Forbidden Manor At The End Of Time : A Beatrix Belladonna Tale

“Ngghn.... Where am I?” The former reaper stirred within the depths of a dungeon. Shadow Scythe found nothing but grey walls around her, on the verge of crumbling from age. Its interior was filled by what appeared to be a laboratory, the tables lined by equipment in a mixture of science and magical materials.

She brushed down her moist robes, used her aura to float her sickle beside her, and hovered over to study the instruments. Rats scuttled and squeaked below, the ceiling and corners adorned in cobwebs, and she realized this place was partially drawn from her memories.

Another dream? No, she didn't think so. Yet, it was still an illusion formed by the 'manor.' Its alien voice emanated through her skull, a pulsation of pain throbbing through her. The sheer agony forcing her to her knees, barely able to take the strain.

How fortunate was she to be more than a mere mortal, whose head would have burst open into an explosive mess? Its words sounded like meaningless babble, but somehow she understood it perfectly.

“Naaagh!! W-wait, hold on. This is...all for me..? I am to the master of this house now? Is that right?" The manor responded by summoning the headless, denuded corpses of Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, propped on chairs before a table where their heads were plated. Bright colors of potions, woven by alchemy, reflected off their prismatic coats. Shadow Scythe's headache lessened in severity, giving the pale unicorn some breathing room before she retorted.

"I-I will do as you ask.... In exchange; I want my power fully restored," she accepted grimly. Surely, the entity would see this as fair trade, something she would exploit later once the time came to enact payback.

And, sure enough, the pressure within her skull receded completely, allowing her to rise. Immediately, Shadow went to work, a rush of heat throughout her flesh invigorating the reaper as she was infused with magic that flooded her entirety.

Her aura lifted her scythe and set it aside with a clank, and she began to chant, flooding the twins with her power to keep them preserved.

Over the next hour, she took a spool of thread and needle, set the heads on the maids' necks, and sewed them back into place. By the time she tied the last thread, she had realized something was amiss. “Wait a minute...I think I mixed the heads up.... Bah, who cares?!" She shrugged with a cruel snicker. "You're both just worthless whores in the end. Interchangeable. For the time being, I'll make good use of your bodies."

The death dealer laid hands on their shoulders and emptied a portion of her strength into them amidst more chants. The interior darkened, the torches hissed and threatened to be snuffed out, and her robes rustled about her. Their bodies shook, weak murmurs slipped out their lips, but she left them to sleep for now, until her living dolls were ready to be used.

Necromancy. A specialization that had a 'light' and 'dark' form. Many ponies feared this style of magic, hated it, and mistook it as something inherently evil. Death was above the concepts of good and evil. It could be used to communicate, discern their wisdom, and help put souls to rest. It was how she had begun, recruited by the Lunar Princess, the skull and crossbones cutie mark that adorned her flank incredibly rare. Quickly she had been indoctrinated as a grim reaper like her 'brothers and sisters' in the order.

But the tedious task of guiding souls to the afterlife quickly bored her. Days were spent in Tartarus between her assigned tasks, reading about the history of Equestria and all its secrets. Including the dark arts and the Necronomicon, passing mentions of them made but most of the knowledge locked away by the Princesses, forever beyond her grasp.

In frustration, one day, she had been approached by Grogar, proposing the chance to aid his schemes. After a short internal debate, she readily accepted, offered a chance to absorb the souls of those their demon army slew to empower herself.

Eventually, after he abandoned her to die due to a failure, she had taken the chance to put him to death; having discovered a loophole while she had faked her death and now able to steal souls directly to strengthen herself.

At this point, she believed herself nigh unstoppable. Until her enemies had arrived and beaten her. She held Sunny and Beatrix in particular responsible. She fantasized about turning them all into her tortured zombies, enslaved to serve her for eternity.

She settled into a chair, brewed herself tea from the ingredients on hand, and poured herself a steamy cup she sipped at, satisfied by her latest work. A click of her fingers and the eyes of the twins snapped open. They prostrated themselves before her in obedience, earning her wicked grin as she pressed the flat of a foot over their faces. “Good. In the ground, under my heel, as all things should be.... But don't worry. You'll be back to hunting soon enough."

The pair nodded, whatever recollection and morality awakened by Sunny once more forgotten inside their souls. Trapped in the infused death magic Shadow Scythe commanded.

