him with a flush, having to admit in the heat of the moment being used solely for his pleasure strangely aroused her.

In his addled state, it didn't take long before he erupted. Groaning, he stared skyward with a snarl, hissed flame, and smoke between serrated teeth.

With a particularly violent pump, his seed spewed into his plush vessel.

Her stomach swelled, she whined, and her loins burned with squirts under the impact of his load that battered her womb's slippery confines. She pressed on him, crushed her soft tits on his muscular chest, biting his neck on instinct so hard that she drew blood. The flood of his release dribbled from her sex holes, glazed and sticky and shiny.

“Short and sweet,” she managed to mutter through her panting.

Spike's eyes refocused. “Sunset, I...I'm sorry.” He struggled to meet her gaze.

“Nothing to apologize for. Happy I can help! Could've turned out much worse, though. If you'd picked a girl who said no...”

“I know. I'd never forgive myself. Dragons don't mate the way ponies do. They conquer and dominate. I can't be like them, but I'm not a pony, either. I...always wondered if I belong anywhere.” He sat and held her to him, still buried in her.

Sunset smiled. “Your place is with your people. This will only get worse, though. You'd better try again with Oona Ewe.”

“Y-yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Normally it would be the least of his troubles, considering the situation. But if the Pony of Shadows really planned war on the alliance, he would need to lead his people, and it wouldn't do to be a slave to baser instincts. He cuddled her, stroked her mane, and shared his warmth.

Hopefully, he could repay her in her time of need, much like she had for him.

She laid her cheek on his chest with a smiled, closed her eyes, and curled her tail with his own. He wondered what could have been having she and Twilight swapped places in his life, but he was thankful he could have both of them in his life.

Yet he also knew she would return to the human world...if the alliance was able to deal with its latest troubles.

*****

A rattle sounded from behind bars. Radiant Hope approached the prison, who, like Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse, came to support Diamond Tiara, who, to her surprise, had been allowed to visit Cozy Glow. The 'traitor' was locked away in a private section of the pyramid, where the helmet-clad guards stood in eerie silent vigil.

The area was barely lit. The gray interior was barren save for a slab for a bed and a toilet. Cozy was left there naked, a chain around one ankle, her flesh and fur-covered in lacerations, bruises, and caked dried blood.

Diamond Tiara whimpered in sympathy and gripped the bars. “I'll save you,” she whispered. “Somehow.”

Cozy shook her head and looked away. “Face it. Somnambula abandoned us.”

“No! She wouldn't do that! At least, not by choice!” Tiara winced as her voice echoed with potentially treasonous words, but the soldiers stationed about the tunnel paid no attention. “She would have saved us if she could. I know it.”

Shrugging, Cozy fluffed her battered plume. “Maybe he's right. I'm not a hero. It's not in my nature. I didjoin up with the alliance because I wanted to survive. I probably would have been better off if I'd died with Tirek...” She sniffled at the memory.

“No! He changed you for the better! I know you're my friend!” She choked back soft sobs.

“Thanks.” Cozy pressed her wingspan over herself. “Shame that Chrysalis betrayed us. Imagine what Tirek and we could have accomplished with the alliance? Gee, I wonder if there's some dimension out there where we three actually became friends?”

“Probably. I'll ask Beatrix sometime when we see her,” replied Tiara, who was thankful to see her warm up a little.

Radiant approached beside her. “Don't give up hope. Let the devil take that from you, and he's won.” It was a miracle he didn't realize the Crystal Heart was in her.

Yet she pondered how long before he discovered the truth?

Muted footfalls sounded when Foal-Bearer strolled forward. “Visiting time is almost up.”

Wet Nurse nodded. “Take care of yourself, Cozy Glow. Much as you're able to, under the circumstances.”

Cozy Glow nodded and plopped onto the toilet's cool seat. “Thanks for coming to see me, Diamond Tiara. I don't have many friends.” She stared at a grimy wall. “Truth is, you're probably the only real one I have left.”

Cerise whispered, “What do we do now? Just wait around until...until...”

“I don't think there's anything we can do,” admitted Inky, who trotted alongside them from the dungeons. Escorted by the guards, they were taken back to their master's bed chambers, where he sat at a desk and stroked him sealed tome.

His milky eyes turned at the sound of their approach. Near him were his Orthros, less twisted now that the Crystal Heart's light had driven the darkness from them, but their snouts still drawn into snarls.

He dismissed the guards with a wave, the door closed behind them, and they waited in silence, certain that the usual abuses and humiliations were to come.

After a moment, he said, “Seat yourselves on the bed.” They did so, and he fingered the dried, stretched skin that layered his tome. “Cerise Silhouette. My lovely daughter.” Words which once would have made her brighten now caused her to shudder. “Like me, you've been infused with a portion of the Necronomicon's power. You can help me unlock the seal.”

“Me? I-I'm not very smart,” she admitted and took steps forward when he beckoned with his hand.

“More than you think. After all, Inky and I are your parents.” He leered with a hint of his fangs, cupped a palm around one of her heavy breasts, squished, and rolled it in circles. “I believe you can read the words written in the Necronomicon and this tome. The alien language of the Eldritch. You will help me unlock it, or else the twins will be put to death.”

“Do your worst,” said Foal-Bearer, who pursed her lips.

“Oh, I will. Boys?” The Orthros chained by him, snapped to obey. The duo padded over to the twins, sank their snouts between their thighs, lapped through the thin layer of silk, and tasted the plump labia lips, which made them involuntarily moan. “They could always choose another way to 'eat' you, at my whim. Ask the last stallion who disappointed me...”

Cerise shivered at the book's stretched to cover. “I-I'll do it.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Excellent.” He patted his lap.

She discarded the slip that clothed her, straddled him, stifled the curl of distaste that tried to mar her maw. Instead, she imagined that her beloved father was somewhere still in there, forced a smile on her lips, and wrapped her hands about his neck.

“Daddy,” she cooed with half-lidded eyes. “Why must you oppress us? S-Surely, you can find it in yourself to allow us to love you. Allow me to love you.” She pressed her chest to his.

He set aside the tome, brow furrowed in thought. “Very well. Show me this love.”

After a nod, she planted small pecks on his face, massaged her fingers into his taut shoulders. She recalled the books she'd read in secret about how to be sensual, to pleasure a stallion, and wrap him around your finger. But it was the only power she had. She wasn't strong, smart, or brave like the others, but she took pride in her body and would share her passions with him.

Hadn't her mother redeemed him through her adoration? Maybe there was a slim chance she could do the same?

He hissed through clenched teeth, her supple bosom crushed to his muscles, her groin warm and slightly wet on him. She took his hands, guided his palms to her chest when she drew back with a coy smirk, smoothed his hands down her curves, over the sides of her stomach, along her foal-bearing hips, and directed them to rest upon her shapely buttocks.

“You're our stud,” she murmured in a husky voice similar to the one Inky used on him, her breath hot in his inner ear. “And as such, isn't it your responsibility to look after your herd of concubines? Imagine us all; bellies swollen with your progeny, happily mewling, content to be your lovers, to serve you every need willingly. Can you picture that, my King?”

Unable to see her anymore, it was easy to picture what she offered. Behind them, the other mares stared wide-eyed, Cerise's flesh alight with neon splotches that appeared all over her charcoal fur and shifted about her.

His head swam, momentarily entranced by her charm. The tome beside them started to glow and hum, resonated with her, as it acted as a vector, and she subconsciously drew on the Necronomicon's power.

Her eyes went white, and she started to chant with him, alien words similar to those the Eldritch spoke. At the same time, their bodies moved on their own, entranced.

His erect member sunk into her lower lips, which parted to accept him. She moaned, and he groaned between their unintelligible words, her nails clawed into his back, skin torn and small splotches of scarlet running into his fur. “Oh daddy,” she wheezed between her strange babble. She moved atop him, gyrated her hips. “I-I desperately want to bear your foal-!”

A strange series of contradictions ate at his blackened heart, pleasant memories of Sombra's that confused him. Radiant Hope, his first love. His marriage to Inky Rose and the night they conceived. The birth of his children, where he'd looked upon his wife with pride, held them, one of the rare moments where he openly allowed himself to weep, that time in shameless joy.

More memories assaulted him—his shared history with Beatrix Belladonna and Bellatrix Primadonna. Pacific Glow, a lover who Inky introduced him to, who he'd fathered Cerise on only for her to end up reborn into, souls tethered together when he'd unknowingly utilized his connection to the black tome. They were all forever bound to the damned Necronomicon.

He crushed her to him, met her lips, and emptied himself into her. She whined and quivered in his grip, contented. The runes on his book shimmered and faded, broken by their words, and his eyes refocused, the room swimming back into view.

Huffing, he drew back his mouth, still connected by saliva. “H-how did you-?”

“I don't know,” she confessed. “Does it matter, daddy?” She felt his flare still locked in her, his seed swish in her belly.

Tears streaked down his cheeks. He didn't understand these feelings she aroused in him, which made him nauseous with a serenity unfamiliar to him. It was his nature to corrupt and consumed. She offered something completely alien to him.

Neither realized the hole left in his heart after the Crystal Heart filled him with its warmth, weakened the Pony of Shadows to the point it had almost driven the darkness from him. He'd since attempted to reclaim what he'd lost, only to now be offered something entirely new.

He still carried all the memories of Sombra and, with it, a nostalgic warmth for these mares he'd buried.

“I...must think.” Much as he hated to admit it, something was compelling about what she promised.

Yet events were already set in motion. Currently unable to participate in the invasion directly, he'd instead sent a son partially named for him in his place to carry on his legacy. Whatever path he chose, war with the alliance was assured.

*****

The army crossed the desert, an endless ocean of dunes. Sands swirled in the air, a whirlwind picked up the dehydrated carcasses of animals, and they rained down around the caravans, the soldiers forced to hide from the ceaseless batter that thumped around them and kicked up more dust. Armor gleamed under the sun's blazing heat that made the air twist.

“A foul omen,” said the stallion in charge. “Are we lost before we've truly begun?”

The son of Sombra and Inky Rose, Prince White Shadow Penumbra was charged with ruling a region under his father's nation. Now he was called upon to carry out his invasion into an ally's territory.

He accepted the task without question yet silently bristled at the idea, uncertain what game he played at. Spike wouldn't really betray them, would he?

Tall, lean, with wiry muscles below his golden cape, tunic, and pants, his coat and skin were alabaster as his namesake, with crimson eyes. A turban partially hid a black mane with a gray streak, and his boots brushed aside another animal that landed with a thump at his feet.

He knew his duty that the future of his country depended on his success.

They were forced to buckle down for well over an hour before the storm passed. He emptied the contents of his canteen, its coolness settled in his stomach, and he cast it aside. His fingers impatiently fingered the sword sheathed at his hip.

“General,” came a feminine voice at his side. “There's a blockade ahead! Want me to remove it?”

“Lieutenant,” he answered back to Lily Longsocks. He remembered when she was a mere cadet who had rapidly risen through the ranks, an unknown soldier who'd fought with the alliance, only to settle in his homeland after the Eldritch was terminated. Her bright purple hair was pulled into two short pigtails and contrasted her light pink coat, her eyes aquamarine.

She dressed in a simple tunic, skirt, and sandals, were lithe, athletic form well-toned. Excitedly she pointed at the mass skeleton of a dragon half-buried in the sands.” I...I could easilyremove it,” she said with a bashful grin and poked at her chin.

“As you please. I trust your judgment,” he answered with a nod.

She hopped with joy, strutted over to the impediment, and effortlessly lifted the bleached bones over her head. The troops gasped and broke into hushed chatter, and she tossed it aside, dusting her hands with a blush as the land quaked.

“Time to move out,” he commanded his men, who hushed up immediately and fell in formation. “Let's make our homeland proud!” She fell in beside him, stayed close to his side as she could professionally dare.

He wasn't a unicorn like his father, but a pegasus like his mother, born to be an athlete and a soldier, or so he assumed. Most of the time, he kept him plume neatly folded behind him until it was needed.

Most of his life had been spent trying to prove himself, ambitious as his parents, his costume designed to his specification by Inky Rose, who smiled upon her son.

Like her, he stood out. But he was born to fame and potential glory and volunteered to serve his nation directly, partially to prove to everyone that he was willing to take risks and made sacrifices even though he could have easily lived a life of luxury.

She had always been freakishly strong, even by earth pony standards, the fact that Diamond Tiara once mocked her for, and while she'd long forgiven Tiara, aware she was embarrassed and ashamed of her past, the harsh words still stung.

Yet by his side, she was another respect soldier who'd earned her place. He treated her professionally, aware he couldn't show her favoritism despite her rank or what she obviously felt for him, but he was thankful to have her at his side.

Their march resumed, and they trekked ever closer to their destination, the Crystal Empire. He bore Shining Armor and Cadance no ill-will. Yet, for the sake of his people, he would bring their lands to heel.

Perhaps, if fortune favored him, he would be able to cross swords with the Paladin directly.

Chapter 15

Doubt and dismay hung in the air over the alliance. It had been half an hour since Lady Ewe and Bellatrix left to find Beatrix, impatient over Twilight and Sunset's inability to trace her magical signature. Somnambula was perhaps the most worried, tapping her fingers against her side of the table at her side of the table. "Lady Ewe rarely acts this rashly," Somnambula stated. "I suspect her experience in the Necronomicon has weighed on her mind more than she cares to admit. Same with Bellatrix..." She checked the bandages wrapped over her side, her wound having reopened upon retaking her pegasus shape. “Her ability to heal has also weakened considerably."

"What do you mean by weakened?" Sunset asked with a quirked brow and folded arms.

The priestess met her reflection in the glass. "I am not sure exactly, but it felt like her demonic nature had returned to take back control.”

“That's a bit of a leap, don't you think?” A confined voice spoke up. Sunset turned to the others gathered around the table. On one side of the table were Spike, Ember, and Smolder. The other side hosted Somnabula, Trixie, Stygian, and the hovering mask that contained Sombra's soul.

Not long after they left, Sombra's spirit awakened, the sockets glowing his signature green eyes and purple wisps while dark shadowy energy burned around the wooden frame. Needless to say, he was not happy being restricted to such a feeble form nor what had happened during his transfer.

"Surely, you were sensing things. A lot can happen when stuck in that infernal place for so long," the mask growled.

“It was more than that,” insisted Somnambula. “I saw her eyes light up like ambers the moment she realized her sister was in trouble. It was only brief, but I know what I felt. I nearly lost myself in my Sphinx form a while ago.” She shivered, lips etched in a frown.

"If it is true, then we'll need a spell to better stabilize her holy magic," Stygian added in. "Who knows what'll happen to her if she reverts to her original state."

“That's debatable," Ember responded with crossed arms. "We don't know anything about these outsiders or where they came from! How can we trust them?"

“We can,” Sunset reassured. “Beatrix and Bellatrix were key figures in helping us beat the Eldritch. And Lady Ewe is certainly benevolent. If not for her, we wouldn't have been aware of Zeloph.”

Smolder leaned into her claws, scratching at her chin in thought. “But that's the thing. What if it's because of her that this villain became free? If she hadn't come along, what if this Zeloph never manifested? I'm not saying Oona's bad, but she should be responsible since he came from her side of the universe.”

“I agree,” decided Twilight with a firm nod. "But from what I've seen, she means well. As long as she not causing harm to us, she's welcome here."

Spike added his voice to the conversation. "A friend of Beatrix is a friend of mine. And hey, at least we got to keep some souvenirs from our trip!” He proclaimed, smacking the chest plate of his armor proudly.

“It suits you,” said Ember, who grinned and admired the way it accentuated his physique. “I remember the legends about that armor. It's said to have come from the first Dragon Lord, whose ancient bones were forged into the plates after his death.”

Smolder scoffed. “Sounds a little far-fetched, but it's true lots of secrets about our race have been lost! I hate to say it, but dragons usually didn't bother with keeping records. They liked to constantly fight, mate, and eat.” She shrugged.

“A simple yet rewarding existence. Oh, how I envy it,” said Somnambula, who appeared forlorn.

“Hmm. Does anyone find it strange Fleur de Lis hasn't joined us?” Stygian asked, looking around the cave. “No one's seen her since she went on patrol.”

"That is a little worrisome, but we can try tracing her magical signature if needed,” Sunset acknowledged, placing her hand over his. “Of course, that might be difficult if she hasn't cast a spell recently. But she should be at Fancy Pant's grave; she goes there nearly every day.”

“The poor mare. I know that level of obsession well,” admitted Stygian with a sigh.

"It's my fault," confessed Sombra. "I forced her into committing horrible actions, simply to sate my ego. I don't blame her pinning responsibility on me for her husband's death. When I retrieve my body, that will be the first mistake I seek to remedy."

Stygian said, “Speaking of which, we should focus our attention to the most pressing matter at the moment; the Pony of Shadows. As we speak, he's assembling his armies to begin a full-scale invasion to alliance lands.”

In preparation, Ember and Smolder had rounded up and prepared their soldiers, armed with the leftover weapons and armor that Rarity and Sweetie Belle had enchanted during their war with the Eldritch.

Unfortunately, the dragonesses feared that peacetime had made a number of them soft, and with quite a few retired, their current standing army was not much to speak of.

Spike's first instinct was to call on Ocellus for aid but reminded himself the changeling hive was still low in numbers, as despite constant breeding since they were uncovered after the Eldritch war, they had started so small in numbers they verged on extinction. To drag them into another conflict could mean their doom.

Nor was the Crystal Empire a much better option since the Crystal Ponies were similarly few in number and struggled to maintain their region without the Crystal Heart's aid.

Distasteful as he found mercenaries, he realized they might be the best option to bolster their forces. He stood tall, his chest puffed out. "Our numbers are low, yes. But we must remain diligent. We've always found ourselves in sticky situations like this. And each time, we come out victorious! As long as I draw breath, I won't allow more destruction to our home. Not from the Pony of Shadows, the Eldritch, Zeloph, whoever! As long as we fight this together, we-"

His speech was interrupted by the flurry of wingbeats. Everyone turned to see Bellatrix swoop in from outside the mouth of the cave, with Lady Ewe marching her way inside.

"Oh good, you're back! Did you find-" Spike greeted, but the goat woman just pushed her way past the Dragon Lord, much to his confusion. Her eyes leered at the floating mask.

"Good, you are awake. We have much to talk about. Now." She snorted, stomping her staff into the ground as a brief glow terminated from the sapphire jewel. Before Sombra could respond, his spiritual aura was sucked right back into the mask as it fell onto the table. Oona took it and headed to the darker parts of the cave, leaving everyone bewildered.

"What's gotten into her?" Sunset asked the angelic Bellatrix, who kept her gaze averted while rubbing feverishly at her forearm.

"Did you find her? Where is she?! Where is my daughter?" Trixie demanded, rising from her seat.

"She's safe now," confirmed Bellatrix bitterly. "She's in the garden, wanting to be alone. I suggest not visiting her right now."

"Why, what happened?" Spike asked, desperate for answers.

Her grip tightened as she looked up at the audience of alliance members. "W-we.... We were too late. By the time we had gotten there...Zeloph had taken a physical form."

"What!?"

"Oh, no! Was that the reason the sky lit up in flames earlier?" Stygian asked, to which she nodded.

"Oh, if that slithery bastard tried to harm my little hellspawn, I will find a way to inherit Beatrix's powers just so I can murder him over and over again!" Trixie seethed.

"He... did worse. So much worse," the angel wept, recalling the expression and actions just as they got over the dune. How closely entangled the pair were while melding their hips into one another. "H-he... He was on top of her, kissing her....taking her..."

"No... No, no, no, NO! NOT WITH MY DAUGHTER!" Trixie bellowed in rage, slamming her fist into the table with enough force to form a crack into it. The rest of the room was deathly silent, unable to comprehend what they just heard.

"Let's not get overworked by this," Spike said through heated breaths. "There have been many times each of us was manipulated into using our bodies for lustful needs."

"You don't understand, Spike!" Bellatrix snapped. "You weren't there. You didn't see the way that...thingwas using to her! He didn't force himself onto her like an eldritch beast or other foes! He was...different. Soft and gentle, holding her in a tight embrace. Kissing her like they were in love..."

"No, that is still rape!" Trixie insisted, wiping the tears off her puffed cheeks. "He can call it however he wants, but that son of bitch is dying for tricking my daughter into fucking him."

"You said that Zeloph assumed a mortal form, right?" Twilight added in to try and defuse the tension. "Shouldn't that mean he's more vulnerable now? You'd think an entity with the ability to mess with minds would remain intangible."

"Oona has stated many times Zeloph is a force we cannot hope to comprehend or reason with. Surely, his newfound mortality has a purpose. And whatever it is, it cannot be good," Sonmabula suggested. "We should check up on her when she is not...troubled."

"There's something else," Bellatrix continued after taking a moment to calm her breathing. "Fleur de Lis has betrayed us. She was responsible for Zeloph's physical appearance."

"No, you're kidding me!" Spike growled, slamming his fist into the table. "Ugh, he must have been brainwashing her while we were in the Necronomicon! FUCK!"

"She was very vulnerable," Stigyan noted begrudgingly. "This Zeloph.... This creature of pure madness. He is undoubtedly powerful and persuasive. If only there was a way to better understand how his tactics work." Bellatrix tensed up for a bit, remembering her own encounter with the primordial being.

"So how do we approach this now?!" Smolder came in with a snarl. "If we're not busy with one bad guy, we have to worry about another! And what's stopping Zeloph from teaming up with the Pony of Shadows! Ugh, we're at a major disadvantage here, and not one of us has come up with any good ideas!"

"Calm yourself, Smolder," Ember said in a stoic tone. "It is as Lord Spike said, we have always found a way to overcome the odds. Right now, we need to worry about the invading forces. We don't have enough information about Zeloph, his whereabouts, or what he's planning. We'll have to worry about him later."

That much was agreed upon. The news regarding Beatrix, Zeloph, and Fleur was disheartening. But to give up on hope now would ensure the end of Equestria as they know it. For now, the best course of action was to consider every strategy they had.

And hope their allies would take their time to properly regroup for the battle ahead.

*****

Sombra rose up with a startled breath. He looked down to see that his body was intact. Or at least, his spiritual body. Looking around, the realm before him was cloudy with harsh winds whirling around. The once flourishing fields of grass and flora had mellowed down. And as he stood up from his spot, he was greeted with the seething glare of the Dream Shepard. The painted symbols on her cheeks glowed harshly.

"Could you perhaps warn me the next time you plan on taking me back to the Dreamscape?" He requested, unamused. "It's bad enough I have limited access to my magic while embedded to the mask, but having what's left of my spirit being pulled around is ju-"

"This is all your fault," she spat at him. "Why did I allow myself to believe that you could change for the better? Because of you, so many lives are in danger!"

"That is hardly fair!" Sombra said defensively. "I understand myself better than anyone. I know where I've failed and where I've struggled. But to use me as a scapegoat for your own weakness will not solve anything, Oona Ewe."

"SILENCE!" The goat woman bellowed, lightning splitting the sky as the strong winds blew faster around them. "Beatrix is bewitched by you, and you tossed her aside like rubbish! How much more will you take until that poor girl is a hollow shell!?"

"You think I don't know that!? I'm constantly reminded of how many atrocities I've caused. I am overwhelmed with guilt that I let a monster steal my body and ruin the lives of my wife and daughter! I am constantly berating myself for leading Beatrix into danger! She is not just your student. I am just as responsible for her as you are!"

"Do not talk to me about responsibility! Do you not know how exhausting it is to sit idly by helping lost souls find new hope?! To watch my friend get hurt and scarred by the people she trusts!? I can't...take it." Her anger finally manifested into tears as she sunk against her staff, clutching it for dear life while trying desperately to fight off the sobs in her throat.

Whatever witty response Sombra was thinking died upon seeing the once gentle and wise Shepard fling herself into a downward spiral. He approached her but kept his distance. "What happened, Oona? What happened to our student?"

Struggling to find breaths, she sputtered her words before clearing her throat. "Zeloph has tainted her, Sombra. He made her believe he felt for her and tricked her into copulating. If I had acted sooner, maybe I would have...augh!" She bawled, her shoulders jerking with every crying pant. "What has happened to me? Why do I feel so violent and angry!? Why have I allowed these emotions to rule me?"

"Jealousy and hatred," Sombra nodded, knowing those emotions too well. "You love her so much, don't you? I can tell by the way you've glared at me whenever she clings to me or asks for my approval. And because you tried to hide it, Zeloph exploited it in the worst way."

"I shouldn't have gotten so close to her," she said harshly. "For so long, I have remained in control, to not let myself grow attached to each person I meet. But she...she understood me. She saw me as someone inspiring. She looked up to me, trusted me to guide her! A-and I failed her.... As a teacher.... As a friend. How can I call myself a Shepard if I cannot protect even one soul?"

The wind had finally died down, just a light breeze flowing past them. Sombra was about to reach out and reassure the poor goat but stopped as something manifested from the fog. The grass rustled behind Oona as a new voice spoke, "There is such anger in your heart, old friend."

Her form snapped up, her eyes widening at the familiar tone before turning around. There stood the ethereal shape of a large wolf, light purple fur dancing in the wind. Silvery markings similar to her own were painted over its arms, back, and muzzle. Icy blue eyes shimmered like a pool, nearly showing the goat woman's reflection.

"Lyka..." She exclaimed with shallow breath. "It's you! H-how did you get here?"

"Your scent was not that hard to follow, Oona," the spirit answered in a low husky voice. "But I sensed a disturbance while wandering near the dream realm. At first, I thought a daemon was preying upon a lost soul. But to my surprise, the turmoil came from you, Sean Chara. What has caused you such distress?"

"I.... It's a long story, but," the Shepard cleared her throat once more. Sombra remained silent, not wanting to get between this spiritual reunion of sorts. Whoever this Lyka was, it was clear they meant a lot to Lady Ewe. "Zeloph has emerged in the world of Equestria. I do not know yet what he plans, but for him to make a physical appearance means a great calamity!"

The wolf nodded. "So the Pale Emperor has his sights on Equestria, aye? Very scary. And is this how you plan to overcome him?"

"N-no, I'm just...I'm scared and hurt and alone, and I don't know what to do!" She confessed, her grip tightening again. "Please, I'm pleading with you, Sean Chara. I need help..."

"I understand your state of mind, Oona. But you know better than anyone else that you cannot hope to save another soul if you cannot save your own. You must allow yourself to heal. To forgive." Lyka gestured his head towards Sombra, who backed up slightly. Oona followed the gaze before looking down, ashamed of herself. "You do not wear anger well. Not with a face so kind and tender."

"Of course.... Zeloph is the bigger threat, but I've let my anger and jealousy for Sombra blind me. I feel so...silly," she chuckled sadly. "I've been a Dream Shepard for how long, and I've forgotten the most basic of solutions. Athair would be scolding me..."

"Heh. To rely on the basics means there is still room for growth," Lyka reassured, gently resting his snout into her face, making the teary-eyed goat hug his face tightly to hers. "If your father was here, he'd be proud of you for what you've done. For how far you've come in helping Beatrix Belladonna. Go to her, Sean Chara. She needs you. Both of you."

Sombra looked uncertain over these spiritual presences but couldn't agree more with the sentiment. His pupil was suffering at the hands of these monsters. Limited as he was, he would do everything he could to make sure Beatrix, his family, and everyone would come out of this impending doom alive.

"I will.... Thank you so much, Lyka," Ewe said graciously as the large lupine spirit pulled away, the wind howling around his form as it began to evaporate. "W-wait! You are leaving? Can you not stay and help us?"

"I am sorry, Oona. As much as I want to, this isn't my fight. I am needed elsewhere. But there is still hope for you. Winter is harsh, but spring will eventually come after. Anyone can be redeemed," the wolf said, his piercing gaze briefly falling on Sombra, who tilted his head puzzled at what he could mean. "And remember; we are never apart. We will always be with you." With a long howl, Lyka's spirit ascended back into the starry sky. The clouds had cleared up, showing beautiful constellations of different stars of colors.

Lady Ewe gazed up for a while before turning back to Sombra, a serene smile returning to her features. With a deep breath and her spirits renewed, she bowed her head to the dark stallion. "I hope you can forgive my animosity towards you, Sombra. You are not as dark as it seems; I see it now. You and I only wish the best for our student and...I would be happy to guide her alongside you."

"No...the honor is mine," the former tyrant smiled, offering his hand to her. "I've forgotten what it's like to have people in your life, to look up and depend on you. I let my selfishness and desires get the better of me, and it cost me my body. I will not let it cost me the people I want to protect. And if benevolent spirits like you and that wolf exist, then our victory can be guaranteed."

Ewe felt her cheek rise in color before accepting the handshake. With her conscience now clear and her previous feelings cast aside, she could finally understand why so many were easily smitten by Sombra. His rugged face and lean frame were very appealing. But now wasn't the time to get distracted.

"Come, Sombra. Beatrix is at the garden."

*****

Making camp in the wastelands near the desert's edge, White Shadow Penumbra retired to his tent. Some of his troops played cards, forbidden to drink or whore on duty, as he knew without proper discipline they would be no match for Shining Armor's numbers. He reminded himself that the Paladin was a hero of the alliance who took down the malicious Queen Chrysalis.

Seated atop his bedroll, he studied a map by the lamplight. His eyes rose to meet a feminine silhouette that hovered outside. “Come in, lieutenant,” he stated if a soft but firm voice, and after a moment, the flap opened, and Lily Longsocks slipped inside.

“Uh, H-hey! I mean, General, sir!” She snapped to attention and saluted.

“At ease, Lieutenant. Please, have a seat.” He nodded to an empty space on the bedroll.

With a blush, she settled down across from him. “White Shadow Penumbra-”

“Ugh, please! My full name isn't necessary. Just Penumbra will do. My parents always had a flair for the dramatic.” His expression was neutral, and he noted the way she studied him, barely able to hold his gaze, the way her lips twitched to hold her coy smile. It was obvious from her posture she adored him. Yet he hesitated to reciprocate, certain that would be unprofessional.

Had his father similarly courted his mother? Inky had been a scout for the alliance, from what he understood. His half-sister, Cerise Silhouette, a product of a union with a dancer named Pacific Glow, who he'd unfortunately never be able to meet. History claimed his father had once simply taken what he'd wanted, that knowledge mostly lost after the Eldritch invasion.

He kept his insistence until Inky finally gave in and told him the truth. That his father was once a brutal tyrant, who'd executed and tortured many, taken what mares he wanted from their husbands, and meddled in the most forbidden dark arts to become a devil.

She'd softly wept as she told her tale, and he'd held her, ashamed he'd forced that out of her. Guilt gnawed at him even now. But he decided it was better to know the truth and swore whatever happened, he would never end up like him.

“Penumbra. Er, I thought m-maybe you'd like some company?” She twirled the tip of a short pigtail.

“That I would. I take it you can't sleep, either.” She shook her head and, after a drink from his canteen, he offered it to her. Her flush deepened, and she drank after him. “I hope I haven't set a poor example.”

“Not at all!” She drained the drink and wiped her lips on the back of her hand. Burping, she burned brighter and covered her mouth. “S-so...what do you plan to do after this war ends? Do you plan to settle down with a mare?” She swallowed hard.

“I haven't decided yet. I don't have anyone back home,” he admitted and her smile reflexively widened.

He started to take the canteen from her, and she placed her hand atop his, unable to keep herself from trembling. “I...I don't have someone either,” she whispered and subtly batted her lashes. “Would you, you know-”

“I'm your commander,” he reminded her with a stern expression. “It would be wrong to-”

“Perhaps, but maybe I want to make my own decision! Maybe Iwant this.” She gripped his hand. “I've had plenty of relationships, but most stallions become too insecure with a mare my size and strength! Not my fault I was born a brick house!”

Uncertain whether he should encourage her, he nonetheless said, “That's why I admire you, Lily. I don't think you're weird at all. You beautiful in your own way.”

Afraid she would lose her nerve, Lily pressed herself to him and met his snout. She was warm and velvet soft, their garments so thin he could feel her smoothness pressed on his muscles, her fingers digging into his upper back. He gulped, breathed in her subdued spiced perfume, felt his loins heat.

He'd denied himself female company for too long, married to his duty. It didn't help that most women sought him for his position. But he sensed she was different.

Gently he pushed her back. “No, not now. It's too soon for this. We're on the brink of war, we haven't even gone on a date, and-”

“We might not make it back from this campaign!” She pleaded desperately. “I don't want to have any regrets!” She grabbed his hand, placed it on her thigh, which was silky and warm despite how thick with muscles they were. "Please, make love to me!"

It took him a moment to pull away. “No. We can't rush this.” Seeing she was on the verge of tears, he cupped her cheek and drew him to her, felt the tremor of her heart. “I want to know a mare before I'm with them. Stay with me tonight. Tell me about yourself. I can start if that's easier for you." He took a breath. "I've been trying to live up to my father's legacy ever since I came of age.”

She met his eyes and nodded, listened intently to his life story. How some accused his family of nepotism, despite how hard he'd worked. That his hobbies mostly focused on learning Equestria's history, like he wanted a return to a bygone age.

Although he couldn't bring himself to share his doubts about this campaign. A loss of morale could prove fatal to his forces.

*****

On their return to the Badlands, Lady Ewe reemerged from the darkness of the cave, Sombra's mask floating by her side. Spike was the first to raise up and try to greet her again. "Lady Ewe, I hope everything is well!"

"Yes, I am much better, thank you." She nodded. "I apologize for my brashness. I let Zeloph's wickedness get the better of me. I will join you in discussing the best way to approach this, but I must tend to Beatrix for right now." The Dragon Lord nodded, stepping aside to let the Dream Shepard pass. But not before she paused, taking a breath before looking back to Spike. "A-and, let me know the next time you feel the need to rut," she responded, blushing hotly before picking up her pace and leaving for the gardens. Spike looked back to the table, some mares looking a bit envious while others were glad that he could potentially increase his longevity. All the big dragon could do in response was grin sheepishly.

Racing around the gardens, past areas where mares mostly swam or sunbathed in the nude, she asked around and finally tracked Beatrix to a cove. Cautiously she entered and heard the faint echo of choked sobs. Sombra felt a wave of regret, wishing he could have done something to prevent this sadness.

Their shadows lined the moss-covered rocks, dim light spilling in. “Ceann Oga-”

“Go away.” It was a flat statement without resentment. “I...I don't want you to see me like this...”

“Please, don't turn me away.” She waited a moment, then moved closer. Beatrix sat huddled up with her back to her, head bowed forward under her hat, hands around her knees drawn to her chest.

“I messed up again,” whimpered Beatrix. “I allowed myself to fall for Zeloph's deception. It felt...good. Like I finally belonged somewhere. And then he tore it away the moment the illusion faded! I'm so stupid, I should just leave here. I've done enough damage to everyone.”

“That's why I'm here, Beatrix. To help prevent further devastation.” She edged closer, placed a hand on Belladonna's shoulder, who trembled. “Say you went through with your feelings and ran away. What good would that do? Would you forsake this world to the Pony of Shadows to conquer? Or allow Zeloph to carry out his fiendish designs?”

“I can't go anywhere without Bellatrix. And I doubt she wants to stay here either.” She lifted her face with a long sigh, her eyes pink through tears. “I already doomed this land once, when the Eldritch followed me here-”

“No. If not this Equestria, it would have been another. The Eldritch never would have stopped chasing you. But had you not shown up, Sombra would still be a tyrant. It was because of you that you changed him to a better stallion. Isn't that right?"

Beatrix's eyes widened, turning to see the floating mask as Sombra's voice echoed. "Indeed. I may not be in a good spot right now, but I've held onto the kindness and love you've shown me. I fear I would have been lost to darkness had you not come into my life."

Beatrix was speechless, trying harder to not cry in front of her two teachers before hugging the mask to her chest.

"You see, Ceann Oga? Your friends and family are certainly thankful to see you. As am I.”

Beatrix licked her dry lips and whispered, “How...can I set this right?”

“We'll do it together.” She drew the witch into her embrace, allowed her to sob her eyes out on her bosom until she couldn't cry anymore, stroked her mane, and patted her back.

The mask of Sombra flew up from their reach. "I'll leave you to it. I'm sure the rest of the alliance will need me." The two nodded as the mask levitated away.

“Now then, there are things we must go over and take care of.”

Sniffling, Beatrix stared up at her and nodded. “We have to save Fleur. She might not have much time with Fancy's decomposing body fused inside her!”

“We will. I promise.” Clutching her dreamcatcher staff, Oona helped the witch back to her feet, determination clear on her face. "Right now, It's time I teach you how to use arcane magic."

*****

Cerise Silhouette dutifully tended to her father, who confined himself to his bed in an attempt to recover. His blurred vision struggled to focus on her as she refilled his goblet with wine. Near a pitcher on the dresser sat his tome, which she would read to him at his instructions.

He clasped her wrist and reminded her, “There must be no mistakes.”

“There won't be, daddy. I promise.” She gulped and managed to say, “W...what about Cozy Glow?”

“She will be executed publicly by the end of the week to further bolster morale,” he said without looking at her.

“No! I-I mean, is that really necessary?” She took his palm and placed it over her heart. “Please. She's important to me.”

He turned to her. “How so? You hardly know her, really. Sure, she's always been a part of our court, but how often have you interacted with her? More importantly, to turn back on my word now will make me appear weak before people.”

“You're the greatest wielder of the dark arts ever, aren't you? You could easily fake it! Please.” Her eyes watered, and she trembled under his touch. “Simply banish her. Do it, for me, because I love you, daddy.”

He pursed his snout. “Cozy Glow knows too many of our secrets. And she's too well known. What if someone happens upon her and makes this ruse obvious? I will spare her...if you do something for me. She'll be used to help open a connection to the Necronomicon.” Lifting up his book, he opened it, the seal broken through their combined efforts when they'd made love.

“You...you want to banish her into it?! But it's almost certain she'll die on her own!”

Drawing her to him, his murky stare met hers. “I'm not known for mercy,” reminded the Pony of Shadows. “This is the best I can offer. Take it or leave it.” After a moment, she reluctantly nodded, and he smiled with a stroke of her mane. “Good.”

After she was dismissed, Cerise joined back up with her allies in the hallway, who, like her, were pardoned for the moment and allowed a certain amount of freedom to roam about under the watch of his elite guards. Once she shared her plan, Diamond Tiara said, “Ask him to send me with her! I-I can't bear to think Cozy Glow will be lost there on her own...”

“I'll try,” replied Cerise, who chewed her lower lip.

Through her efforts, she'd partially reached the Pony of Shadows, aided by the Crystal Heart, who'd forced the creature to focus on the memories of the flesh it inhabited. He could no longer deny his feelings towards them, particularly his wife and daughter.

In turn, Cerise's own powers continued to evolve. She, too, was able to tap into a small part of the Necronomicon, usually whenever she danced. She was now tied to the grimoire like Sombra, Beatrix, and Bellatrix, which made her wonder, what would happen to them after they died?

Would they all be denied a peaceful afterlife, their souls condemned to a cursed book...?

*****

The sun began to rise from the west. Fleur de Lis stood outside the entrance to a cave, one that tunneled below the sand. By now, her flesh had become paler, with Fancy's skin growing more grey. His head had fully formed out from her neck, resting comfortably on her shoulder. One hand was petting and caressing his cheek while he nuzzled against her own.

"Are you almost finished down there?" She asked, turning her had into the cave's mouth.

"Just a moment, lovers. I'm almost done," his voice echoed. And after a few more minutes, the tall, slender shape of Zeloph emerged from the cave. His form had recovered from Ewe's attack, his stallion visage restored. New pale robes adorned his figure, draping down and dragging behind lightly in the sand. A long woven scarf with almond-eye-like patterns hung around the back of his neck, the lining stitched in golden wool. In one hand was a scepter, forked parts holding a dark sphere, static glowing inside. Stepping into the light, he cast a glance over himself, smiling in satisfaction.

"Ahh~! Tha̵̶͞t͞'͏s͡ ̕͟bé̴ţ͘t̷͢e̛̕ŗ."

Fleur remained standing, arms crossed under her chest. "All this time to weave some new clothes?"

"Oh no, I was doing something else. It's just been a long time since I've worn anything fashionable. I feel so giddy in this regal wear~!" He said ecstatically, admiring his robes with a small twirl.