“And what of Midnight?" Foal-Bearer asked.

"May we keep him?" Her sister requested.

“Hmph...I don't see why not. But only after you've brought him to me," the reaper decided. An undead soldier would prove useful to her cause.

The reanimated twins shared a smile, bowing low before their mistress, conditioned to serve her without question. For now, her master gave her free reign to experiment. Perfect replicas of their maid costumes were conveniently placed on a rack nearby, where she ordered her 'dolls' to redress themselves before dismissively waving them off to tidy up the dismal place.

After a short rest, she drained her cup, stretched with a wide yawn, and got back to work, ordering around the maids to fetch her tools and ingredients as needed. Seeing all of them were still trapped in the beast's belly, Shadow Scythe found no need to rush her experimentation.

With luck, those fools would be trapped in an endless maze, unable to escape the agonizing torment she planned for them.

*****

Amidst a desperate escape, another white door materialized in the midst of the fleshy crevice. "Over there! Quickly!" Beatrix shouted to her companions. It was a risk to take these white doors, but they were without a better alternative.

They escaped into the rift that closed behind them, deposited into another room. This one was dim, with the interior smothered in sensuous, neon pink. A spacious bedroom, complete with silk curtains and heart-shaped pillows, a jacuzzi that bubbled, and a stockpile of varied drinks ready to be consumed. “Uuuugh.... Well, this was the last thing I was expecting,” the witch said, astounded.

“I'm not complaining,” motioned Sunny, settling herself down with a pour of a drink into the offered cups. "Any place that has free alcohol is a safe zone in my book!"

“It's pretty cozy looking!” Agreed Cerise, retracting her wings back into the slits of her back, now that the danger had momentarily passed. Her cheer softened upon the troubled expression of Midnight. “Hey...I'm sorry we couldn't save the twins. I mean, besides the manor making them murder happy, they felt like nice people deep down. And they surely didn't deserve the way they died."

The sturdy pegasus nodded somberly. “Soldiers often die in war. Civilians die, too, if they're not evacuated. I just...never thought I'd see it first hand so soon...”

She held his hands and offered a sympathetic smile. “One of my brothers is a soldier. It was through his cunning strategies and firm determination he rose all the way up to General. I"m sure you'll get there someday, too! If there's anything you ever want to talk about, I'm always here for you, okay?”

“Thanks,” he replied, though he kept his distance. “So, we're just gonna rest here for now?"

“So far, this has been the only comfy looking place since the bathroom,” Beatrix concluded, plopping her round butt into the bouncy bed. The aroma and atmosphere certainly smelled like that Imp, so she couldn't get too comfortable. For someone who 'claimed' to be a victim of the house, Moxxi sure had a lot of influence on corridors. The witch growled internally in frustration, determined to get the answers out of the lesser creature once she caught her. But knowing her, she'd pop up again when it was convenient.

Beatrix let out a weary sigh. At least the room provided a chance to consider all that had happened recently. Shadow Scythe's inevitable betrayal, the murder of the twins, a darkness in Cerise none of them expected, and the abomination's true nature disguised itself as a mansion now revealed.

She bowed her head, eyes watering, forced to accept that the reaper was likely beyond redemption. Was she even still alive?

She was supposedly immortal, yet the last they saw of her, she had been swallowed up by the beast...

“Let me help,” Cerise offered, undoing the soldier's armor, blushing over the act of undressing him. She got really heated over these eyes watching her remove her tube top and pants, that innocent confused look she had gotten acquainted too.

Once they were in the bubbly waters, Midnight sighed as his tired muscles relaxed. She rubbed him down using a soap bar, traced his taut musculature, trailed half-lidded eyes over his supple form.

“So tense,” she noted to herself before tracing over the entirety of his plume.

“Yo, save room for me!” Called Sunny, having emptied a whole bottle before stripping off to jump right in with them. “Ooooooh, that hits the spot~! Could we just not leave this place? It's been too long since we got to take it easy."

"We can't," Beatrix said bitterly. "Who knows how long this place will last before the house shifts again. Gotta keep on our toes." Unlike the rest of them, Beatrix was constantly fidgeting, unable to get comfortable no matter how hard she tried.

Was she to blame for Shadow Scythe's crimes here, and what happened to all the victims? No, she refused to accept that. She would take responsibility for any mistakes she made but wouldn't allow them to weigh her down. She tapped her foot along to the beat while she considered their options...wait a minute. What beat?