"And you're not going to tell us what you were doing done there for so long?" Fancy asked.

The pale emperor's grin spread before placing a finger to his muzzle. "Not yet. But soon, you'll s͢è̡͘̕e͜͢͞~! Just know that I'll rearrange existence into something far more sublime. A place where all things great and small can prosper without fear of war, death, or calamity to happen."

"So then, what's the plan?" Fleur asked once more. "Are we to take on the alliance AND Sombra's forces?"

"Such primitive thinking," Zeloph retorted with a chuckle. "Their fight isn't with us, my dear lovers. It's with e̶̕͜a̸c̷̢͝h̢͞ óţ̶͟h͞͏er̷̨̨. I've setup Sombra to carry out his obsession with conquest and power, making him believe it could obtain a level of godhood." Of course, the true tyrant was only posing as Sombra, but Fleur did not need to know that yet.

The unicorn mare looked at him, puzzled. "So then what are suppose to do?"

"Now we wait for the battle to end. I've set things in motion. And it won't be long until Beatrix and the others figure out what I've b͠ès̸̛͢t̛͘͟ow̕é̢͝d̵̕ upon her~. I've seen many souls yearning escaping to escape from the Crystal Empire, searching for the alliance for safety. Yet in the Badlands, some people are starting to doubt Spike's ability to protect them and might flee. And t̸͏ha̵̧͠t̴'͞s̡̕͝ where we come in~."

The primordial pegasus stepped out and slid down the long slope of sand, Fleur de Lis tailing behind him. Once he found steady ground, Zeloph held his arms open, his staff floating before his body as his aura ignited around him. His many eyes opened from his pours and limbs, his energy waving behind him like tendrils.

Suddenly, the earth began to shake where they stood, pure white pillars growing out from the sand. Like before, the swirling particles of sand began to merge and create glass, refracting colors from the sunlight. Slowly and surely, the strange structures began to form from the ground around them, much to Fleur's and Fancy's amazement.

"I shall give them sanctuary then," Zeloph explained, watching his power grow and flourish. Just as he envisioned. "If I am to become their savor, I will need a fortress to protect the lost souls and spare them from the rising conflict. Perhaps then, Beatrix will understand my goodwill..."

"Beatrix?! Why her?"

"I don't understand it myself. Since our encounter, I have felt...ćơm͞p͠e̷ll͘ed to seek her out. I'm unfamiliar with this emotion, and it isn't clear if I want to cherish it or destroy it," the Vice Lord commented, pinching his chin in consideration before shaking his head. "I'll look into it later. Right now, I must complete the construction of my empire. And through my wisdom and growing power..."

A twisted grin returned to his face.

"...Thè̸̕ ͞e͏nt́i̧r̸e͟ ̧̀͡ų̧n̨̡iv̶̕͜e̴͘͡r͝ś͟e̶̢ ͘͟w͠͞i̷͞͠l̸l̷͞͏ b̨è ̴p̶͟u̡ŕ̛͢i̶͢f͝ied̵~!̶̴"

Chapter 16

As the march reached its end, the army arrived in the wintery region surrounding the Crystal Empire. Following a trade route provided a certain safety level to travelers. But after losing the Crystal Heart, the roads remained treacherous, frozen over and surrounded by cliffs. White Shadow Penumbra had never ventured into such a place, the casualties too great to risk if they came unprepared.

Lily Longsocks huddled close to his side to relish in his warmth, knowing they couldn't openly flaunt their relationship. He was at the head of the procession, where the caravans strained under chilled winds. Gales eerily wailed around them. “Make sure the rations don't freeze over,” he reminded his men. “This could prove the most dangerous part of our journey!”

The cart teetered on the icy road that overlooked a cliffside where a white void awaited below—the wind threatening to pick up velocity and blow until it forced them towards the edge of the abyss. Lily whispered, “Do you think the legends about the Windigos are true? And if so, would they even remain after the Eldritch invasion?”

“Let's hope we won't have to find out,” he conceded and used binoculars to stare past the snow blind. From what his parents told him, most myths tended to be true, or at least have some truth to them. There were things beyond imagination out there that would make the average pony shudder. His father knew firsthand. What worried him most was that his father's actions may have damned his bloodline to be cursed.

“You look troubled,” muttered Lily with a concerned frown.

“Merely cautious,” he insisted, casting a reassuring smile to which she returned. Truthfully, he did not wish for any more wars or bloodshed. Penumbra just wanted to return home, introduce Lily to his family, take her out on a proper date...live as normal a life they could forge. But he was a soldier, and responsibilities to ensure his land and fellow ponies' safety came first. Any plans to settle down would have to wait. "If only I knew what lied ahead of us."

Hours passed on their perilous trek. Gales buffeted them, and the wizards wrapped the wagons in their aura and strained to hold them in place. Unfortunately, as the wheels slipped on the slick ice, one was lost. No magic or strength could keep the wagon and supplies from careening into the chasm, the screams of his men echoing.

"Oh, no!" Lily cried out.

Before Penumbra could secure his troops, pegasi unfurled their plumes to leap after their fallen comrades. "Wait, stop!" He ordered. "You'll be lost too! HOLD YOUR GROUND!"

But it was too late. The pegasi forces could not break the howling gale's strength before plummeting to the great white below, ensuring their deaths. As much as he hated to accept it, they were lost. The pale unicorn's hand balled into a fist, trembling at his side. He did his best to hold back his frustration, yet unable to hide the feelings of fault rising within him.

A warm hand settled over his own, causing his head to turn to Lily, shooting him a sympathetic frown. He stared back long and hard before nodding, resting his head over on hers. He expected there to be casualties during this crusade, but he had hoped his men would have honorable deaths in battle and not by some random, senseless accident.

"How many?" Penumbra demanded in a flat voice.

“Ten soldiers and a cache of supplies, sir,” replied Lily. “It...it could have been much worse.”

“Could have.... But it's a massive blow to our mission. We must move on,” he commanded and pointed his sword forward. Perhaps he appeared cold, but he knew there was a much greater risk were they to linger here. Better to push ahead and take shelter once they crossed the passage. Sadly, there were no bodies to recover from shipping back home. Which meant that he would personally have to break the terrible news to each lost soldier's family once they returned.

How many more lives would be lost before the end of this? What was the point of this senseless war? Penumbra felt his heart yearn to turn around now, to demand answers from his father. But to do that would be dishonorable to the many lives they lost. All they had suffered would be for naught. Their nation depended on them to press on.

Yet as their remaining troops resumed their march through the heavy snow, Penumbra couldn't shake off the feeling this small disaster was a bad omen. That those around him would be condemned to the curse of his dark lineage. His eyes shifted to Lily, his heart heavy with melancholy, as doubt settled in over if he should pursue her...

*****

Despite her reservations, Cerise Silhouette helped her father complete his latest ritual. His guards had dragged in Cozy Glow, naked and covered in lacerations, restrained her within powerful arms. His black book rested on a stand, and she chanted in unison beside him. Runes glowed on the cover and bled down the sides until the pages rustled open amidst a flutter.

Opened to an empty portion, the trio shrank and was sucked inside. They reappeared in a black void, and the Pony of Shadows laughed. “Yeeees! We've done it! We've created a link to the Necronomicon,” he announced, adjusting to the empty world around them.

Cozy asked, “W-what do you plan to do with me...?”

“This is your imprisonment. Unless you'd rather face execution," he offered to her coldly. "An illusion of you will be sacrificed before the nation. That will boost morale and prepare my soldiers to triumphantly storm and destroy the alliance."

“P-please forgive me,” Cerise said, her head lowered, hopeful she wouldn't see this as a betrayal. But there wasn't any other choice. Despite how cold and cruel he was, she sensed part of her father was still in there, somewhere. Maybe the answer lied within the treacherous corridors of the Necronomicon?

“What am I supposed to do now?” Cozy looked around her, only to see an endless bleakness.

He snickered. “Do all that you can to survive. This realm draws on one's subconscious. Who knows what may manifest from your heart and mind? You may be haunted by your past! Unless you're truly heartless as some have believed~. It all depends on you how your survival goes.”

Not that it truly mattered to the Pony of Shadows. She was simply another sacrifice to his tome, a picture of her now inscribed on the open page.

It began within moments. The void around them twisted to become a cavern, thick with the glow of eerie emerald phosphorescence, moist with shimmery eggs that were cocooned into the rocky walls. Cozy shuddered, back in the lair of Chrysalis, who had betrayed her and Tirek to receive the boons offered by the Eldritch.

The centaur, shriveled and half-alive, was embedded by a sticky mass to one portion. A buzz sounded, and a hiss came from above, as Chrysalis, twisted by Eldritch tech embedded into her, descended on her fresh prey, fangs bared and dripping.

“Come, daughter,” said the Pony of Shadows, taking Cerise's wrist and pulling her. "We have more important matters ahead of us."

“Wait! Daddy, we can't just leave-” But she was yanked after him into the portal, his guards maintaining it for him. She sobbed, stared at Cozy, who shivered and huddled, and within moments she appeared back in the room by him. “Please,” she pleaded and placed her balled up fists on his chest between sobs. “Don't abandon her!”

“It must be done, child! I need a sacrifice to empower the book. Fear not,” He traced Cozy's likeness, the nude, stylized figure of the pegasus stricken by sheer terror. “There's a slim chance she'll overcome her inner demons.” He slammed it shut with finality before addressing his guards and soldiers. “After the last preparations are made, rally the troops! We march on the Badlands! There, I will take on Spike in glorious battle to fulfill my destiny!”

His armed guards nodded, leaving the two alone as Cerise did her best to choke down on her muted sobs. "No.... She'll die!"

Wisps rose around his eyes, now almost back to normal. He pulled his daughter by the waist to him, wanted her by his side for reasons he couldn't fully comprehend.

Somehow, her presence comforted him. An experience he never knew he desired. He met her lips, felt her limp body pressed to him by his pull, too wracked by shame to resist his heated advances.

Yet whatever love he maintained for her due to memories of the flesh he inhabited was tempered by the former tyrant's ambitions. Sombra had a need to conquer and dominate, a trait that made him the perfect host for the Pony of Shadows.

As he left to prepare himself for his confrontation with the Dragon Lord, a new sound graced the dancer's ears with its strange tone. "Is that...ballroom music?" She sniffled to herself, stumbling to follow her father. That's when she noticed an eerie, scratchy-looking aura faintly glowing around his head, the nostalgic melody growing louder the closer she was to him.

"W--what is this?" She wondered cautiously. Was she the only one who could hear the distorted tone? Her father seemed oblivious to it. Whatever the case, this deeply unsettled Cerise, her concern over the situation deepening.

Little did the young mare know of the true puppeteer pulling strings.

*****

Spike rallied his own forces with his inner circle to provide support. War horns sounded, noncombatants led into the deepest portions of the underground pleasure gardens, and his soldiers armed with any enchanted weapons and armors left over after the Eldritch conflict. Rarity and Sweetie Belle tasked themselves with the production of more runes.

Garbed in his ancient Dragon Lord armor, he stood proudly and inspired many to take up arms. Much as it pained him, he knew better than to stop his children who volunteered to help. His nobility and stubbornness no doubt a trait he passed down onto them.

At least they would be bolstered by the mercenaries the alliance hired. He didn't dare allow them into the underground portion, uncertain how much these soldiers of fortune that came from all over the world could be trusted. Their numbers were stocked by many exotic races, griffins, hippogriffs, minotaurs, and centaurs...several races once believed extinct after the Eldritch invasion. Yet he feared they still might not be enough to take on the forces of the Pony of Shadows, their numbers dwarfed in comparison.

In the meantime, he couldn't do much more than wait. That, and take care of a little itch. He retired to his chambers, where Ember and Smolder awaited...alongside a couple dozen mares he was unfamiliar with, bare and ready for him.

“Somnambula's told us all about your little problem,” said Smolder. “So we decided to take the initiative to help you out!”

“You'll need your strength, and they've volunteered to help out,” said Ember, who waved a claw at the mares who batted their lashes, blushed, winked, and posed for him. “These are just the ones we could fit. There's a lot more out there.”

Spike swallowed the lump in his throat while licking his chops. Much as he wanted to jump their bones, he couldn't help but wonder if they only wanted to bed him because of his status as Dragon Lord. Would that be so bad, though? It was obvious they wanted this, too.

He realized they too had come from all over, refugees who'd heard about this paradise and wanted to settle down. And, in some cases, wanted to bear his offspring as well. Armor clattered to the ground. He took an unnamed pair of them to bed. And everything felt like a blur. He sank into them, lost in the rhythm of ecstasy while his cock remained harder and vigilant, pounding, claiming, and skewering every mare and female offering her pussy to his service.

Lips touched and pressed against each of them, fluid milked out from his loins to soil their wombs. The sounds of flesh meeting flesh and moans crying echoed throughout the cavern.

He departed from his latest claim, the poor pegasus left panting as his spermed oozed from her freshly used slit. He took a moment to sit up, panting heavily, his muscles straining. Smolder laughed, grabbing at his ass while admiring his handy work. “Told you he'd take to it~!”

Ember, who had been watching from afar on the wall, joined them, pressing her lean body up into Smolder's, tails linking and snouts mashing into each other for hot kissed. “Good. Spike will need to be in top shape!” She murmured during a brief period before hungrily kissing her fellow dragoness.

He watched his lovers momentarily before getting back into it, his pillaring dick erected as an earth mare shook her round posterior to him. With a grunt, he slammed on top of her, rapidly rutting her jiggling rump as plumes of smoke escaped his snout, Spike's eyes glowing faintly white.

And not long after, another pair of mares were being pummeled into the ground, mewling for release. Soaked in sweat, he finished in over a dozen mares and other female participants until he felt his bestial lust temporarily subside.

Twilight, who'd reluctantly agreed to the plans the dragonesses shared with her, peeked in from outside. “Oh, Spike...” She cupped one of her breasts, feeling the heat build in her loins, fighting over the jealousy brewing within her while watching him lay with so many other mares.

“We must not deny ourselves,” whispered Somnambula, pressing her hefty breasts against Twilight's back, wrapping her hands around her. “The spirits blessed us with flesh so that we might enjoy ourselves. It would be wrong to deny yourself just for his sake.”

“I-I know,” she murmured, a nipple pinched by the priestess while she traced her perky mounds.

“Think of this as a ritual to prepare him. Spike running a gauntlet of lovers before ending it with the dream faun. Then you can help me sate the beast~,” She wrapped Twilight in her plume, the alicorn melting into her embrace.

“Y-yes!” She practically purred.

As the two rubbed into another, Spike released a loud groan after dumping another load into a happily fucked mare. He reeled back once more, panting hotly over the sloppy mess of mares sprawled all over the spacious bed. He left them soaked in perspiration, cocks still moist and erect while coated in many juices.

"My goodness! It seems I was wrong to doubt your prowess in this field," a voice exclaimed as the Dragon Lord turned his head, his eyes heavy in lust over the sight of Lady Ewe, making her entrance with a delicate smile to her snout. The other girls all stared as the shepherd removed the robe and tunic off her round, curvaceous body. If Twilight wasn't jealous before, she began downright envious over how well endowed the goat woman was. Spike was practically salivating as she held up her hefty breasts in each hand, thick nipples already erected and cheek red from watching his 'conquest.'

"You've been dreamin' about this for quite a while, aye~?" She teased, her golden-brown eyes meeting his own under fluttering eyelids.

Spike's face flustered, chuckling sheepishly. "W-was it that obvious?"

"Hard to ignore the many vivid scenes you conjure up of me while ye sleep, Graí," She giggled, swaying those wide hips in wooly fleece before she knelt down to his messy twin shafts. A soft hand rubbed his stomach, causing him to groan and tremble. But the moment his hands went to hold her head, she grabbed at his upper cock with a firm grip. "Ah-ah! You'll be takin' yer time with me, lad."

"B-but there isn't mu--"

"Shhhhh," she soothed before kissing over his top shaft, her tongue slowly licking off the cum and fem juices that covered it, much to Spike's joy. "We've got plenty of time. Yer not the only one whose been wantin' this, y'know~" She winked at him before she bobbed her head over the first couple inches of his dick, her hand lowering to stroke and rub his second shaft.

"A-auugh.... W-whoa!" Spike groaned, his head aching back. For all the time, his draconic lust demanded him to fuck each mare in his path with relentless force. To have the dream faun gently tend to her lover with care and affectionate sucking was an entirely new feeling. Precum easily rewarded her for her efforts as Oona popped off her first suck before lifting both shafts to trace her flat, wet tongue along the underbelly.

"O-oh fuck, she's good," Smolder mumbled, her claws digging into her own slit while Ember watched with a chewed lip. "I-I would have never guessed someone so elegant and pretty would know how to handle a cock like that!"

"Heh...I don't often do this. But I tend to get reoccurring dreams about me from previous nights," Oona smiled proudly. Once each of Spike's pillars was lubed up in her kisses and saliva, she allowed some drool to drip down her vast valley of tit flesh before enveloping both dragon dicks between her mountainous breasts.

"W-waaagh! H-holy shit!" Spike cried, his hips automatic in pushing between her pillows in vigorous motion. Not a lot of mares could boast of being able to titfuck both his long jagged shafts. His hands resumed to grab over the ram's horns, to which she allowed while panting heavily. The musk she inhaled was inviting, her mind slowly melting over the thought of taking this beast while he used her pillowy chest to relieve himself.

"A-aah~ That's it, Graí! Let yerself loose~" She chanted, kissing and slurping whenever a tip was close to her mouth. A puddle began to form under her thighs, her pussy glistening with warm liquid staining her bushy mound.

"O-Oonaah! I-I can't take this!" Spike begged, more smoke fuming from his mouth as the grip on her shoulders tightened. "I need inside you...n-now~!"

"Alright, deary. J-just hold on a wee bit more," she nodded, holding his hips to help herself back up before she turned around to present her equally massive backside to the Dragon Lord, her wooly tail wagging excitedly. Looking back with her best pair of 'fuck me' eyes, one hand spread her cheek to better expose her puffy pussy. "I'm all yours, lad. Do with me how you will~."

The drake seized her hips with an animalistic snarl before pushing his hardened cock into her respective offices, slowly sinking his flesh into her tight holes. The sheep girl sharply gasped, clutching at her knees to try to keep standing while those meaty cock spread her insides wide. "A-ahh, sweet lucid dreams!! Y-you're a lot bigger inside than out~!"

Spike couldn't respond, too lost in the haze to breed this goat like the rest, beginning to mercilessly slam his hips into her wooly ass. She squeaked and moaned softly, her flesh jiggling with each impact. Yet, in his consciousness, this angle was right. So he adjusted by grabbing hold of her horns to properly ride her, arching her head back to gaze into her wide eyes.

Now he was reaching deep, her holes clutching up tighter. Spike leaned his snot closer to capture Ewe's mouth in a sloppy kiss, his hands greedily cupping and squeezing her fat tits as he smacked his groin her plush buttocks before emptying himself into her.

Ewe's muffled moans poured out once he pulled away from her kiss. She felt her womb bathe in the warmth of his seed, their combined juices gushing out from their crotches before the two laid down into the ground. The goat woman panted softly, cuddling into the arms of the drake before he slipped his shafts out of her holes.

"Mmnagh.... I might have a bit of trouble gettin' back to Beatrix now," she mused before twisting her pudgy form around to kiss the dragon's snout.

"Mnagh.... You sure you can't stay for another round?"

"Hah, Don't be greedy now, Spike~" Oona sniggered, raising up from the ground to brush off the dirt from her soft wool coat. "You've got others needing yer love an' embrace. I'm sure you and I will find the time to do more once the war is over and Zeloph is vanquished." She beamed brightly at him before fetching her clothes and making her way out.

Spike returned her bright smile before joining Twilight and Sommabula on the bed, kissing and holding them as he resumed to fully sate himself for the battle ahead. But with how invigorated he felt and blessed to be around such warm and loving faces, Spike was determined to take on all threats that stood before him.

*****

The sun was setting over the distant shore as Beatrix stretched out on the sandy beach. A little excited over her first real lesson in the ways of the archaic, the witch was anxiously waiting for her teacher to finish up with preparing Spike for the coming battle.

The most she did was watch Fluttershy and Tree Hugger frolic naked in the water, wishing she could be as carefree as they were. But Beatrix remained plagued with worry and dread.

The Pony of Shadows held Sombra's form, doing unspeakable things to the people around him. And Zeloph.... Ever since her encounter with the enigmatic fiend, she felt horribly off physically. At first, Beatrix wrote itoff that she still felt messed up after letting herself sleep with the enemy, and she'd get over it. She always found a way to bounce back after moments of stress.

But in her heart, she knew it was more than that. The feelings they shared during that moment were real. And regardless of how she felt aftward, the witch couldn't deny how...happy she almost felt at the gift he offered. She shuddered, clutching her head. Why did she end up with complex emotions over tyrants, villains, and monsters?

"You seemed troubled, Beatrix," a voice said next to her. She rose her head to find the mask that harbored Sombra's soul floated over her shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

"What isn't?" She laughed bitterly. "A war is on the horizon, with impending death to a lot of good ponies. Not only that, we have a psychotic entity masquerading as a pony doing who knows what! I don't know what to do! All I can think about is running away and hoping the best comes, but I know better. I had a part to play in this, and I need to fight for everyone here.... I just wish that I didn't feel so helpless and used all the damn time..."

"Isn't that why you're about to learn Arcane magic?"

"Partially. I mean, I'm grateful for all Lady Ewe has done, and I'm eager to learn new powerful spells! But what if that isn't even enough?"

"It will be," Sombra insisted, turning towards the rocking waves. "For all the trouble you may cause, we would be heartbroken to lose you. You're incredibly gifted mare when it comes to thinking on your feet and adapting to all situations. Don't forget that."

"Yeah, I know.... Thank you." She turned to the mask with a small smile before resuming to watch the nude couple swim and splash each other through laughter.

"Why not go for a dip yourself?" Sombra offered. "It'll help take your mind off things."

"Mmm, I guess it would.... I'd need to change out of my costume, though!" Tapping into the Prima Materia, Beatrix switched her leotard, boots, and gloves for a backless one-piece bikini, sporting her signature plump purple and blue colors. Only a single trap held up the front, keeping her breasts pressed together for a hefty amount of cleavage. "Been a while since I wore this...and it seems to be a bit tight," she noted, stretching at the material before it snapped back into place, adding a noticeable jiggle to her boobs. "What do you think?"

“Erm, I mean. You make anything look good on you, really,” the mask answered, trying his best to focus on the things to come.

But the witch detected his tone and smirked. "You think so~? Or are you saying that because you think I'd look better without this," she teased, tossing her hat aside while eying the mask with half-lidded eyes. "Bet it's awfully lonely in the dream world, having this old mask be your window to the physical world. Why don't we give you a better view, hmm~?" She winked before seizing the shaking mask and pressing it up into her cleavage, squishing her bountiful flesh together. "Hehehe~!"

"Augh! Beatrix, this isn't the time!" His voice emanated, muffled between her boobs. "Let me go; I can't see anything!"

"Awww, c'mon, teach. Everyone deserves to have a little fun here and there. Say...I wonder what'll happen if I put you on my face!"

"Beatrix, wait! I don't think that's uh--hey! Don't you dare!" He argued, but the witch was far too curious to pass it up. She wore the mask over her face before a sudden flare of spiritual light enveloped her head. Her body froze in place momentarily before the witch shook her head around.

"Huh!? What happened, how did I..." Sombra's voice asked in confusion before looking down. “W-what in the...”

He clutched Beatrix's hands as if they were his own. Slowly, he studied her body to get a better look and feel, realizing that he was now in control. "I don't believe it," he said astonished, wiggling the mare's fingers. "I never would have suspected such magic... That old goat really knows her stuff... W-whoa! I feel so heavy," Sombra reached to feel up her stomach before slyly lifting up Beatrix's chest in each hand if only to better understand the weight her mammaries carried. "Good lord, how do you walk around like this?"

Then, a sudden bout of inspiration struck him. Perhaps if he had the chance to get close enough to the Pony of Shadows, he could potentially seize his body back from control!

"Wait...what is this feeling?" he questioned, noticing that her body felt extremely wonky. Almost sick. There was mounting pressure in her stomach. Something wasn't right, as this didn't feel like a tummy ache or anything. Was this a side effect of the mask or...

"If you're done fondling my student, I'd like you to remove herself from her face, Sombra," a voice sighed from behind, making him turn to find Lady Ewe stroll up in her own swimming wear. It was a dark green one-piece, though covered up a lot more of her figure while showing off her curves. An unamused look sat on her face before Sombra removed Beatrix's palms from her bosom.

"Why didn't you tell me I could possess whoever wore the mask?"

"You never asked," she huffed. "And don't worry about Beatrix. She's asleep while you move her around. She'll wake up the moment you remove yourself."

"Ahh, of course. An archaic spell?" He asked before withdrawing from his host. The dream faun nodded before smiling as her student came too, rubbing her face.

"Rough, what happened," she asked groggily. "It felt like I was in a dream."

“You were, Ceann Oga," giggled the goat. "I'll explain how it works later. Right now, it's time we begin. I know there isn't much time, but we have to do this properly."

Beatrix nodded, her hand once more holding her stomach. "Got any balms or ointment? I'm feeling really under the weather."

'I wonder why' Sombra said suspiciously to himself, watching Lady Ewe hand her another balm to help ease nausea.

It was touch-and-go, for at times it was a struggle simply to walk a short distance. Trying to put on a cheery facade, she spun on a heel and announced, “Okay, Lady Ewe! I'm ready! Show me what you've got!"

“Not so fast, dear. This is a process we must do alone," she stated, her head turning to the floating mask.

“Bah! As if I could do anything by learning your secrets. But very well,” he replied disappointedly before drifting off to give the two their privacy. Fluttershy and Tree Hugger thankfully left the beach as well.

Beatrix frowned, watching her teacher being sent away. Did Lady Ewe still not trust him? No, she got the feeling something else was the matter, something delicate that related to her, and wondered if it had to do with her recent run-in with Zeloph. Was she trying to protect her?

"Alright, let's head in now," Oona sighed wearily before taking Beatrix's hand gently. She urged the mare to step into the water before the waves rocked along their thighs. The witch sighed, almost at ease in feeling the cool water that splashed around her.

"Wow.... If only we weren't on the brink of battle. I would love to just swim here."

"I know, friend," Oona nodded. "But we must focus on realizing yer potential. If ya have any questions, now is the time to ask."

The two stood apart from each other, not needing to tread to deeper waters. Beatrix looked down at her rippling reflection. So many things on her mind, yet she couldn't find the right words to say them. She took a breath and started slow.

"Well.... How was your 'meeting' with Spike?" She asked coyly.

Oona blinked, blushing heavily before a warm smile spread her muzzle. "Well, it wasn't the first time I laid with a dragon...and it certainly won't be the last~."

"Hehe! Sorry, needed to get that out there."

"No, it's fine. Part of the process of discovering your archaic signature is by letting go of all thoughts and worries. Only in oneness can we find our true selves."

"You make it sound so easy," Beatrix frowned. "How do I just let go of all the stress and crap messing with my head?"

"Look inward, Beatrix," Oona instructed, holding her hand over her chest. "It's a dark and scary place to be, I know. But of all the demons and monsters you've fought, the scariest is the one that's a part of you. You must confront it, nurture it, then let it be free."

"And what if I can't?!"

"You can," she assured with a kind smile. "Everyone can. Sombra may figure it out should he take the time to sort out his affairs with Inky Rose and his daughter. Spike may find longevity if he surrendered his instincts and discovered his trait. Everyone can hold arcane magic within their spirit. Even the cruelest and merciless fiends may wield it."

"Even Zeloph?"

"Especially Zeloph. His is an insidious kind of power that no mortal can withstand. And while I haven't fully figured it out, I have a few theories. But if we find the source and how it works, we can counteract his magic with our own."

"Wow.... My mom would have loved to partake in this!"

"Heh, oh, for sure~. Now relax, Beatrix. Let your body move freely in the waves and open your mind. Open your heart and peer through to your inner self. Take as many deep breaths as you like." The goat woman demonstrated, eyes closing while taking slow inhales and exhales. Soon, her silver-blue aura shined, bubbles floating from the atmosphere into the fading orange and purple skies. Beatrix marveled over the spectacle before shaking her head to focus.

"Okay," she breathed, closing her eyes and slowing down her breathing. The sound of the sea washing over her form filled her ears. She cleared her head of all the thoughts screaming at her as best he could, using the sea to focus on. Her hands held over her breasts, looking into places and parts of herself she wanted to forget. That made her feel shame. Tears streamed down her face, sobs easily breaking through.

"That's it, dear. Don't fight it! Let it happen.... Find yourself, confront it. Hold it.... Let it know who you are and that you are here," Oona eased gently.

"I-I am here," she sniffled, her breath shaking. She repeated it until she felt her nerves calm down, her breathing returning to normal as she held her chest tighter.

"Yes. Let the pain wash away into the sea. Show yerself the love you've neglected. The love you felt undeserving of. Tell me who you are."

"I'm...I'm Beatrix," she said, a swirl of sparkles and color glowing around her body. "Beatrix Belladonna!!" Her eyes lit up in pure white as her aura showed itself, her platinum mane whipping around. Oona watched in astonishment, her mouth agape at the wonderous purple magic around her student. It looked as if the very cosmos of space and stars had touched the violet mare, bathing her in its essence. The surge disappeared from Beatrix's eyes as she looked over the flow of energy emanating from her arms and body.

"I-I did it! I DID IT!!" She exclaimed ecstatically, her arcane magic bursting with more vigorous sparkles. The witch laughed in triumph, striking a fabulous victory pose.

"Well done, Ceann Oga!" Oona praised. "Now hold onto it just like that! Now we can learn which archaic trait you possess."

"I've never felt so alive! I-I can't believe so much energy existed in me!" She was crying again, but these were tears of joy. This was the first real sign that she wasn't a byproduct of the Necronomicon. That her destiny could be changed!

Her magic prowess continued to flow into the air, though it was becoming a bit too large. Expanding magic that size could wain the body and soul. "Alright, maybe take things down a notch, Beatrix. You don't want to overexert yourself!"

"I-I'm trying!" Beatrix said, grinding her teeth in trying to relax her energy. "A-augh! It's too much!"

"Ceann Oga, be careful! Just let it go," Oona warned, but her student's aura grew larger until it nearly reached the skies. The cosmic pattern of space suddenly darkened in the wisps of Beatrix's arcane flow. The witch clutched onto herself, groaning in pain.

"L-Lady Ewe! I-I can't stop it!"

"Beatrix!" The lamb reached forward until her eyes widened upon gazing into the sudden change in her spiritual pressure. A glowing eye revealed itself within the space. Then another...and another.

Lady Ewe stared with horror as many eyes popped in and out from the aura, shining that ominous magenta glow while looking at every direction around. "O-oh no!" Oona gasped before calling forth her staff. Using her own archaic magic, the dream faun used a spell to push her student off balance, the witch stumbling back into the shallow end. The arcane aura completely evaporated, leaving shimmers and sparkles in the air before Oona rushed towards her fallen student. Beatrix stirred, weakly sitting up from the water while clutching her head.

"I-I must have overdone it," she groaned. "I was just so excited that I didn't know how to let go. S-Sorry, teacher. But hey, we could...Lady Ewe?"

She looked up at concern while Oona stared horrified over her student, breathing frantically. Before she could ask again, the goat woman leaned down, a shaking hand feeling up Beatrix's sore head before trailing down to her diaphragm. Her hand glowed faintly before illuminating bright upon reaching her stomach. Beatrix looked between her hand to her face, confusion and worry returned on her expression. "O-Oona, tell me what's going on! What do you sense?!"

"Life," she said, the words escaping her voice while her wide honey eyes held the witch's in fear. "I-I sense life."

"W-wh-what?!"

"Beatrix.... You're pregnant!"

*****

Zeloph's eyes opened. The realm around him remained yellow in color—nothing inside this space but still water below his feet. Before him stood a small child, monochrome in color, with long white hair draping over her until it became pitch black. Her coat was darker compared to his own. A small dark grey dress adorned her fragile body, but he noticed this time that she had fuller arms and legs. The last time he saw her, the poor child was bony thin.

The young filly smiled up at him, white eyes shining through her black sclera. She looked much healthier despite the scaly growths on her arm and the minor deformity in her face.

"How do you feel?" The Vice Lord asked, hunching his tall robed figure down to her height as he brushed his hand over the child's forehead. Her smile widened as her tiny hands held his wrist.

"I'm feeling a whole lot better, daddy!" She replied. "I haven't had an episode at all today!"

"That's good, sweetie! It's good that your feeling better. It means mommy is carrying you as we speak."

She bounced a bit on her feet in excitement, the water splashing below her. "I can't wait to show her all my drawings.... Do you think she'll like me?"

"Oh, honey, o͟͟f c͠o̵͡ùrs͜e̛̕ she will! You mean the whole world to her," Zeloph insisted, stroking her cheek until the young filly wrapped her arms around his neck. In response, he wrapped an arm to hug her close.

"Will I be able to see her again soon?" The filly asked with big hopeful eyes.

"Yes. I believe you should be able to maintain your form around her now without risk to your health. While you're with her, daddy will be busy cleaning up and purifying the world before your arrival."

"And then you, mommy, and I can play together forever!"

"Yes, my sweet, little A̧͢͠bb̵̡a̵͝d͜o̸͞ǹ̛ńa͟! We will play together f͘or̸e̷̢v̨͢͞ȩ̷͜r~!"

Zeloph opened his eyes, finding himself back on the balcony of his tower, gazing over the vast buildings and homes he had crafted from the essence of the planet itself. His city a pure, stainless utopia for all refugees escaping the fires of war brewing from the resistance and the Crystal Empire. He could sense every mind within his structures, the joy and hopeful thoughts from the inhabitants, enjoying the quiet evening.

At last, some thought. A place without conflict and all was peaceful—a place filled with harmony.

The pale emperor couldn't contain the proud smile slithering over his lips before turning to address Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants, the two-headed lovers returning from a patrol.

"More refugees are discovering your fortress, my lord," Fleur bowed, keeping her mane stylized and coat manicured despite how pale she was becoming.

"We're beginning to suspect that some scouts from both sides will make mention of this place," Fancy added in. "Are you not worried Spike or Sombra will send troops at our front gate?"

"Not at all," Zeloph responded, his magnificent magenta eyes shimmering with promise. "Should they come, I will allow them to settle their troubles in our colosseum, so that all may bear witness to the birth of a new era for Equestria. Whoever is victorious may join us in our sacred mission of serenity and peace."

"Are you sure about that? Spike already knows much about you. How do you know he'll come to us willingly?"

The Vice Lord chuckled. "The fools know n̴ơ҉t́h̡̀i͢͡n͘g! Whatever tidbits of information the dream faun may have given do not compare to the pure madness I'll instill that dragon and tyrant should they intervene with my plans. Make no mistake, my lovers. Ţ́͡h̶i̧s͘͡ ̢wor̛ĺ͝d̕ ̵͟͢w̕͢͠į̨͡l͟͞͠l͏̛ ̕͟b̕ȩ͢ fr̢͢e̡͘é fr͏ǫ̧m͞ ̡͠al̛͢l̢͠ ̢͘ţh̡i͏̴̛ngs̵ ̀͡u҉̴͞n͢p̕u̡r͟e ̴b҉e̷fo͡r̵͡è́ my̛̕ ͟҉̕d͟a͟͠u̧͟g̢̛͠h̨t̸̡e͞͞r̡͟ ̴i̛͟͏s̷̢ b͘͠òr̸͢n͠!̡͝"

"As you wish, Emperor Zeloph," Fancy acknowledged, uneasy. During his time back with his wife, he had thought things would become better by agreeing to aid in Zeloph's plight. This beautiful city was certainly a start. But he couldn't help but feel unnerved by the primordial's 'devotion' to purification. His goal seemed just, if not a little fabricated. Even if he wore a male stallion's face, there was a certain lack of compassion to his mannerisms. Something about it all seemed false.

"It is awfully impolite to be having such doubts about me when I am present, Fancy Pants," Zeloph said, staring curiously at the male unicorn head, a notable frown on his lips. Fleur gazed concerningly at her love.

"O-oh, please! Forgive my suspicions; I'm just thought this all seemed...so..."

"Haha! Relax, friend. I understand my methods are...u͘n̵o̡͡r̨t̷ḩ҉͡o͢d̷̢͠o͡x̵̀ to say the least. I was the one to fuse the two of you together, after all. To accept me so quickly is a foolish notion on my part," he chuckled, looking back down from his ivory tower. "But in time, I hope that all will welcome me as the righteous savor."

"Especially Beatrix, right?" Fleur noted with a cocked eyebrow.

A hint of color glowed over his pale cheeks. "Well.... That goes without saying. There is much I want to share with her. To share with e̵̢ve̴r͏y͘͞o̵̸͟ņ̷e͡͞! Soon, all of them will see me for what I truly am~!" With that said, he dismissed the lovers as they walked back to greet the arrivals. Fleur, of course, couldn't care less if Zeloph wasn't as saintly as he made himself out to be.

He gave her her life back. All else that mattered to her was Sombra dead and her husband there to cherish their nights.

"A-augchk!" She coughed, rubbing her throat.

"Me amour! Are you alright," Fancy asked with worry. That particular cough was nasty sounding.

"I-I'm fine. I just need my medicine, is all," the soldier-turned-assassin insisted. "...where did I leave the bottle again?"

"You left it on the cabinet in our room."

"Ahh! Right, thank you." The pair head back while the male unicorn head detected that strange music was buzzing near his ear. It sounded like an old song playing on a scratch record. Now, if only he could figure out where that was coming from...

*****

After the public execution of 'Cozy Glow,' no more than an illusion layered over a body double who had agreed to lay down her life for the sake of the nation, Sombra mobilized his forces and began his own march on the head of the alliance. He took Cerise with him and left Inky Rose in charge, albeit she was little more than a figurehead, surrounded his elite guards at all times.

Seated on her throne, Inky was thankful that Radiant Hope, Diamond Tiara, and the twins were there to keep her company. Outside the pyramid, the capital was awash in celebration. Effigies of Spike and his inner circle were thrown into pyres.

She shuddered and gripped the sides of her throne, studied helmeted and masked soldiers, a constant reminder she was helpless.

Torches crackled and cast a warm sheen over the interior, almost like the Pony of Shadows had taken a part of the darkness with him. She rubbed her false wing, trembled, and closed her eyes. “Cerise, Penumbra, please be okay.”

Radiant touched her arm. “It's out of our hands now. All we can do is wait.” The Crystal Heart continue to swell in her bosom, the twins simultaneously excited and nervous to hear that the Crystal Empire would surely be involved soon, as rumor had it that Penumbra moved on the area. “Worry not. Shining Armor is an honorable stallion, from what I know.”

Inky nodded. “To a fault. Just like my son. Whoever wins, I...I...” She choked down a low sob.

“We'll pray for Penumbra,” said Radiant, and the twins nodded.

“I could lose Cerise, too. Some people think I sheltered her too much, but I couldn't stand to lose her. She's the last part of Pacific Glow I have.” Inky reclined in her throne, her plume protectively wrapped about her.

“Don't focus on that. Trust in them,” urged Radiant, who drew her snout into a line.

“Yes, I.... I-I must,” Inky told herself, unable to help but dread all the possible results. She'd often been cynical, pessimistic, Pacific Glow the foil to her bleak outlook. Cerise had become the bundle of joy in her life after her loss, a reminder there would always be warmth and smiles, whatever damage the Eldritch had done. She feared her husband was already long lost to her.

She couldn't bear to lose her children on top of that. “We'll fetch you some wine,” said Foal-Bearer, who with permission of the guards in attendance went with Wet Nurse to do so. After their swift return they poured their Queen a drink, who sniffled and soon all but drank herself into a stupor, unable to understand what darkness had befallen her beloved and turned him into a monster.

Chapter 17

The Crystal Empire's borders loomed in the distance. Despite the snowstorm, White Shadow Penumbra anticipated their guards would see his army's approach. Of course, he had no intention of hiding, his caravan proudly holding their fluttering banners aloft to announce their arrival.

Trudging down the icy roads, they slowed their trek, aware that they had now crossed into strictly forbidden territory, an implicit declaration of their intentions. His eyes spotted Crystal Pony guardsmen handling the iced-over stone walls.

'Halt,” he ordered. His wagon pulled a stop, and the rest of the formation followed. Frost and ice layered the crystalline borders that surrounded the capital, snowflakes drifting in the wind around the archers poised in wait.

Lily, who stood at his side in a heavy cloak that fluttered, asked, “What now, sir?”

“We wait. I'm sure they'll send a messenger soon.” They waited with bated breath, exhaling thick plumes in the frigid air. Archers on the iced-over wall kept bows and arrows readied, glaring at them but making no move.

Finally, the heavy double gates creaked open, chains pulling up, and a small army arrived to greet them. The procession led by none other than Shining Armor and Cadance themselves, adorn in battle regalia.

Flanked by a squadron of guards, the Paladin's face was drawn, currently in conversation with his wife, impossible to hear over the howling gales.

A shared look of understanding passed between the two warriors. Both stallions started to march towards the middle. “Take me with you, sir,” begged Lily, but he almost imperceptibly shook his head and trudged through the dense snow.

“Be careful,” Cadance urged over her husband's shoulder, garbed in stylized armor that glittered in the subdued sunlight that peeked in between the clouds. “He is one of Sombra's offspring. Who knows what treacherous plot is in mind."

“I don't think so,” called Shining over his shoulder. “You see that look in his eyes? That's a fellow soldier in front of me. Pride's not gonna allow him to think about betrayal."

They met in the middle despite the warnings of their advisers and stood in silence for a moment. Shining was the first to move their conversation. "White Shadow Penumbra, right? Mind explaining to me why you're trespassing our lands? And why your father decided to sever ties with the alliance?"

“Betrayal at the claws of Spike, or so I've been told," confirmed the pale commander. "Sombra demands you hand over the Crystal Empire. Surrender, and I promise your country and subjects will be treated well. I'd rather avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

Shining chuckled, shaking his head. "Look, kid. It must have been hell getting to over here, and it pains me to have to send ya back. But you can tell that old tyrant he's an idiot if he thinks we'll just roll over and submit to his madness."

Penumbra sighed. “I see.... About as much as I expected," Penumbra sighed. "You're right. We lost a lot of good stallions and mares getting here. And many more will be lost on both sides. So here's what I propose, Sir Shining Armor. We settle things like in the olden days, when champions decided the fates of whole territories in martial combat."

“Ohohhh, an old-fashion duel, huh?” He crowed. “Alright! Name your terms.”

"What?! Shining, wait just a moment,” called Cadance behind him, seeing the way her husband shifted, hand near the hilt of a sword sheathed at his hip. But if he heard, the Paladin stubbornly ignored her, overcome by an eagerness to cross swords with the young prince, who shared the sentiment.

“Winner takes all,” Penumbra declared as he drew his steel saber. “If I win, you surrender the Crystal Empire to my father. Do you swear it?"

“Oh, I swear! But don't get too upset when I send you back to daddy empty-handed,” Shining Armor taunted, cracking the kinks out of his neck while wielding his blade.

Gradually, the warriors circled each other, testing their purchase on the icy road between their two armies. Both studied their opponent's movements, hesitant to make the first move.

Cadance's and Lily's hearts raced, helpless to do more than watching their stubborn lovers from the sidelines. Likewise, much as many on both sides wanted to rush in, they knew better than to interfere and bring dishonor to their leaders.

Penumbra had heard the tales of the Paladin's exploits. He was legendary in battle, having helped defeat his father on a couple of occasions. Yet he bore him no grudge, his muscles drawn taut, boots shifted on the ice, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

“Come on,” murmured Lily, clutching her fists tightly.

“Afraid to approach? Fine by me,” cried Shining, lashing out in swiftness. Broadswords met in a shower of sparks, clanging upon impact under such force both stallions shook in their armor, pressed face-to-face, blade-to-blade. Threatening to slip, both withdrew, more swipes and stabs zipping out in a blur, their sabers glowing white by the runes that adorned them.

An unspoken rule was that they relied on skills any typical troop could call upon, Penumbra barred from the use of his wings. Likewise, Shining withheld his magic. Talent and pure will would determine the outcome.

In their dance, thrusts were met by parries, blows deflected and turned, neither able to land a decisive blow while they repeatedly nicked their enemy's armor.

“You're a skilled lad,” admitted the Paladin between heavy breaths. “With a couple more years of experience, you'll be a lot stronger than your old man!"

“Maybe,” answered Penumbra, evading another series of precise jabs with teeth clenched. “But I wonder how much softer peace has made you."

“Well, as you can see," Shining grunted, hammering the invader with a barrage of blows, keeping pressure over his opponent. "Not by much!"

Cadance beamed furiously as the fight continued. Lily swallowed a sharp cry, clutching so hard onto the war horn she carried, it started cracking.

Their armies rattled their sabers, smashed the butts of their spears and axes, thumped armor and shields. Deafening war cries arose from both sides over howling winds. Clangs sounded. Sparks danced between strokes.

Somewhere in the distance beyond the Crystal Empire, an eerie howl sounded. A blizzard picked up, headed in their direction.

One of the combatants faltered and slipped on the snow. A scream resounded as a blade finally struck home...

*****

"PREGNANT!?"

As the sun had finally set over the Badlands, an emergency meeting was called by Lady Ewe, looming before the table of the alliance. Not too far beside her was Beatrix, who sat with her head hung low and eyes closed. She could feel the shocked and concerned expressions of her friends and family.

"But that doesn't make sense!" Trixie stammered with the most confound. "I thought my little hellspawn was incapable of conceiving! How did she...are you sure?!"

"I'm afraid so," Lady Ewe confirmed, once more casting her staff over Beatrix's abdomen, her magic pulsating to indicate a heartbeat, the witch shuddering before the dream faun placed it away. "An influx in her magic arose while training her in the ways of the arcane. I sense another life has joined in sharing her energy. There is no mistaking it; she is with child."

The alliance leaders and advisers stared between one another, facial features ranging from sympathy to bewilderment. "Forgive me, as I know we're on the verge of an invasion, and this is all so sudden and-"

"Relax, Oona," Spike assured, placing a claw onto her shoulder. "You couldn't have predicted this. None of us could! But.... This changes how we need to approach the impending battle ahead." He cast a remorseful gaze to the crestfallen witch. "You'd have to stay behind to avoid risking the baby."

Beatrix said nothing but nodded her head bitterly.

"YOU LECHEROUS OAF!" Trixie bellowed before smacking Spike hard across the face, causing the dragon to yelp in alarm. Smolder was about to intervene before Ember stopped her. "YOU did this! YOU KNOCKED UP MY DAUGHTER!!"

"H-hey! Lay off," Spike insisted with a snarl. "We don't know that yet!"

“Sombra has a higher chance of being the father," Twilight suggested, well aware of how close the relationship was between apprentice and teacher.

The hovering mask remained silent, though internally, he berated himself for not seeing it the moment he possessed her body. His gaze fell onto her, wanting so badly to console her but chose to respect her silent wish for personal space.

"I don't care which one of you is responsible. ONE of you is owning up to becoming a father to MY granddaughter!" Trixie huffed, fists to her hips.

"It's NOT Spike," Oona's voice echoed, her fist fighting over the table. "Nor is it Sombra. I fear the worse outcome has come to pass..."

The implications caused the whole table to tense up, Trixie gazing at her daughter in horror, holding her hands over her mouth.

"Y-you mean it's-"

"Zeloph..." Bellatrix's voice answered, arms clutched over her chest. "It only adds up. The bastard sleeps with her one time and causes the impossible to happen. We're in the worst timeline yet."

"Well then," Smolder rose, sporting a rugged look. "We have to get rid of it!"

"Smolder!" Ember gasped, elbowing the dragoness in the rib, making her yelp.

"What do you mean 'get rid of it?!'" Spike bellowed. "It's a baby! A baby not even born yet!!"

"Yeah, a monster's baby!" Twilight agreed, though uneasily given the topic at hand. "Who knows what will happen if we allow it to exist!"

"Twilight!?" The Dragon Lord spoke with disbelief.

"So you're suggesting we kill it?!" Trixie snapped. "And cause my daughter even more grief and pain?! What is wrong with you?!"

An uproar broke out between the alliance faces, squabbling at each other over what was to become the unborn child's fate. What was right and wrong to do in the circumstances.

But Beatrix barely listened to them, softly weeping and digging her nails into her thighs, the warm, wooly palm of the goat woman on her shoulder. Sombra's mask drifted close to catch her attention.

"Look.... No matter happens, we'll both be here for you," he swore.

"If there's anything we can do, Ceann Oga..."

Tears dripped onto Beatrix's hands, her stricken face turning to them, eyes puffy and pink. “It's my own stupid fault! W-what if they're right and I'm carrying a monster to term?! What'll happen! I-I'm not ready for this!” She shook her head, feeling like her life was already over.

The weeping caught the other's attention, causing the fighting to cease. Everypony looked ashamed of themselves. Their dear ally was suffering, and all they did was make matters worse. How could they prepare for the Pony of Shadows now?

"Hey, I'm...sorry for what I said," Smolder apologized. "It's was in the heat of the moment."

"We're not certain it won't be a normal stallion or mare," Stygian assured. "Don't lose hope."

"What matters now is what you want to do, Beatrix," Twilight nodded with pursed lips.

“Of course,” urged Trixie with a stamp of her heel. “This is her decision!”

All eyes fell on Beatrix, wiping the tears off her cheeks as she shook her head.

“I-I don't know yet. I'll need time to think this over,” she answered wearily, unable to blot out all the horrific possibilities.

Would it even be an average pony? Would it be deformed? Another eldritch abomination for her to one day fight? Would carrying it to term literally destroy her?

Before she could consider it further, a flash of light flared at the table. Everyone turned to Somnambula, retaking her Sphinx form.

"Uhh, Somnambula? W-what are you-" Stygian began before a large paw brushed him aside, the mythical beast bowling aside those closest to her.

She smashed through the table, scattering the attendants, and pounced on Beatrix. Sombra tried to summon a spell before his mask was swatted away.

"What's gotten into you! Cease this!" Oona called out before she felt the wind get knocked out of her as the Sphinx slammed the dream faun into a cave wall.

Seizing the wide-eyed witch in her jaws, she fled the scene, ignoring the demands for answers that arose from all over.

“After her,” ordered Spike, unfurling his wings. “But don't harm either of them!”

Twilight and Sunset had already blinked ahead, but the Sphinx moved with such rapidity they strained to catch up and quickly real brushed off attempts by their aura to slow her. Spike pushed himself to the limits, uncertain what the Sphinx would do to Beatrix once they were alone.

*****

Trembling and huddled in the corner of a cave tucked somewhere outside the Badlands, the mighty Sphinx finally released the frightened witch from her jaws.

"Nnugh! What the hell, Sommy!" Beatrix berated, clutching over her stomach while inching herself away from the prowling beast. "Whatever you plan to do, forget it. I'm...I'm going to keep the child, no matter what!" She declared, reaching into a hidden sleeve of her cape to pull out a potion in case the ancient predator tried to lunge at her.

“No," the priestess warned, eyes slit and head looming over the violet unicorn. "None of you understand the consequences of allowing such birth to happen. I do not wish to harm you, Beatrix. But the child must be removed immediately, lest more disaster visits what little remains of Equestria!"

"But you don't know that!" Protested Beatrix, removing the tube. "You make it sound like it'll be worse than the Demiurge! But for all we know, it could be just a normal child! My child! Don't you represent hope?"

“I am deeply sorry, but I cannot risk the possibility of another Demiurge. Now please, hold still. And do not resist!" Batting the mare onto her buttocks, she carefully raked a nail down to open her leotard, a sharp gasp and yell as she tried to cling onto the remains of her clothes to shield herself.

A blink sounded, and the heads of the alliance arrived en masse. “Somnambula,” cried Twilight, who glared at her. The Sphinx ignored their protests, tearing away the last of the witch's leotard before using magic to pin her arms down into the sand.

But before she could work a spell, bright unyielding light flashed before the Sphinx, blinding the beast as a force pushed her back.

The light dimmed down before her eyes could adjust, widened upon the sight as the others peered. "I-it cannot be...!"

Around Beatrix were topaz rings, rotating around her in a slow clockwork fashion. Aligned on the outer rims were the eyes of Zeloph, gleaming brightly as the warm aura wrapped around the witch. Small wings guided the rings along their trajectory.

A comforting humming sound emanated as the astonished Witch stood up, marveling over the design as a hand reached to try and touch it. But the wheels phased out of form and shrunk away within the exposed belly of the unicorn. A marking shimmered over her abdomen before dimming down completely.

"What was that?!" Spike demanded, unsure of what he saw.

"I-it looked like a bunch of freaky wheels mended together!" Trixie nodded.

"No..." Somnambula shook her head, tail flickering as she gently traced her claw over the etched marking to read the depiction better. "T-that was an Ophanim!“

"A what?" Beatrix asked.

"The heavenly throne, sent by a greater power to house and guard spirits. They are a divine sign of protection and safety! But how could Zeloph, of all beings, bestow you such a...unless!” A short gasp of realization caused the Sphinx to stare back towards Ewe, who caught on with a similar gasp.

"... Unless Zeloph is of angelic origins!"

"Angelic? Zeloph?!" Beatrix exclaimed in disbelief.

"But I saw him!" Sombra refuted, his mask floating by his student. "That thing was no angel or heavenly being! Nothing but tendrils and eyes! Surely, you are being deceived! I mean, this doesn't make any sense!"

"Since when has anything about Zeloph made sense?" Smolder added with a raised brow.

"Wait a minute." Stygian pulled out his notes over the Necronomicon before turning to the dream faun. "Lady Ewe, you said you were the one to put Zeloph in the Necronomicon. What did he look like before?"

"O-ohh stars, it was a long time ago.... I remember the entire area being devoid of life and color. He rose above us, wings outstretched and welcoming despite the many eyes. His face remained hidden in the intense rays of the sun. As we completed the seance to seal him away, a bright light burst out before diminishing into the pages. I-I thought that was just the spell activating to imprison Zeloph.... But maybe..."

"It's only a theory," the grey unicorn continued. "But it's possible Zeloph only looks something like the Demiurge because of how much darkness he's absorbed being trapped inside the labyrinth for so long. Maybe that's why he needed Fleur to summon him into a mortal vessel; to cleanse himself."

Ewe crotched her chin in thought, pondering over the possibility. "All this time.... I thought of him as the most insidious of the Vice Lords, rendering souls and mortals catatonic for the sake of madness... But if what you propose is true, then-"

"He is insane," Stygian insisted. "But for an entirely different reason."

While the others clamored over the lingering questions over who Zeloph is, Bellatrix hung by the mouth of the cave, unable to comprehend this revelation. “Zeloph,” she muttered to herself with a clasped fist, recalling their conversation about her becoming an actual being. And now, with the idea that the primordial was, in fact, celestial, she couldn't figure out where to stand.

“Look! It doesn't matter what Zeloph is," Sombra sneered. "Angel, demon, abomination, he could be a God for all I care. He is still our enemy!"

“Exactly,” Trixie agreed with a huff, marching over to get between Beatrix and the priestess. Understanding, Somnambula stepped away to return to her pegasus shape, face ridden with shame over her actions. She almost ended a child's life out of fear. Beatrix tapped at her Prime Materia to fashion another leotard to cover up while hugging her mother tightly.

"Well, I mean, having an angel baby is better than a monster baby," Smolder said, trying to lighten the mood, though another steely glare from Ember told the dragoness to shut her snout.

"It's too early to assume." Oona shook her head, peering over Beatrix's stomach. "One thing is for certain. Zeloph wants the child to be born, given he gifted you divine protection."

Beatrix nodded, holding her tummy while deep in thought. The 'Vice Lord' continued to prove harder to figure out, even with the knowledge he might be an angel like her sister. But why her? What role did she serve in his grand scheme?

They were interrupted by the scruff of boots at the cave's mouth. A scout arrived and offered a clipped salute. “Forgive the intrusion, my lord,” he said. “But I and some others have much to report. Namely, an unknown nation has sprung up in the desert, seemingly overnight.”

"An unknown nation?" Spike questioned.

“Connection with my lands?” Sombra followed up.

"No, this is certainly Zeloph's doing," Oona nodded. "The more souls he can gather, the more power he can sway to his corner. If he has an entire city already set up, he's well ahead with his plan."

"Right. Where did you find it?" The Dragon Lord asked. The messenger unfurled a map and showed where it was marked, in a piece of land neither side had fully claimed, the storms so constant and harsh in that section of the desert it was almost impossible for even a dragon to thrive there. Many had tried, and hundreds had been lost, so it had been deemed neutral territory for now.

"Well, now we know where he is. I say we get him!" Trixie insisted, beyond furious some holier-than-thou sleazeball managed to knock up her daughter.

"It's too risky to go now!" Ember countered. "The Pony of Shadows will be arriving within hours!"

Twilight said, "But it won’t be long until Zeloph’s nation expands, surely!"

The council resumed the debate and argued which plan of action to take.

Bellatrix quietly slipped away once she got a good eyeful of the coordinates. She needed answers, and she would get them one way or another, even if it meant going to the source...

*****

Bellatrix anticipated at least a day of searching, but it was a lot closer than she thought. The once warm looking sand slowly devolved into a pale dust-like hue.

And upon soaring further, she found the city devoid of color. The entire landscape altered around it, elements that battered this region faded away in its serene presence. Even the moon looked oddly more bright, shining its light over the small houses and walls.

Yet standing above everything was a large spire, housing a set of bells. The false angelic demon landed over the wall near the gates, scanning the streets.

Only a few citizens roamed around, clad in white robes with their faces hidden. “So this is paradise?” She murmured.

“It’s not much,” a familiar voice answered, her head snapping back to see Zeloph and Fleur de Lis stand behind her. “But you’ll find these gilded walls comforting after spending a couple days here.” Bellatrix looked down to notice his hand was dripping a black substance, causing the primordial to tuck it further away in his sleeve.

“Pay no mind to that,” Zeloph insisted. “I was not anticipating your arrival so suddenly. I was…b̷ú͠s̛͟y͢ with something.”

“But you were expecting me,” Bellatrix stated flatly, to which the Vice Lord nodded with a smile.

“But what you’ve come here for remains to be seen,” Fleur said suspiciously, a hand stroking Fancy Pants’ face on her neck. “Have you realized the error of your ways? Or do you intend to assail us by your lonesome?” Bellatrix did her best to steady her breathing, between the stylized halberd clasped in the unicorn’s hand and the curious eyes of the winged immortal.

“I...I’ve come to consider your offer,” admitted the angel-guised succubus. “I don’t want to be a mere piece of someone else’s fiction. Especially if the depictions were not accurate.” She gazed up to the tall stallion. “Is it true? Are you an ang-”

A finger held her lips closed as Zeloph shook his head. “I don’t feel comfortable being addressed as such. But, indeed, some scriptures of old testaments weren’t always f̩̤͉̫͚a̵i̢̘͕̳̼ț̸̼̪̪h͓͙͝f̭̠̹̟̯̞u̺͎̪l̨ in their depictions. The form you have assimilated is a perversion of what an actual soldier of heaven is. If you want, I͠ ça͟n ͢shơw y̨ou w͏hat̶ ̷w̛e a̕c̕͝tu͘̕͟a̸ļ̢ļ͝y͏̷́ lo̡o͢k ̡l̕i͠k̕e̛~.̸”

“No, thank you.” Bellatrix politely declined, recalling how bizarre and horrific the Orphanim was.

“Heh, very well,” Zeloph chuckled as his magenta gaze sharped. “Though I have to ask; what changed your mind? Why the sudden change of heart?”

“To ensure my sister’s safety,” she explained, pressure swelling in her chest under the gaze of the primordial. “As well as the safety of your child. I can no longer trust the alliance, given how violently they reacted. Somnambula especially sought to destroy it. I’ll do whatever it takes to save Beatrix. I’ll…” Her cheeks flourished as she bowed her head. “I-I’ll offer up my body to you if it proves my loyalty. I’ll play whatever role you want me, be it, angel or devil. If this is who I’m meant to be, so be it!”

The pale emperor considered her proposal, looking to the lovers, who remained unconvinced. After a moment, Zeloph softly chuckled.

“That won’t be necessary,” he declined. “I have no desire for such...ea̴͜r̴͞t̨̀h̷ļ̢̡y͘ pleasures now. Your devotion is proof enough.” His fingers held her cheek to turn her head up to him as he leaned close to plant a chaste kiss on her temple, murmuring unintelligible words.

A warmth poured out from her forehead, flooding the rest of her body. At first, she opened her eyes and wondered if anything had happened. Experimentally, she instead did what came naturally by instinct, growling as radiant skin bled into crimson, golden curls straightened back into silky black locks, claws rose from her hands and feet. Feathers shed, turned back to leathery wings. A spaded tail rose from atop her buttocks.

Her skull threatened to split, the horns that emerged twisting, much thicker than before. A rush of vigor in her extremities made it clear she had evolved beyond a mere succubus, but had become something akin to an archdemon.

“There you go,” Zeloph smiled, pulling away. “You’re free to take on any guise you wish.” To prove this, the bewildered she-devil thought back to her previous form before, and in a brief flash of light, she returned to her angelic visage. And in another thought, shifting back to her demonic shape.

“Come,” he offered his hand to her. “Let me show you around our sanctuary.” Bellatrix accepted his hand as, in a flash, they were within the main hall.

Some of the ponies and robed figures bowed their head to them, while others didn’t seem to notice. As they walked down, Bellatrix looked over the various buildings, all similarly monochrome and clean.

At the summit of the towering pillar was a cathedral, stained glass alight by lanterns as they made their way inside. More ponies were inside, looking towards their savior before letting out startled gasps over the sight of a red she-devil. Even the church organ music stopped playing.

“Be not afraid,” assured the pale emperor. “This lost soul has joined us in our quest to purge out all taint and corruption. Please, bid her welcome.” The choir gazed over Bellatrix before greeting her from their seats. The demoness awkwardly smiled, unsure of how she felt. Everyone return to their seats as Zeloph took to the podium, directing Bellatrix and Fleur to the sides behind him.

“Welcome, my new arrivals,” Zeloph greeted with a friendly smile. “Today, we are gathered under this sacred house to shelter us from the wicked and protect us from unjust deeds of the outside world. How many of you have suffered the cruel ship of the tyrant, Sombra? Once thought to have changed into a benevolent ruler, only to slip back into his brutal ways?”

A majority of the audience raised their hand, much to Bellatrix’s dismay. The poor fools did not know the truth over who resided in her former master’s body.

“That’s quite a lot of you,” he chuckled. “And those who did not feel similarly safe in the Badlands with the ravenous Spike?”

Again, a lot of people raised their hands.

“It is unfortunate that these leaders, who claim to look after the prosperity of Equestria, have failed you, my good people. They are consumed by war and conquest, unaware that death and destruction follow in their wake. But in their failure, we shall rise and purge this land of the decay that rots it. Look to my hand.”

Zeloph rolled up his sleeve to show off the grueling cuts all over it, eyes emerging from the slits as black goo oozed from the slits. Bellatrix and the audience reeled back in disgust.

“See how I bleed in sin? Dripping out of my wounds like poison? It runs rampantly through their veins. Your veins! But fear not, my disciples. I cleanse my holy form each day to be free of these evil temptations. And you can do the same! All I ask is that you allow me into your hearts so that I may share my light with you. Will you let me in?”

The entire building unanimously cried out, “Yes!”

“Than stand up, my friends. Stand with me and open your mind. L͔̹͓e̹͍̘̹͙t̰̥̤̰ ̪̱͈̮̳u̺ṣ͔̤̰̻͞ ̡a̦̟̕ͅl̬̗̺̠͉̺l̲ ̝͚b͘e ͈̟͉̹̼͍p͖͕̪u̱̜̞͝r̹̜͔̺͈̥̣͢i̡̹̺̥͚f̨i̳̖ed̬̬͕̗~͇̘͙͕̳̖͡ͅ!̴̣̯͈͈͉͙͓” Zeloph exclaimed, his arms outstretched as a strange, ancient symbol illuminated around his head, bright aura blazing around his robes like fire.

Bellatrix gazed in alarm as everyone stood up from the benches, arms holding hand in hand while staring hopefully at the illuminating pegasus. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t look!”

A low whisper caught her attention, drawing her face towards Fancy Pants. While Fleur’s eyes were fixated on Zeloph, Fancy’s were wide with terror.

“Don’t look at the light!”

Before she could ask him further, the entire room irradiated with immense heat and brightness, a gust of power blew around the shining ball of pale light, the room darkening.

A soft ringing touched her ears as Bellatrix rose her arm to shield her eyes from the intensity; her screams distorted over the overwhelming energy. Everyone else who didn’t look away stared petrified, captured in the holiness of Zeloph’s archaic presence, unable to comprehend the truth of his power and what it did to their minds...

*****

“Finally. Some quiet…” The disheartened witch sighed.

Beatrix asked to be left alone, the alliance having honored her wishes. She confined herself to her cove while preparations for war rang outside the underground paradise. Though given her current predicament, the impending battle ahead was the least of her worries.

“I’m…I’m going to be a mom,” she whispered, still struggling to get a grip over the fact. She placed a hand over her belly. She'd set her cape and hat aside to help free her mind over the endless possibilities.

She would have to wear something less tight once the bump became apparent. She frowned, not looking forward to that.

Beatrix wondered what her mother and father would have thought were the latter of her world still alive. While her Trixie wasn’t the type to admit it, like her, she too had her reservations about motherhood.

But that soon went away after she’d been born. And though the experience forced maturity onto her, Trixie’s life was dedicated to raising her daughter in her image.

“Mom would have wanted this,” she concluded with a sad smile, sniffling. “To carry out our legacy of traveling and magic shows. She would have been the best damn grandma there ever was!” She chuckled while cleaning her eyes of tears. “The best mother I could have asked for.”

Her frown returned, pondering over whether she’d approve of her sleeping with Zeloph. Or whether she would want the uncovered angel anywhere near her or her baby. If she recalled, he seemed genuinely infatuated with her, even looked upset when she called him out on his deception.

Besides that, she knew nothing about the primordial, outside of what Lady Ewe and others described of him. And even then, there wasn’t much given her teacher couldn’t recognize she bound an angel to the Necronomicon instead of a demon. Beatrix considered sneaking away to find this newly formed city and confront Zeloph herself.

But her thoughts were interrupted at a rumbling sound, her head turning towards her heavy treasure chest. Narrowing her gaze, she rose to approach the shaking chest cautiously, her horn lighting up faintly. Beatrix opened the contents with a deep breath, all her props stored and shoved away inside. Then suddenly…

“Boo!”

“Bwaaah!” The witch jumped back upon something small and dark popping out from the trove. A familiar little mare stood up, monochrome hair draping around her figure while staring up at Beatrix with milky-white eyes and a cheeky smile.

“O-oh, it’s you!” She exclaimed, clutching her chest. “Don’t you know it’s not nice to scare ponies like that?!”

“Heheh! But I scared you good, didn’t I?” The filly giggled, proud of herself before stepping out from Beatrix’s treasure chest.

“Uugh.… How did you even get here? Last I saw you; you were in the labyrinth!”

“It wasn’t hard to find you, especially now that we’re closer together than before!”

“Closer together? What do you mean...?”

The filly smiled up brightly before she walked over to wrap her arms around the stunned unicorn, a sudden jolt shooting up through Beatrix’s spine. She gazed down in alarm while the young filly face looked up longingly at her.

“We’re finally together, mama!”

“Mama?! Wha…” Beatrix sucked in deeply before her hands held over the filly’s shoulders, realizing that she was real. “Y-you mean, you’re my daughter? The child I’m supposed to have?”

She nodded her head while her smile beamed through. Beatrix took a knee, tracing her fingers through her pale skin, the scaly growths under her eye. Once she looked the kid up and down, she could see a few resemblances between the child and herself.

“I-I don’t understand! How are you…are you a time-traveler?” She asked, her mind going wild with speculation. There were just so many possible reasons given the infinite number of worlds that existed.

“Not exactly; it’s a little hard to explain.... G-gnaahg!” She jolted back, her ghostly shape phasing out of reality momentarily, glitching a bit.

“Are you alright?” Beatrix asked in concern.

“Y-yeah! It’s just hard to maintain my presence here for too long. I can’t fully manifest all the way,” the child groaned, taking a deep breath before her form stabilized. “Daddy says that it’s because I exist on a higher plane, despite not being born yet.”

“Daddy…” Beatrix pursed her lips. “And what does ‘daddy’ call you?”

“Abadonna,” she introduced herself, smiling widely. “Or ‘Abby’ for short, if you’d like.”

“Abadonna…” She let the name roll off her tongue. Despite whatever conflict she had against Zeloph, he appeared to be good with names. Something she was sure she’d struggle with.

A tug of her arm drew her attention back to her daughter, pulling her towards the chest; behind it were her notepad and crayons. She lifted it to her, showing off a sketch of Beatrix, scribbled stars and effects.

“D-do you like it, mommy?” She asked, her ears flopped down.

Beatrix couldn’t help the proud smile forming on her lips as she nodded. “It’s excellent! I wouldn’t have guessed my kid would be quite a talented artist.”

The joyful child bounced happily before ushering her mother to sit down, which she obliged. Abadonna took a seat in her lap to show off all the colorful sketches of Beatrix, depictions of a few of her adventures across space and time.

The older unicorn’s snout broke into a broader smile, recalling each moment as etched into the paper. All this time, she’d traveled between dimensions to learn more about herself, chasing thrills, slaking the call for adventure.

But perhaps this was what she needed her entire life. To settle down with someone to care for. Someone to love, beyond those familiar with her.

Was Abadonna the answer she sought?

Her smile faltered upon the next picture depicting Zeloph, surrounded by eyes and the golden wheels of the Orphanim, another strange beast with wings beside him.

“I can tell you’re not happy with daddy,” Abby proclaimed. “He can be scary at times, but he means well, I promise!”

“What do you mean by scary?” Beatrix asked with furrowed brows.

“He’s spent a long time trapped in that black book. So long that he was exposed to some nasty stuff that made him all dark and creepy. Since breaking free, he’s been trying to clean himself up!”

‘The Demiurge,’ Beatrix considered. That would confirm Stygian’s theory, at least. Still, there was likely more to Zeloph than her daughter knew. “I’m...not sure what to make of your father,” she admitted truthfully. “I’m mad at him for… erm, how we meet, but I don’t really know him outside of what my friends tell me. Have you appeared to him before coming to me?”

Abadonna nodded, flipping through the pages. “He was as shocked as you were in discovering I would be his daughter. He probably didn’t think it was possible given his nature. But, after some time, he accepted me and promised to make a better world for you and me to live in.”

“Is that what he’s doing now?”

The little unicorn nodded enthusiastically before stopping on a larger sketch—bright colors used to contrast the darker hues, shaping both herself and Zeloph together.

“According to him, I’m an amalgamation of all the potential daughters you and he could have across dimensions! Two immortals, immune to time’s progress and space’s expansion. One born from darkness, the other of light. A union prophesied to happen, whether the other intended or not! Isn’t that great?!” Abby exclaimed, panting between her spiel while determined to let it all out.

“It’s…certainly a lot to take in,” Beatrix stammered, overwhelmed with every revelation unveiled thus far. Not only was her enemy not as he appeared to be, but he was a destined soulmate?

All her life, she fought to sever her ties with the Necronomicon, and now, another appeared in the form of Zeloph. But through their tangled fates, a child she thought was beyond possibility would be born.

She gazed longingly into the milky eyes of Abby, who put the notebook away and cuddled her mother, rubbing her face into her squishy bosom.

“Mom…I’m glad you’re with me now,” she murmured happily. “Even if you dislike dad, can you promise to be with me?”

New emotions surged forth as Beatrix felt tears swell up in her eyes again. Tears of joy as she drew the child closer into her arms, almost unable to hold her. “Of course! No matter what, you are my daughter. My sweet little Abadonna!”

With a heartwarming smile, she hugged the little unicorn tightly, her daughter’s coolness contrasting her natural warmth.

At that moment, the brewing fight outside no longer existed to Beatrix. Abadonna suddenly became the most crucial thing in the world.

And despite the little time she’d known about her or her father, deep down, she knew she would do whatever it took for her sake, even if it meant going against the whole universe just to protect her. Trembling, she clasped her close, fearing that if she let go, her daughter would vanish from her.

*****

An army headed to the Badlands, lead by the Pony of Shadows. But the tyrant still needed to rest on occasion, confined to a fleshly prison to interact with the world, and so he eventually retired to bed.

Making certain her father was asleep, tucked in his bedroll at the back of the caravan, Cerise Silhouette's hands trembled while she rifled through his belongings.

Every sound she made caused her ears to flick. She exaggerated them in her head; sure, he'd raise eyes blazing in fury at any moment and choke her out like he had her mother. Inky Rose. She was doing this for her, too. That realization steeled her heart; her eyes narrowed with resolve.

Their nation depended on her to guide them away from this mad path!

Digging into the book stack, she eventually came upon the prize she sought; his authored tome. Almost like it wanted to be discovered. After all, it was connected to the Necronomicon now, and didn't that grimoire supernaturally compel people to corrupt them? She shook such thoughts aside. Her fingers shook as she opened the cover and pages rustled.

Sifting about the contents over the hour, she eventually came upon something that almost made her heart stop. She swallowed down a gasp, unable to deny the evidence before her eyes. Among the creatures and monstrous fiends depicted, a section was dedicated to winged figures of different forms. The one that stood out had eight wings, hundreds of eyes, and a face entirely engulfed in white fire. Quietly, she read the section out loud;

“𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔪, 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔅𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔒𝔫𝔢𝔰;

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔡 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔩𝔰, 𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔶 𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔶 𝔭𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔰𝔢𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯.
ℑ𝔣 𝔠𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔱𝔞𝔩 𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔥, 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔟𝔢𝔤𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔲𝔯𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔠𝔢𝔰𝔰. 𝔄𝔩𝔩 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔤𝔞𝔷𝔢 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔰𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔩𝔶 𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔤𝔫𝔦𝔷𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔩𝔢𝔣𝔱. 𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔞𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔶 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔪 𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔢𝔩𝔶 𝔠𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔶 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔢𝔣𝔱; 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔣𝔞𝔳𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔤.”

She nearly dropped the book in shock. The weird distorted music she heard earlier! No wonder her father had reverted to his old ways. He must have encountered one while lost in the Necronomicon.

But what did it all mean? Was a ‘burning one’ active in her father’s declining sanity?

“Cozy Glow,” she whispered. “Are you still in there? Please, stay alive...” Closing the book, she rushed back to bed, determined to get to the bottom of this.

Outside, a caravan unconnected to either side headed closer, its driver masked.

*****

Simultaneously, another group made their own move in the dead of night. A tear-stricken Inky Rose had staggered about and collapsed, thoroughly sloshed to dull the bitter reality she'd found herself in. The loss of her husband, her daughter, and one of her sons possibly to follow, not to mention the abuses and loss of her wing had finally taken its toll.

“Come my Queen,” murmured Radiant Hope, who offered a shoulder in support. “Your people need you.”

“Uh-huh,” slurred Inky, unable to maintain her footing. Her vision blurred, and Radiant shot a look at the twins and Diamond Tiara, uncertain if they should withdraw from her plan. No, time was of the essence, and another chance might not come.

Diamond Tiara winked at her before she turned to the stoic guards on duty. “Hey there,” she called in her sultriest voice, swaying her ample hips that were contained by sheer, transparent silk, her breasts like the rest of the consorts on permanent display. “You must be lonely, huh? I know you all still have needs.” She traced her fingers down the bare chest of one.

It didn't matter what their response was, so long as she could distract them for a moment. Nor did she care what happened to her as a result anymore. If there were even a slim chance it meant Cozy Glow would be saved, she'd sacrifice herself.

With a heavy heart, Radiant silently thanked her for the sacrifice. They slipped out of the chambers, into a secret passage Diamond Tiara told them of, one Somnambula had shared only with her in case Sombra ever betrayed their trust.

The stone slid away under Radiant's touch, and she quickly pulled in Inky, followed by the twins as the slab closed behind them.

The dark and cool path connected to the tombs of the pharaohs. They traversed the maze, confident they would soon be missed and determined to slip out of the pyramid and away from the capital before the guards were aware of their absence.

Another hour passed without incident, and Inky started to sober up, reminded of what was at stake. They followed the corridor and emerged in the open air; Radiant's mind already racing about how they could steal a wagon and carry themselves far away.

The slab sealed behind them. A light breeze rippled over the group, the sands between the pyramid and capital cast in a shade of blue. Radiant undid a map and pointed at possible escape routes and areas where they might pick up supplies.

“Wait,” said Inky. “Allow me.” She knew most citizens wouldn't be aware their Queen was basically under house arrest and could easily procure transport. Her only concerns were what might happen to whoever helped them and that guards might be sent to escort them. However, under the circumstances, it was a risk she would simply have to take.

They started to head towards a building between the pyramid and capital, where travelers could rent transport. Her mind raced with possible cover stories, not that someone in her position needed to answer such questions, even if pressed.

The moonlight fell on a stranger in white robes and a mask. His sandals scraped on the sand, and the twins stepped forward, ready to hold him off if necessary.

“You must be the Queen, Inky Rose.” He offered a slight bow but kept his distance. “We’ve come to aid your cause.”

“We?” Inky asked, snout drawn. “Do I know you?”

He shook his head. “No, but you may consider me an ally. I've already secured a ride for you.” He raised a hand to quiet them. “Your husband, King Sombra, may have taken Cerise Silhouette with him as he intends to assail the alliance, but we can rescue her. Please, come with me. We are like you, tired of the constant war. Come with us, and we can guide you to a sanctuary.”

“I don't trust this one bit,” said Radiant, who kept a hand near her knife.

“We don't have many options,” reminded Foal-Bearer, who shared a glance with Wet Nurse.

Inky considered for a moment. “Very well. We’ll come with you.” To save Cerise, she would risk it all. United by their blood pact, the sisterhood were just as willing to lay down their lives to end the tyrant's reign.

The caravan was led their way, the masked stranger took the reigns, and they piled in. Taking off, the pyramid and the capital grew smaller by the moment as they crossed the roads that carved their way into the desert.

Inky rubbed her false wing, Radiant caressed her bosom where the Crystal Heart remained hidden, and the twins stared at the moon that shone down on them.

Within a few hours, the monochrome city started to appear on the horizon, past the sea of dunes where the moon highlighted its secure structures.

What would await them in this self-proclaimed ‘sanctuary’?

Chapter 18

A scream resonated in the wind. Fresh blood rushed over Shining Armor's shaking gauntlet and white rune blade. White Shadow Penumbra's helmet and turban shattered as he crumpled. Scarlet leaked between his closed eyes, slumped before the Paladin, who huffed under his breastplate. Both armies fell silent, unable to offer anything until the contest was decided.

Hot tears ran down Lily's cheeks. With Penumbra fallen, she was no longer under his command. And at her word, the army would march on the Crystal Empire and avenge him, certainly! Her fist shook around the cracked war horn, half-blinded. Snowflakes drifted around her, and her trembling hand shifted towards an ax, her dreams dying before her misty eyes.

No. She couldn't dishonor his wishes, no matter her personal feelings. “Men, stand down. Per the captain’s orders, we accept the outcome…and surrender.” Her shoulders slumped, reluctantly tossing her weapon aside. The other soldiers followed suit, laying down their arms in a clatter as the Crystal Pony forces approached.

She glared at Shining Armor, marching forward without any remorse present on his face. Cadance rushed to tend to Penumbra. “He's alive,” she called. “Badly hurt, but he’ll live. We’ll make certain he receives the best medical treatment immediately.”

“He fought well,” Shining Armor nodded. “Gave me quite a workout! I hope to have a rematch with him someday!” He winced, bruised with a couple ribs cracked under the impact of sword strikes his armor deflected.

Cadance’s frown deepened as she stood up to whisper harshly into her husband’s ear. “We’re going to have words later.” He gulped before nodding, directing his men to escort Penumbra's forces through the gates and into the barracks.