"Hey, who turned on the music?" Sunny asked.

All eyes fell on the source. An old radio was bouncing along while playing an old-time diddy, remixed with modern music. And by the stand was the dubious imp, dancing along to the rhythm, swaying those swinger hips along. Surprisingly, she had adorned a fancy, glittering red dress that, despite covering her up more, showed off all the curves and assets she shook.

"Now this is da good life, aye, lovelies~?" The demoness sang cheerily.

"Moxxi!" The hot tub companions exclaimed.

"You!!!"

The music immediately stopped as Beatrix seized the imp by her tiny shoulders and slammed her into the wall, a painful yelp coming out of her.

"W-whoa there, lov! I like the approach, but yer a Lil' too aggressive for my taste," Moxxi quipped with a sheepish grin.

"Why did you give Shadow Scythe's magic back?!" Beatrix demanded, not in the mood for the devil's antics. "Just to screw with us?"

"N-no..! Weeeeell, not entirely. I wanted to know how much power I did have. I wasn't expecting my magic to fully dispel yer...spell!"

"You idiot!! You could have gotten Cerise killed! Hell, I have half a mind to hold you responsible for what happened to the twins!”

"Hey now, don't be throwin' shade at me just to hide from yer own guilt! And you and I know who's the real cause of yer anger, don't we, lov?"

Beatrix glared hard into the sharp eyes before loosening her hold, partially blinded by tears but refusing to let go. "I-I know! But that doesn't excuse you ditching us like that!"

"Wasn't askin' for it. I know imma bit of tease, it's in my nature," Moxxi giggled before sighing, approaching the witch more seriously. "Look, I really do need yer help with somethin' if you hear me out. There's a lot you and I need to talk about, and I rather it be by mashin' our cunts up each other than tryin' to kill each other. Savy?"

Taking a sharp breath, Beatrix nodded and removed her grip over the imp. "Alright, let's hear it," she agreed.

“Smashin'~,” Moxxi smiled, dusting herself off. "Okay! So remember when I left right before yer big fight with Shadow Scythe?"

"Trying really hard not to right now," Beatrix sternly fumed.

"Good times! Anyway, there's this 'basement' I found a while ago, really just the bowels of this creature. Sealed off where no one can reach it. Lemme tell ya, it's hard trying to pull yerself out than it was pushin' in! I don't think the twins knew about it. But there's something hidden down there, and I can't open it on my own."

"So you want our help," Beatrix added in with an arched eyebrow. "And I'm guessing this may help you achieve full demon status?"

"Yes! See, I knew you were smart! And if ya think disarming magic and shiftin' rooms is a hassle, wait until you see me in my full glory~" The imp chimed, posing to show off her voluptuous frame, tail wagging excitedly.

Beatrix deeply considered it before nodding. "Alright, fine. But only because it might be our ticket out of here."

"Hot pockets! I knew you'd see sense eventually~! Now let's get down and dirty!" She flew up to smack the radio awake to resume playing her tune, resuming her little jig on the edge of the jacuzzi. The music and dancing were so infectious that Cerise eventually join in, giggling. "That's the spirit, lov! Yea, shake what yer mama gave ya~!"

“Hey! Stop encouraging her," Beatrix chastised.

"Oh, lightin' up, Beatrix. Just a little harmless fun," Cerise said, playfully sticking out her tongue while Moxxi followed suit, shaking her rump much to the witch's chagrin.

"Ugh! Where did you even get that dress?!"

"The closet, lov," Moxxi pointed to the other door just next to the bed. "Lots of neat stuff and clothes to try on." Beatrix decided it best not to give any more attention to the imp, lest she lose her nerves. Exploring the closet, the violet unicorn found many costumes that matched their own wardrobes, not that she needed to worry about that since she could summon back her own garments at will.

She plucked out a witch's hat and studied it, her face suddenly drawn. Memories of the first one she'd received from her mother, Trixie, rushed to the surface... and a similar one she'd offered to her own daughter, Abadonna, much too large for the child's head. She could still remember her happy expression on receiving it.

Her hands quivered, and she sniffled softly, almost forgetting where she was, her thoughts now distant.

"Whoa, hey hey hey!" Moxxi jumped in, offering tender claws to hold her hunching shoulders. "What's gotten yer panties in a twist, lov? Is it...about that dream?"