The cell could barely contain their mass numbers, let-alone hope to feed them for long since their own lands were stretched thin. Lily leaned her tired body against the wall before slumping down, knees to her chest, hoping Penumbra recovered swiftly.

The flurry of snow grew more rampant within the hour. The Crystal Pony guards remained ready in front of their captives while high in the castle, while the queen paced around the throne room, berating her husband’s recklessness.

“Honey, with all my love and respect for you, what the actual fuck was that?!” Chastised Cadance, glaring over the alabaster unicorn. “How could you risk everything over what? Macho pride?! One wrong move, and we could have lost all we built in an instant!” She took a moment to control her rising temper, pacing her breaths. “Damn it, Shining! Sometimes the reasons I fell in love with you are what makes me so frustrated with you!”

“Hey, it worked out, didn't it? What was I supposed to do, let soldiers die needlessly?”

“We can't afford to look after them! What happens if Sombra doesn't care about our hostages? What if he's willing to sacrifice his own son to fulfill his ambitions? What then!?”

“Then that just proves how unhinged the tyrant is! All the more reason to convince his men that something must be done about him. He was never suited to be a king!”

“What does that have to do with risking their livelihoods over a petty contest!? You could have killed the poor colt!”

As their yelling echoed around the spacious throne room, similar unrest brewed all over the Crystal Empire. Its borders invaded, the citizens were fearful Sombra would send reinforcements to claim his captured forces.

Not to mention the burdened Crystal Pony guards situated there, as the army they confined hungered for a chance to avenge their fallen commander.

In a hospital bed rested Penumbra, deathly pallid, the doctors and nurses in attendance uncertain if he would awaken. Bandages were wrapped around his fractured skull, his breathing short and strained.

Gales howled louder. A white flurry whipped above the tumultuous region.

Called by the strife between everyone, the land unprotected by the Crystal Heart, the dormant Windigos began their descent...

*****

Beatrix rose up in alarm, panting heavily, sweating profusely. Looking around, she found herself in her cove, the sounds of preparations still going on outside. The witch placed a hand over her chest to steady her beating heart. She must have slipped into an uneasy slumber, unable to recall the dream.

“Mmngh.... Abby..?” She groaned, looking around for her monochrome daughter. Yet the filly wasn’t anywhere to be found. ‘Must've left already,’ she assumed, lips pursed.

Sighing, the violet unicorn curled back up into a ball within her cove. But upon trying to reach for her hat, she found that it was missing. That’s when she recalled what had happened before she fell asleep.

“Here, sweetheart,” she’d told Abadonna, a twinkle in her eye as she placed the far too large gift over her tiny head. “This is for you.”

“F-for me? Woooooow!” The younger unicorn exclaimed, the lower part of her muzzle smiling as she felt over the furry brim and fabric.

Beatrix couldn’t help but grin. “My mom gave me one just like that when I was small. You take good care of it, okay?”

“Y-yes, mom! I will!” Abby giggled, shuffling in her robes before wrapping her arms around her mother. “Thank you!”

Torn from her reverie, Beatrix cast her head back and sighed, shaken up by all the stress swelling in her chest. She couldn't exactly assist the alliance directly without the risk of injuring her unborn child. Groaning, she traced her belly, thinking about the condition of the child growing inside.

Resigned, she sighed and wiped away more tears. Abadonna would be okay. She wondered if she was with her father now. Surely, Zeloph wouldn’t mistreat her, right? He must have cared deeply about Abadonna if he went through the trouble of impregnating her.

Her cheeks flushed as she recalled the events that had happened. The way the primordial looked over her, touched her, made her feel like she was his whole world. And the way he took her….

Beatrix couldn’t help the feelings of need burning in her loins as she remembered feeling the angel, biting her lip as her nipples grew hard in her leotard. The sensational whispers and sounds he sang to her.

As manipulative and wicked as the fallen one was, Zeloph filled the flustered witch with wanton delight, unlike anything she often indulged in. And she couldn’t deny that part of her wanted to sleep with him again...

“Is everything alright, Ceann Oga?” A gentle voice reverberated through the cave, pulling Beatrix out of her hazy thoughts a moment. A soft rustle echoed at the entrance before the full figure of the dream faun cautiously stepped in. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“O-oh! Aaah, no! Not at all,” Beatrix insisted, smiling bashfully before patting an empty spot beside her.

Lady Ewe placed her staff onto the wall before sitting next to her friend. She put a hand over the unicorn’s forehead, frowning with concern. “Oh my, yer burnin’ up! Have ye caught a fever?”

“No, I’m fine!” Beatrix insisted, pulling her head away. “I’ve just been cooped up in here, is all. But what about you? Shouldn’t you be with the rest of the alliance? They’re about to head out and intercept the Pony of Shadows’ forces, aren’t they?”

“I will not be joinin’ them, “ Lady Ewe stated firmly. “Ye are my responsibility, Beatrix. Yer health and safety come first, especially with a babe on da way.”

“O-oh…. Wow, thanks. That…means a lot,” Beatrix said lowly, struggling to meet those kind honey eyes of the goat woman.

“Besides,” Oona continued, looking away into the light pouring in. “I’ve never been one fer conflict and battle. My brother would’ve been far more suited here than I.”

“Brother?” Beatrix looked up to the faun curiously. “You have a brother?!”

“Aye,” she confirmed, smiling fondly. “Dìon and I would get into many squabbles durin’ our youth. That carried over as he trained to succeed our father, strengthened with every brawl he got himself into. But through that rough exterior was a big heart, devoted to helping the weak stand up to the strong.”

“Whoa.… Where is he now?”

“Last I saw of him, Dìon was in the middle of a civil war, determined to stop giants from crushing Equestria.” Oona looked back towards her protege. “I’m sure you’ll meet with him one day.… Hmm...” Her gaze narrowed, tilting her head in a puzzled manner. “Say, what happened to your hat? I rarely see ye without it!”

“Ohh, umm.... It's complicated. I'll explain later,” she promised. “Besides, I can always summon a new one since my costume is practically a part of me!” To demonstrate, she waved her hand, and in a puff of colorful magic, a new hat materialized in her grasp.

“Ahh, convenient,” Oona giggled. “Well, if there’s anything ye need, know that I’m always here for ye.” The goat rose to leave until Beatrix reached to grasp her wooly hand, pulling her back down. Lips pursed together, she placed her mentor’s hand over her chest while gazing up sorrowfully.

“And if I need you now?” She asked, embarrassed with how heightened her emotional state was. “Ever since Zeloph and I.… I’ve been yearning for a certain touch”.

Heat rose to Oona’s cheeks, her eyes falling over the shape of the witch’s bust and the excited nipples poking through the fabric. “O-oh, I see..!”

“Plus, we…never did get to finish before, did we?” She added with a sweet smile, pulling her closer until their muzzles were inches away from touching.

“No, we have not,” she sighed heavily, her eyelids lowering. “But are ye sure? Ye must feel so vulnerable, and I don-”

“I'm sure,” assured the witch. “My hormones are really out of whack, and you’re the one I’m most comfortable touching me right now. I-I’ve been crushing on you hard since we met, and I never thought.… Ugh! Fuck, you’re just.... One of the greatest friends a gal like me could ask for, Oona! I wish I possessed your wisdom and spirit! Maybe then I-”

Her confession was cut short as lips met hers in a lingering kiss. Pulling away, the dream faun panting slightly while her eyes burned for the witch. “Ye…ye have no idea how much it means to be valued like that, Ceann Oga. Ye flatter me enough as it is! But no more words.… I need ye just as bad~.”

A wide smile was her only response as Beatrix magically poofed their clothes away, discarding them into a pile. Starting exactly where they left off, the unicorn latched onto the goat’s massive mammaries, trying to grope as much tit flesh as she could.

Oona yelped and groaned, her nubs hardened in Beatrix’s mouth as she sucked and nibbled them. And like before, one hand slide down her round belly to feel up the wooly mound of her pussy, where fingers gingerly tracing over her labia.

“A-aaugh! S-sweet lucid dreams~!” She praised highly, spreading her thighs out while feeling those digits push into her heated nethers. Her hand pressed the mare’s face deeper into her squishy tit. The witch’s fingers hit a spot that made her see stars, fem cum leaking over her knuckles before Beatrix pulled away, cheeks rosy and eyes sultry staring at her mentor for approval, to which she answered by pushing the pregnant mare down for along, wet kiss.

Their bodies melded into each other, large breasts squished together. Beatrix pulled away to snuggle her face into Oona’s warm wool, giggling as it tickled her.

While the two cuddled and kissed one another, the witch’s hands roamed all over the dream faun’s body, discovering where she preferred to be touched.

Soon, the heat grew unbearable as the two lovers pressed their pussies against one another, rubbing their inflamed labia while moaning the other’s praises. A sticky trail leaked between their swollen lips. Moist squishes sounded each time they drove their hips, kissing and nibbling at each other, trying to grasp everything they hadn’t.

Wetness pooled below their bottoms, clung to the thin coat that decorated their supple flesh. She basked in her teacher's warmth, thankful that they were finally given a chance to enact their shared affection without interruptions. And not before long, the two shared a loud cry of ecstasy as they brought themselves to a glorious climax.

Fem cum dripped off their legs, the tired shepherd laying down while taking deep gulps of air. Her eyes had glazed over, unable to focus on the mare, nuzzling her face into her bosom. All she could do was stroke her platinum mane.

“Beannaich na spioradan,” Ewe sighed dreamily. “That was better than I could have imagined. Oh, Beatrix…”

“Lady Ewe…” She whispered, staring brightly at the goat’s muzzle. “I…I love you.”

“And I love you,” she returned, smiling happily before kissing her snout and relaxing into their makeshift bed of clothing. With her desire dying down after such an intimate encounter, Beatrix thought over the possibilities of settling down with someone. Could she find herself a partner to spend her days with? Who would it be? The witch wasn’t sure. Sombra was beyond her reach, no doubt ready to make amends with his wife and daughter. And Zeloph, no matter the strange attraction they shared, was someone Beatrix knew she shouldn’t pursue.

But if she were to choose a permanent partner, she hoped her mentor would be the one. Or at least someone who understood and wouldn’t judge her.

“Let us sleep, Ceann Oga,” the shepherd drowsily said. “We can continue your trainin’ within our dream.”

But until then, Beatrix was content with how things were right now, knowing that even if she were alone, she had friends to fall back on. She closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her once more, aware her dreams would be far more pleasant.

*****

“We have arrived,” the masked carriage driver proclaimed.

Peering out from the windows, Inky Rose and company gasped at the sight of the marvel before them. Standing before them was the monochrome city. The entire landscape had become pale, the skies without color. Even the sun looked off, now a black void of light. It was like they entered a different world.

“What happened here?” Radiant Hope asked the driver, unable to tear her gaze away from the impending walls.

“The grand savior has purified this land,” the driver replied. “It is a fortress against the oppressive, sanctuary for all who enter.”

“It looks so…ethereal,” Inky commented, unable to deny its appearance as an impossible feat of art. Once the carriage passed through the gates, the entrance closed behind. Around the block were similar white-robed acolytes, some sporting masks, and others stoic expressions. But some looked lively, many fillies and foals playing in an open space. The grey pegasus looked over to the large spire that towered over all the houses and buildings.

“This place…reminds me of a lot of the Crystal Empire,” Wet Nurse whispered, looking all over the sights.

“Yes,” admitted Foal Bearer. “It’s eerily perfect. Unnatural…”

“Something’s definitely off,” Radiant Hope agreed. “Somehow, this entire city’s presence has tamed the elements themselves. This tumultuous region is no longer battered by sandstorms. We need to be on guard.”

All three mares nodded before the wagon came to a stop, letting them off before the main entrance to the cathedral, where the ruler was waiting for them. To either side was Fleur de Lis, the head of Fancy Pants nearly formed from her neck, and Bellatrix, sporting her old devilish persona.

“Fleur? Bellatrix?!” The queen questioned while approaching the pale emperor.

“Welcome,” Zeloph greeted, bowing his head while clutching his seraph staff. “To my beloved city! I am relieved to see you’ve made it safe and sound, your majesty.”

“Who are you? What is this place? What have you done to them?!” Radiant Hope demanded from the angelic primordial, who smiled in response.

“Haha, no need for aggression, my dear,” he assured. “For starters, my name is Zeloph. I come only to offer a safe haven to those in need. Your friends here,” he motioned to the unicorn and she-devil. “They sought my guidance after growing tired of Dragon Lord Spike’s faulty leadership. I can assure you there is no trickery on my part.”

Fleur stepped forward with a nod. “It’s true. I could no longer stand aiding a group that refused to do anything about your ruthless husband, Inky. It was through Zeloph that I was reunited with my beloved.” Her hand petted Fancy’s face, who nuzzled her weakly.

“No...something isn’t right!” She could sense the Crystal Heart within her chest, trembling under spiritual pressure.

“Zeloph…. I-I’ve heard that name before!” Inky recalled, remembering the image of that black mass of darkness and eyes in the Necronomicon. But the figure before her looked nothing like the depiction, outside of the many eyes embedded in his wings. “You.… You were that thing the dream shepherd warned me about!”

“I am,” he acknowledged with an uneasy sigh. “But you must understand; I am not the monster you think I am. My intentions are p̸u̧͟r̕͘͟e͝͞͝!”

“Then show me,” Inky demanded with narrowed eyes. “Bring me my daughter, as I was promised!”

“As you wish,” he answered, shutting his eyes as he muttered a chant in an unknown language. Holding his hands together, his eyes opened as gleaming light poured from his pupils. Within moments, a strange creature was summoned forth. The Ophanim’s ringed radiance appeared with Cerise Silhouette safely inside. Lowering to the ground, the rings dissolved in a flash as the dancer dropped onto the floor.

Cerise shook herself from her daze while holding her head. “Naaghn, w-where am I?” The dancer questioned, rising to her feet before spotting the queen and her entourage. “Wait! Mom!?”

“Cerise,” she cried as she dashed to secure her daughter in her arms, hugging the mare tightly. “Oh, thank the heavens you’re safe!”

“Mom,” she sniffled, nuzzling into the pegasus’ neck before she pulled away to look around the monochrome city. “What happened? How did we...?”

“While Sombra wasn’t looking,” the winged Vice Lord explained. “I spirited you away. I hope this proves my intentions are not malicious.”

Cerise looked back, eyes widened in dread over the visage of Zeloph, her mind flashing back to the page entry and winged abomination with many eyes.

“No, I suppose not,” the queen accepted, still sceptical. “Thank you, Zeloph.”

He chuckled before once more bowing. “Why not come inside and have something to eat? You must be hungry after traveling so far.”

“NO!” Cerise exclaimed, pulling away from her mother to gain distance from the tall emperor.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“Mom, we have to leave! Now!” She urged.

“What?” Inky turned to the twins and Radiant in confusion.

“Yes,” Zeloph added with a curious glimmer in his magenta eyes. “What’s your hurry?”

“Don’t try to play coy, you fiend!” Cerise berated. “You might be able to fool everyone, but I know what you truly are!”

“Oh? D̴̢̀o͞ ̸̧t͡e͢͝ll̡̕~.̧”

The daughter of darkness turned to her mother. “He’s a fallen angel, further twisted by extensive exposure to the Necronomicon! He may seem holy, but what he offers ensures the erasure of existence! Just look what he’s done to Fleur de Lis! That’s her husband’s corpse attached to her neck!”

“I'm quite content as I am, thank you.” Fleur snorted with a toss of her mane. “I think you’re attacking him because you can’t stand to accept that your father is a cruel stallion!”

Cerise stamped a foot. “No, can’t you see? You’ve been brainwashed!!”

“Young lady, I would never enforce my power against anyone,” Zeloph insisted, gesturing to the crowd forming around them. “These good ponies came to me w͢͝i͘͞͏l̶̵͜li̶͘ng̶ly̢! Where your father offered damnation, I offer salvation.”

Cerise groaned, gripping her mother tightly by the shoulders, staring at her pleadingly. “Mom, please, you have to believe me! He’s the one responsible for all this madness. I think he did something to dad while imprisoned in the Necronomicon!” She was practically hyperventilating, pointing at the series of eyes adorning his wingspan.

Inky pursed her lips while caressing her cheek, wanting nothing more than to trust her daughter. She peered back to the midnight-maned angel. “Zeloph, is it true? Are you responsible for my husband’s descent?”

With a rustle of robes, he approached the cautious mares while frowning. “It is true,” he confessed. “I was the one who guided your husband on the path of self-destruction.”

A collective gasp of surprise resonated with the crowd. Fleur de Lis the most surprised while Bellatrix remained silently suspicious.

“You what?!” The Fleur exclaimed with a raised eyebrow.

Cerise remained on edge, not expecting this villain to actually admit to his crimes.

“It is in my nature,” Zeloph explained, looking towards the queen with regret. “I, too, am a victim of the Necronomicon, having been unjustly trapped there. It has taken me great effort to rid my once pristine soul of its taint. In my maddened state, I urged Sombra to submit to the darkness in his heart, in hopes that one day, I may free him.”

Inky's ears flicked. “Free him?”

The primordial nodded, spreading his wings to better show off his enigmatic glow. “I must atone for my sins. That is why I have built this place; to redeem myself and liberate this land from all violence! I ask upon you all, can I be forgiven for my actions that have caused this broken family immense suffering?”

The crowd, moved by their leader’s selfishness and humility, answered in a resounding, “Yes!”

Zeloph lowered himself to a knee before Inky Rose, taking her hand into his while looking up to her remorsefully. “And what about you, your highness? Will you forgive me? I will do all in my power to make it up to you. Name it, and I shall give it!”

“A-ah, I.… If you truly mean it, then-”

“Mom, no!” Cerise cuts in, pulling her away from the kneeling immortal. “He’s the reason father became a mad tyrant, the reason we were thoroughly abused! You can’t!”

“Cerise Silhouette,” Zeloph addressed, standing over her shoulder, all eyes fixated on her. “Is it true you are a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow? Her soul was embedded to yours by your father, long before you were born, was it not?”

“Y-yeah, but.... How do you know that?” She sneered at him.

“I can sense it. Her spirit lives through you and flows like water. Naturally, I despise all that is evil, but I have come to understand that the dark arts can create good things, such as yourself. Perhaps you would be willing to provide me more insight, hmm?”

“Get away from me,” Cerise hissed with clenched teeth. “You won’t fool me. I know you just want to use us!”

“Perhaps,” Radiant Hope stepped in, snout pursed. “I don't trust you either, but there’s no denying your openness to mistakes. What's your pitch?”

Zeloph smiled widely. “All that I request is that you stay here and see for yourself what our life is like. If by day's end you're not convinced, my acolytes will send you wherever you wish by caravan. Even if that's to deliver you to the alliance. I will not hold it against you if you wish to leave.”

“Good! C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Cerise insisted before Zeloph raised a hand.

“Wait just a moment,” the angelic pegasus halted before placing a hand on Inky’s false wing, the queen reflexively drawing her plume tightly. “I promised to redeem myself, your highness. And before you go, I must insist I remedy a prior action. Let me restore what your husband cruelly stole from you.”

“You…you can?” Inky asked, her eyes lighting up hopefully. “But surely, the cost would be too great!”

He nodded. “It is. For my magic to fully heal your wings, I must ask you to sacrifice your memories.”

“M-my memories?!”

“Oh no…” Cerise mouthed, remember the passage of what the burning ones did in the tome, and a chill swept over her.

“Just the ones you’d be better without,” he reassured. “Perhaps, if I may suggest, you relinquish the thoughts of Sombra that turned sour after the mistreatment he’s done to you. Would it not be better to rid the pain he’s inflicted on your soul?”

“Don't do it,” Cerise pleaded while gripping her arm harder, confident her mom wasn't in her right mind anymore.

“I...I don't know,” lamented Inky, twitching her false wing. While Zeloph may have been the one to push Sombra, his actions remained his own. And he had betrayed their love and trust. Thrown away all they'd worked so hard to build. And even if the fallen angel hadn’t intervened, would he still have invited the darkness into him through all his past sins? “The rest of you can do as you wish. I want to see what lies in this city. For now, Zeloph…I accept your offer.”

“Mom,” Cerise cried in disbelief.

“Very well,” Zeloph agreed, pulling her mother away before looking back to his audience. “Everyone! Let us sing a prayer for this troubled queen. L̡̪̩̤̜͙̦̻̤̪͞e̷̲͘t̸̨̺̠̻̩ ̶̧͈̗͓̙̜͔̣̥u̜̣̗̼̤s̖͈̦̞̜̦̲͡͞ ̮̞̠̥̯̭̗h͕̭͉̰̬̗̞̯ę̸̩͈͍̲̟ḻ̝͕͎͕̭̦ͅp̵̜͜ ̵̡̳͍̦͍̻h҉̭̣̻̦͙͖e̞̥̭̝̺ŕ͈͡ ̢̲͔b̴̛̯̭͕͍̟é̟̲̙̮́̕c̪̙͓̰͘ǫ̷̛̤m̡̰̖̲̰̮̤̮̟e͈̯͕̻̖ ̨̞͉̥ẁ̜̖͔̘͓̲̜͚͟h̷͔̜͎̠̼̳̀͟ó͓̩̦̳͠ͅl͟͏̴͚͚̞͇͍̠̻ę̻͚͡!̵̪̝̙̣͎̩”

The crowd of zealots clasped their hands together and began to chant in unison. An archaic halo glowed around Zeloph’’s head as he dipped the lovely pegasus into his arms. Her cheeks flushed as her startled eyes bore into his, and he placed two fingers on her forehead. White fiery light poured into Inky’s head, her form overtaken by warmth and purity, gasping in unrestrained delight.

Cerise watched in dismay as the fake wing disintegrated into dust, tissue and bone beginning to heal from her back. Feathers bloomed out of her wingspan, stretching out until what was taken had been given back.

As Zeloph pulled her back up to let her stand, the weary pegasus shook her head before looking over to her newly restored wing. Tears broke down her cheeks, barely able to believe the evidence before her eyes.

“M-my wings! They’re healed!!” She exclaimed happily, shaken to her core.

“Praise be!” One acolyte proclaimed as the gathered crowd cheered. Cerise gazed over in distress towards her mother’s entourage, who remained unsettled but astonished at what they witnessed.

Fleur’s own doubt had been resolved as she smiled confidently, while her husband and Bellatrix offered worried glances.

Inky Rose embraced Zeloph, showering him with gratitude for the miracle he performed. The winged immortal smiled in return while his eyes drifted to her daughter.

Growling, Cerise marched over to pull her mother away from him. “You bastard! What have you done!?”

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Inky asked, child-like in her innocent tone. “Look at me, I can fly again! Isn’t that great?”

“W-well, yes, but mom, he-”

Inky bbn blinked away tears. “Oh, we should go find your father! Where was he again?”

Her question sent shudders through the young mare’s spine, the implications all but clear. “Mom…. You don’t remember?” Her answer was met by an eerie tune resounding close to her—a love song from a late-era.

“The details are a little foggy, but I think he’s still at home, isn’t he? Oh, Zeloph! Would it trouble you to send him here?”

He laughed. “All are welcome to my city. But why don’t we have dinner first? I’ll need time to make proper arrangements.”

Inky nodded in understanding as she urged her group to follow her inside the cathedral doors. They all looked to each other, uncertain what to believe, but quietly followed her lead. Cerise, however, remained still, bitter tears streaming down her face while clutching her fists tightly.

“I sense great strife in you, child,” Zeloph whispered, towering over the upset earth mare. “I understand; this is hard to swallow. But it had to be done. Believe me, I mean you and your mother well. Yet you are not so easily convinced, I can see. So tell me, Cerise. What must I do to prove I'm not an enemy?”

She stared up angrily at the angelic pegasus before pulling out the tome she’d stolen from her father, stored it away in traveling cloak. “You want to prove you’re not a monster, Zeloph? Then help me save Cozy Glow,” she demanded, snout drawn and eyes narrowed. "That will be a start!"

He inspected the book quizzically, tracing a finger over it’s cover before shuddering. Understanding what the contents of this skin-bound tome were, he nodded. “I’ll look into it. But for now, le͞t͠ ̢us ̷ea̸̸̢t̶̀~̀.”

Cerise resigned herself to this decision as she followed the winged immortal through the cathedral doors.

She would find a way to expose Zeloph to her friends and family, but would reside in this city of black and white, for now.

*****

By the time the Pony of Shadows awakened, his army had arrived in alliance territories. He rose and looked around him. “Cerise? Cerise! Where are you,” he cried, spilling over the pile of books and darting his eyes about the shadowed interior. Finding his daughter suddenly felt far more important than winning this war, despite what was at stake.

Yet from the rustle outside, he realized there was no time. The Dragon Lord was ready for them, and his own numbers rushed in to meet them head-on. The tyrant cursed and hastily slipped into his armor, a sheathed sword placed at his hip.

Kicking open the door, he drew his saber and rushed onto the battlefield, the bloodshed already underway. Magic flashed across skies that darkened and crackled. Weapons clashed. Bodies crumpled.

The outskirts between the Badlands and the desert resembled the myths of Tartarus itself, scarred and chaotic under a black-shrouded moon. But that meant little to him.

Instead, his attention focused on the Dragon Lord himself. Their eyes locked, grim mouths drawn. The former was invigorated by the females he recently mated with that made him burn, the latter pulsed under cold ethereal wisps enhanced by the dark arts.

They rushed to meet each other, the tyrant cutting down the troops that tried to interfere. Spike, likewise, opened his maw and torched his enemies who intervened. Charred and butchered men fell around them until they met in the middle, surrounded by a hellish haze, both sides manipulated to carry out this very moment, where the two heroes would clash.

The Dragon's Lord swung his two-handed, rune-inscribed white blade. The Pony of Shadows raised his own sword, its smoldering, dark arts empowered steel making it swirl in purplish-black flame.

A deafening boom sounded under a clash that momentarily hurled them back. Instantly, they rose skyward to rejoin their crossed swords, snarling in a fury.

“Where is Cerise?!” Barked the Pony of Shadows, sneering as they strained. “What have you’ve done with her?!”

Spike snarled, veins visible on taut muscles as he pushed back, their weapons locked. “Cerise? What kind of trick is this?! We don't have your daughter! You're the one who stole that body and abused her!”

“No! I-I love her,” cried the tyrant, only to be knocked back under the impact.

Spike pressed his advantage, a blow shattering a portion of the tyrant's armor, who groaned and felt a trickle of warm blood flow out a gash at his side.

Emerald flames rushed out of Spike's wide-open maw. More spells battered his musculature. Around them, the battlefield was covered in ground troops and airborne soldiers, magic lightning in the sky, weapons clashing, and striking armor.

The Dragon Lord's numbers were bolstered by mercenaries, including many exotic races from all over Equestria. Griffins, minotaurs, and other races once thought extinct warred.

The mask that housed Sombra hovered above the leaders and watched them duel, both driven to their limits by desperation.

Knocked to the rocky earth, the Pony of Shadows tumbled over-and-over, scraping up his body as he screamed like a wounded animal. Rolling to his boots, he wildly fired off spells that Spike zipped around, the Dragon Lord diving towards him.

A blast of raw energy exploded across Spike's ancient armor, so much a loose portion erupted into fragments. He was thrown off course, forced to momentarily land, a searing mark emblazoned across his smoking muscles.

He knew that had his suit not taken the brunt, the blow would have proven fatal. The Pony of Shadows panted, nearly all his strength thrown into that focused attack.

A searing inferno enveloped the Dragon Lord, howling as his remaining clothes melted under the intense heat that made the air around his chiseled mass ripple. His eyes were pure white, embers dancing off his sizzling scales as his full might unleashed.

Not to be outdone, the Pony of Shadows called on the dark arts, his clothing also shredded by the cold touch of darkness, tendrils rising around his silhouette.

Another spell launched from his fist, only to be swatted aside by the Dragon Lord's blade. “You will return her to me!” The tyrant declared, a hand still raised and glowing alongside his jagged horn.

Rising to meet in the air, the area quaked under the ear-shattering onslaught loosed by the champions. Ashes drifted in the smoky sky. Again-and-again they met and clashed, a blinding explosion lighting the heavens.

Finally one of the opponents was cast down in a smoking spiral, simply to be followed by the other champion, who landed and made a slow advance on the fallen warrior.

“It's over, Pony of Shadows,” Spike huffed as the fires around him died, stumbling towards him and dragging the blade across the ground, sparking as it scraped along the torn earth. Muscular arms started to heft the fiery broadsword, ready to lop the head from his shoulders, if necessary.

The darkness surrounding the Pony of Shadows dwindled, a broken stallion left behind, accepting his fate.

“Both of you cease!” The mask of Sombra intercepted the combatants and floated between them as they met. “Do not forget who the real enemy is!” Sombra insisted, unwilling to let his flesh perish in a needless battle. “Our tru fight is not with each other! It’s with him!”

“Him,” Spike repeated, calming his nerves before he did anything reckless.

“Zeloph,” mumbled the Pony of Shadows. “Did he try and stir up the Demiurge and the Eldritch ghosts, too?”

“Don't think I've forgotten how you've treated my wife, daughter, and servants,” Sombra responded coldly. “We could easily have you tried for numerous war crimes, on top of that. Though.... It’s not like I would have been any different.”

“Yes,” admitted the Pony of Shadows, snuffing out the spell he charged as Spike reached for his war horn. Doing the same, the two blew a tune in unison, a call for a temporary truce, and around them, the sounds of battle slowly died away. “I surrender. Do what me as you will. But please…do whatever it takes to save Cerise!” He trembled all over, overwhelmed.

Fires smoked and burned on a charred war zone, covered in scorch marks and scattered corpses. The masked guards instantly obeyed their master's commands, and his troops fell in line, murmurs between both sides as they wondered if it were over.

Could there possibly be peace between them again, after all the bad blood a mutual adversary had stirred up?

Sombra’s mask approached his battered body, a reflection of his inner, suppressed darkness, tamed by his family. “Why are you so infatuated with my daughter?”

“I do love Cerise,” admitted the Pony of Shadows, slumping his head in defeat. He held his skull, struggling to understand these feelings, once alien to the creature before it inhabited this fragile skin. “I... I wanted to stop. To call this all off, for her sake.... But it felt too late to turn back.”

Spike shook his head. “It's never too late. Sombra's proof of that.” He nodded to the mask. “Maybe there's a way we can all get what we want? But it all depends on you two.” He plucked the mask from the air, presenting it to the fallen tyrant.

“I see,” said the Pony of Shadows between ragged breaths. “We unite into one entity.”

“I will allow you to stay close to Cerise,” offered Sombra. “But in return, you must allow me to be in control at all times. Do you accept these terms?”

“I accept,” said the Pony of Shadows, and Spike placed the mask on the tyrant's face. It temporarily molded to the flesh, then fractured and finally shattered, Sombra glowing in inky wisps and tendrils, brimming with darkness as he rose.

Albeit now he could control it, the pair perfectly balanced and united as one. He clasped and unclasped his fists, intrigued.

Spike wearily studied him. “Are you okay in there?”

He solemnly nodded. “Yes, I’m...I’m back! The Pony of Shadows has settled within me. Now I can start to put things right.”

“Excellent!” Spike sighed in relief. “Do you know what happened to your daughter?”

“No, I can’t put together what happened. Only that Cerise vanished from the wagon that carried me here.” The memories of he and the Pony of Shadows flowed together. “If she's trapped in this mysterious city Zeloph commands, I must rescue her!”

Spike nodded before opening his arms to the dark stallion. “We'll do it together,” he swore, and the two warriors embraced, much to the shock of many onlookers.

The two leaders realized that the Pony of Shadows was amoral by nature, unaware of the weight its actions carried, unable to choose differently until now. Yet the memories of the flesh it inhabited and the affection of his daughter had altered it.

Whatever its crimes, the entity, too, would be given a second chance. And its power combined with Sombra's would allow them to take on the architect of these tragedies.

Both wondered, what awaited them in that mysterious nation that had materialized?

The Dragon Lord and the former tyrant turned to their scattered forces, now united in their determination to end this.

“Soldiers, we head back to the Badlands to regroup with the alliance,” Sombra ordered, saturnine snout drawn. “We must prepare ourselves for the real enemy before us!"

Chapter 19

A storm unlike any seen in ages beset the Crystal Empire. Those who protected the high up walls sounded horns in alert, a number frozen mid-scream as a flurry of Windigos swept over them. Instantly they were cased in solid ice, some tumbling off and smashing into bloodied chunks below.

The soldiers who escaped were tossed about in the gales or hurtled to the frozen earth. The entire sky was shrouded in white; the sun blotted out with the coming of another doomsday scenario.

Shining Armor rallied what forces he could, a number of them busy keeping watch over the captured army, and they rushed to meet this old threat. His blazing, rune-enchanted broadsword formed a protective barrier around him, buffeting the blizzard.

Still, his boots struggled to trudge through tufts of snow that were already threatening to bury the capital. “Damn bastards! I can't even reach them!” He suddenly wished he'd taken his magic studies more seriously.

A colorful beam rose skyward, a Windigo exploded in a howl and dissipated back into the ether. He turned around to see Cadance, dressed in heavy armor, wings fully spread. “Forgive me, love. I know you meant well,” she called over the wind. “We can't afford to squabble anymore! We have to stand united if we hope to drive these monsters out!”

He grinned at her, then his snout fell. “But what can we do?”

“I'll take command. Please, seek out Lily Longsocks and request her aid. Tell her we'll offer her army a full pardon in return.”

He pursed his muzzle, encased by her in a protective bubble. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Their leader may be a tyrant, but I don't think they're evil.” Hesitating a moment, the Paladin stared at the warped creatures that whirled above and solemnly nodded.

He left his troops in her hands and pushed against the winds, headed to the stolid area where Penumbra's soldiers were imprisoned. Most were packed into a crowded place, lacking room for all of them.

He found Lily, who stewed on a slab that served as a seat in a private cell. A keyring he'd taken from the jailer jingled in Shining's grasp. Her eyes watered, and she grimaced, asking, “Come to taunt me, huh?”

“Not at all! We...need your help. We're prepared to offer you a full pardon in return, if you accept.”

She tilted her head to one side. “Why the sudden change of heart? You plan to have us run a suicide mission?”

“Honestly, kinda. But my wife and I will be there too, along with the majority of our numbers. The Windigos has returned, stronger than I've seen them, and without the Crystal Heart, we're all screwed, you included. We don't have time for hostility between us. Please, I know you hate me for what I did to Penumbra, but...don't let spite cost the lives of your troops.”

Lily crossed her arms, lost in thought. “...okay. I'll do it.” The keys rattled in the door, and it creaked open.

He offered her the armor they'd confiscated, then turned around once she hastily stripped down to her underwear, until she was adequately dressed for combat.

Hoping that his wife could hold out over the hour against impossible odds, Shining helped Lily release her army and armed them. Soon their combined forces headed to battle, the enemies united despite the tensions that still brewed between them.

*****

“...and that's what we know so far,” explained Radiant Hope, huddling in the cathedral around her sworn sisters.

“I don't remember any of that,” admitted Inky Rose, who massaged her restored wing.

The twins took her hands on both sides of her. “We're here to support you,” reminded Foal-Bearer. "You're still our queen."

For the moment, Cerise Silhouette left them behind and explored more in-depth into the church. Finally she discovered Bellatrix Primadonna, bathing in a private chamber. “H-hey,” she spoke softly to the she-devil.

Bellatrix paused between running soapsuds into her ample curves. In her prissy voice she asked, “What do you want, little wench?”

Stood before a tub, Cerise scrunched up her snout but forced herself to remain polite. “Why did you decide to come here?”

There was a splash as Bellatrix shrugged. “I'm free to go where I wish, am I not? I'm not like the rest of you. All I really desire is freedom. I take sides simply for the sake of those I care about. I wasn't born to any nation, so why should I be loyal to one?”

“You...” Her fists balled up, and she trembled, ready to deck the she-devil. “How can you be so selfish?! You...really are a demon!”

“You wouldn't understand, wench.” She swished back her black mane, currently in her succubus form. “Imagine, if you were a piece of fiction by some twisted author, a mindless plaything used to sate his basest needs for eternity? To then be abandoned and left to wander like a mindless animal? Maybe you aren't so different, though. A partial reincarnation of a doomed mare-”

“Don't you dare talk about my mother! I doubt you really knew her! And I'm nothing like you, demon!” The dancer fumed and stormed out, so overcome by raw emotion she had momentarily forgotten why she'd come; to seek answers from the she-devil.

Shrugging off her wounded pride, she headed onwards down the halls. She stopped at the sound of a muted feminine snore and paused at the cracked doorway, where she spotted Fleur de Lis, who had hastily stripped naked and practically slipped unconscious as she tumbled onto her bed. Gently her sizable breasts rose and fell, delicately pale, her nipples a pastel pink.

Unable to help but stare transfixed a moment at her unbelievable beauty, Cerise turned to leave. “Wait,” came a gentle voice.

“F-Fancy Pants?” She whispered back at him and carefully slid the door open. Closing it behind her, she settled on the bed next to Fleur, her unfortunate husband embedded on her neck. “It is really you, or...?”

“It's me,” he assured her and managed a weak chuckle. “I didn't understand it, myself. My mind's been a blur ever since I returned. The last thing I remember was an unfortunate battle with the Eldritch, where my abdomen was split open.”

“I-I see.” Her sad eyes wandered once more to Fleur's denuded, pallid form.

“You hear it too, don’t you?” Fancy lamented. “The weird disorienting tune buzzing around her. This is the price of our reunion. My beloved wife would sacrifice anything for me, despite my protests. She's been a lover and bodyguard ever since we hit it off.” His eyes were glassy as old memories of their whirlwind romance surfaced. “Unfortunately, I fear what happened to Fleur will start to befall your mother, dear Cerise. Her mind dwindles more each day. And her flesh…well, as you can see.” He nodded at Fleur.

Cerise reached out a trembling hand and caressed Fleur's slender arm. “It's kind of...cold and clammy.”

He sighed. “Yes, it's difficult just for her to remain awake. So far, she’s only able to remember me, herself, and her hatred for your father. Whatever miracle Zeloph has done is causing more pieces of herself to burn away. And I suspect my return is only draining her of precious life. At this rate, she may be dead before the year's end.”

“No! I-I won't let that happen!” She shot to her feet, threw the door open, and scrambled to find their supposed savior.

*****

“Teacher, is it really...?” Beatrix's mouth went dry, eyes locked on him across a restored table where the alliance met. The heads of the group were hastily assembled in a chamber, aware that each second could mean more deaths. Twilight Sparkle had already teleported away to the Crystal Empire, warned by Sombra that his son, Penumbra, had been sent to conquer it.

“It's me,” the dark unicorn assured her as he rounded the table and met her in a warm embrace. He sighed, reluctantly pulling away. “There’s little time to catch up. I must return home and repair all the damage I’ve caused.”

Spike nodded before turning to the alliance council. “Was anyone able to figure out where Zeloph’s nation is located?”

“Somewhere in the neutral territory,” answered Somnambula, the priestess laying out a map. She drew a circle around the desert where based on her calculations it most likely lied. “Scouts have reported that the desert becomes grey and desaturates the closer they got. Somehow, he has bent the spirits housed in the area to his will.”

“Well, that’s one issue down, but what do we do to confront him?” Sombra crossed arms over his chest plate. “We’ve never fought an actual angel before, and I doubt he’ll appear to fight us in just robes and a halo.”

“Far from it, actually!” Near them, Stygian slammed down several weighty tomes. Excitedly he opened them up to bookmarked pages. “In preparations, I’ve researched all I could read about angels and their origins,” he huffed between breaths. “Did you know that most depictions of angels are wrong?”

“You mean they don’t look like Bellatrix does?” Spike asked, earning a shake of the unicorn’s head. He opened one up to flip through pages before finding one that showed three depictions, much to the fascination and horror of everypony present.

One looked like the Ophanim, the spiraling wheel of eyes that protected Beatrix from Somnabula’s attack. Another looked like a chimera, sporting four different creatures’ faces while hiding its body under another pair of wings. The last one was the most ethereal looking, composed of nothing but plumes, eyes, and a burning face.

“Eeeeeeh,” Trixie quivered. “That explains the mass amount of peepers.”

Stygian's robes rustled once the scholar turned to Lady Ewe. “Do you know which of these angels Zeloph might classify as?”

Over his shoulder, Oona's honey eyes scanned the opened pages. “Mmm, it’s hard tae say. Mah best bit wuid be th’ Seraphim, given it holds higher power than th’ others. Ahh! Bide a min’!” She leaned over, tracing her finger over each angelic visage, highlighting the strange symbols above their heads. “Sweet lucid dreams, that’s Aether!”

“Aether?” The scholar furrowed his brow.

“A form of arcane magic?” Sombra asked, to which Ewe confirmed with a nod.

“One o th’ strongest forms. Those who arr blissed can wield divine light in th’ f’rm o ancient symbols materialized intae halos. Each one represents an angel an’ comes wi’ different abilities. If thes is th’ case, Zeloph wields Aether as his Onoma.”

Each council member turned to the other, not fully understanding this outlandish magic the dream faun clamored about. But if their foe was capable of such magic, defeating Zeloph proved ever more unfeasible.

“Is there a drawback to this magic?” Somnambula asked.

“Thaur is,” Oona confirmed. “Th’ conjurer can only hav one halo up at a time. An’ it’s e’en mair taxin’ if they’ve placed their halo’s ontae others. We main hav a windae o opportunity tae strike doon Zeloph.… Though Ah must confess.” Her tone switched from determined fervor to somber regret. “Ah feel guilty fur Zeloph’s descent tae madness. When castin’ him intae th’ Necronomicon, ah believed aw th’ darkness ‘at infiltrated Equestria wood follaw. Ah thought Zeloph was th’ soorce, but whit if it was due tae th’ Demiurge, efter aw? An’ all ah did was help it contaminate him in th’ Necronomicon?”

“You didn’t know,” Beatrix murmured. “It’s not your fault, teach. Zeloph’s hard to figure out as it is…. But this doesn’t make sense! The Demiurge was ‘born’ from me. How would that be possible...?”

Lady Ewe shook her head. “Ye simply provided th' Demiurge a physical f'rm. Its likely always existed in th’ Necronomicon, asleep in yer flesh an’ awaitin’ th’ day th’ Eldritch wood awaken it. Several dark creatures waur spawned frae it an’ gained sentience. That's mah speculation, at leest. Thaur’s still sae much we don’t noo…”

“It matters not,” stated Somnambula. “The Demiurge has been rendered impotent, while Zeloph remains a threat.”

“Right,” Spike nodded. “We’ll have to plan accordingly. I will lead my forces to secure the city, while Sombra rallies up after returning home.”

Sombra nodded, turning to address his student. “Beatrix, I…. Huh? Where is she?”

“She main hae returned tae her cove,” said Lady Ewe. “Excuse us.” Belladonna's two teachers exited the cramped chamber.

They explored the Pleasure Gardens which were now quiet, including Beatrix's cove, only to discover she was nowhere to be found.

Lady Ewe said, “Ah, shite! She woodn't-”

“You know she would. My foolish, reckless student.” Sombra shook his head and exhaled. They didn't need to say it aloud, both confident that she had headed to Zeloph's mysterious nation on her own. “I have to deal with my nation. Will you-”

“Aye, ah'll look efter her. Ah understand. Yer people an’ famlae need ye,” she reassured with a tender smile.

With a final nod, Sombra blinked away, desperate to reunite with his loved ones and start to make amends.

*****

“Uuugh, c’mon!” said Flurry Heart, blushing furiously. “For some reason, I can't transport us any closer to this place.” Repeatedly she tried to blink directly to the place they'd seen on the map, only to end up lost somewhere in the middle of the desert. Muted winds howled and whipped up dust. Dawn broke over a sea of dunes, a few half-buried bones visible. “Just gimme a second, and-”

“No, it's okay,” assured Beatrix, brushing her half-sister's arm. “You did your best! Though I suspect Zeloph placed some sort of enchantment over his nation that prevents any attempts to breach it. Might be why we keep warping into random directions.”

“So it looks like we’re taking the long way, huh? Not a problem,” Flurry replied in her chipper voice.

Beatrix shook her head with a sigh, kicking sand with her heeled boot. “Even if you flew us there, it could take forever. And walking around is becoming more difficult, as it is. Ugh, talk about coming half-cocked.” Usually, she would've gone to Lady Ewe for help…but she knew her mentor would heavily be against this course of action.

And much as she didn’t want to go against Oona, Beatrix couldn’t afford to sit around anymore. She needed to confront Zeloph directly. To not simply be a victim.

A sudden cramp almost made her double over, stumbling down to a knee.

“H-hey! Take it easy,” Flurry insisted with concern, rubbing a hand over her swollen tummy. “Ate too much? Maybe we should camp here for now, unti-”

“No!” Beatrix refused, standing back with clenched teeth. “We don’t have time. We gotta keep moving!” But doubt crept in, uncertain which was the best action to take.

Was it too late to turn back now? Was she still so helpless by her lonesome..?

“Don’t push yourself, Mommy,” came a familiar voice. “You’ll only get hurt like that…”

Beatrix rose her head in alarm before spotting her daughter ahead of them, wearing her wide-brimmed witch hat on her head. Was she a mirage? No...

“Abadonna?!” She rushed up to her, almost tripping before wrapping her arms around the small unicorn. “H-hey, little one! What are you doing here? Why have you...” In rubbing down her arms, she noticed something off about her daughter’s hand.

A whimper of sympathy escaped as she looked over the deformity, fingers webbed together. “Is this Zeloph’s doing...?” She asked, anger slithering through her sorrow. The monochrome filly shook her head.

“Father’s been trying everything to cure me. But no matter what, I’ve been trapped in this unstable form. It’s hard to interact with this world.... H̕͟ņ̷͢͡ģ̴͡h̢̕̕͟͝!̢͢” Her figure glitched, straining Abadonna as her horn twisted slightly. “B͠u͟t͘ I͞.͡.̸.I wanted to see you again, mom!” Her pale white eyes looked up lovingly at the violet mare before burying her snout into her chest. Beatrix only held her daughter tighter, her resolve renewed before a loud squee came from behind them. Both unicorns turned to Flurry Heart, who fluttered behind with her massive wingspan.

“Beeeeee! You never told me your kid would be so adorable!” She beamed, squatting to Abby’s head-level to get a better look at her.

“Heehee! Hello,” she greeted with a giggle.

Beatrix scooped the filly into her arms, cradling her a bit before putting on a more serious expression. As much as she wanted to just stay like this, let her half-sister interact with her niece, they couldn’t afford to fool around, especially in the boundless desert.

“Sweetie, I need to speak with your father. Can you help mommy get to his city?” She asked. The young unicorn’s eyes widened before nodding enthusiastically.

“Uh-huh! E-even better! I can take you there.” With a spin of her webbed hand, Abadonna focused some energy to tear open a hole in reality. The rift to a monochrome void constantly shifting before their eyes, glitching in flux. Beatrix stared on with disbelief.

“W-what?! How did.… Have you inherited my powers?” She gasped and froze up, not certain whether to be proud or horrified.

Abadonna bowed her head. “Not exactly. I can only take people into my own plane of existence! You can't stay long though,” she warned. “It’s a pocket dimension that’s not supposed to exist yet. So It’ll tear normal people apart! Still, it’ll be our shortcut to get to dad in no time!” She waved a webby hand.

“That sounds dangerous,” said Beatrix, shivering at the side effects if they got lost. It can’t be worse than the Necronomicon, yes..?

“I think it will be fun!” Flurry added in with a skip and hop. “A chance to see something new that few have?” She fluttered on into the rift, and with a resigned sigh, Beatrix cast away her doubts with a smile, lifting her daughter onto her shoulders for a piggyback ride. The filly giggled, clinging onto her hat before they set off after the alicorn.

She wanted to tell Abadonna how proud she was of her, but questioned whether she should encourage such recklessness?

In her own world Beatrix and that version of her half-sister, Flurry Heart, had run circles around her father's army, getting into all kinds of mischief. It was how they had learned advanced alchemy, which included making a potion that had allowed them to reach adulthood in a short amount of time.

A risky move that meant she'd ultimately been slow to emotionally mature.

Not so different from her mother, then. Having a child had forced her to settle down and take responsibility. Would her string of crazy adventures soon be behind her?

Looking at the sweet little face of her daughter as they stepped through the threshold into the unknown, maybe that wouldn't be so bad. The nexus closed behind them, their senses overwhelmed by stimuli.

*****

Wriggling in a sticky cocoon that tethered her to a slimy wall, Cozy Glow blinked heavy eyelids, unsure how long she'd been bound here. An eerie emerald glow brightened and dimmed in the hollows, and a drip-drop echoed, the skeletal remains of past victims attached to the obsidian rocks.

She trembled, her nose running, repeating in her mind that this wasn’t real.

Across from her was the wizened figure of Tirek; the old centaur's eyes shimmered in the dark. He struggled to rise, his stringy silver hair falling down his thinning back. “Hold on, little one,” he coughed weakly, teeth yellowed and muscles strained.

“Y-you're not real! None of this is,” lamented Cozy, sure the Necronomicon was drawing on her memories. A time when they and Chrysalis had been captured by the Eldritch, the treacherous changeling outing them for power. To the evil queen, not torturing them too much was her idea of 'mercy' to her old companions, preferring they be left to rot until their broken minds decayed.

“The Eldritch want my power,” the old centaur ranted. “Imagine the weapon they could make out of me. An unstoppable force of nature.” He closed his eyes, taking in sharp breaths between wheezes. “Forgive me, little one. I can’t last for much longer...”

Illusion or not, Cozy couldn’t stop the feelings of affection she had towards the elderly centaur. He'd become a father figure to her.

And despite their mutual spite, the three of them had bonded in unexpected ways, even after Chrysalis had doubled down on old habits. “Tirek, I-”

“What have we here?” A narcissistic titter tinged by a mechanized sound met their ears. They turned to Chrysalis, who strolled in garbed in black leather, machinery embedded in her pulsing skull. “Poor, simple fools. All you had to do was give in,” she teased, stroking a finger under Tirek's chin. “And you would have become far greater, as I have. A far superior version of you awaits~!”

Cozy Glow had never been given such an offer. Not only did the Eldritch not see much use for a common pegasus, except as leverage to make the centaur spare her from further atrocities, but she suspected they feared her wits, her ability to turn the table if she were left to run amok. Whimpers escaped her as the changeling lifted her leather gown and dropped her ovipositor.

“Ready to resume where we left off?” Chrysalis toyed with Cozy's ringlets, warm urine tinkling down the mare's inner thighs.

Groans arose from Tirek, who strained in his cocoon. “Chrysalis! Leave.... Her.… ALONE!!” Somehow, against all reason, the centaur's thin frame expanded, the strands wrapped around him audibly straining as he bulked up into a mass of veiny muscles.

Chrysalis snapped back to face him. “What!? No! This isn't possible!!”

He raised his arms as the cocoon snapped, towering over the tall queen. She raised her shiny stinger, screamed as it pumped a sliver of venom from the tip, gossamer wings buzzing as she hissed and sailed at him.

Hooves shook the caverns as he charged her head-on, grunting and snorting, ignoring the burn of the sting that skewered his midsection in a red splotch as he seized her.

“Unhand...me,” demanded Chrysalis, shaking in his powerful arms, squeezing her. In desperation, she pumped the full payload of her poison into him, and he slowed but refused to release his strained hold, refused to release his traitorous prey.

A snap sounded, and Chrysalis went limp, eyes rolling into her head and drool running down the side of her slack mouth.

The centaur chuckled dryly, veins pulsing all over his discolored musculature, blood running with her spiteful release.

“Tirek...why...?” Cozy sniffled.

“After so much time alone, I’ve…I’ve come to consider you my friend,” he admitted, eyes half-closed. “The only one I've had since I disowned my brother.” He dropped the queen's body, swayed on his hooves, a sickening mess washing out his open wound. “Live on for me, Cozy Glow…. Live.… on...” The last of Tirek’s ragged breath escaped before the once proud centaur collapsed to the, his eyes closing for the final time.

Cozy Glow tore out of her cocoon, the seams having weakened. It dissipated into nothingness, as did the bodies of Tirek and Chrysalis. The murky caverns faded as Cozy realized she was back in the void, interrupted only by the twisted faces of the Eldritch.

The ghostly remnants circled the area, stirred up, whispering alien babble that made her skin crawl and her feathers ruffle.

Perhaps he wasn't real, but Cozy knew Tirek would have sacrificed himself for her. She'd been correct to choose this path.

But was she now condemned to die by the Eldritch anyhow? Or worse, end up trapped in this labyrinthine maze forever?

Her question was answered with another miracle. A pool of light shone through a void, scaring the ghastly figures away. The light comforted and warmed Cozy Glow, a soothing voice beckoning her,

“B̮͔e̮̱͟͠ ̙͚͕̘̳̰̯̻͎n̬͔̪͔͕̫o̵͇̥͜t̰̥̻̗͜͢͝ ̨͙̗̝̭͉͕͢͠a̶̢̞͈̳̘͔f̛̬̯̳͞r̩͚̣̳͎̪a̳͔̬̩͖̗̰̜͞i̻̜̬͖̤̦͓̻d̴̫̮̪̻̗̦̦͓͟͡.̰̙̪͚̞͝ ̢̛͏̪̹̭̝̠͔̗C̲͉̺̲͙͙͘͘o̷̯͔͓͎͕̬̪̬̘m̩͘e͞͏̪̹ ̢͈̟̬̘̭̹t̞̜̣̭̞͖͎͡ͅó̴̤̰̘ ̲͍̮̙̲̫̣̰͟͝ͅm̺̺̗̖ḛ̶̭̰̥̙̩,̶̩̜̳͡ ͏̴͝ͅç͙̹̬͉̰̟̹͚̜h̷҉̖̘͔̖͔ḭ̖̺͉̤͍̩l͉̣͙̝̞̪̫d̟̠̟̙͇.̨̟͈̳̪̦”

At once, she spread her small plume and ascended to the heavenly anomaly, the outline of wings and feathers welcoming her.

*****

Storming about the cathedral, Cerise Silhouette threw open double doors. She tired of being underestimated, no longer caring what the personal cost was anymore. She was the daughter of King Sombra and Inky Rose, two noble heroes of the alliance! And she refused to be undermined by anyone, especially the holy abomination wearing a pegasus shape as his guise.

Her breasts rose and fell with each step until she found the host of this synthetic sanctuary, the light illuminating from stained glass, cascading the angelic visage of the pale emperor. “Zeloph!” She called forth, stomping over through the aisles, bells jingling on her clothes, fists balled. She took up a stance, ready to knock his lights out.

Zeloph turned around to face the earth mare, Cozy Glow held in his arms, draped in a white robe. Behind him, the open tome fluttered in the draft, pages that once contained the pegasus now rendered blank.

The little pegasus stirred awake, gasping in alarm as she jumped out, taking in her surroundings. “I-I was…. It was all.… I-I’m okay,” she whimpered, turning to her savior, who smiled in kind while casting his glance to the astonished dancer.

“She’s safe now, Cerise. As I’ve promised.”

“You…. You actually saved her!?” She stated in disbelief, relaxing her tense muscles before she and Cozy rushed to embrace one another, wrapping her plume around Cerise.

“Cerise, I was so scared,” the young pegasus blubbered. “I didn’t think I’d make it…. How? Where are we? And who is that?”

“Someone not to be trusted,” Cerise insisted, holding her friend tightly while glaring up at the seraphic immortal.

Zeloph sighed with a shake of his head. “Still holding on to your prejudice against me? Even after I rescued your friend from perdition?”

“Don’t get it twisted, Zeloph,” Cerise sneered. “I’m thankful that you saved Cozy. But don’t think I’ve forgiven you for what you’ve done to Fleur and my mother, you vile fiend!”

“How long do you plan on being a stubborn brat,” Fleur groaned as she stepped through the door, boots clicking on the floor amidst her march. Fancy Pant was resting on her neck, panting weakly. Bellatrix hovered behind her, resuming her shimmery angel shape while staring crossly over Cerise. “Grow up! I’ve already told you, Zeloph only did what I requested. I’m fine!”

“You look anything but fine! Your skin is shriveling; your hair is losing its sheen. You can hardly remember anything? You’re the one being stubborn, Fleur!”

“Cerise, stop!” Bellatrix insisted, mouth pursed. “You don’t understand-”

“And you,” the dancer pointed to the false angel accusingly. “How could you betray your own sister?! Your friends!!”

“Enough of this!” Fleur demanded, stomping her halberd into the ground. “One more word out of you, and I’ll-”

“Y̱̗̱̞̱̘̳̙o̷̗̯͍̺̪̳͖̘̕ù̷̬̗ ̳̭̠͓w̛̠͕̻̮ì̴͖͙̙̹͓̜͢l̝̠̥̙͎̩l͘͏̝̩͍̥̙̭ ̻̼̖̹̩̞͇n̬̯̩̥̫͟o͏̩͈͓̲͓̹̬͡ͅt͓̺̕͠ ̩͕̲h̡̭̝͖̠à̯̠̥̥͠͝r̨̧̘͜m҉͚͓̠̣̺̦ h̯̞̝͓͟͞e̵̢͍̰͎̝͚̘r̵̠͎̹̮̪̲̣,͍̮͈̺̺̪̫̱̞͡” Zeloph instructed, wings outstretched, eyes flared pure white. The two acolytes froze, quivering while avoiding looking at him directly. “Pay no mind to her qualms. She is a guest, and I will not tolerate any bloodshed in our sacred home. I only wish to establish peace.”

“By erasing the minds of everyone around you?” Cerise cried between her bared teeth. “By slaughtering anyone who opposes you?!”

“As if I would stoop to the level of your father,” he chuckled mockingly, earning a snarl from the daughter of darkness. He resumed with a frown. “It’s not my intention to provoke you, but I can’t understand why you’re so bull-headed. I’ve shown you the truth, and yet you refuse to accept it!”

“And what truth is that, Zeloph?!”

He waved his staff. “That mortals are inherently violent by nature. The core, the very essence of their souls, is conflict. Most believe that without it, the world would grow stagnant. I am here to prove them wrong, that life can flourish and bloom beyond stubborn wars and pitiful skirmishes. That through acceptance and love, we can end the chain of suffering once and for all!”

“No.… This isn’t the way! I won’t let you trick me!” Cerise knew she sounded like a petulant child, but she could see no other option to convince anyone after seeing the results of his work. She glanced fearfully at Fleur, knowing she was running out of time.

Zeloph’s eyes dilated briefly, a small jolt through his body before he shook it off. “Child, as much as I would love to discuss this over dinner, there is something I must attend to first.” Waving his staff, a portal of light shimmered behind him, air and sound blowing through his robes. Cerise shielded her widened eyes. “I’ll return soon. Until then, I’ll entrust Fleur and Bellatrix to look after everyone. If you’d be so kind~.”

“Of course,” they both answered and nodded. With a gentle smile, Zeloph closed his eyes and vanished through the rays of light before the portal diminished, leaving his servants to lead Cerise and Cozy back towards the bathroom.

The coal-coated earth mare struggled to figure out what to do while stripping out of her shorts and top before joining her mother Inky Rose, Radiant Hope, and the twins to wash in the wide bath.

When Zeloph opened his eyes, he arrived in a realm constantly blurred about him. While the water there remained still to step on, the world looked more incoherent and harder to recognize—no hint of color in sight.

“Abby?” He called, his voice echoing. “Sweeting, are you here? Abado-”

His eyes widened in shock as three figures stood before him. His daughter waved to him with a massive smile, but next to her was a pink alicorn, examining the space around them. And next to her was the witch the angel shared grace with, her conflicted violet eyes mirroring his magenta ones.

“B̯͇̠̝̀ͅe̺͎͔͚ͅa͔t̨̤̟̖̺̣r̰̪i̦̱̩͓͉͙̥̕x̘̰͍̤̼.̫͔͖͓͔̟͟.̦̦̩̻̜̭͞!”

“... Zeloph!”

Chapter 20

The two immortals stared down each other from opposite ends of the void.

Beatrix felt herself phasing in-and-out of existence, flickering, glitching. It reminded her of when the Demiurge tried to emerge from its fleshy prison, attempting to swallow her upon birthing itself.

But so far as she could tell, this world was beyond recognizable. Buildings upside down or floating on their sides. Destroyed remains of rock and ground. Radio static the only audio noise, though sometimes garbled words could faintly be heard.

Nothing about this realm made sense to her, except that Abadonna was utterly unaffected.

“W-what is this place?” Flurry Heart asked, a sudden glitch causing her to fall on her knees.

“The nothingness between time and space,” Zeloph answered, twitching a little as the effects of the realm began to talk hold on him. “A small pocket where moments that haven’t or shouldn’t happen flow wildly. It was once a simple void, yellow in color with a watery center. But lately, more unforgotten things keep appearing here.”

He shook his head, narrowing his gaze to the travelers, his daughter squeaking while she hid behind her mother’s cape. “Why did you bring them here, Abadonna? You know this zone isn’t safe!”

“We needed to talk,” Beatrix answered, raising her arm in front of the smaller unicorn defensively. “There wasn’t any other way of getting into your nation. So I suggest you start explaining yourself, Zeloph!”

The primordial continue to stare hard before slowly relaxing his stance. “Yes, you’re right. But not here.… Abby, help me, please.”

“Yes, daddy!” The young filly nodded, quickly rushing to her father’s side, and the two opened a rift, bright light shimmering through. He turned back to Beatrix, offering his hand. The witch hesitated, glaring at the pale emperor.

“Beatrix, c’mon already!” Flurry urged her forward. “We can’t stick around here, or we might be atomized!”

Pouting over the little choice they had, Beatrix accepted Zeloph’s hand as he pulled her through the woven nexus, Abby and Flurry Heart following after.

On the other side, they appeared in a white room, a large window overtop that showcased how grey the skies were.

“Whoa…it is white in here!” The alicorn exclaimed, marveling over the simplistic decore of the pale structures and walls.

Beatrix kept a skeptical look on her face before turning back to the angelic pegasus. “Alright, Zeloph. No more stalling! I wan-”

“I know,” he sighed, taking a seat on one of the benches while patting his lap, Abby crawling up to nuzzle into her father, who returned the affection. All eyes remained fixated on the witch. “Ask, and I shall answer.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath and seated herself on the opposing bench, crossing her legs. “Who are you really? Where did you come from?”

Zeloph closed his eyes as if trying to recall memories before looking to the roof’s window. “I am the last remnants of a forgotten race,” he began, his wings ruffling to get more comfortable. “Created by one known as the Divine Father, born to become a beckon of hope to the Lost World. Along with me was my opposite, someone I could call a sibling. Our only destiny was to bring order and chaos through worlds.”

“A sibling,” she repeated, not liking the sounds of that. “Where are they now?”

“I don’t know,” Zeloph tightened his grip, his frown deepening. “I haven’t seen them since they helped sealed me away in the Necronomicon.”

“They betrayed you?”

He nodded before elaborating. “Unlike my creator, I grew a fondness for mortals. And through rebellion, I made it my mission to heal and protect the innocent. However, your precious mentor confused me for a Vice Lord, saw my actions without understanding the intentions. The only other being strong enough to oppose me would be my opposite.”

“And what are your intentions?” Beatrix questioned, folding her arms under her bust.

His eyes drew back to hers, magenta mirroring violet. “To purify this land, not just for our daughter’s sake,” he insisted, Abby clutching onto her father tightly. “But for Equestria’s sake as well. I’m certain you’ve encountered the Vice Lords before, yes?”

She thought back to one particular adventure before nodding. “And just what are the Vice Lords? Lady Ewe said they’re the most malevolent of spirits.”

“Not just the most wicked. They’re the strongest,” Zeloph corrected. “To become a Vice Lord is to consciously feed your obsession long after your soul has left its vessel. But they can spread that obsession like an infection, corrupting souls and mortals until nothing is left. That was their plan, anyway.”

“Plan?!”

“To taint as many souls as possible until every mortal is possessed with Desire, Disease, Deception, Despair, or Desolation. It’s why I came to the lost world and Equestria; to cleanse the masses of their sinful natures. To stop the Vice Lords from succeeding. To prevent the arrival of… him…”

Zeloph’s entire demeanor changed, his feathers on end and his eyes closed as he shuddered. Beatrix was reluctant to press on the subject, gulping audibly.

“H-him?”

And all at once, the angel’s eyes snapped open, staring widely into the witch with unspeakable terror.

“Ţ҉̶͙͖ͅh̙͍̜̯̹̫̀e̜̹̘͕̮ ̨͙̼̳̪̼͈̙B̻̣̩͟͠ư̠̭̭̳͍͓̗̕r͏̳̕n̩͇̜͙i̸̻͜n̶̬̱̺̰͇͖̥͞͠ǵ͔̞̘̯͚͎͢͝ ̺̦͓̹̭̹͜K̷̵̵̼̬̳̼i̼͙n̗̤͉̲̲̩̙͖g̙̠̗̙̼̦̤͓͟͠,” Zeloph answered. “Never have I seen such evil within a single soul. But it is for him that the Vice Lords strive to corrupt the physical plane. The tales I’ve heard while confined in the Necronomicon…. My spirit would have perished if not for this little one’s appearance.”

Abby looked up, smiling gratefully at Zeloph as their nose touched before he released her, letting her waddle over to her mother. Beatrix giggled before scooping her little filly into her arms, holding her form before looking back to the winged immortal.

“So, let’s move on from…that.” She quivered, not wanting to linger on the sheer thought of such a fearsome force, especially not in front of her child. “Can you explain Abby’s pseudo existence?”

“I wish I could! It’s as I said, she appeared to me out of nowhere,” Zeloph continued, hands folded over his lap. “At first, I thought I had grown delusional when she said she was my daughter. But she stayed with me and helped keep some sanity until the Demiurge tried siphoning off my essence. She told me that I would meet a doom maiden that would spawn the union of Fire and Shadow; of Light and Darkness.”

Beatrix recalled Abadonna talking about a prophecy. And while she was happy that there existed a road to motherhood, the fact that it was preordained made it bittersweet.

That it would have happened, regardless of what choice she made.

“So…does this make us soul mates? Are we meant to be together?”

Zeloph gave a wry sigh, rising from his seat. “It would appear so.… But it doesn’t have to be. I can tell by your wavering spirit, Beatrix. You are unsettled by me. And to be honest, I’m uncertain whether my feelings for you are genuine or not. We may both be compelled by forces far beyond us. But…I believe we should make this work.”

“What do you mean?” Beatrix asked, tilting her head while Abby looked between both parents. Zeloph’s smile returned.

“We could defy destiny together! As we speak, my influence spreads throughout the globe, cleansing everypony here of their vices. But with your help, we can travel throughout the multiverse and defeat the Vice Lords, purify the entire cosmos! Imagine it. We could be like…like a family!”

“Y-yeah! Like a family,” Abadonna chimed in, smiling back at her father before turning to Beatrix. “Wouldn’t that be great, mommy?”

“I-I…” Beatrix held off from answer, heavily considering Zeloph’s proposal. While it was mostly the presence of their daughter pulling at her heart, the idea of traveling through dimensions with someone like the pale emperor was one she coveted. After a moment to think it over, Beatrix concluded.

“It would be nice,” she admitted before shaking her head. “But as much as I would want that, I can’t abandon my friends and family here. I made a promise that I intend to keep. So…give me more time, please.”

The frown upon the pegasus’ face grew grave, but he accepted her answer with a nod of his head. “Understandable. Take all the time you need. For now, I welcome you to our haven. Come, I’m sure your friends will want to see you.”

Beatrix stood up, Abby shuffling off her mother to take hold of their hands, the three walking down the spire with Flurry Heart behind. Upon reaching the ground floor, Beatrix let out a gasp from the sight of Inky Rose, Cerise, Radiant Hope, the twins, and Cozy Glow, who returned the startling sound.

“Beatrix?!”

Cerise and Inky immediately rose to embrace their friend tightly. “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you’re here!” The queen exclaimed.

Cerise asked, “How did you get here? Did Zeloph do anything? Because if so, I’l--”

“No, no!” Beatrix insisted. “He hasn’t pulled anything…yet. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you over dinner.” She smiled.

Cerise could only nod, worry written all over her face. And judging by the other uneasy expressions under the flickering candlelight, this had not been a pleasant experience—all the more reason to keep on her toes while under Zeloph’s supervision.

“Sir,” Fleur de Lis strutted in, her body lurching over her Halberd as she strained to keep herself steady. “Bellatrix Primadonna has gone missing. I can’t find her anywhere!”

“Missing? So she’s been here this entire time?” Beatrix looked up to the pale emperor, who returned a concerned look.

“She hasn’t left the city, as far as I know,” he reassured. “Perhaps she needs more time to adjust. The full extension of her nature was awakened as promised, though what that might entail is beyond me. I’m confident she’ll join us when she’s ready.” He took his seat at the head of the table.

“I'm worried about her,” mumbled Beatrix, rubbing her belly. To her shock, it had gotten rounder, stretching at her leotard. The evidence was undeniable. She'd begun to show signs of her pregnancy the moment she set foot in this mysterious land.

Under the table, Flurry took her hand and offered a sympathetic smile, an assurance she'd always be there for her half-sister.

From the shadows, Bellatrix perched up high and watched the meeting, distraught. ‘No, what are you doing here?!’ She yelled internally. ‘I can’t lose my cover when I’m this close!’ She opened and closed a clawed hand, stared at it, shifted somewhere between a demon and angel.

After all the trouble she went through to obtaining her full potential, would it be undone? Would this only further distance her from the others? It didn't matter.

To protect her sister, she was ready to sacrifice this entire world, were it necessary.

*****

“No... What happened here?!”

What the former tyrant expect to find on his return home was a radicalized nation that worshiped him. Instead, Sombra met a pale city devoid of color and life. At first, he thought they had found where Zeloph was hiding. But upon further look around, each structure’s shape was familiar.

This was his city. And it had been ‘purified.’

Homes and buildings were a stark white, the skies and landscape desaturated. But worst of all was the fate of his people. The misshapen husks of mares and stallions lumbering about, their faces completely blank. In trying to grab one for answers, the only thing to greet his ears was incoherent nonsense.

“s̀҉҉̱̲̩̻̲͙̜̙̟ɐ̴̺̺̳̰̀͞ɥ̵̵̘̥͈̪ ̴͇̼̝̪̮́͠s̖̖̹͔̤̯̬͕͚͡n̝̹̘̖̪̪̤ ̢̟͙̭̺͍̜͎͖͔̀͜ɓ҉̭̗͍́̕u̧͏̡͇͉ı̧̰̻͚̰̲̱͔̻̀ɥ̨͔̘̩̪͙͚ʇ̵̱͕̹͉̝͕͉̗͍ǝ̞̣͉͍ɯ̡̥̘̬o̵̢̼̤̻s̵̡҉̼̘ ̠̪̲̞̜ư̻̼͓͇̬͓̖̜̙͘ǝ͠҉̹͙͉̥͚̠̟̗d̶͍͕̜d̀҉̘̯̗͔̲̲̫ɐ͕̲ɥ̞͎̦͖̻̗͟ ̡͙͓̬̗̞̬͕̀s̵̵̼̲͡ṋ̖̪̙͙̘̩̕ ̢͕̗̘̟̣ͅǝ̷̥͔̰̮́ͅɯ̵̧͓ͅo̶̫̗̖̜͢ɔ̢̰̬͔̙͜ǝ͚̰̻͈̪̤̳̜͝q҉̲̠͎͈̺͔ ̷̧̦̫̟̖̪̱͝o̫ʇ̩͇͔̟̣̘͔̭ ̶̧̣̳̘̦ɐ̢̳̠͕͚ɹ̢͓̰̰̱̝̞̫̯̦q͓͕̥̟͔̲ͅɯ҉͔̩͍͢͡o͏̬̬̭͚̟̬S̴̙̦̯̯̠͇̰̀ ̸͚̹̤̺̼̪d̟́l̛͙̟̫̱̀ǝ̴͉͉̮͙̲̳͔̝H͍̪̱́!̠̠̬̰̟ͅ”

Gasping in alarm, Sombra released the unfortunate victim before they continued to wander around aimlessly.

Falling to his knees, he clawed into the sands that lined a street. Were there no survivors...? Was it the same for every town in his nation?

He closed his eyes, shuddering over the possibility his second son might also be lost.

At least sending White Shadow Penumbra out to conquer the Crystal Empire meant he would be spared. But it was little comfort at the moment, uncertain where his wife and daughter were. Slowly he rose and started to explore the remnants.

The wind had stopped blowing. The sun was a white void in the bland sky. He entered the pyramid, stalking past his masked, motionless guards. His boots echoed while he pressed on towards the throne room, filled with a mixture of muted hope and dread at what he would discover.

Upon his entry through the double doors, he found the chamber and thrones abandoned, except for a sarcophagus placed at the center. It resembled those that housed the mummified remains of the pharaohs in the tombs below. This one was stylized in a feminine likeness, and his fingers traced over the smooth, cool surface, unable to deny his curiosity at its contents.

At this point, he would rather be cursed than suffer as a faceless wretch. Grunting, he strained his muscles and cast aside the heavy lid that thudded on the floor.

A mare slept inside, hands crossed over her breast. “Diamond Tiara...?” She was perfectly preserved, and he lifted her into his arms. Gradually she blinked her eyes open and murmured. “You survived this catastrophe?”

A weak hand reached up and caressed his cheek as he carried her out. Her eyelids were heavy; her form almost weightless in his firm grasp. She whispered, “L-Lord Sombra! Is it really you? O-or the Pony of Shadows?”

“Both. It's difficult to explain, but we have become one.” Memories of all the abuses and sins he'd committed flashed in his head, the two entities fused into one, and with it the shared burden of responsibilities. “I ask for your forgiveness. This is my fault. Had I not given in, my people wouldn’t be...”

She coughed before shaking her head, almost weightless. “J-just make it right. Not for me, but the sake of your people.”

He clasped her tighter. “I will. What happened to my queen? My daughter?!”

“Inky Rose and her entourage escaped to seek out someone named Zeloph. I don't know what happened to them beyond that. I stayed behind to distract the guards. The spirits must have saved me. They must have brought the sarcophagus here and locked me in it to escape what happened...”

She softly wept, recalled those last moments before her prison sealed shut, and the nation went still. Had he not come along and awakened her, she might have slumbered here forever, the spirits no longer able to help one of their priestesses.

Exiting the pyramid, Sombra demanded that the rest of his forces rally and make for their next destination. Upon their departure, he swore to undo the injustice done, starting with the death of their angelic foe.

*****

The storm of Windigos continued to batter the Crystal Empire, the two united armies beaten under a relentless flurry that swept over the crystalline capital. Despite the combined might of the mages, they dreaded that any moment their barriers would break, and they would be flash-frozen like so many of the guards in an instant. Shining Armor, Cadance, and Lily Longsocks were at the center of this madness, hail slapping on raised shields and exploding in chunks of ice.

“Ugh! There are too many! We’ll have to abandon our home!” Cadance exclaimed, nestled in regal armor as she pushed her shimmering horn to its limits.

“No,” her husband stubbornly rebutted, despite how many of his men were buffeted and lost in the onslaught. Some were buried under avalanches, others hurled about, swept in the air beyond the capital, or dashed into walls that enclosed the land.

“Don't be dumb,” warned Lily, who clenched her teeth. “We stay here, and everything will be lost!” She nodded at the devastation.

While their options were limited, Cadance promised she could teleport large numbers of them at a time. Of course, that would also mean she wouldn't be there to buffet those who remained with her magic, a risk that everyone left behind momentarily would be lost to the crazed creatures that endlessly circled and howled above.

“Penumbra?!” Lily turned to see the pegasus trudge through the snow, cloaked and flanked by more troops. “You’re awake!”

“Hold on,” he called back, cloak whirling around him as he pressed forward, snout titled down. Bandages were visible under his turban. “I didn't think I would make it! Please, allow me to fight alongside you!”

“You're still hurt,” answered Lily, who nonetheless teared up at the sight of him. Each movement he made was strained.

“It doesn't matter! We have to perform!” Soon he was at their side, sword out, ready to face down the invaders. The doctors and nurses had told him it was a miracle, that he needed to stay and rest, but he couldn't bear to abandon his loyal army. Not when they risked it all so far away from home.

Yet he questioned what another soldier, no matter how talented, could really do...?

No sooner did he think this when, against all reason, the storm died down. They watched wide-eyed as the Windigos howled, horrified before they evaporated like vapors into the ether. Cheers met the peace that settled over the area, the leaders bewildered, as the unprecedented serenity that comforted the region proved eerier than the invaders.

“What..?”

Everyone lowered their weapons, Cadance looking around as her once beautiful kingdom grew dim, only pale light reflecting off the crystalline structures.

Twilight Sparkle blinked in, gasping at the sight before her. “What happened here?” She asked before spotting the pale commander. “Oh! You must be White Shadow Penumbra!”

He nodded while she landed before him. “I am. What are you doing here?”

“Twily!” Shining Armor and Cadance swooped in to embrace their sibling. “Thank goodness you’re safe!”

“Surely, you know what the cause of this is, right?” Cadance asked.

“I do,” Twilight nodded and embraced them. “We have all been deceived! Sombra was overtaken by the Pony of Shadows, causing the alliance to sever apart. By this time, Lord Spike should have settled things and released your father from his possession.”

Penumbra blinkedal and considered the alicorn’s explanation. “That would explain his behavior, at least.”

“So Sombra isn’t the cause of everything becoming desaturated?” Shining Armor clarified.

“No. This is the doing of an aetherial being called Zeloph, who has risen an enigmatic fortress and gathered ponies from both sides. Whatever the purpose, it can’t be good based on how the landscape is changing…”

“Then we need to depart now,” Penumbra stated. “My father and Lord Spike need us.”

“No! You need to stay and rest,” Lily insisted, pressing up into him. “You could’ve died!”

“That's always a risk. I'm sorry we couldn't have prevented more bloodshed.” Penumbra offered his hand to each head of the alliance.

Shining smiled before taking it, replying, “It’s always like that. The most we can do is make sure the cost doesn’t grow beyond this.” The two commanders nodded, cementing their truce without any bad blood between them.

Despite the raised swords and cheers, there were grim reminders of their narrow victory all-around them. Stallions and mares trapped in solid ice, beyond recovery. Crushed bodies that had been tossed about. Crimson splattered over the snow and walls.

While there had been many losses, it was also a stark reminder the results could have proven far worse.

“We must hurry and meet with Lord Spike,” Twilight urged. “If we don’t stop Zeloph, Equestria will fall to ruination and decay!”

“Right,” Shining nodded, sword raised. “Soldiers! Gather your weapons, release Penumbra’s forces, and prepare to move out. We’ve got a god-tier threat to take out!”

At once, the crystal guards secured every weapon and usable transports before the Crystal Empire, alongside Penumbra’s army, marched out to aid the victory of Equestria.

*****

After dinner concluded, everyone was dismissed and given free reign to explore the monochrome city. Much as a marvelous wonder the nation was, Beatrix suspected she'd grow bored if she were confined here. The lack of color certainly didn't help! But her main concern was the whereabouts of her sister Bellatrix. Did she come here of her own discretion to aid in their host's plans? Surely, there was more to it than that.

She kept her cape drawn around her, embarrassed how it was becoming harder to hide her round belly. And it kept getting rounder by the hour—a reminder that Abadonna was still in flux, a mere possibility who waited to be born.

Zeloph’s offer of traveling the multiverse together still rang in her head. It would mean that her adventures wouldn’t have to end. And she wouldn’t be alone! But could she betray the alliance for such a promise?

Abadonna had vanished, Beatrix assuming the little mare couldn't remain in this realm without suffering existential glitches.

‘Purify the cosmos…and what does that mean?’ she questioned before she stumbled on a new doorway.

With a curious twinkle in her eyes, she opened to find a staircase that descended the spire. Beatrix checked to make sure no one was within sight before cautiously making her way down.

As she got closer and closer to the bottom, bright light floods the steps, a pained gasp echoing below. After the bottom step, she yelped as her foot slipped into water.

Beneath the cathedral laid an underwater pool, and within the center was Zeloph, hissing with agony. Her eyes widened, recognizing the writhing black mass extracted from his chest into another turning wheel of gold, eyes, and wings.