"Wait, you were there for her dream?" Sunny asked, suspiciously.

"Were you there for ours?" Midnight added in, concern over the sudden sorrow his friend showing.

"No, I wasn't. I was well into my own until somethin' caught my attention and brought to this...horrifying world of black and white, an--"

"W-what she means to say is that she pulled me out," Beatrix interjected defensively, clutching the hat tighter to her chest.

"Black and white? Hey, kinda like Abby! Did she appear in your dream?" Cerise chimed in before immediately realizing what she had said and covered her mouth.

"Cerise!!"

"O-oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I-it slipped, I didn't mean to..."

"Abby? Whose Abby?" Sunny asked, confused.

Pressure welled up in Beatrix's chest, all eyes on her now. With a deep breath and weary sigh, she forced a smile to her lips. "It's fine, Cerise. It was bound to come up sooner or later," she answered. "I...have a daughter named Abadonna; Abby for short."

"A what?!" Midnight exclaimed. "But.... But I thought you said you couldn't have children!"

“It's...complicated. I am barren, and by all means, I couldn't have. But remember how I mentioned Moxxi being a Vice Lord?"

Sunny and Midnight recalled and nodded.

"Well, I fought with one who...made it possible. And after she was born and he was defeated, Abby was trapped in a dimension where I couldn't reach her. It's on a higher plane, beyond my current powers. That's one reason I've continued my adventures since then, as I'm growing with each one. I'm searching for her...and I know he's searching for her too...”

"Beatrix..." Sunny said softly, astonished by what was described to her. Moxxi was uncharacteristically silent, her eyes wide with dread and sympathy.

"W-well then we have to find a way out sooner then!" Midnight proclaimed, his innocent eyes meeting hers. "Take me along with you. I'll help you find her! If we run into that creep, I'll-"

"NO!" Beatrix shook her head. "Midnight, he's not like anyone you've battled. He's extremely versatile and dangerous; it took a miracle to figure out a way to stop him!"

"B-but I..."

“Look, I'd rather not put more people in unnecessary danger, especially when that's my fight. Although admittedly, I'm not sure I can do it on my own. I'll...I'll have to think about it.” He seemed dependable, but she didn't want his death on her conscience. Normally she only took those with her she was certain could handle themselves, and while he was certainly a skilled fighter, she had no idea how he'd react if she brought him into a scenario that made this nightmare seem like child's play by comparison.

“Yeesh, Beatrix," Sunny added her voice to the conversation, reclining in the tub. "Talk about your ups and downs. I would never have guessed you'd have a kid!"

“Well, not the last time we met. I can't control when I arrive in a parallel dimension; sometimes it's practically instant, other times years have passed. The one constant is I've never traveled backward in a timeline. It almost feels like I'm summoned when I'm needed,” she explained and clasped a fist around the Prima Materia that kept her cape pinned.

“Yeah,” Cerise added in, leaning over the tub's side and resting her chin on her hands, her moist breasts draped on the rim. “Beatrix was there when I was still a cute little baby, then she returned a couple of decades later, and she hadn't aged a day!”

As the chat became more lighthearted, Midnight's eyes wandered to Cerise's heart-shaped bottom, the mare bent over before him. Usually, lust was alien to him...but ever since her little dance with Moxxi, his heart started to flutter a tad in her presence.

His loins stirred a tad, and she couldn't help but remind him of a thestral soldier he knew back home, despite how different their personalities were.

She swayed her hind end with a playful sashay that made a splash over his abdomen and winked over her shoulder. He swallowed hard and smiled back, unable to help the reflexive stiffening of his plumage to their full span.

“Looks like the 'classic mating position' got him,” teased Sunny, who winked.

“Mating position?” He tilted his head, unable to help but stare at the bright pink of Cerise's partially exposed butthole and slit. She and the twins had helped awaken a new hunger in him, one that instinct pushed him to sate.

“O-ooh! Umm, mmm...” Beatrix chewed on her lower lip. “H-hey, Mox. How safe is it here?”

“Safe enough to rub one out to boys back in Manehatten," Moxxi purred, her thighs rubbing together while her tail 'pulsated' in rhythm. "Or, y'know, long enough for Midnight ta finally accept the keys to dat cake factory~!"

Cerise turned to him, her face heated and her supple curves dotted in droplets. “Not sure you're ready to go all the way yet, Midnight, but it doesn't seem fair to work you up and then not help you out! If that's okay?” He nodded, and she waded over, then knelt before him. “If anything about this makes you uncomfortable, just say so, and I'll stop immediately, no questions asked.”

She started by tracing his muscles, starting at his chest and moving down his stomach to his thighs.

She stared up into his eyes, planted small kisses around his crotch but didn't make contact, and his shaft started to rise from its sheathe. By the time it went fully erect, his meat had fallen and slapped her over the head, between her eyes. “Wow,” she murmured. “You're huge! Just like your wingspan,” she teased and breathed in his musk, her own thighs rubbing together.

His heart raced, and he licked his chops, mind dulled as primal instincts surfaced. A hand went to her head, running over her scalp, and she mewled in appreciation, pressing her tongue to the base of his cock and lapping over his medial ring, all the way to his flare, where she kissed his wide tip, her lips glazed in his salty precum that she slurped from his urethra.

“Oh wow,” he murmured, and his cock twitched, his heavy balls swollen with the need for release.

Soft giggles tickled his tip. Her half-lidded eyes matched a coy smile, and she raised her heavy tits with both hands, cupping them around his member and squishing them together. Slowly she started to rub them up-and-down, wrapping her lips around the head of his dick, worshiping it with sensuous suckles that made him groan and lightly buck his muscular hips.

He played with her pigtails, undoing the star-shaped baubles that held them, letting his body act independently. The binds were set aside on the wet floor, and silky neon pink locks trailed around Cerise, who happily licked and sucked on him.

Spurred on by their audience, she started to blow him faster, his hands now locked onto her head. She submissively took him deep as she could while keeping her tits sandwiched around him, wet squishes sounding each time until she felt him throb in her mouth.

“A-ah,” he cried, unable to hold himself back any longer as his stallionhood started to violently pulsate.

Pulling loose with a wet pop, lips still connected to his dick by saliva strings mixed with pre, he whimpered and started to let loose his first payload. She stuck out her tongue with a wink, giving him double peace signs, as the first thick blast of cum slapped over her scalp and the second blasted over her snout, between her eyes. She tittered, more shots hitting her all over the face, coating her tongue in salty spunk, painting her shiny wet tits, which she started to bounce atop her palms.

She wanted to make this moment memorable to him. After all, there was a chance she would settle down with him!

Beatrix's cheeks burned, her nipples painfully erect at the lewd display, the crotch of her costume stained by her own need. She mumbled to herself, “I wonder if her parents would approve of him? He's chivalrous, so maybe father was that much of an influence on him?” Of course, it wasn't her Shining Armor...but like Trixie, she considered every version she met her parent. Her thoughts were interrupted as a pair of claws pushed and squeezed at her ample tits while something long slithered to flicker between her legs. Loud gasps came out from Beatrix as Moxxi leaned to her ear.

"Lemme make up for all da times I've done ya wrong... by doin' ya right~" She offered while tweaking and tugging at Beatrix's hard nipples. Too bothered by the eloping happening before her, she nodded and moaned along while the imp worked her magic in stimulating her hards nubs.

“Whoa. That was amazing,” he admitted, chest rising-and-falling as he grinned down at the cum-stained mare.

“Happy I could help! Could you do the same for me, too?” Cerise planted her bottom on the side, leaned back, and parted her thighs. Ribbons of pussy juice connected the hot pink walls of her partially exposed pussy, her heart-like nub of a clit swollen.

He moved in like a hungry wolf, started by licking her puckered asshole, and she whined in response. Gradually he traced his tongue up her inflamed slit, then sunk in his muscle, tracing circles as he licked her gooey walls clean. She groaned and clawed at the ground, bucked her own hips into his face, eyelashes fluttering, and her cunt starting to wink around him, dripping wet.

Already sufficiently worked up by the blowjob she'd given him, it didn't take long before she kicked her legs, squealing once she squirted into his mouth. He drank it down, continuing to lick her dry, amused by her reactions. Before, she had him under her control, but now she turned to putty in his hands, more of her love nectar oozing out with each wink over her asshole.