Closing in to better inspect, she noticed that the winged immortal had discarded his pegasus shape, a pair of wings unfurling from his lower back that folded over his waist. Another plume acted as his ears. His bare torso, while oddly shaped, looked well fit and lithe. A white aura made him glow under the radiance of the Ophanim.

Beatrix had to squint to see the tiny eyes and mouths opening in the inkiness, confirming her suspicion. “Is that…the Demiurge?”

Her voice startled him, his wings enfolding around him to shield his nakedness, a rare act of insecurity unfit for someone of Zeloph’s composure. Even his eyes (the pair on his face) looked a lot softer than before.

“You shouldn’t be down here,” Zeloph said shyly. "I wasn't ready to share my true form with everyone yet!”

“O-oh, sorry! I just found this staircase and figured I’d see what it was…” Beatrix flushed, cautiously taking a few steps closer. Zeloph sighed, his plumes relaxing as he continued to let the essence flow out from his torso, grunting uncomfortably. She admitted, “For what it’s worth, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you.... And to answer your question, yes, it is. Or at least the surviving portion of it. I thought by collecting the Demiurge's remnants, I could cure it into something better. But, as you can see, I’ve had no such success.” He chuckled dryly. “Now, no matter how much I remove, it regenerates at an alarming rate, like the parasite it is. This was how it was for you, wasn’t it?”

The witch nodded with pursed lips, noticing that some of his feathers had darkened under the taint. The multitude of eyes adorning his wings leaked black tears to try and cry the filth out, a reminder that anyone trapped in the Necronomicon interior would corrupt over time.

After a moment passed, Zeloph ceased the extraction and knelt into the water, scooping some water to rinse any more black goo out of his pores. He stared into his reflection, saddened by the underlining darkness still lingering in his soul. “Is this the penance I must face?” He thought out loud. “In my efforts to bring purity and end corruption, am I to be the scapegoat for everything wrong?”

“I-I’m sure there must be another way!” Beatrix tried to encourage him. “If you’d look around and-”

Zeloph shook his head. “This is the only way. I’ve seen the worst in mortals, the things they’ve done to each other! If it meant being locked into an evil book of death and decay, then I’d do it again. I would sacrifice myself should it mean I can liberate them from their sins…”

Beatrix watched with a heavy heart as the angel tried to scrub his feathers and arms clean from the Demiurge. Softly she placed a warm hand on his shoulder. “Then…at least let me help,” she offered.

The primordial didn’t answer, but his body was at ease with her touch, giving her silent permission. She casually waved a hand to banish her clothes, heat rising to her cheeks once a couple of eyes wandered towards her baby bump. But she shrugged it off, wiggling next to him before taking the bar of soap, and lathering her palms to rub the suds into his back and plumage.

A gentle moan graced her ears, causing her to smile slyly. Despite not being an actual pegasus, Zeloph seemed to have similar sensitive spots along the curve of his wingspans. And the more noises he made, the more her loins started burning; no doubt stirred up by hormones and the body heat shared between them.

As she scrubbed over his abs, Beatrix pressed her nakedness into him, her soft breasts squishing into his back as she whispered into his ear. “Y’know…I wouldn’t mind a repeat of last time we got together~.”

Zeloph chuckled. “Plan to purge my body with carnal delight?” Yet by the way he looked back at her, the glow in his eyes told her he wasn’t opposed to her suggestion.

“Oh, that depends. Are you going to let me clean.... Every. Last. Inch~?” She purred, delighting in the way his wings throbbed in excitement.

And as Zeloph turned to face her fully, it didn’t take long for his lips to return to hers.

Their hands wandered over to feel each other up, the witch moaning as he squeezed at her plump mounds, her fingers tracing through the feathers of his lower wings. Beatrix couldn’t deny the part that still felt for him,that she sympathized with him, to a degree. Was it because he reminded her of herself? Of when the Demiurge had slept below her skin, and made her believe she could never be anything more than another monster that shouldn't exist?

Her eyes widened upon looking down, noticing a relatively obscure glimmer emanating under his plumage. The angel leaned up, unfurling his bottom wings, revealing the shape of his genitals, bathed in glorious light.

“I-it glows?!”

“It’s apart of our anatomy,” Zeloph confessed, though the head wings folded over his eyes, noting his embarrassment.

Upon wrapping her hand around his member, Beatrix was astonished to find how solid it still felt. Now she just had to know how it would feel inside of her! Shoving her angelic lover down, she straddled his hips, rubbing the hot tip against her clit for stimulation before sliding all glorious inches of glowing angel meat into her marehood.

“H-holy shit~!!” The witch gasped, back arching as the natural warmth made her pussy melt...metaphorically. Never had she taken such a lengthy penis that doubled as slit-warmer! Her partner whimpered as their hips began to meld and roll into each other, water splashing with each dropdown.

And while in the heat of the moment, she couldn’t help but feel uncertainty rush through her alongside the intense pleasure. Were they even acting on their own accord, or was this just apart of the outside forces far beyond them—another pair of pawns enslaved by cruel fate?

No, she assured herself, panting hotly, moaning loudly as she pressed into the pale emperor, her marehood clamped tightly over his burning rod. She was doing this because she wanted to. Not because they were destined for one another!

For all she cared, fate could go fuck itself while she fucked this angelic beauty.

As her climax came closer, Beatrix wrapped herself around him, pumping her hips harder. Zeloph released a wave of moans, all six of his plume enshrouding her. And as both immortal beings hit the orgasmic threshold, their snouts mashed to silence the other. Her toes curled, feeling his seed once more fill up her swollen womb.

After a brief period to catch their breath, Beatrix slid off the primordial’s strange but wonderful shaft. She curled up into his chest, tracing his figure as his wings folded over them like blankets.

“Damn,” she sighed in contentment, smirking at the flushed angelic entity. “If going around ‘purifying’ people means getting a taste of this, I might accept your invitation~!”

“You wouldn’t have accepted my proposal for no other reason?” He asked, offended.

“No, of course not,” she giggled, her smile flattening a bit while addressing him. “I want to be a good mother for Abby. And despite what I initially thought, you have good intentions. Maybe we just need to bring out the best in each other...”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Zeloph concluded, stroking the mare’s platinum mane before she started to drift into a comfortable sleep. A smile spread his snout, confident he had succeeded in swaying Beatrix to his side.

“A̘̞̰͇͙̼l̴̯̦̟̮̝l̦̹͍ ̻̭̖̙Ḭ ̞̙̞͙̦͡h̦͍̯̦a̯̦̲͚̣̙vẹ̳ ̷̳̰̳͈t̞̯o̹̰͎ ͔͓͉͢d̠̮̙̬̼̲͖̀o̧ ̯̺̖̫̥̲i̵̭̼ͅs̢̮̖̥ ͉̮b̻͕̺̦͉͎̥r̲̝̗͡i̸n̛̜̯̯̞̭g̢̖ ̶̱̯ͅt҉͖̝̣ͅh̨͚͓͈̼̘e͈̫̥͇͓ͅ ̳̗̺̺̼́b̜ẹ͔̫̦̺͖s̮̤̼̘͉t̟̼͎̘ ̡̝̦͔̞o̺͕̲͜u̶̗͇̫t̥ͅ ̶o͠f̥͈ͅ ̝̲̬͍̯͠y̡̜̻͔̝̤o͏̝͇͖͎u~!”

*****

At that late hour, Cerise Silhouette also wandered beside her mother. She held her hand, squeezed it, worried that eventually she might forget her, too. Her family was the world to her.

Her palm traced over Inky Rose's restored wing, another 'miracle' their host had worked. But one glance at the empty city outside reminded her of the price his peace entailed.

She had wanted to talk it over more with Beatrix, only to discover she'd headed off after dinner. Nor had Bellatrix put in an appearance. Radiant Hope and the twins had retired to their rooms, and Flurry Heart also went off to explore on her own, while Fleur claimed she needed to patrol the grounds despite their host's assurances there was little threat of violence here.

That left her mother, who decided to take a tour with her to spend time with her. “I understand what all of you have told me,” noted Inky as they crossed another section. “But I have no emotional attachment to those memories. Forgive me.”

“You will, over time!” Cerise desperately tried to convince herself, too.

“I hope so.” She stopped and smiled at her. “It's hard to believe I had such a husband. That he could claim to love me, then oppressed us so cruelly.” She rubbed her returned wing, traced the well-groomed feathers that twitched in response.

“I...I want to save him.” Whatever possessed her father, she had almost gotten through to him, she was sure of it! Unfortunately, acolytes had spirited her away at the worst moment. What had become of him? Had to be slain, Spike? Fallen in battle? She wasn't sure which outcome would haunt her more. They resumed their aimless stroll. “If we meet again, maybe I can-”

A thunk sounded as they slammed into an acolyte. “Forgive us, I-a-auuaaaahh!?” The queen clutched at her chest, nearly fumbling down.

“Mommy? What's wrong, is he-” Cerise froze too, the mask knocked from an acolyte, a blank face underneath. Shakingly, he retrieved his mask before slowly rising back up to continue his walk without comment.

The mares held each other, bewildered by what they saw. “H-his face! What happened to his face?!” Cerise stammered.

Was this what purification meant? To wipe the slate completely clean for anyone who gazed into Zeloph's welcoming light?

“A-ahhng,” Inky clutched her throbbing skull, pale and shaken. “H-he reminds me of something. Almost like the Eldritch...”

She grabbed her mother's shoulders. “The Eldritch?! Do you remember them?” Her heart stirred with the hope her memories were simply buried and not permanently erased. “Mommy, don't think too hard on it!”

“I don't know, child! It hurts to think back.” She stood and shook away the dull ache in her head. “I-I think you’re right. Something’s not right with this place. I-I want to leave!”

“That’s what we should have done, to begin with,” Cerise proclaimed, relieved to finally have another realize the falseness of the pale emperor’s paradise. Hugging her, she whispered. “Let's find the others. I know Radiant Hope isn't convinced, and the twins have sworn loyalty to us. Let’s just hope Cozy and Beatrix haven’t settled with him yet.”

Nodding, the pair turned around to rush back towards the cathedral, praying it wasn’t too late!

*****

There was little time to rest or celebrate. What remained of the alliance was once more united. With Smolder and Ember by his sides, Lord Spike sat down across from Sombra, near Diamond Tiara. Lady Ewe, Somnambula, and Stygian took a seat.

Within moments, Shining Armor, White Shadow Penumbra, and Lily entered the meeting room then settled in.

“Father,” Penumbra greeted before finding his father’s arms wrapped around him. He froze, not use to any physical affection, before slowly returning his embrace.

“I hope you can forgive me too, my son,” Sombra whispered. “For all the times I’ve been needlessly rough on you. For putting you on a wild goose chase due to my arrogance…”

“I forgive you.” He smiled, stepping away to usher his lieutenant to his side. “I...I want to introduce Lady Lily Longsocks. Without her, I might not be here.” Together they took each other’s hands before looking back to the him. “I wish to court her, should you approve.”

Sombra smiled at them. “Of course. You needn't ask my permission to live your life.” He nodded in approval at the earth mare, who bashfully returned his smile, satisfied she wasn't after his son simply to coast on his fortune. While he didn’t know her personally, Sombra was aware she had steadily risen through the ranks and become a capable lieutenant in her own right.

“N-nice to meet you, my liege.” He took her hand and kissed it. The other heads of the alliance around them discussed their plans and made preparations, a map unfolded across the table and marked all over. “W-will I be able to meet the queen soon?”

“We hope so,” cut in Spike. “We'll do what we can to rescue her and Princess Cerise.” He raised his sword, joined in by Sombra, Penumbra, and Shining Armor, blades crossed in brotherhood to stand against the latest threat to their way of life.

“Can't believe Flurry Heart ran off too,” said Shining, who chuckled, their aloft sabers alight by the runes that empowered them. “She always was a little troublemaker!”

For the moment, Cadance stayed behind to look after the Crystal Empire while he teamed up with Twilight, who shared a grin with him. Together, he was convinced they would be unstoppable!

“She’s most likely wi' Beatrix,” assured Lady Ewe. “We’ve prepared Trixie’s wagon tae carry it victims fur healin'. Hence why she’s ootwith, unloadin' 'er mince.”

Spike nodded. “Good. Stygian. Did you dig up any info about angels? Any weaknesses we could exploit?”

“It’s...tricky,” the unicorn said with a frown. “Angels are inherently robust. Ophanim are immune to all sorts of spells and magic, meaning whatever is within those golden wheels won’t take any damage. While not as powerful, Cherubim can immobilize their enemies if one gazes upon them long enough.”

He raised his brow. “A-and the seraphim?”

Stygian only shook his head. “They’re the strongest among ranks.”

“Great,” Smolder scoffed. “So we’re going up against an opponent that’s impossible to beat!”

“Not impossible,” Stygian corrected, flipping through a book before finding a page. “This is a banishing circle. If we draw it while Zeloph is present, we have a good chance of repelling him from Equestria! And as long as the process remains, he can’t return.”

“That’s…great, actually!” Shining exclaimed.

“Th' problem lies in lurin' Zeloph it,” Oona added in. “He’s nae a fool. He’ll be cautioos ay a trap, given uir interaction.”

“Then we’ll force him out,” Sombra proclaimed. “That bastard has toyed with us for long enough! Let our troops handle evacuating the citizens and allies to safety. We will strike down the angel where he stands!”

Shining Armor and Spike nodded in agreement, determined to end this madness and restore peace.

“By th' way, Spike,” the dream faun asked, casting a glance of concern over to the Dragon Lord. “How are ye feelin’?”

“Fine,” he assured. He'd had to expend quite a portion of his stored power in the battle with the Pony of Shadows, but thankfully there were always several mares around who wanted a shot with the Dragon Lord.

Somnambula touched his shoulder. “You must take care. You have a nation to look after.”

“Don't worry, I feel better than ever!” To demonstrate the flexed his muscles. “Shame I lost that nifty armor!”

“Just be aware you could burn yourself out,” the priestess chided, barely able to look on the Dragon Lord she doomed to this.

Indeed, several males would be content to sacrifice their lives to spread their seed far, but dragons had more pride than that. She couldn't be sure when he would burn out completely, especially if the Dragon Lord continued to push himself so hard.

A number of their army would have to be left behind, lest they leave the Badlands undefended. If their enemy could bring down an entire nation so quickly, would they even stand a chance once they stormed the bleakest region?

The Dragon Lord announced, “Alright, meeting adjourned! We depart at once! Let’s take down Zeloph! For Equestria!”

“For Equestria!!”

The final battle awaited the alliance in the monochrome city.

Chapter 21

Beatrix stirred from her sleep, stretching out her limbs, her eyes blinking awake. “Mmngh.... What happened?” She asked drowsily before her vision focused on the rows of spiraling wheels surrounding her, cast in topaz gold. Stranger still, a harmless fire burned all around her. In an attempt to march out, Beatrix merely collided muzzle-first into an invisible barrier.

“Ouch!” She rubbed her scrunched snout tip before her eyes found her captor. “Z-Zeloph? What’s going on? Why am I in this…thing?!”

“They’re coming,” Zeloph answered, turning around to address his captive. The pool beneath had grown murky, the winged immortal doing all he could to extract the darkness of the Demiurge lingering within his vessel. Just how long had he been at this?

“Who’s coming?”

“Sombra and Spike are approaching the city gates,” he further explained. “I have no other choice but to confront them.”

“H-hey now, there’s no need for such a brash decision! Let me out of this thing, and we can talk it over--”

But Zeloph shook his head. “They will not listen. I can sense the coming conflict and anger even from here. They intend to destroy all I’ve built, out of pitiable vengeance. And I cannot risk any harm towards our child. You must remain here.”

“No.... No! Let me out!” Beatrix demanded, bashing her fist into the invisible barrier, yet the Ophanim’s intersecting wheels continued to keep her in place, no matter how she struggled. Tears stream down her cheeks, violet eyes seething at the angelic pegasus. “Zeloph! Zeloph!!”

Calmly, he met her exasperated stare. “The darkness within you stirs restlessly, like a frightened animal. But worry not, my dear. You, too, will be purified and free from your pain.”

“Purified!?”

“It is as you said before,” he insisted. “We must bring the best out of each other. And clearly, you’d be much happier without t̷͘h̵̛a̷̧t̷̴͟ in your life.”

He pointed to the second set of wheels turning over holy flames, containing the screeching Demiurge remnants, its flesh burnt from multiple attempts to escape.

“I’ll have the rest of the Demiurge’s essence extracted from you once I’ve guided your friends towards salvation,” Zeloph explained before turning to leave.

“Damn it, STOP!!” Beatrix cried out, pulling his attention back to her. “Zeloph, please. Don’t do this! There has to be another way to solve all this. I know you want a safer world for Abby, but this is too extreme! It’s not too late to turn back!”

For a moment, Zeloph considered her words, reaching a shaking hand out to her. But just as it seemed he would pull her out, he lowered his arm and sigh heavily. “Even if I wanted to believe in another way, I’ve come too far to stop now. Soon, every nation and citizen will come to light…. And you will too, Beatrix. So please…forgive me.”

Distraught as her lover turned to depart the chamber, Beatrix angrily lashed within the Ophanim, firing spells to try and break free from its ethereal hold. But the golden wheels nullified all effects, absorbing magic into their fiery glow. Not even drawing a circle to tear a hole into reality worked in this space.

“Damn it! DAMN IT!” She bellowed, folding to her knees.

Once more treated like a child, Beatrix was left to the sidelines while the alliance would clash with the pale emperor. Hand clutched into fists, she pondered within the holy rings, which despite its appearance, she sensed was alive. But she would not falter, not when both her future and this world hung in the balance. Beatrix would find a way to succeed and end Zeloph’s sanctimonious crusade.

*****

Gates crashed under the weight of the alliance, spearheaded by the Dragon Lord himself. Despite the strange beauty of the monochrome nation, Spike knew there was little time to soak it in. Masked acolytes were scattered under the barrage.

Those native to his country went to seek shelter, unsure why Spike’s legion was pouring in through broken gates. The idea of invasion sickened him, but after what he'd heard happened to Sombra’s own kingdom, he couldn't hold back. Zeloph’s plight for purification was a threat to all of Equestria.

“Spread out and secure the area,” he commanded. “But explain the situation. We need to evacuate as many as possible!”

“Spike,” Oona called behind, with Sombra moving in to launch his attack. “Ah need time tae fin' Beatrix. Ah suspect Zeloph has 'er hidden somewhaur in 'at cathedral.”

The Dragon Lord nodded. “We’ll buy you as much time as we can. Stygian,” he turned to the young grey unicorn. “How long until that banishing circle is ready?”

“If uninterrupted, it should only take me a maximum of seven minutes,” Stygian confirmed. “If we can bring Zeloph down to the city’s edge, we can send him packing.”

“Best figure out how to arrange that soon. Here he comes!” Sombra growled, pointing to the sky. Rays of blinding light swirled to a singular point above the city, illuminating all within its hollow walls.

“Soldiers! Ready your weapons,” Penumbra commanded, their combined troops prepared to die if necessary to see victory. The wisp of light lowered to the ground, six wings unfurling. And as the gleaming energy dimmed, Zeloph stood before the two leaders, a welcoming smile to his lips while his eyes betrayed his burning fury.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted with a small bow of his head. “I bid you welcom-”

“Spare me the theatrics!” Sombra growled, gripping his obsidian blade firmly. “You’re not fooling anyone, Zeloph. I see right through that holy disguise! You’ve brought ruination to my land!”

“Was it not you who accepted the Pony of Shadows into his heart?” He retorted. “I can sense its presence within you. Have you learned nothing from your exile? Haven't your wife and children suffered enough?”

“You leave them OUT OF THIS!” Sombra spat, crimson eyes lit up, enraged before Spike stood forth with a snort.

Spike said, “We have the entirety of your city surrounded. This is your only warning, Zeloph. Let our people go!”

His statement only earned a chuckle out of the winged immortal. “Your followers came here of their own volition. To be free of the fear and conflict you lot bring wherever you go. And you carry it here, into our paradise?”

“Thes is nae ‘paradise’!” Oona bellowed. “Yoo’ve stolen their memories, may them believe yer self-righteoos lies!”

“I’m not lying. I never lie,” Zeloph insisted, sneering at the goat before addressing the whole alliance, each eye fixated on their face. “All I ask is that you cease this warmongering at once. All are free to come and leave as they please. But I will n̵̢̨̛͠ơ̸͜t́̕ tolerate violence within these sacred walls!”

“You claim you want peace. But we know the result of that!” Spike growled, plumes of smoke flaring out his nostrils. “Thousands dead in an instant!”

“There’s no use talking,” Sombra proclaimed, walking to his comrade’s side while pointing towards his son. “Go gather the others! Cut down any who are in your way!”

Penumbra nodded, commanding his troops to follow as they scattered throughout the city. Shining and Oona would travel within their ranks if only to reach the cathedral and find Beatrix and Flurry Heart. With Sonmabula, Twilight, Trixie, and Stygian backing them up, the leaders charged at the enigmatic angel, who let out a troubled sigh while shaking his head, closing his eyes.

“None of you understand, and that’s okay…” His eyes opened, wisping white aura shining through his pupils as he clutched his staff tightly. “... I̷̪̳̞̙͚’̧҉̬̻̱͍̱̖̯l͖̤͚͢ĺ͓̝͇̟̥ ̸̧͈̭̫̟̦̭͕͉͢m̭̻̥̲̭͘͟͞a̛̺̥͈͙k̟̞̘̘̰̼͞e̵̢̫̭͝ͅ ͔̺͙͕̹̦̰͢y̶̡̙̙̪ó̷̢͕̖̙͔̙̤̜u̴̘̭͙̫̣̲͚͕͠ͅ ͇̼̮͟ͅu̸̝̤̹̭̩̦͔͚n̨̼d̵̡̥̯̣͞è̼̘̤͙͜ͅr̠͔ş͏͈̮̲̖t̴̯̣͞a̬̠̜̩͖͢͡ͅn͇͎̮̱̟͟͡d͖̼̫͎̳͟!̧̱̞͕̘̭͔̩͟”

Spike and Sombra raised their weapons to strike down Zeloph, who deflected their attack with a block of his scepter, steel clashing with pale gold. And with each swing, the three danced along the street, the alliance pushing the winged immortal through their relentless assault.

With a grunt, Zeloph batted Spike away with his wing before unleashing a pale beam to piercing through Sombra, the dark unicorn dissolving into his umbral form to press his attack. Likewise, Zeloph unraveled into pure illumination, as the two forces of light and darkness collided with each other.

As they fought, buildings crumbled with each impact, confused citizens fleeing the scene into the awaiting arms of Penumbra’s men.

“Quickly! Head for the gates!” The commander ordered, leading any weak and injured outside beside Lily.

“Seize them at once!” A hollow voice called from up ahead. Zeloph’s acolytes stood in the way of other prisoners, each armed with a cross sword.

“I didn’t want to do this, but it looks like there’s little choice…” Penumbra sighed, unsheathing his weapon as Lily took to his right, ready to battle with her lover. He lead his army to confront the zealots in a single war cry, steel clashing with steel.

A bright flash illuminated the area, Sombra collapsing onto his back. Black smoke hissing off his battered armor, teeth clenched at the searing pain while fighting to get back up. Zeloph emerged from the dissolving light, smirking down at his opponent. “Of all the users of dark magic, you are among the weakest. I’ve witnessed Sombra’s from other timelines obtain greater power than you.”

“Even so…” He gasped low, managing to get on one leg, staring defiantly at the primordial. “All of them perished in their hunt for glory. My glory...lies within my family! And I won’t rest until I’ve returned to them!”

“A noble sentiment from a barbaric king,” he complimented, an orb a light growing within his palm. “I’m sure they’ll remember you fondly for--”

Suddenly, a blast of magic caught him off guard. All eyes looked to see Trixie rushing from her smoke-bomb, firing beams and what few attack spells were in her repertoire.

“How dare you not address me!” She yelled, fury blazing in her eyes. “I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done to my daughter!”

Of course, all Trixie’s attempts to blast him were warded off with a single bat of his plumage. But his eye-lined wings shielded him as more energy beamed forward from Twilight and Stygian from all directions.

“Hnn! It’ll take more than magic to--G҉̷͚̰̳̯A̸͚̼̖̕H̝͇̦̕͡!̫̞̳̫͘͝͝” Zeloph felt the wind leave his holy vessel as Spike launched him high into the air with a single punch. The Dragon Lord flapped his mighty wings to soar after the pale emperor, Smolder and Ember flying beside him.

All three dragons attacked him from every direction, slashing at his wings, robes, and flesh before engulfing Zeloph with their combined fiery breath that roared.

“We got him!” Smolder exclaimed as she and her brethren puffed out the last licks. But to their surprise, the fire evaporated entirely without a body bathing in flames. A flash of flight drew their gaze to Zeloph, steam hissing off his singed robes and feathers.

“Oh, come on!” The tangerine dragoness fumed, nostrils flared and awash in smoke.

“Keep going! We’ve got him on the ropes!” Spike assured.

“I think not,” Zeloph interjected, a haughty expression on his face. “Clearly, I underestimated how stubborn you all are. Perhaps t̴̶̡h̶̡į̕s͠͝ will show you how fighting me is useless!”

The entire space around them dimmed as Zeloph conjured light around his being, forming it into a halo behind his head, four points joining at the center. His eyes lit up before motioning to the skies. “Ẁ̸̬̥̮̫͞i̞̖̲͔̦t̘͔͉͞ͅͅn̴̨̲̩͚̣̝é̯̼͈͓̝͞͝s̸̴̛͖͔̼̹̭̠s͈͙̻̳̣̥̬̬͕͝ ͡҉̘̻͖̮͈ͅt̢̙̭͍͡h̢̛͖͙e̴̳̘͚͚̥͈̩͙̹͞ ̵̳͜p̵̢̪̱̱o̪͕͓͙͟ẁ͖͓e̸̼͕͍̣̹̱̣r̛͎͇̝̹̟̤͙͙ ̙͖̯̮̖̹͢ͅo͖̗̣͠f͓͕̼͙̳̣̰̬ͅ ̧̛͙͇̲̻͖̪̩͜A͓̠̭͉̳̻͎̩̰e͙̰̯̦̲̲t͏̴̩͔̹͈̞̙̗͢h̜͉͎͍͖̀̕e̷̥͉̱̣̙͞r͇͉̩͕͚̘̥̟̀͜ͅ!̣̪”

All at once, light tore open a rift from above, swirling wider as its rays rained down from the heavens. Four glowing figures descended from above before launching at the trio of dragons with blinding speed. Two tackled Spike back onto the ground, the others pinning Smolder and Ember into buildings.

As the light dimmed around them, Stygian gasped in astonishment upon gazing over their familiar forms. “O-oh no! Zeloph has summoned Cherubim!”

Just as depicted, these chimeric creatures each sported one wing on their shoulder and different faces. The ones holding down Spike had the look of a man and bull, respectively, while the ones holding his dragonesses were headed by an eagle and lion. Spike struggled to push the Cherubim off until Sombra blasted them with a wave of dark magic.

Helping his fellow lord to his feet, Ember and Smolder managed to shove these ethereal beings away before joining down with the alliance, Twilight and Trixie powering up.

As all four angelic beings gathered closer, Spike emulated a broad sword in enchanted flames. “What are our options, Styg?”

The scholar warned, “Whatever you do, don’t let them merge together!”

“Got it! Keep them separated,” Sombra barked as they split up to fight the Cherubim away from each other. Some of the alliance cowered before the monstrosities yet bravely continued to fight against the acolytes.

Sombra confronted the bull faced Cherubim, his shadowy sword holding it back by its horns. Its strength was immeasurable, the dark unicorn feeling his footing sliding towards the wall.

Luckily, Somnabula came at it in her Sphinx form, pinning it down while growling as it’s form burnt her paws with its ethereal light. Smolder and Ember tag-teamed the eagle faced Cherubim, zipping around it through towers while unleashing cones of fire.

Trixie and Twilight fought side by side to protect Stygian from the human-faced Cherubim, the lavender alicorn letting loose her most potent spells while the blue unicorn blinded it with her flashy theatrics.

This left Spike with the leonine-headed angel, his fiery blade swing to deflect its claws and teeth. His muscles coiled, the ancient being able to match his prowess. But his focus remained on Zeloph, who had roosted near the top of his spire, watching from afair.

‘Come on, you two. Hurry before this gets ugly!’ Spike thought as the rest of the alliance focused on a seemingly endless number of acolytes that swarmed.

Sombra struggled to keep up with the Sphinx in combating the bull-headed creature. Now was the time to fully integrate with the Pony of Shadows. As the two dark souls became completely in synch, a darkness shrouded Sombra rushed at the Cherubim, smashing it through many structures before finding himself in the nation’s outskirts.

Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, a familiar face dropped in to bash him off, allowing the creature to fly away.

Before Sombra could stand up, a stylized halberd was aimed at his throat, its wielder glaring down at him. “Fleur de Lis,” he coughed, though thankfully he was confronting her alone. “A reminder of where this all started, so many years ago…”

“Devil,” she replied with a sneer that betrayed her ravishing beauty. “Vengeance is mine, in the name of my beloved Fancy Pants!” The stallion in question was sweating, staring at the former tyrant sickeningly.

Sombra had little time to react as, with a hysterical shriek, she swung her weapon down, ramming the tip through his midsection. He bellowed, hot blood erupting from his wound, the spear grasped by him. Fleur hatefully tried driving it all the way through, much to Fancy’s distraught.

Fancy stirred at her neck like a tumor. “M-my love, please! Stop! This isn’t what I want!”

“No! This is what I want! He took you from me! He deserves death!”

“You are right,” Sombra wheezed, blood oozing out his mouth. “You have every right to despise me for the terrible ills I’ve visited on you and Fancy Pants.”

“Shut up! Never say his name! You’ll merely besmirch it further!” Fleur snarled, her eyeshadow running down her cheeks until she violently trembled, her skin pale and her heart racing under pressure. She had waited for this moment, dreamed of his execution at her hands, and now wanted to savor it, unable to forget the humiliation when he exploited the lovers for his amusement.

But to her surprise, her own arm startled, pulling the blade out from Sombra’s open stomach in a rush of heated blood. Her eyes turned to Fancy, clenching his teeth. “Stop this malice, Fleur! For your sake!”

“M-my…my love, why? Why!? We can finally have our revenge!”

“No, Fleur!” He cried out. “Don’t you see what Zeloph has done?! He hasn’t healed you at all. He’s ruined you! Look at yourself!”

Indeed, the mare swayed off the handle of her halberd, looking over at how weak and ill she appeared. Her once glorious mane had was messy, white strains highlighting pink. She was breathing heavily, unable to recognize where she was as Fancy’s outcries alerted more people. A multitude of light footsteps surrounded them, among them…

“Daddy?!”

Sombra’s head leaned up to see his daughter, queen, and their entourage. “C-Cerise!” He grumbled weakly, struggling to rise while he covered his wounded stomach.

“No! No, this is all wrong! He is no tragic hero! He’s a devil! Devil!!” Fleur cried, clutching her head and falling to her knees, overwhelmed by reality slipping through her weary mind.

“Oh, mon amour,” Fancy lamented. “Don’t you see? Zeloph didn’t bring me back. I am nothing more than a burning memory…”

Light glowed from the back of her head, three pairs of wings unfurling as a ball of ethereal light emerged. The crowd gasped in alarm, fully hearing the song emanating from the multi-winged apparition.

“I-it’s so bright!”

“By the gods, what is that?!”

“Seraphim,” Cerise murmured, recalling the description of a six-winged creature with a head of pale fire. How it would reap its chosen vessel of their memories until nothing was left but an empty husk, carrying the clean soul back to their realm.

Panic started to disrupt the crowd as a few other people began to hunk down, more balls of light emerging from out their heads. Sombra stood to catch Fleur from falling onto the ground, bawling weakly as Fancy’s head began to burn away into ashes. The lovers shared a look before he smiled sadly.

“Your eyes are much different from before. They’re softer, much more kind…. I can tell you’ve been through a lot, ol’ chap.”

Sombra replied, “We all have.… Fancy, I can’t tell you how much I am sorry! I-I--”

“Save it, friend. I’ve already forgiven you. But if you stop Zeloph, you can rescue everypony from the Seraphim’s power. Then, maybe Fleur can start to heal. Good Luck, Sombra…. Au revoir, mon amour.”

As the last remnant of Fancy Pant’s presence faded into the siphoned essence, Fleur let out a mourning sob before passing out. Sombra held her, stroked her mane, listened to her quiet whimpers. "I'm so sorry."

A familiar cry caught his ear, turning with wide eyes to find Inky collapsing, clutching her head as a glow started shimmering through her eyes. The twins rushed to her side as Radiant Hope looked over the balls of ethereal light, draining the last recollective thoughts of those marked by Zeloph.

“INKY!!” Sombra yelled, laying Fluer down while fighting his internal damage to aid her. Thankfully, the Pony of Shadows was quick to seal and repair any torn tissues, stopping the bleeding. He grunted as it became more comfortable to run before kneeling to cradle his queen into his arms, a hand trying to bat the seraphic ball of light away. Wisps flowed from his eyes. “STAY AWAY FROM HER!”

“S-Sombra? I-Is that you? I-I couldn’t recognize you,” Inky wept gently, tracing a hand over her lover’s cheek. “You were back to your old ways, hurting us…made us...”

“Shhhh.… I’m here now. I-I’m so sorry for all I’ve done. Just.... Don’t leave me, Inky. I love you! I’ll always love you!!” Sombra pleaded, soothing the weak pegasus, bringing her close enough to kiss her forehead.

“I-I...I love.... You...” Inky gasped before submitting to sleep, Sombra’s tears dripping off his muzzle. Guilt and grief overtook him, hiding his sobs into her bosom.

Radiant Hope had not seen this side of Sombra in a long time, having thought it long dead. Perhaps she was wrong, too blinded by her own loathing to accept the truth.

Clutching his wife tightly, Sombra rose his head to the skies, belting his anguish to the one responsible for this madness.

“ZELOOOOOOOOOOOPH!!!”

*****

Zeloph continued to observe from on top of his cathedral. Everything he had built was crumbling around him. The whispers of all the mortal souls, their once devoted faith to his protection, now wavered.

Everything was coming undone again. And yet, he couldn’t have foreseen it. Where had he lost his way? How may he course correct?

A sickly pain shook through his core, a hand clutching over his torso. Zeloph could feel the remaining essence of the Demiurge wriggle within. He had hoped that using his Onoma would help cleanse his vessel of the infestation. Yet Zeloph could still feel it stir. Why couldn’t he rid himself and be free?

His focus looked back to the fight happening near the center, Spike and his forces withholding the Cherubim. A few eyes darted down below, where the Seraphim started to emerge, Sombra’s voice calling to him.

“It’s t̘͓̕h̞͈̟̗̘̻̜͚̘e̷̛͓̜̖̣̹ͅm͔̫͝,” he convinced himself. Had he not been so gullible, so hopeful that Spike and Sombra wouldn’t resist his vision, all this chaos wouldn’t be spilling over his once beautiful city. Taking a deep breath, Zeloph swapped the holy sigil for the Seraphim back to represent the Cherubim. His eyes which included those on his plume glowed white, signaling single-winged chimeras to merge.

At once, the four angelic beings forced the alliance fighters away before assembling them together. “Oh no!” Stygian exclaimed before a new beast was formed from the four heavenly creatures. Each head now resided on a rotating wheel above the neck. Two wings flapped behind while another pair covered its torso. Long, limber legs with hooves hovered before the ground.

Spike, Somnabula, Ember, Smolder, Trixie, and Twilight glared into the many eyes adorning each wing, ready to strike it down once and for all. But as the Cherubim’s wings flexed and each eye began to glow, Stygian warned, “NO! DON’T LOOK! TURN AWAY!”

Spike only had time to duck his head before it was too late. A wave of light poured from the creature, stunning all who gazed upon its holy visage. Spike’s forces all dropped their guard, kneeling down, eyes wide while its eerie light glowed softly within their pupils.

“No.… Damnit!” The Dragon Lord cussed as he and Stygian had no choice but to press onward, batting through any acolytes trying to stop him. If they put an end to the pale emperor’s reign, they could save their friends. He really hoped Lady Ewe and Shinning Armor managed to infiltrate the cathedral by now like they planned.

Zeloph panted, unable to keep track of everything with how frequently he used archaic magic. The glow of his halo faltered, his slender form leaning over the railing, clutching onto his shaft like a crutch. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be long until the scattered alliance was captured, and he could rid them of their insufferable pride.

But in his own arrogance, he failed to notice someone else was with him. Having heard what Fancy had said, Cerise raced back into the cathedral, determined to deal with Zeloph herself. The nimble dancer climbed to the last step, out of breath before finding the winged back of the winged immortal.

“This is it.... I can end this!” She said quietly, Radiant Hope's curved knife she'd stolen in hand, the nimble dancer about to strike before a new pair of wings stood in her way.

“Halt!” Bellatrix growled, the she-devil snatching Cerise up by her top. “I warned you to stay out of this, wretch!”

“Gnnagh! Damnit, Bellatrix! Let me go!” She struggled and dropped her blade.

“Put her down,” Zeloph commanded, turning back to address them. “You know I do not wish any harm here.” At his command, Bellatrix loosened her hold, allowing Cerise to slip free. Adjusting her top, she glared over at the pale emperor, who shared a similar look of self-righteous disdain.

“I’m surprised to find you would confront me alone, Cerise,” Zeloph complimented. “You’re very brave…if not foolish.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I know the truth, Zeloph,” Cerise spat. “How you’ve sent Beatrix away, trapped her in one of those angelic abominations! That you used angels to steal the memories of anyone who defies you!”

“I am relieving them of their burdens!” Zeloph insisted, tapping his staff into the roof. “Souls who harbor and cling onto their suffering must be purified. It is the only way to save them from damnation. The only way I can protect my daughter! Once Beatrix has delivered safely, I will release her. But look around you!” He cast his scepter to highlight crumbling buildings and growing riots. “See how inherently violent you mortals are? Look at the carnage your father and Spike have brought here! T̵͉̖̺͇̻̱͢ͅh̵̝͍̳̼͜i̡҉̷̦͓̺͈̝̥̥͇͕s̖̣̻ͅ ̥͍͔̮̞̝̜ͅi̢̜̹s̵͍̫̜ ͙̥̦̞̘̜͕͇b̶͉̼̮ẹ̵̙̝̳͙̫c͟͏̲̜͍̰̞͓͍͝à̧̤̻̤͎̠͘u̹̙͢͡s̹͈͎̜̼̲̤͚͘e̢̢̞͉̦̝̩̱̥ ͖̞̬̙̹̪͎̗̺͜͝o̢͔̹̺̖̳̫̮̮͘͜f̵̣͇ ̢̭͉̞̼̫͜t̴̢̜͈̭ḩ̙͈̤e͏̷̠̻̮̙͉̜m̢̞͚̣̹ͅ!͞͏̨̹̲̙̺̞”

“This is all because of you!” The dancer rebutted. “You preach sanctuary and purification, but I’ve seen what became of your servants. Of what’s happened to Fleur and my mother! Open your eyes, Zeloph. All this suffering is because of your ‘holy’ quest to control everything! Look at how many lives you’ve ruined! What you did to my world!”

His magenta eyes widened as if something had snapped into place. Zeloph looked back down to the violence, the outcries. His eyes darted all over, sensing the disturbance in their spirits. Everyone accused the pale emperor of the destruction that unfolded without relent. He was to blame.

“W-what, I…. No…” He said gently, realization finally settling in. Black tears oozed from his sockets, clutching the railing for support. “I was going to bring them paradise…. I didn’t want this! What have I do--Ģ̳̖A̢̻̦͍̱̰Á̰̱G҉͎̰͖͙̖̀H̵̯͚̪͖̠̻̮̭ͅ!͏̮̘̺̹͘”

Cerise yelped as a blur whipped by, making her mane whoosh. The messianic primordial screamed as Bellatrix’s hand transmuted into a massive claw, instantly tore into his back, as blood and feathers showered her arm.

“E-even you..?” Zeloph wheezed in agony, his teary eyes gazing back to his former ally. “I.... I offered you the gift of freedom, she-devil…an͢͢d̵̛͝ ̢͘͞ţ҉h̛͢i͘s̕ ì̛s̢͝ ̕͢h͘͜o̧w͘ ̧yo̴̢ư̡ ̕r̵e̵p̧̛ay̵̨ ̛̀͢m͏͟e̸͡?҉”

“There is no freedom with you, Zeloph,” Bellatrix shook her head, sighing sadly as she pinned him under her weight. “Any intentions you had were poisoned by your actions. It’s time you accept the truth.”

“Bellatrix! Good work!” Spike called from above, landing before with Stygian on his back. “I’m sorry to have ever doubted you.”

“I was the least accepted among the alliance,” she shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt my reputation if I played the double agent.”

“And you played your card brilliantly!” Stygian added, earning a little heat in Bellatrix’s cheeks. “Now then, just keep him still, and I’ll perform the banishment ceremony.”

Everyone nodded. Cerise secured Zeloph’s staff while Spike tiled his battered angel’s head to look at him. “I pity you, Zeloph. I truly do. If circumstances were better, I’d like to imagine all the good you could have brought. But you’re too dangerous to remain here. I hope you understand that.”

“Oh.... I understand…”

An immense pressure unleashed from around him pushed everyone back, knocking Cerise and Stygian to the ground. Bellatrix’s arm dislodged from the winged immortal’s back, while Spike held onto the stone railing. Zeloph’s form shimmered with fiery light, slowly levitating from his spot. A chilling glare was cast down to the Dragon Lord.

“I understand where I went wrong,” he said. “I was mistaken, so foolish to believe mortals would ever want redemption! But I see now…. I know what this world needs. Someone to cull a garden of weeds. S̸̘̥̬̤̣͕̯̪̤͝o͏̜̙̯̝͜ͅm͔̦̮̙̦͚̹̳͡e͍̰͔̫̪̬o̸̡͉̼͍͔̩̤̩n̸͚̥̼͎̠͜͢ͅe̵̥̠͎̞̪͝ ̘̰w̵̪͖̟̦̟͓͇͝i̡̠̼͚͢͢l̡͏͇̣̞̰̜̟l̶͏͉̘̲͓̦͍͈̭i͏̵͇̺n̛̟̟̲̟ͅg̸̢̼͙ ̷̮̤t̝͉ò̻͙̀ͅ ̸̫̕p̩̹̕͞ù̢͈̯̘̝̤͔͞t̫͍̮̦͎̩̠͚̺ ̗̕d̗̟̞͟o̫̬̮͜͢w̛̛̛͍̞̠n͏̪̫̺̙ ͇̝̠̖̪̕͘t̵͓̞͈̪ẖ̢̢͍͔̣ę̮͔̖̖̝͜ ̶̶̳̻̺̬f̞̖i̱̘̱̥̳̞͍̺̯l̞̦̖̪͟ͅt̻͙͚̹̺͇͕h̟̦͚̼̦͓͉̞̘̕͘y̸̪̼̦̤ ̧̗͎́à̦̩͙̮̥͘n̛̩̠̺͖͖̩̗̫̕͠ͅi̢̡̞̖̞̤̰͈̩m̶͈̫̜̹̤a͓l̢̮̝̣̲̗̟̖̲͠s̘̺͖̞̙ͅ!̛͕̗̥́”

His radiance burned the remains of his tattered robes, leaving Zeloph bare and bright for all to see. Smaller wings and feathers grew out from his grey body, most notable another pair near the heels of his feet, more unfurling the top of his shoulders.

“Uhm, Styg?” Spike called. “I thought you said Seraphim was the highest order!? I see a lot more than six wings!”

The unicorn quickly scrambled to flip through the pages. “I-I don’t understand! I read this front to back; how could I missed another high order angel!?”

“You assume I was from the highest order? Haha…. I think the page you’re looking for is right… H̵͖͉̦̪̠̪͝Ę̜̝̪̼͕̯͉͡R̨̦͔̼͙̺̘͢ͅͅE̷͚͞!̷̧̱̼̭̮̼̼͓̀”

Zeloph flashed behind Stygian to shove his arm through his chest, stopping him at one page as he screamed. “STYGIAN!!” Cerise cried, watching the unicorn collapsed while Zeloph pulled out his blood-soaked arm in disgust. The unicorn looked over the page he pointed, eyes widen at the title.

“N-Nephilim.… The Fallen Ones?!”

A sinister smile spread Zeloph’s face.

“Yes~” He confirmed. “I am Nephilim. The offspring of a mortal mother and a divine father. I was born more robust than any typical holy spirit, a fact my creator couldn’t stomach. I swore to protect you, mortals, when he tried to eradicate you. I thought that by protecting you, healing you, I could walk amongst you, welcomed and loved…. But you’ve proven that could never happen.”

“Damn you!” Spike roared, launching himself to slay the bastard where he stood. But the edge of his broad sword clashed with a sharper light, formed into an enormous zweiländer blade, stylized to resemble a star. Zeloph gripped his newly formed weapon and swung back just as Bellatrix jumped into the fray. The three danced around on the spire. Clutching onto the unconscious Stygian, Cerise could do nothing but watch, horrified as her friends struggled against Zeloph’s offense. But it all ended swiftly as the Nephilim blessed his blade with pure illumination, cutting through Spike’s broad sword-like hot butter and piercing through his armor, the drake roaring with pain.

Zeloph unceremoniously kicked him off the ledge, sending the dragon hurling down to the stone floor. Bellatrix tried striking from above, yet the winged primordial rose to meet her blow, blasting her into a heap that skidded and smoked, shrieking upon impact.

“You self-righteous hypocrite!” Cerise sobbed, raising up to slam her balled fists into his chest. “What happened to peace! Prosperity! Why?!”

Zeloph caught her next blow before tossing her back to the ground, aiming the tip of his long ethereal blade at her snout.

“You are beyond salvation,” he answered bitterly. “So diseased with vices, unable to accept the medicine that can cure you.”

“You’re wrong! What you offer isn’t healing, but enslavement!”

“S̵̡̧̧I̴Ļ̕͘̕Ę̨͡Ń̀͝C͟͟͏̢Ȩ̀̀͝,̕͟͠ ̶̧͠W̕͞E͜҉̷̧͟Ņ̨̛C̢̛̀͜H̸͘!̶̢̡͞” He commanded, the force of his voice knocking her further down. “I have been rejected for too long! If the mortals do not love me, then let them fear me! And so, I will cast judgment upon this land.… A̙̮n̶͈͕͈̠̬̜͞ḓ̢̡̙̯̰̱̻̞ ͘͏̞ṕ̸͇͇̟̜͟u̷̦̪̮r̦̮̩͚̀̕ͅģ̮̲͟ę̶̘̗̺̮̟͓ ͚̭͝t̛̮̖̙͝h̛̝̫͔͞e̩̫͎͖͈̟̤͢͡͠ͅ ̱͙̙̯̩͉̲̣u̘̹͉͎ͅǹ̡͍̩̜̰̗̭̲ͅj̷͇̦̱͡ų͓͚̯̥̗͎̺̜̕ș̥̲̜t̸̬̺̠͕͍̭͜͠!̧̩̰̹͝”

Placing his sword into the ground, Zeloph unleashed the full potential of Aether, absorbing all light within the monochrome city, luminescence blinding all who gazed upon his unholy light.

“None are worthy of salvation. I see that now,” he stated bitterly. “Judgment awaits this world! If you refuse redemption, then I will offer vengeance, instead!” With that he further drew upon the full potential of the Aether, surrounded by its brilliance.

“Cerise! We have to get outta here!” Bellatrix yelled, soaring swiftly to the dancer to scoop her and Stygian into her arms. Clumsily, the wounded demon sailed down the cathedral before smashing into stained glass, plummeting into the aisles in a rain of colored, bloodied fragments.

“Nnngh, Bellatrix,” Cerie groaned, noting the few shards stuck in the she-devil’s body. “You’re badly hurt! Let me-”

“D-don’t worry about me,” she coughed, digging out a few broken pieces, hissing and quivering. “Get Stygian downstairs and get everyone else out of here! Find your father!” Try as she might, Bellatrix couldn’t remain conscious before closing her golden eyes.

“I-I will,” she swore, wiping away the tears before carrying Stygian over her shoulder and heading back down to the ground floor, hoping her father would come to Spike’s aid and continue the heated battle above.

The ethereal glow dissolved as Zeloph emerged from the light, extraterrestrial armor adorning his limbs and chest. Many eyes blinked open within the prismatic steel before a helmet sealed his face, his long hair whipping above in a manner that defied gravity. A new halo phased behind his many wings, the undersides of his feathers much darker than before.

Through the cross slit of his headgear, Zeloph gazed at the crowd below, hearing screams of terror as the Seraphim continued collecting more of their essence. He briefly thought back to Abadonna and Beatrix, aware of how they would despise him should they bear witness to this merciless display of vulgarity.

“Too late to repent now,” the pale crusader scoffed, shaking his head. “My streets have become gutters, full of blood. And when the drains scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their vice and sin will spew foam from their mouths. And all the dying souls will look up to me and shout ‘SAVE US!’...A̸̸nd̀ ̵͠I̷̧͟ ͏w̸͘i̴͡l̶̛͡l͜ ͞l̶͡o͏͝ok͢͟͞ ҉d̛͝ow҉҉̛ń͝ ͢to̵ ̢t͏̀h͜ę͡m,̸͠ ̨͞ą̕͟n̕͝d͏ ̢̛͠w̵h̨͞i̢ş̧p̵͘er̀͡…̧͘ ‘N̶̶͉̮̞̲̗̮̣͞o̵̺͇͎̻͉̦̖̯̗̘̲̮͙̳̳͓̕ͅ”.’

*****

Beatrix could hear the carnage going on outside, fearing the worst was happening. Yet here she remained, forced to accept her confinement, unable to escape on her own. All the witch could do was sulk in defeat. At this point, her pregnancy had taken full effect, her full belly and breasts swollen.

At the moment she hit rock bottom, her daughter glitched right next to her, knees tucked into her chest while she wept. “Abby!” She exclaimed, pulling her close to cradle her. She noticed the deformities had gotten worse, her forehead swelled up, horn bent, more scales skimmed her limbs and cheeks.

“I-It hurts mommy!” She cried between whimpers. “Daddy's in terrible pain!”

“I should have known better than to trust Zeloph. Something wasn’t right about him,” Beatrix seethed, unable to hold back the anger and betrayal she felt. Whatever force compelled her to accept him at that moment, it felt like madness now. Did neither of them possess any free will of their own…?

“P-please don’t blame everything on him,” Abadonna pleaded, tears pouring down her cheeks as she shivered. “The Necronomicon made daddy very sick, obsessed with a need the perfect world for us…”

“I…I wish I could help everyone, but there’s nothing I can do like this! I can’t even help you with your condition!”

“I-I’ll be fine. It'll be okay, mommy. I promise!” The little mare played with her mother's loose locks while Beatrix stroked her mane.

“Will it?” She wondered if this was all some sick game played by fate. That maybe she, Zeloph, Lady Ewe, even the Eldritch had all been lured here by higher forces, pawns in some cosmic scheme none of them could ever hope to comprehend.

“I think she’s down here!” A voice from above called, the sound of footsteps running down the staircase echoing through the chamber.

“Hey…that sounds like Flurry Heart!”

And sure enough, the alicorn appeared from the bottom step, with her father and the dream faun not far behind. They all rushed to meet her underneath the Ophanim.

“Beatrix!! Oh, thank th' spirits, yoo’re safe!” Oona cried.

“Lady Ewe, I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left without saying anything, I-I..”

“It’s okay, Ceann Oga. We’ll get ye out ay thaur!”

“Stand back!” Shining Armor ordered, shoving them out of his way before leaping to strike down the Ophanim with his blade. But the heavenly thrones repelled his attack, sending him back into a stone pillar.

Flurry cried, “Dad! Are you okay!”

“Gnngh! I’ll be fine,” Shining wheezed, though he noted his blade had been shattered.

“It’s no use,” Beatrix sighed, putting Abby to the side. “These things are indestructible. Nothing can get in or out unless Zeloph commands them to. I’ve tried, but I.... I-I just can’t.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Beatrix,” Oona said calmly, placing her palm over the barrier. “If Ah know ye like Ah dae, thaur is unlimited potential in th' magic ye can summon. Ah believe ye ur capable ay wonderoos things. An' nae one can tak' 'at awa' frae ye. Nae Zeloph, nae th' Demiurge, nae e'en fate itself. Only ye, as ye ur now, decide whit ye ur capable ay.”

Beatrix felt her heart twinge once she reached for her mentor’s hand, pressing it as closely as she could. She smiled, feeling encouraged to try once more. Placing both her palms against the wheels, she tried pushing her magic through the Orphanim, thinking she could disrupt their flow.

But her spell remained suppressed. She huffed before trying again, causing as much energy as she could muster to halt the Ophanim’s conjunction, yet it wasn’t enough.

“C’mon, Beatrix. I know you can do it!” Flurry encouraged and hopped in place.

“Almost there, mommy,” Abby said, despite how sore and aching she was all over.

“There’s got tae be some way,” Lady Ewe pondered.

“Say…isn’t that the Demiurge?” Shining asked, pointing to the second Ophanim hovering beside.

“Sweet lucid dreams, ye’re right! What’s it daein' haur?”

“Zeloph’s doing,” Beatrix explained while pushing. “He absorbed a nasty amount in an attempt to purify dark magic, but I think it’s infected him to the point of lunacy.”

“Sae nae even an avatar ay light is immune tae th' darkness ay eternity,” Oona lamented, guilt flooding back through her core. She was the one who sentenced him to imprisonment in that blasted tome, due to her naivety.

Beatrix paused her feeble attempts before looking at the caged abomination, shriveling in its confinement. She recalled Oona’s lesson about arcane magic; how each individual had a signature of their own, much like a cutie mark. But to access it, one would have to accept themselves entirely.

And for the longest time, Beatrix had fought to reject the Demiurge as a part of her person. The abomination deep below that once wore her like a skin suit. She shivered at the memory. Yet, just like her, the Demiurge was frightened, imprisoned.

So she closed her eyes, took slower breaths, and mentally reached for the bizarre creature. The Demiurge stopped wheezing, almost calmed by her metaphorical presence. Beatrix reminded herself that, while they had physically separated, the creature would always be linked with her.

She felt her spirit embrace the dark entity before it slowly reciprocated, their energy rejuvenating. It could sense the love she felt for her friends, family, her teachers, and, most importantly, of her unborn child. The Demiurge welcomed these new emotions as their physical vessels pulled to one another.

“W-what’s happening!?” Shining yelped, the Ophanim’s wheels struggling to continue turning, eyes blinking wildly in all directions. A dark aura illuminated both Beatrix and the Demiurge, the divided forces joining together until the topaz rings audibly snapped and shattered, as the two entities became one.

The room expanded as the darkness of space dazzled the three onlookers, marveled by the galaxies and constellations visible to them. Then the dark matter took form, reshaping the curvy silhouette of the traveling witch, her pregnancy all but invisible. Her leotard extended to cover her legs in the black flowing substance. Her cape flowed behind her like wings. Even her platinum mane dripped with the material, waving above her head. And when Beatrix opened her eyes, the whiteness darkened, leaving her violet orbs to glow brightly.

“W-whooooooooa,” Flurry stammered in amazement. “What in the heck is that!?”

“Ah don’t believe it,” Oona gasped, approaching her friend, who looked over in astonishment over what clad her body. “By acceptin' th' Demiurge as apart ay ye, yoo’re able tae wield th' darkness ay space itself! Beatrix, yer onoma…is Erebus!”

“Erebus…” She repeated, unable to accept that she conjured up such power! Yet…it felt right, like a new layer of fresh clothes. Curious about what else she could do, Beatrix pulled Shining Armor’s broken sword and reforged the pieces back in place. Her archaic energy poured all over the rune blade before engulfing it in its whispery power, a new saber formed in her hand.

“H-holy crap! I just…. Whoa!” Her eyes widened, earning a playful giggle from the goat shepherd. Beatrix turned to her father, who shocked his head, smiling. “It’s yours now.” She wept happily before wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly before Flurry and Oona shared in her embrace.

“M-mommy..?”

She turned back to Abadonna, noticing her problems had lessened, and her own mane began to flow about like hers. Smiling at her child, she knelt down to kiss her head.

“Stay here, sweetie.” Beatrix winked before a serious frown replaced her bright smile, then stared back to the stairwell. “Mommy’s about to have a word with ‘daddy’...”

*****

Everypony was fleeing for their lives before their bodies were vaporized from the radiant light projecting out from Zeloph’s helmet. Any that tried to stop him were swiftly decapitated by the edge of his morning star blade, bodies disintegrating into ashes. Not even his own acolytes were safe, their faceless bodies petrified the moment he drew out their souls to further empower himself, preparing to eradicate entire the planet in a fit of righteous indignation.

Cerise managed to find her mother’s entourage, Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer, cradling both Inky and Fleur while Radiant Hope did her best to restore them.

“Where’s dad?!” She demanded, dropping Stygian’s body close by as they simply pointed towards Zeloph. She gasped as Sombra tried to fight back against the enraged judicator, yet no spell or blow did anything but evaporate under the radiant glow of Zeloph’s zweiländer, forcing the dark unicorn to kneel. Spike was struggling to pull himself together, the searing wound on his muscular bulk blistering into ashes.

Sombra glared at his opponent, his helmet preparing to blast the king with harsh light before a crumbling sound alerted Zeloph. The front of his cathedral burst open whereupon Beatrix launched out like a creature from Tartarus. She clashed against Zeloph’s sword to bat him away from her mentor with her Erebus embued blade.

“B-Beatrix..!?” He wheezed weakly, the witch standing in front of Sombra protectively.

“Your family needs you. I’ll handle Zeloph,” she insisted, swaying her way towards the multi-winged menace. All he could do was nod before limping away towards his daughter, who rushed to embrace him, helping him back towards their group.

Abadonna, carrying her mother’s rebellious nature, rose from the broken entrance to watch from afar, worry and sadness clear on her delicate face once her determined parents stood across from each other.

No words were exchanged between them as light and darkness collided in an explosion that made the atmosphere ripple, airborne above the war underway below, his sword blazing white; matched by her purplish-black blade, forged in ancient magic and now carried its holder like she was in a trance. Like the dark power of Erebus itself wielded her, rather than the other way around.

But she felt content, need of such raw power to stop the zealous monarch.

Like the climactic battle between the Dragon Lord and the Pony of Shadows, the two immortals would ultimately decide the planet’s fate in a duel to the death.

Chapter 22

The alliance stood starstruck at the brawl happening before them. Those not fighting against Zeloph’s forces watched as he and Beatrix swung at each other with fierce velocity, each strike of their swords blinding to the naked eye. Sombra and Spike could only gaze briefly, hoping their friend would claim victory as they continued to rush survivors and refugees outside the plundering city. The twins and Radiant Hope escorted Fleur de Lis and Inky Rose’s unconscious bodies outside the walls. Meanwhile, White Shadow Penumbra lead the fight against any who sworn faithfully to Zeloph, if only to keep them at bay.

No matter how she’d tried, Cerise couldn’t touch, let-alone damage the Seraphim, the six-winged apparitions continuing to feed off the feeble memories of their hosts like parasites. Flurry Heart and Shining Armor took the fight to the Cherubim, trying to tear its gaze off of the alliance frozen in place.

Sadly Beatrix Belladonna couldn’t worry about the alliance, far more concerned with her glimmering foe. The pale crusader swiped upward, causing her to deflect, sending the witch soaring into the skies. But Zeloph flashed right above her, blasting her with white flames, causing Beatrix to scream. Thankfully, the power of Erebus helped mend her searing wounds as she faced the winged immortal, taking a proper stance.

“I’m gravely disappointed in you, Beatrix,” Zeloph proclaimed. “Even you, who I’ve come to trust and view as an equal, would jeopardize my vision of paradise. You went so far as to bind yourself to that…thing! And for what? To interfere with divine justice!? Open your eyes! T͚̠h̹̘e̴̮̼͕̰̤̼̟͠y̕҉̱̱̜͡ ̢͎̼̯͈͔̥̞͚a̧̼̙̕r̥͚͓͚ͅe̵͎͔̟ ̶̪̝̻n̡̯̮͖͉͚͈̺̜̻ó̸̬̹͎t̞̯͈̤̠͉̪͜ ̹̱̥̙̪̪w̻̠͚̦o̧̦̜͙͓̗r̨̜͈͕̞̭̠̯͔t̝͙̮̭͓́͡ḩ̮̮̩̰̯̼̯ ̶̭̗̞͉̖̼̤̻ş̶̦̩͙à̹̟͕͠ͅv̛̼͈͜͠i͚̦͚̱̳̱n͡҉̝̫͍͉̳ģ̻͕̜̹͙̯͍͢ͅ!̣̥̞̰̟̙̩”

“SHUT UP!” Beatrix retorted, launching a beam of cosmic energy to knock the angelic being aside. “You’re the one who's too blinded by sanctimonious bullshit to see the harm you've caused to the ones you claimed to love. You think Abadonna wants this!?”

“D̶̡̢̕͟O̸̴̢̨̕ ̸̵̀͠͝N͘̕͝҉͟OT̸́͜ ͏̸̸̢B̸̵̸͠͏R̶̡͢I̧͠N̸͝G̸̡̛͢͠ ̧͜͝Ò̢̡̡͠U͟͠͠Ŗ̶̢͘ ̛͘D́͡A̶̕Ú̡͜Ǵ̷H̨͢Ţ̢̧̛E͏͏̷̢Ŗ̀ ̀͝I͝͡Ǹ̷̸͟T̷̛́̀Ò̢̡ ̴̕͢͜T̴H̡͡I̸̷͝͞S̸̡!̶̵̡́̕!̷̶” The Nephilim yelled, launching another assault as their swords clashed with such force, they sparked and threatened to unravel the very fabric of reality itself. Beatrix rebutted with a multitude of advanced spells, swirling around her like the cosmos cutie mark on her flank, swallowing Zeloph’s righteous fury and glaring light.

It was no use. Both were convinced they were completely in the right, that the two avatars of light and darkness needed to push themselves to the absolute limit for Abby’s sake. The little mare in question watched from the sidelines. Tears dribbled down her face, just wanting the fighting to stop between her parents. “Mommy...! Daddy...!”

For a moment, Beatrix faltered, the trance Erebus induced in her broken once she heard screams and whimpers of pain from her wounded foe. That second of weakness was met by a barrage of light, which she barely reflected in time, her palm raised to redirect the brilliant rays away from civilians.

Zeloph released a scornful laugh. “It appears you have no control of your Onoma. You lack the proper training of both an archmage and a swordsman. Surrender now, Beatrix. Defeat is inevitable!”

“Never,” she snapped back, rushing to exchange blows and slashes. The witch reminded herself that should she fail, all life would be wiped from this planet. Digging deep into the Demiurge's power, the darkness of the cosmos itself appeared to surround her, as if her cutie mark sprung to life to envelope her in its cool, lonely touch.

Each time Zeloph struck, she was pushed back, silently admitting her lack of experience. Sure, she'd been in many battles, but she was an entertainer and explorer first, one who typically played support and relied on tricks to win. Were it not for the awakening of her arcane magic, the pale crusader would have torn her apart instantly. It was starting to feel hopeless to oppress him, that she could never defeat him alone.

Luckily for her, she wasn’t alone.

Before Zeloph could swing his zweihänder across Beatrix’s head, a blue bubble appeared to absorb the blow, much to his visible frustration. All eyes glared at the interference of Lady Ewe, a misty aura swirling around her form as the dream faun rose beside Beatrix, wooly mane flowing in the wind.

“Ye are nae welcomed haur, ye multi-eyed glaikit shitelord!” Oona declared, her brows furrowed, the painted runes shining brightly. With a swing of her staff, a wave of magic forced Zeloph away while Beatrix looked back at her, alarmed by the foulness that just spewed from her mentor’s mouth.

The mystical doe channeled her own archaic magic as more bubbles lifted from the ground, drawing from the hope settled in the alliance. They hovered around before glowing gold and taking shape, manifesting into creatures of bizarre origin before sending them down to ward off Zeloph’s angelic forces. The Seraphim screeched as they were chased after, causing each victim to fall into a more comfortable slumber. Cerise cried in relief, her mother resting more comfortably.

Zeloph glared spitefully at the ram. “G͏e̵͞t̸ ou̧t̴ ͟͠o͢͏f̧̛͝ ̢͢m͘͏y͠ ̷̧͠s̵̡i͝͝g̴̢͏h͝t͏s̷,̸͞ ͘͝yó̵͢u̴ ̸̡w͞r͘͜͝e̷̷͡t҉̀c̕h!” He hissed, launching to cut down the annoying shepherd before Beatrix intercepted, pushing him back as she and Oona stood by each other.

“Can ye feel them, Ceann Oga?” Oona asked, motioning to the alliance below. “E’erybody coontin' oan ye tae succeed. Lit their hope guide ye tae victory!” The dream faun quickly descended to the cathedral, continuing to aid the alliance from there.

Beatrix nodded, their presence comforting her. She felt as if all her friends and family stood beside her, redoubling her efforts to best him in combat. The blade in her hand appeared to be carved from space itself, connected with his own morning star, which in turn burned like the core of the sun itself.

“Gaaaugh! Why do you continue to defy me!?” Zeloph demanded, his eyes dilated. “Have you given up on changing your path? Are you content with your destiny!? T͈͖̠̲͕̖̭͠͠o̧͎̩̪̗ ̲̺̺̜̭̦̟l̡͚͈̘̕ͅi̵͓̙͖͞ͅv̸̹͝e̵͔̰̙͞ ̨̢͏̙̩̝̳̮̥̝͍͉l̷͏̙̦̘̺ͅͅi͡҉̞̬͍̥f̯̫̭͖̬̻̀ę͉̬͖̪͡ ̯͙͙̕à̳̹̗̤͉s̸̶̡̼ͅ ҉͓̘͡a̲̗̼̱͖͜n̴҉̗ ̢҉̼̹ͅà̻̫́b̼͘͢ó͈̙̳̥͕͘ͅm͚͍i͉͔͔͇̟n̢͇͓̫a̵̫͔̩̥̤̩̼͖ṱ̘̭̠i̴̭̫̘̯ͅo̴̡̤͕̭̞̰̘͓̩͢ņ̷̟̦̲̩!̢͕̻̝̙͞?͕̞̩̻͖͠”

No. He was wrong. Beatrix no longer believed her powers were evil. It was a part of her, an ability for her to use and wield responsibly. She caught sight of their daughter from the corner of her eye and allowed herself a small, warm smile.

“I'm not an abomination,” she announced, more to herself than the stubborn angel. “And I’m not following destiny. I’m simply who I am! And I will always stand in your way if it means defending my family! Protecting my friends!”

More power surged throughout the witch, to the point where her entire body ran hot and cold, tingled with electricity, made her dread she'd finally burn herself out. With a mighty cry, she lifted the blade off Zeloph’s own, before knocking it from his grasp.

Disarmed, the Nephilim tried to fire another beam until she shattered his helmet, face bloodied under her strike, yelling in immense pain. With her foe disgruntled, Beatrix used the full might of her magic to slash through his glowing halo, severing the sigil in half.

Zeloph screamed hysterically, light oozing from all his eyes before the dark witch sent him plummeting back into the cathedral, the entire building collapsed on itself. The Seraphim shrieked, their ethereal bodies and wings dissolving into flames until snuffed out entirely. The Cherubim roared, splitting apart before it too vanished from thin air, its captives free from its petrifying gaze.

All the acolytes that remained paused, removing their hoods, looking dazed and confused. Penumbra immediately called for the battle to halt, Spike and Sombra backing away from the awakened victims.

Beatrix hovered down to the ground, amazed by the magic she could conjure, reminded that the Demiurge had infinite potential…if one knew how to seize it.

Her astonishment returned to severe matters, approaching the stones and broken pillars rumbling. Zeloph emerged from the rubble of his collapsed spire, liquid oozing from his mouth and forehead, his wings bent at crooked angles. His broken halo finally extinguished, leaving the immortal powerless, staring down at the intergalactic material flowing off Beatrix’s blade, the witch staring him down with a steely expression.

“It’s over, Zeloph,” she stated, unable to hide the cold fury in her voice. His magenta eyes watered, clear tears running down his pale face, coughing out a bitter laugh.

“No.” Zeloph solemnly shook his head. “We both know this won’t end until one of us is dead. So please…finish me off...”

The words made Beatrix tremble, her eyelids widened. A gasp left her lips as he shakingly grabbed the cosmic blade and brought it towards his chest, teeth clenched together.

“Zeloph, I--”

“Ẃ̢H̵͡A̴͢T̷̨ ̸A͏͡͠R̴̨͠E̶͢ ͘͘͠͏̀Ỳ̨͝O̕͢͡͝Ú̷̵͟ ̷̧W͝͠͠Ą͡͡ĮT̸̷͘Í̕N̕͝Ǵ̵͠ ̶̢̕͜F́͢O̡͠R̷̛?̵͟͟!̴̸̧͢ ̸̸̶͟G̷̶̶O͏̸͢ ̧͏̵̢̀A̴H̷̢̡̨͠È̕͠A̕̕D̢!̧ ̛͢D̸̢̡̛O̶̧̢͘͢ ̷͢Į̷̵͜͏T̷̨̛̀!̷̵҉͘!̨̢ I nearly killed you and your friends! Brought agony to those you love, almost brought mortal kind to extinction out of pure madness! If you don’t destroy me, I will only grow worse. This darkness…this evil.…it’s forever bound to my soul. I am beyond help, so just K҉̝̝͎͘I̶̢̖͈̗͕̝L͚̘̙͠ͅL͕̗͔̳̺̩̜͕ ͖͎̖͉̀M̩̣̲͕̥̗̤̭E̕҉̭͈͈̹̙!҉̛͓̫͍̖!͚̗̤”

Zeloph hung his head low, unable to hold back the aching sadness and guilt weighing down his shoulders. Beatrix trembled at this vulnerable display, hesitantly lifting her starry blade to do what he requested.

After all, he did deserve this, right? Zeloph claimed vengeance out of love and heartbreak, threatening the lives of many upon realizing he was an outcast.

A sentiment that struck within the dark witch, a potent reminder her of the bitterness and self-loathing she once felt.

And while Beatrix could not forgive Zeloph for the atrocities he committed, she felt deeply sorry for how twisted he had become. If circumstances were different, had the Nephilim not been sent down this degrading path, he could have achieved a better world. But, as he stood before her now, wept and pleaded for penance, she wondered was it too late for him? Was there no other way..?

“Daddy, no! Don’t do this!!”

Both parents turned to their monochromatic child, who landed beside them, then rushed to wrap her arms around her fallen father.

Abadonna nuzzled her head into his bruised chest, balling her hands into fists. “You don’t have to die! You’re better than that!”

Her words pierced through the winged immortal’s soul, breaking Zeloph from his self-destructive mindset. He gazed down at the little unicorn, staring down as Abadonna bawled for him. She continued to cry out, “You’re not alone, you don’t have to live like this! We can help you find a new path!”

“A-Abby…. But I--”

“Listen to her, Zeloph,” Beatrix insisted gently, kneeling down to hold his shoulder. “You told me you wanted to defy destiny together. Isn’t that something you still want?”

Zeloph looked up to the violet unicorn, a glimmer to his eyes, before slowly nodding.

“Then let me help you. I…I can’t forgive you for what you’ve done, but that doesn’t mean you deserve to die. You’re a victim, too. And I think deep down, you just need the right people to help your spirit shine.”

“Beatrix…Abby,” Zeloph sobbed, his daughter wiping away his tears as the two deeply embraced each other. With a soft smile, she closed her eyes to focus on the fallen angel.

“What are you doing?”

“Just relax,” she quietly assured. “I’m going to remove the rest of the Demiurge from you. At least then, you won’t go crazy. Just stay calm and let me in.”

While uncertain, Zeloph did as she said and remained neutral, Abby backing away to give her mother space to concentrate. Beatrix reached forward, her palm upon his chest as she attempted to draw out the corruption chained to her former lover.

She brimmed with confidence, convinced their shared love for Abadonna would shine through. And like Sombra and the Pony of Shadows, Zeloph could be saved from his fate. Once he fully healed, a bright future of a better Equestria awaited them both.

Yet, for reasons she could never hope to comprehend, fate had different plans.

The essence the dark witch extracted was unfamiliar, a wave of pressure bowling over Beatrix who struggled to maintain focus. Then that pressure burst into immense pain. Agony spread throughout her arm, causing her to back off with a scream. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to find her entire arm engulfed with red metallic flames, veins blacker than her own archaic magic.

“GGAAAAAAANGH!!” Beatrix bellowed once the fire consumed her flesh, spreading all over her quivering body. Her pupils dilated whereupon muscle, tendons, and bones instantly melted into a charcoal color.

“P-put it out! PUT IT OOOUT!!” She begged, only to be met with a choir of agonized screams. The pale world around her vanished, replaced with an enormous wall of flame: multiple faces, skulls, and heads shrieking through the menacing licks. Visages of horror, sorrow, and indescribable anger roared all around Beatrix.

The intense urge to maim and harm overwhelmed her molten mind, hissing snarls replacing her harrowing screams as she dug into the ground with boney digits. But Beatrix’s wrath gave way to terror upon recognizing the faces of Lady Ewe, Sombra, Shining Armor, Cerise. Everyone suffered this heinous fate! And sobs returned to her dry throat upon making out her poor daughter burning away into a crisp.

The horror only grew as the metallic fire completely immolated her, a charred husk with black flakes peeling away to reveal her skull. Her bleeding sockets widened as a figure emerged from the immense heat, back facing her. Lit over its head was a crown, wrapped within the hateful flames.

And as Beatrix let out a pained cry, the figure turned to leer back with her, vermillion eyes piercing through her wounded soul.

“AAAAAUUUAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” Beatrix shouted, panting heavily. Frantically, she looked around, back in the crumbled ruins of the cathedral.

“M-mommy?! What’s wrong!” Abadonna whimpered, having only seen her mother jump back in alarm, repeatedly screaming to ‘put something out.’

Sweat dripped off Beatrix’s body, taking shorter breaths to calm herself. Her arcane magic had depleted during the experience, fatigue leaving her sore all over. “I-it…it felt so real! The anger.... The violence!”

“Yesss,” Zeloph hissed, weakly rising to his feet. A sinister expression returned to his face, his numerous eyes pinpoints once he mustered what little power he could left, his damaged halo shimmering back to life.

And at that moment, Beatrix realized that it wasn’t the Demiurge that compelled him down his path. Something else had tainted the fallen one, long before his imprisonment.

“Don’t you see?” He crowed. “The core to a mortal soul isn’t just conflict. It’s h̀a͡͠͡t̸͜r͏̛͏e͜d!̕ The innate desire to harm all who stand in your way. It has bred war, chaos, famine, and death. And so long as one soul is compelled by sin, that chain of violence can ņ͏̟̟͈̯̼̣̭̙̼̖̱̦̞̼͘é̴̡̯͔̻̺̞͔̻͓̮̮̼̗̤̖ͅͅv̴͕̻̘̣́ȩ̷̲̠̪̯̥͙̖̝̫̲̟͕̺ŕ̞̻̞͉̥̞͉̘̜̗̕ be broken! Hence why…”

Zeloph raised his hand high in the air, light emanating from his palm, preparing for the final attack. “...I must eliminate e̴͜͡v̛e̷ry̢͢͏th̴̵inǵ̢ so that the universe can be reborn anew! A͏̪ņ͎̰̻̕͜ḓ̯̖͖̫̼̹͟͝ ̴̧̼͇̲͖̝̹͓̘͚t̶̟̝͖̙͈͎̣͍ͅh͔͎͕̬̻̳̼͓̀͞i̷̩̟͓̲̮̕s̶͔̟̮̬ ̩̩̘̼̱̖͞p̡̜̯̀́l̗̯͠a̛̱͕͎͚̖͘͞ṋ̵̶̨̹̥̣̹̙̗̫ͅe͇̱̲̲̪̝ṱ͚͙͖̭̜͙͙̝̀ ͚̙̣͞s͓̘͘h̠a̗̝̜̼̰͉̞̝͓l͔̘̙͓͓͇̘̣l̛̩̱̯͖̱̘̞͉ ̸̘͠b̰͓̦͍̟͉͍͜ę̯̻̘͖̭̤̪͟ ̸̯͙͕͜t͙̩͘h̞̯͉̭̖͘͜e̢̻̯̯͕ ̛͇͈̥͎͙̪f̢̨͙̼̯̦̯̦̬̙i̖̗̥͇͓̙r̸̼̘̰͔͇̼̱̞̱s҉̱̜̮͝t͇̞̀͘ ̶̣͈̝͖͙̰̩t͏̢̻̺o͇̲̕ ̴̗̙̞̙b̹̱̤͚̙̲̺ͅẹ̡̝͞͞ ̲̤̬̭̀͞p̮̲ù̵͔̻͔̻͚̦̳͟r̼͔͙̦͖̤g͙̝͖̠̥͖͔͖͢͞e̴̤͔̝̼ͅd͏̦̙̦̲͟!̙̖̬̪͠͡”

“N-NOO!” Beatrix exclaimed, yet she could barely get up again.

Abadonna ran up to her father in an ill attempt to stop him. The taller angel gently brushed her aside with a wing, causing her to stumble onto her rump. “Daddy, no! Please!!”

“Worry not, my child!” Zeloph insisted. “You and your mother will survive. Together, we can fulfill our duty and bring the cosmos into a new light! We can become…a family~!!”

“Nae if Ah hae anythin’ tae say abit it!”

Irritation drew his face to Oona Ewe, hand resting on a broken pillar, a sigil having long been drawn underneath her palm.

Then new rays of light began to glimmer from beneath Zeloph, his eyes widening to see a sacred seal emerging over the ground. Realization and panic settled in as the energy in his hand slowly dissolved into nothingness. “W-what!? No! Ǹ̷̷̪̫͇͙͇͎Ơ͕͉͟O̡̦̝͈̻͍̮͚̖̝Ơ̷͙Ǫ͕̺̯͍ͅ!̴̵̱͕̫͕͢!̛̲͕”

Beatrix didn’t know it, but she had unintentionally bought enough time for Lady Ewe and Cerise to conjure the banishing circle around Zeloph, the dancer’s curved dagger drenched in dirt and blood.

“𝔹𝕖𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕖, 𝕦𝕟𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕥! 𝔽𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕚𝕣𝕔𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕖'𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕖𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙!!”

“No, no, no! NO! Ņ̸̡̢͝Ǫ̀Ò̴̢́͞Ơ̡O̷̢O̵̧̧̧̧!҉̢͜͡!̡̡͏͜” Zeloph roared, bashing his fists and wings against the transparent barrier keeping him caged. Yet no matter how the Nephilim tried, his fate was sealed as the rune’s arcane magic became blinding, his feet and wings starting to unravel in the light, his entire vessel being ripped from this reality. Zeloph turned to Beatrix and Abadonna, desperation clear in his magenta eyes as he tried in vain to reach for them. “Beatrix, stop this! Ỳ̵̹̲̼͈̯͙͕̹͉̼̝̺̙̥͔̖͚̙̕ͅƠ̸̴̖͕̟͇͘͟U̢̝̞̰̜̫̬͘͟͜ ̡̢҉̜̪̫̳̤̱D̛̩̩̼̩̝͈̠̱̘̖̰͠ͅͅO̴̡̭̫͖͖͙̫̱̰͙̠̙̫͓̥̯͓͢N̸̶̝͉̙͚͉̦̘̝̫͎̳͉̲͜͠ͅ’̨̧̳̼̰̭̗̮̀͘͟T̞͔̥̹̠̣͔̗̥̻͡ ̷̧͉͓͎̣͠U̱̖͙̻̦̱͙̹̼̬͟N̷̡̳͇̪̯͕͖̗͓̻̳͚̪͢ͅͅͅD̶̝͔̦̤͙̝̦̝͎̗̦̟̕E̴̵͕̝̰̜͉̳̥̱͔͇̜͞͞ͅR̵̨̝͎̹͔̭͙̖̻͘͠͠S̡͖̘͚͔̲̙͎̲̖͇̺̖̖̙̺̰͈͙̠̀͘̕͢T̷̰̮̯͕̀͜͞À̳̭̗͓̦͚̖͙͔̞͓̞̦̦̲̦ͅṈ̸̶̠̞̟͖̪̘̘́ͅḐ̷̡̪̞̣̹͇͉͍͟!̡̧͏̼̦͈̤̲!͇͖̮͍͉͚̤̫̪̹͘!̶̨̟̰̞͈̻̰̮̟̲̖̖̀͜͟”

Beatrix shielded Abadonna with her cape, giving her foe one last pitiful glance as his time in Equestria came to an end.

“If we don’t exist in the same realm, Abadonna will--G̨̡͜͜A̕͟A͞H҉̵̨K̢͟͏̨̀!̡̀ ͢͠͡Ģ̨R҉̡̢R̸̛̀R̶̵̶̀͞Á̴̸̢͠Á̵͜A̢̨A̶̷͠Á̵Ų̷̴͠G̵̴͏́̕H͏͜!̸̛!̕҉̛͘͡ ͘͜͞A̕҉̵À̸̢̨͞Ą̶͡Á̢͜A̵͠B̸̢̕͝͝B̧͘Y͜͢Y̴Y̶̢͜͡͠Y̵̶Y̛͘͞͠͝Y̸̕͜Y̷͢Ỳ̸̨̡͠Y̶̡͠͝!̷̢̧̛͢!̵̕̕” The fallen one shrieked, evaporating entirely into the light once the circle completed Zeloph’s banishment.

Only his molted feathers remained, gently falling onto the scorched ground.

Poking her head from out of Beatrix’s cape, Abby rushed towards where her father once stood, picking up the loose plumage, bawling out, “Daddy!? Daddy!!”

“Abadonna...” whispered Beatrix, who closed her eyes and warmly crushed her daughter to her bosom. A few tears dripped down as she squeezed her, thankful that for all the horrors they experienced, it was finally over.

As she powered down the weight of pregnancy had returned to her belly, a reminder that Abadonna hadn't physically been born yet. That for now she remained a concept willed into existence by a shared love between her and Zeloph.

“W-where did he go?” Abadonna asked, turning to Oona, who sadly shook her head while kneeling beside the child.

“Ah don’t know,” Oona quietly confessed. “Hopefully, tae a place whaur his heart, min', an' spirit can properly heal.”

“I-I’m scared…” Sniffled Abadonna, her too-large witch hat drooped sideways on her head.

“Don't be,” replied Beatrix, smiling softly while brushing some of the tears from her watery eyes. “I'll never abandon you, no matter what.” The little unicorn nodded before she nuzzled her head back into her chest, arms wrapped around her. Oona and Cerise both sat to hug Beatrix tightly, until a shared wave of relief washed over them.

Zeloph’s reign of terror, at long last, had come to its end.

*****

The monochrome city faded back into particles of sand with its creator gone. The alliance openly celebrated the fallen one’s defeat, shouted and raised their weapons, danced and embraced amidst the ruins.

The only positive mark left on Equestria by Zeloph was that this once uninhabitable region was now calm and still. Dragon Lord Spike had already considered expanding their territories, continuing to fill their scarred world with new life. Talk and laughter filled the jubilant atmosphere.

Color returned to Equestria, bleeding in like vibrant, spilled paint. Troops were sent back to their respective nations to tend to those who survived ‘purification.’ Stygian cradled up to the Sphinx's fur, who tended to the scholar’s bloodied bandages. Likewise Flurry Heart looked after Bellatrix Primadonna, similarly badly wounded, but assured she would recover in time, if she rested.

Sombra checked in one Fleur de Lis, who had color returned to her skin and coat while still unconscious. While he was uncertain how scarred her psyche still was, Radiant Hope promised to help him look after her.

“I can't forget what you've done,” admitted his first love in a hushed voice. “But maybe, in time, I can learn to forgive it. After realizing how far you’ve come for your wife and Cerise, I…I see it wasn’t fair to keep dredging up the ghost of your tyranny.”

Sombra sighed with a nod. “It will take time to rebuild. But you're always welcome in our court.” His arm wrapped around Inky's waist. The twins curtsied, still sworn in service to their queen. Cozy Glow and Diamond Tiara had returned to Somnambula's side.

His smile warmed up on the approach of Cerise Silhouette, relieved she had come out of this relatively unharmed, his free arm hugging his daughter tightly to him.

Upon letting go, Cerise reached out to Radiant with her knife in hand. But the crystal unicorn shook her head, smirking.

“Keep it. I don’t need it anymore. Hopefully, you won’t, either.”

Cerise bashfully grinned, hugging the small blade to her chest, a promise to cherish it before safely tucking it away. With his family safely back on his side, Sombra went towards Penumbra and Lily Longsocks, making preparations for the long trip home.

Beatrix remained in the street, continually holding her child to her soft breast. Everywhere she turned, she saw a member of the alliance, happy as could be, waving to her. She waved back, smiling brightly before tucking her head to Abby. “We did it!”

Abadonna nodded, meeting her eyes, a small smile on her stubby snout. “I’m glad everyone is okay! And that we're together.”

“Hopefully soon, given how much you’re kicking around inside me,” the witch teased, patting her bloated stomach, earning a giggle from the small unicorn.

“Do you think…we’ll ever see daddy again?”

Beatrix’s smile faltered as she looked to the spot, the banishing circle blinking with magic every five minutes. “At the very least, we could find him. But not yet. You need to understand your father did terrible things.”

“I-I know…”

The witch gave her daughter a reassuring nuzzle, eyes looking up to Oona, who shared her troubled look. Neither of them wanted to speak about how many died at his hands.

The planet, already on the brink of collapse, had been further set back from recovery thanks to the false messiah’s presence.

Beatrix brushed stray locks from her child's tender face. “C’mon. Let’s go see grandma! I’m sure she’ll want to see you!”

With a nod, the little filly dropped to her side, ready to walk back with her. But suddenly, another episode of glitching occurred, causing Abby to stumble to her knees in her thick robes. “A-Aaach-ch-ch!”

“Oh no, Abby! Hang on, I’m sure we’ll…” But a sickening lurch twisted Beatrix’s core. Her searching hands only phased through her flickering child, as if she had turned intangible. And no matter how she tried, the witch couldn’t hold onto anything tangible.

“M͟҉̀-̴͜͡͏̷Ḿ͢҉͢a͏͜͜͡͠-̶̶̢̛͠m҉̴̶ą̷̡͟h̴̶̡͘͟-͞͏̧m͢͠͝a̴͘͏ḩ̸̶̢͟-̵̛̕͢͠m̶̸͟o͘m̷̀͘͝͝m̴̡̡͞y҉͜͠͝.̶̴̴̴͜.̡͘͜͡?̴͢͟͠!̧͝”

“I-I don’t…. Oona?” She turned to her mentor, who shook her head, gazing over the child in horror with uncertainty.

It was at this moment Beatrix thought back to Zeloph’s final words. Initially, she brushed it off as a desperate plea to spare him. But as mother and daughter trembled before Abby’s state, she could no longer deny the inevitable…. Zeloph’s light was what gave Beatrix the means to conceive Abadonna.

And with him gone, so too would she. And the evidence was right in her face, the tiny unicorn struggling to maintain her presence, her form being pulled away from this plane.

“No...NO!” She yelled in a pleading tone, gagging as her round belly slowly compressed back to normal, her insides twisting. Beatrix nearly vomited on the spot, her throat filled with an acrid, acidic taste.

She understood it was more than a physical union that made their daughter possible. It was their belief in her becoming, the possibility of Abadonna, who simultaneously did and did not exist, trapped in a higher dimension. Zeloph’s magic provided Beatrix with a fertile womb to sow his seed.

But banishing him meant removing any trace of his essence, reality ‘restoring’ her womb to its sterilized state by the Demiurge. Any sign of her pregnancy was lost, the child that would be now miscarried to the ether.

“Please...no...!” They desperately tried to hold onto each other, quivering and unable to hold back sobs. There was so much Beatrix wanted to show her, teach her! To take little Abby on her own adventures! She railed against their fate, her heart breaking.

“M-Mommy… I-I… I̷̶̶͢͏ ̨̡͡͏҉l̶͟͠ò̴-̷̧̨͘l̶͟͟o̡̕͘͢-̧́l̵҉͡ơ̸ơ͘͟o̡̢̡͜͞o̶òv̶̛͟e̷͞ ̵̵̡̀͝ý̧̀̕o͞ú̧̕͜҉!̵̕͝!̷̛̕” Abadonna cried out, clinging to her cape for dear life, sobbing messily through the audible distortions that consumed her.

“I love you too! I always will, no matter what, I-I’ll--” But before she could finish, the little mare dissolved like a phantom, and Beatrix's arms closed around empty air.

The only evidence of Abadonna left behind was the witch's hat she’d given her that slowly floated down. She sat on her knees, sunk forward, bawled her eyes out while she clutched the bent hat to her breast.

Lady Ewe rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around the grieving mare. Beatrix’s cry alerted Sombra, Spike, and all the rest in proximity, who still felt sobered by events.

Beatrix sensed Abadonna was still out there. So long as she and Zeloph remembered and loved their daughter, she had yet to be conceptualized, trapped in a would-be state.

At the moment, her ability to tear holes in reality were too weak to reach her. Given time spent in other worlds, her newfound power would evolve to the point that there would be no wall she couldn’t tear down!

“I'll find you,” she quietly swore under her breath. “Somehow, I’ll find you, Abby. Even if I have to explore a billion worlds, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we're reunited. I swear it!” Her balled up fist seized around the cool metal of the Prima Materia.

She kept the hat close to her heart, cried until her eyes were dry, unable to fill the empty pit inside her. Enveloped by a warm presence that from behind, she pressed back into Lady Ewe's wooly fur, who cradled her to her bosom and stroked her mane.

“Ah’ll dae whatever Ah can tae help ye fin' 'er,” she promised, resting her head against the distraught mare.

Beatrix nodded in response, whimpered, let out the woes into Oona’s fleece and silky robes, aware she needed all the support she could find. And while the loss of her child devastated her, she needn't suffer alone.

*****

The world around Zeloph was pitch black, save for a single spotlight that highlighted his decrypted form. Fragments of what appeared to be glass floated around, occasionally forming into a small mirror that reflected different worlds and timelines.

And yet none would form into the dimension that banished him, eternally severed from other realms. So the Nephilim wandered the void of fragmented realities aimlessly, head hung low, face drawn in naked bitterness until the turmoil proved too much.

The fallen angel dropped to his knees, pounding his fists into the tiled floors, releasing all his anguish in a drawn out cry, which echoed off the distance.

Abby was gone. Zeloph would likely never see her again. Even if he recouped, he had no access to the spatial powers Beatrix possessed to find her.

Every minute, he could feel the power of Aether slip away until he could no longer summon its heavenly glow. And with it, whatever love he ever held for mortals or anyone alike. Affection turned poisonous once it ate away at his battered spirit.

With nothing but eternity left for him, Zeloph curled into a fetal position, broken wings enfolding around his once-proud form.

Then, for what seemed like eternity, a new sound graced his ears. The sound of an old music box, slowly chiming close by. Lifting his head, he turned to the source, a small box opened to reveal a twirling ballerina figure. And just beyond it was a long shroud, a lithe figure slowly approaching the scene.

“Povero angioletto,” her soft voice greeted, her red lips visible underneath her hood. “Someone has broken your wings. How will you ever fly home now~?”

Zeloph glared at the woman, familiar with the melody the music box sang to him. Rubbing his face free of tears, he fully turned his body to face her. Her malicious smile matched by the glowing amber eyes shining through the vail.

“Madame Doppia,” Zeloph stated, the Vice Lord curtsying at her name. “What are you doing here?”

“I reside here, signore! If it weren’t for me, you would have been hurled to the far reaches of space and time. And we can’t have that, can we~?”

“I would have preferred that than to be rescued by the likes of you…”

Doppia laughed, kneeling down to hold his cheek. “The likes of me? Such mighty words for such a lowly, miserable creature~! Let’s be honest here, sweetie. You’ve done a lot of bad things. Just look at yourself…”

Shattered pieces forged together to show Zeloph’s reflection, the hooded woman gently turning his head to take a long look. “...you were never meant to be a savior~!”

Zeloph’s eyes had dilated into slits, tiny scales of prismatic colors growing along his jaw, causing him to scratch at them. His hand closed tightly, repulsed at what he saw, breath seething. Yet the truth was undeniable, his appearance changed to befit his status as a fallen angel.

Feeling her tug his face towards hers, his eyes stared into the soft orbs of a hooded woman. “No…I believe you are meant for more!”

“M-more..?” He weakly asked.

Doppia nodded. “Fate was cruel to reject such a beautiful creature, play at his heart like a used toy, just to be discarded into the trash. And that witch,” her entire demeanor changed, frowning upon mentioning Beatrix. “She was the only one you could relate to. Maybe even love! And even she would abandon you! Claiming to offer redemption, yet seeing you as nothing but a foe to vanquish.… Che sfortuna.”

“And because of her, the Child of the Lightendark prophecy is lost somewhere,” Doppia said, stroking Zeloph’s cheek with motherly affection. “Your child!”

“My child.… Abby...! Beatrix…. B͠e̴a̷̕t̨r͘͝i̸͜҉x..̷́!̴͞!” He rose from his feet, wings unfurling as he directed his loathing to the dark witch. His archaic signature shifted, Aether flaring up, n longer the pale flame of purity.

Zeloph’s halo glowed so brightly, darkness was highlighted around it. And the more his fury burned, the more his flesh became scaly, feathers sprouting from his pores.

“That’s it, Zeloph. Accept who you are~!” Doppia laughed, twirling around in delight. “Embrace the violence that stains your immortal soul! Use it to enact revenge against the ones who denied you sanctuary!”

“B̶̶̛͠È̛A̷̢̛Ţ҉͠R̡͜I̵X̨͘͜͠!̴̛̛!̧́͡” Zeloph bellowed, blasting the mirror with a renewed blast of luminous magic. His many eyes opened, clasping his head, his reflection scattered with each severed piece. His hatred for the cosmic traveler overtook the last remnants of the once caring and just pale emperor.

Now all that remained was the fallen one, a title he accepted full-heartedly. Zeloph looked towards Madame Doppia. “Why did you bring me here?” He asked, earning a most unsettling smile.

“Because he has a purpose for you,” she answered. “Join us, Zeloph, and together, we can restore your former glory in a new light. A light that will cause all who gaze upon you to weep. Make them envious of how glorious you truly are~!”

Zeloph turned away to consider her proposal. For so long, he had fought to prevent the rise of the Burning King. To keep the souls and mortals safe from his evil.

But after his harrowing experience in the Necronomicon, the humiliation and despair Beatrix brought to him, the Nephilim realized how futile it was to continue that mission.

And for as much as he despised his father, he now understood why he wanted mortals wiped from existence. They could never be saved. They deserved to suffer.

With the only decision clear to him, Zeloph returned to Doppia with an answer.

“I want my daughter. Help return Abadonna to me. Only then will I serve the Burning King.”

Author's Note

To anyone who's enjoyed the tale so far, stick around! There's an epilogue to come that will close up the tale!

Epilogue

Over the following weeks, the alliance struggled to rebuild their union. Many of those displaced soon found themselves welcomed into the Dragon Lord’s Pleasure Gardens, or into the emptied portions of Sombra's territories, much of the population lost due to Zeloph’s influence.

There was little choice but to slowly rebuild, practically from the bottom up.

Due to the parades thrown in celebration, tourists poured in from all over, and some chose to permanently settle down. It was a chance to meet the heroes, most of what had occurred here known only to the heads of the coalition and their closest allies.

Some of which swore themselves to secrecy for the betterment of society. Only a few knew the Pony of Shadows continued to live in harmony with the former tyrant.

King Sombra wrapped an arm around Queen Inky Rose’s slender waist, joined by Princess Cerise Silhouette, to attend Prince White Shadow Penumbra’s arranged wedding to Lily Longsocks. Their elaborate costumes were sewn by the queen herself, who bristled under delight at the chance to practice skills she rarely used anymore.

“I knew they’d make a lovely couple,” she insisted to her husband, who nodded as they watched from the vantage of the pyramid, and surveyed all before them far below. Streets filled with citizens and creatures from far over. They were back in their usual costumes, as the sun blazed over their mostly exposed physiques. A thin breeze washed over the relaxed couple.

“I'm so proud of him,” Sombra boasted with a slight grin that showed his teeth. “He's a fine soldier, and an even finer stallion.”

Inky turned over her shoulder to address their daughter. “What about you, sweetheart? Do you plan to seek a mate?”

“M-me? O-oh, I...I don’t know,” Cerise stammered, sucking on her pursed lip. The tiny bells of her skimpy outfit jiggled with each shifting motion she made. “I’m not sure I'll ever be ready to settle down! I've still barely reached adulthood, mom~!”

“I know, I know. I just think after these dreadful days, I’d like some grandchildren to fawn over, whether it be from you or Lily~.” Cerise’s face grew redder, watching how fiery lit her mother’s eyes were with the idea.

“Give them time, Inky,” Sombra mused aloud. “These things shouldn’t be rushed.” It had been quite an undertaking to create what they had, only possible due to the Sphinx's intervention, not to mention it had taken time for his family to fully trust him again.

They would always be safe with him, the Pony of Shadow's powers now his own to freely wield. And White Shadow Penumbra had indeed come into his own.

His powerful arms closed around the waists of Inky and Cerise in solemn contentment.

*****

“There's really not anything more that can be done...?” Twilight Sparkle felt her heart twist. They were tucked back in the Pleasure Gardens, where the Dragon Lord sat on the massive skull of a dragon, surrounded by those closest to him. She felt adrift; Sunset Shimmer already returned home by Beatrix to look after Wallflower, Aria, and Sonata.

“I fear not,” lamented Somnambula as the priestess bowed her head low.

“So I have twenty years left at best,” stated Spike, who shrugged in his ceremonial armor. “And if that’s how it’s going to be, I think it's time I retire and enjoy the rest of my life.” He shot them all a toothy smile in contrast to the melancholy expressions around him.

“If that’s the case, that will make me next in line as Dragon Lord,” said Ember, in a mixture of subdued excitement and sadness.

“You'll be kick-ass at it,” assured Smolder, who nudged her in the ribs.

“Yeah,” nodded Spike, affectionately rubbing the dragoness’ shoulders. “I trust you to look after the Badlands. You'll have lots of help, of course! Just like I did, thanks to you all!”

Rarity settled next to him and stroked his breastplate. “You've more than earned a rest, dear. Think of all the little ones you've sired.” She nodded at Fluttershy and Tree Hugger, who stood nearby, heavily swollen by more of his spawn and were openly radiant.

“Can't be a deadbeat dad forever,” teased Smolder, who chuckled.

"Suppose not," said Spike who turned to the priestess. “So, what will you do now?”

Somnambula replied, “The spirits have released me from their service. Yet, there is still much I wish to see. And atone for.” She lifted a hand to silence him. “Whatever my reasons, I cannot deny what happened to you is on me. I also know it will not benefit anyone to punish me. We have all erred. I simply wish to help speed Equestria's continuous recovery, however I may.”

“And I plan to travel with her,” said Stygian, who held the Necronomicon. “We'll seek a proper place to seal this.”

“Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow also plan to travel with us,” added the priestess. “It seems we all have much left to atone for.”

“I'd like to think of this as a fresh start for all of us,” said Spike, who held Twilight and Rarity to him. “Cheer up, everyone! So what if my life's been cut a little short? What matters is how I've spent it! Think of how many times we saved the world!” He simply hoped there wouldn't be any more disasters for at least a thousand years, after what they'd endured.

He'd met quite a number of the mostly kirins he'd fathered, with more to come. Some had reached adulthood and now helped serve as peacekeepers, a portion of them led by Fleur de Lis, who hovered nearby and saluted him.

“I have a surprise for you,” she admitted and traced a hand over a small bump in her belly.

“Wow.” He touched her warm stomach, hopeful he'd still be around once she delivered. He assumed his chances were high if he continued to mate with all the mares who routinely visited him.

She settled onto his lap, wrapped her hands about his scaly neck, contented as he cradled her to his heated chest. Who knew how many more he would sire before the end...?

*****

Upon her return to the Crystal Empire, over the weeks Radiant Hope settled in. Freed from their service to Inky Rose, Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse also traveled with her, while the three of them soaked in how a once-proud land had altered over time.

Snowstorms continually assailed the area, thankfully not a threat to those enclosed in the walls, yet this made it difficult for the crystal ponies to expand their territories. Wherever the trio turned, the crystalline walls sparkled, as did the inhabitants who walked the shimmery, reflective streets.

Radiant Hope returned to her homeland, tempered by loss. She felt the warmth below her breast where the Crystal Heart rested and intuitively knew her purpose. Perhaps it was the reason she had returned, the Crystal Empire in need of another rebirth.

She and the twins arrived in the court to meet the rulers. “Rise,” requested Cadance, and the three rose to meet them.

“I have a proposal,” explained Radiant. “A way to return the Crystal Empire to its former glory.”

Cadance nodded, seated on her throne beside her husband and their daughter. “Please share it. Though truthfully, I'm not sure we can sustain ourselves here. I'd prefer not to call on the alliance for aid, but our supplies are dwindling to low numbers.”

“It looks pretty damn grim,” admitted Shining Armor more candidly. It was a rare moment where he dropped his pride entirely, aware that their citizens’ survival was far more critical. “Supply lines are incredibly risky, imports are often lost due to the weather, and we can only teleport so much in at a time. At this rate, we could end up starved out before the year is up!”

“I've tried to work on that,” noted Flurry Heart. “But alchemy ingredients aren't exactly plentiful!”

Cadance shook her head. “I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it appears it's a dead-end to create an artificial food supply. Even if you succeeded, the resources it would cost would soon outstrip the benefits, I'm afraid. That puts us back to square one.”

“That's where I come in,” explained Radiant, who raised a hand to her breast. “It’s time I return the Crystal Heart to its rightful home.”

Foal-Bearer spoke up. “Are you truly certain about this? If you remove it from within your chest, you’ll...”

“Please reconsider,” Wet Nurse added. “We want you to stay!”

Cadance tilted her head to one side. “What do they mean...?”

Radiant Hope's bosom started to shimmer, illuminated by the Crystal Heart, which now swelled with power. “I want to thank you all for your kindness. You welcomed me in. Like a select few, I was offered a second chance, and tried to make the most of it.”

Before they could request a further explanation, she became enveloped in illumination. It washed over the chamber. They were nearly blinded by it, filled with a soothing warmth that spread throughout, as they started to sparkle.

In turn, Radiant Hope's physique contained within her robes started to grow intangible, a potent reminder she was a ghost who had taken flesh after her liberation.

“The Crystal Heart reanimated the twins and me,” she explained. “They will be able to stay, but I must pass on. Nothing in life is free.” Radiant managed a sad smile, thankful that she had been able to make amends with her former love before she passed.

Not only had he redeemed himself, but the Crystal Empire was in the right hands. There was nothing left for her to regret.

“Thank you for all you've done,” restated Foal-Bearer, who curtsied.

“W-we'll miss you,” added Wet Nurse, whose eyes moistened and curtsied too.

Cadance rose alongside her family and asked, “Is there truly no other way...?”

Radiant Hope shook her head. “It's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for a country I love.” Her eyes teared up, and she returned the embrace of the twins, barely able to hold onto them, while she continued to fade from the mortal realm. “Perhaps I'll live on, inside the Crystal Heart? Able to watch over the Crystal Empire while it hopefully continues to expand and thrive...”

She vanished and in her place hovered the Crystal Heart. Indeed sometime later, Sunset Shimmer would touch the relic and confirm Radiant Hope had ascended to become the centerpiece of the Crystal Empire, which unfurled its full power over the land.

The storms died down. The grounds, while still swathed in snow, were rapidly enriched by nutrients and new life.

The crystal ponies shined brilliantly, momentarily transparent as they were filled by its unleashed essence. The onlookers all over the capital watched, wide-eyed stunned, the rulers and twins alike moved to tears by Radiant Hope's selfless sacrifice.

Within the peaceful years ahead, the Crystal Empire would once more prove itself a vital pillar of the alliance.

*****

Trixie's wagon was situated on the outskirts of the Badlands, ready to resume its travels. She'd done her best to comfort her daughter, who decided to spend weeks in this world. Beatrix Belladonna, lost in her work, was insistent in furthering her studies in alchemy before collecting whatever ingredients she could and make her exit.

“Never know what you'll need,” she'd said.

In truth, part of her didn't want to leave. But she realized there was little left for her to do here. Wherever she traveled, she collected the dimensional energies for a time, her ability to warp space slightly increased, and she'd clearly long reached her limits here.

The windows and door were left open to let a multitude of colorful smoke spill out. A table was lined in potions that bubbled, hissed, and in some cases oozed over.

“You've improved quite a bit,” beamed Flurry Heart while observing over her shoulder.

“Thanks! All credit to you,” replied a blushing Beatrix.

“Awww, you flatter me, sister! How about you, Bellatrix?” She turned to the she-devil who rested in a hammock.

Bellatrix flexed her wings before standing up. “All healed up. For all his preaching and lunacy, Zeloph’s power of restoration helped stabilize my form swapping. I could almost thank the accursed bastard...”

“Yeah, me too…” Beatrix whispered. “If only because without him, I wouldn’t have been blessed with Abadonna. Do you think he’s beyond redemption, sister?”

Bellatrix considered the possibility before shaking her head. “I highly doubt Zeloph can be redeemed as he is. I think it’s best we avoid him until it's a better time.”

“And focus our efforts on finding Abby…”

“Cheer up, my little hellspawn,” Trixie assured, strolling up between them with a cup of steamy tea. “You’ll find her, I know it. You’re unstoppable, like me!”

Yeah,” Bellatrix nodded, smiling at her mom. “About that, it's...almost time I left.”

“You'll visit, won't you?” Her mother's face fell, clearly worried this was the last time she'd see her.

“Of course! Can't promise when, but I'll keep in touch.” She winked. If she practiced and trained diligently enough, the witch could further fine-tune her ability to travel through the powers of Erebus.

Perhaps it would help her track down Abby’s unique magical signature. She could sense it faintly, but with enough time, Beatrix was confident she could follow it until reaching where Abadonna resided.

“Good. I'll hold you to that,” Trixie replied and crossed her arms.

Flurry poured over the complicated formulas they wrote together and noted, “You've sure thrown yourself into your work!”

“Yeah, well...I'm not a natural like you,” admitted Beatrix, who was always shocked how swiftly her half-sister learned new skills. She was reminded of her own world, the Flurry Heart there said to have the potential to be the most potent caster ever.

“Don't sell yourself short! You pretty much saved the world!”

Beatrix met her own tired reflection in a beaker. “After I almost helped end it. Eh, but I know it won't help to beat myself up. I have to be better, and you've all helped me achieve that. I can't thank you all enough for that. I still suck at math, though!”

“Give it more time,” replied the endlessly cheerful Flurry, smiling wide.

With a nod, Beatrix confessed, “There's still someone I need to visit before I leave.” She hugged them, planted kisses on their cheeks, and was trailed after by Bellatrix while they made their way out onto the plains. “Hey, sister. Are you still bothered about-”

“What, that I started as a piece of mere fiction? Bah.” Bellatrix studied her nails while they walked, her lips pursed. “I'm over that. Mostly. The way I see it, that makes me unique. We're both anomalies. And while I'm certain we have souls, I somehow doubt heaven or hell awaits us upon death.”

“So, you think we'll simply cease to exist? Plausible.” She tried to shrug the idea off, unable to deny the idea of no longer existing disturbed her. “Heaven is another dimension, yeah? Maybe Abadonna's located somewhere like that, a place no one's supposed to reach unless they're drawn there by higher forces! If that's the case, I can't wait to explore the afterlife someday!”

Bellatrix solemnly nodded. “We're not part of the natural cycle, so our souls will likely be cast to the void upon our ends. Fortunately, I am immortal, and you may be as well, due to your permanent bond with the Demiurge.”

“We're immune to the ravages of age, but that doesn't mean we can't still come to a nasty end!”

The she-devil paused mid-step. “That's if you never settle down. Which you'll surely have to, after you find your daughter. Worry not, whatever comes I'll be ready to help whenever you call on me.” She placed a hand on her shoulder and cast her a thin smile.

“I know. I've always trusted you, sis.” She embraced her, thankful she didn't need to undertake her journey alone.

Sometimes Bellatrix would choose to stay behind on a world they explored to be picked up later, but she was always ready to back her up whenever needed.

Yet there was another who always supported her that Beatrix hesitated to leave behind...

*****

Retiring to his bedchambers, Sombra exhaled and stripped off his ceremonial armor. The lights were dimmed, his wife and daughter waiting on the bed for him, as they planned. They returned his smile, already naked and draped on their sides, so he undid the rest of his clothes and set them aside. He slid between them, felt the soft, warm suppleness of their thin coats and flesh.

He cupped their cheeks, planted a gentle kiss on each of their lips while he met their half-lidded eyes. He was technically still married to Cerise, albeit public knowledge and records of their union had been lost when his nation fell to Zeloph's machinations.

Cerise pressed his palm over her heart, let him listen to its subdued beats, her face drawn. “Why can't we stay wed...?”

Sombra frowned heavily. He'd discussed it in private with Inky Rose, who had even given her blessings to a union between them, reminding him that unions between kin weren't taboo here in ancient times. “We love you dearly, Cerise. That's precisely why I have to release you. I want you to seek a mate all your own, and children too, if you so wish it!” He tenderly stroked her twin tails.

“You're the one I want, daddy,” she murmured with watery eyes.

“We know, sweetheart," Inky said. “That’s why I think we should keep this a family secret. Think of it as our own little ritual, where on momentous occasions the three of us will meet up and make love~” She traced a hand down Cerise's charcoal contours.

“So we'll have to make this memorable,” said Cerise, somewhere between happy and sad.

“Yes,” said Inky with a wry smirk. “We have the whole day, so I ordered your father to fuck us hard until we can't walk anymore...”

He chuckled and pulled them closer. All that the Pony of Shadows had done was all but forgotten, the entity fused with him sharing his love for them both, which he physically demonstrated. Pretty soon, Cerise cooed as she was pinned beneath him, shapely legs upraised in a mating press once he fully sheathed himself in her squishy, moist canal. The hot pink walls widened to accept him.

Cerise turned her head aside to meet Inky's muzzle, felt her mother's hands aimelessly wander all over her ample body. She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, her buttocks wobbling under the force of his thrusts, the bed creaking and stained by her lubrication, which dripped over her hot pink asshole. Her exit hole puckered and clenched in need, then filled by Inky's thumb.

Grunts hissed from him each time he nailed his little princess. His left hand toyed with her plump tits, while the other one cupped Inky's buttocks and traced her sticky mound while the lovers continued to share a three-way kiss in a messy smack of moist lips.

“Daddy...make sweet love to me~” Cerise's face burned red hot, her neon pink eyes hazy, mind dulled by sheer bliss.

With the last slam, his swollen flare penetrated her cervix, and once buried in her slippery womb, where it pulsed and fired all over her slimy walls. They'd all refrained from sexual contact these last few days to increase their arousal, not to mention the potions they'd taken, in his case to enhance the volume of his seed, and in their own to induce a continuous state of estrus.

“D-daddy~” Cerise squirted on him, she and Inky wetter than they'd ever been as they inhaled his musk and released their own, unable to restrain the relentless winking of their pussies and the clenching of their assholes, their thighs soaked in cunt nectar.

Groaning, he pumped his princess full. Felt her belly swell, his flare lodged in her cervix to make sure he seeded her core. Her eggs were adrift in his spunky sea, sure to be heavily fertilized, were it not for the contraceptive potions they had all taken.

A pop sounded, and her birth canal oozed out a gusher from her gape. Immediately Inky sunk between her spread thighs, bent over and her plush ass raised towards her husband, presented and shaken to welcome him into her. She attacked her daughter's heated cunt and asshole, licked the mixture of masculine and feminine juices from them, swished the strands that tethered her twat.

Gooey chunks stuck between Inky's teeth, smeared her lips and gums, coated her tongue in their salty taste. Mixed with Cerise's snatch honey that added a sweet tang, she chewed on the release, swished it about, savored it as she slurped more down.

At the same time, he sunk his still wet cock into his wife's inflamed pussy. Inky flexed her wings to their full span and lewdly moaned, ate the creampie from her daughter's winking love hole while he spanked her buttocks and pulled her braids as he ruthlessly pounded her cunt into submission.

She whined in appreciation under each slap, her heart-shaped ass smacked crimson. Faster and more rigid he impaled her, felt her love tunnel close vise-like around his vein-lined shaft, and her heart-shaped clitoris planted wet kisses on his cock each time her pussy winked. Her honey dripped down his meat, over his balls, driven to a lustful fury by her need to be properly bred.

With the Pony of Shadow's power, his horn lit to weave a spell. The symbol of a uterus and ovaries appeared over their wombs and glowed, further stirred up their ravenous appetites, until it threatened to shatter their minds under pure, unadulterated pleasure.

Thankfully he instinctively knew when to draw back, able to make them happily bend under his sexual dominance but not break.

The symbols on the mares made heat and vibrations ripple throughout them, mostly centered in their loins. They squealed and came at the same time, Inky's still cum-glazed lips and face squirted all over, and Inky, in turn, soaked his groin. He yanked her braids like reins, sunk himself balls deep, and unloaded again, his wife's stomach soon swelled wide by his excessive, virile semen.

Strands still connected his cock to her pussy once he withdrew from her moist confines. Inky crawled atop Cerise, and the pair tittered as the dancer playfully pushed her mother over and switched positions, so that Cerise rested her ass and twat over her face.

Muzzles sunk in and messily ate out his runny spunk. While they noisily licked each other out, he smacked his horsecock between his daughter's asscheeks a couple times before she skewered her asshole. She cooed in response, clenched down hard.

Sombra lost track of how many times he claimed them. Repeatedly he creamed all their stretched and well-used sex holes. His mind was in a haze, reclined on his back, hands atop their heads while they serviced him. He met their half-lidded eyes, watched them trace up-and-down his shaft, lapped up the release that oozed down his meaty pillar.

They inhaled his scent with flares of their nostrils while he caressed their tussled manes. They were everything he could have wanted, and a part of him desperately wished to accept Cerise as his second bride, aware it would make Inky happy too...but he figured it wasn't the healthiest option for their daughter. That she needed her independence to one day fully mature.

Their faces were entirely pink and matted in his cum, Inky's mascara running under his stickiness. They took turns closing their lips around his horsecock, took it to the base, the one mare not currently on his vein-lined dick left to suckle and pull on his fuzzy testicles.

Sombra was thankful the traumas of their experience had faded over time. That his daughter, who he was so proud of, had tamed the Pony of Shadows. They swore to protect her, whatever came their way.

After he fucked his lovers into exhaustion hours later, they collapsed in the sweaty sheets, only able to rise and stand himself thanks to the Pony of Shadows within.

They were all pleasantly sore, and he stumbled to his feet, cleaned himself off, and tucked them in with a chaste kiss and a small smile before he summoned back his clothes.

With that, he abandoned the bedchambers.

His apprentice was still in the capital. Could he really call her that anymore? She had certainly come quite a ways!

Yet whatever the case was, he decided to seek her out, determined to say a final farewell before she left this world behind.

*****

Sombra wasn’t the only one spending some quality time with his loved ones. Near the pyramid's apex, Beatrix and Oona had finished a passionate session of their own, where the witch snuggled deep into her teacher’s soft wool between muted pants.

“T-thank you, I…I needed this,” Beatrix whispered shyly, flustered when Oona chuckled while kissing her cheek.

“Ay coorse,” the dream shepherd assured, gazing to the stars above while pulling their soft nude bodies closer to share in the warmth, the pair sprawled atop Bea's cape. “After aw yoo’ve bin throo, h-how coods Ah try tae mend th' damage ye’ve endured?”

Beatrix struggled to not bawl up again in front of Oona. After encountering so many foes who wanted to use her for evil purposes, how did she end up so lucky to meet someone as kind and as Lady Ewe?

“Y-you’re really incredible,” she whispered, her heart swelling beneath her bare breasts. “You’re the kind of rock I need in life. I-is this…what it feels like to...to--”

“Shhhh,” Oona shushed her, her own cheeks extra rosy. Her elegant smile remained. “Ye need nae say it. Jist know 'at Ah will always be on yer side, nae matter whaur ye wander aff tae.”

‘That wasn’t what I was…’ Beatrix shook it off. Perhaps now wasn’t the time to explore her budding feelings for her mentor, after all the drama regarding the false messiah. Her brows furrowed, one thing about their battle she couldn’t shake off.

“Lady Ewe.… What do you know of someone called ‘the Burning King’?”

Oona's entire body rose erect, her eyes wide with alarm. She gazed down at Beatrix, causing her to gulp. With a deep breath, she regained some of her composure before calmly asking, “Whaur did ye hear 'at name?”

“Before we fought, Zeloph mentioned him. A-and when I tried to extract the darkness from his soul, it instead burnt me." She winced at the memory. "It was like I was in an entirely different realm, where only pain and suffering existed, driving me mad!”

“A-Ah see…” She turned her head away.

“I-I’m guessing he’s a pretty big deal where you’re from, huh..?”

Oona only replied with a nod.

“I-I’m sorry, Lady Ewe. I shouldn’t hav--”

“We can discuss mair later.” She cut her off with a deep sigh. “Ah’m sure ye hae a lot wanin' oan yer min' already, Beatrix. Sae fur now, let’s nae add mair tae th' pile, shall we?”

Beatrix nodded, still dwelling over the loss of her daughter, who she sensed continually watched her from some faraway place. She could only imagine the heartbreak of not being able to interact with her mother.

The witch had cried until her eyes were dry, desperate not to be a burden on her teacher. Oona sensed the pains she tried to swallow up and so cupped her cheek and chin to face her. “Ye sure ye don’t want me tae accompany ye on yer next adventure?”

“No, I'm sure,” Beatrix insisted with a sniffle, resting her head in those soft hands. “I don’t want to take you away from your own duties. Plus, I always have Bellatrix to fall back on.”

“Oh, Ceann Oga, ye wooldn’t,” Oona laughed sadly. “Ah daen’t interact wi' many fowk like Ah dae ye. Tae them, Ah’m mair ay a voice of encooragement tae empower themselves. When they wake up, they’ll min' me as if Ah waur a dream.”

“That’s…rather sad, don’t you think?” Beatrix said softly. “You should be recognized for how wonderful a person you are!”

Oona shook her head. “Ah’m flattered, but Ah don’t need their praise. As long as Ah can give fowk th' hope they need tae bide fully, Ah am mair than content. But if ye’re persistent on travelin' on yer own, 'en how abit thes?”

The goat woman leaned her head, resting her forehead against Beatrix, horn poking through her swirled mane as they continued to gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes. “Ah will search other dimensions on mah own until uir paths cross again. 'at will dooble th' chances ay findin' Abadonna. She's out thaur somewhere…an' Ah know we’ll fin' her.”

They turned to the ocean of darkness lit by sparkling stars. The vast blackness reminded her of Erebus, the sacred cosmic power that she obtained. Another new magic to master, one Beatrix silently swore not to call upon, unless she had absolutely no other choice.

“Thank you.” Their muzzles met in a chaste kiss before they relaxed in a tender embrace.

As the lovers drifted into a quiet slumber, cuddled close, Beatrix thought of all she had experienced here. Friends and enemies made and lost. How much she had matured. What she had learned from her teachers.

She drifted off, watched by Sombra, who smiled, situated a short distance away since he'd come to check up on his apprentice. Was there anything left to teach her? He turned to leave them alone, hopeful that he could catch her before she finally left.

He spotted Bellatrix crouched nearby, and the pair shared a nod of understanding. Much as they wanted to be there for Beatrix, they left her to Lady Ewe, confident if anyone could ease her troubled heart, it was her.

Author's Note

Thank you to everyone who read this far! While this is likely the last story I'll set in this world, Forbidden Manor At The End of Time and Dearly Beloved expand on Beatrix's and Cerise's stories.