“Oh damn it,” she cried, biting her lower lip and scissoring his face with her slick inner thighs. She hunched over, clawed into his back, twat pressed so hard into his snout it slipped into her depths as she continued to squirt over him. After she finished, she collapsed on her back with a wet slap, breasts expanding each time she took a strained, heated breath.

"A-augh fuck, that's good! Mmmm, a-aah!” Moaned Beatrix, who was busy having her marehood masturbated by the imp's grinning tail. When the spade wasn't digging at her folds, the mouth on it would open to lather her with its tongue. "W-whaah!! I-I thought that was just paint~!"

"Pft! You should see me in gangbangs. I've got plenty of places to stuff chods into~" Moxxi laughed, licking and kissing the unicorn's cheek while bouncing her boobies around.

"O-ohoh, sign me the fuuuuuuu-aauck! I mean, C-Cerise! I-I take it he's good?"

“Oh yeah. He's a definite keeper,” answered Cerise between gasps. “Not every stallion who'll eat his girl out, let-alone be skilled at it!” She stroked his cheek and pulled him atop her, tempted to take this further but determined to remain patient.

Midnight said, “I still don't understand, but it felt reallynice.” His massive wings curled around her, feathers like a bed of downy that she cuddled in. Holding her snout to his chest, he asked, “Is this what the twins were planning to do with me?"

“Maybe. But I doubt there's any real affection beneath that lust,” she murmured.

“They certainly weren't themselves,” reminded Sunny, who shook her head. “Too bad we couldn't save them. At least that bastard Shadow Scythe got what she deserved. What will happen once we leave this room? We'll be back in that monster?”

“Oh, yer still there,” Moxxi explained while her tail's appendage twisted deeper into Beatrix, earning a loud squeak from her as femcum drool down her spaded tip. “Ya simply couldn't perceive its true form until now!"

Sunny scratched her scalp. “So...why doesn't it just swallow us up?”

Moxxi released her lustful grip on the busty unicorn as she slumped over to catch her breath while the imp began to remove her now drenched dress. "Not sure. Maybe it's not able to! The creature needs ta whittle its victims down before devourin' 'em. Probably the reason it used the twins as agents, to run us down like horny hornets 'til we gave into despair. It's a battle of wills, lov." Though Moxxi suspected that there was more going on and Shadow Scythe hadn't been consumed by the beast. Chances are, it transported her elsewhere for whatever reason, and the murderous reaper was biding her time before popping up to hunt them down the line.

"So...guugh," Beatrix added in, catching her breath. "It can't eat us unless we believe it can?"

“Bingo, slut~!” The imp snickered at Belladonna's flustered glare. “In truth, while the creature can shift the dimensions of its interior, I don't think it can attack us directly. Except maybe at its core, wherever that is. Maybe that's what it protectin' down below! Anyhow, we still have to worry about any traps the twins set up if they're still there. Not to mention this place sucked up monsters that now roam the interior, too. Who knows what kind of panty-wetting nightmares await us! Isn't that excitin'~?”

"No."

*****

A three-headed hellhound was splayed on the operating table, its wild fur rust-colored. Labored breaths emerged from its maw, doped up heavily to keep it incapacitated while Shadow Scythe carried out her grim work. She had requested many monsters to experiment on, and the master provided, as they aimlessly wandered into her dank lair, bewildered as their surroundings shifted and herded them into their doom. Swiftly, the maids had wrangled each wild beast.

Having drawn a line on its chest, she carefully slit down the mark using a scalpel. It whimpered, helpless while her latest vivisection began, similar evidence of creatures she'd turned inside-out piled into a grisly tub that overflowed with blood and innards the maids struggled to clean. Dispassionately she studied its pained reactions, curious how long it would last.

It was another secret of a necromancer who plied the dark side of their arts; the ability to study a being's innards and discern their secrets. Each one she butchered allowed her to gleam another mystery polite society had forbidden her.

A heavy pressure rumbled in Shadow Scythe's skull. “Grrngh! So...they're on the move now, are they?” Before her master had seemed unconcerned, but now images of the manor's deepest section flashed in her mind's eye, and compelled her to safeguard it. Tossing her scalpel onto a tray with a clink, she sighed and smoothed down her stained and tattered robes, the half-dead hellhound left to whimper as it would take at least an hour to expire on its own. “Very well. Foal-Bearer, Wet Nurse!” The maids snapped to attention. “It's time to hunt. I'll lead this mission myself,” she announced and hefted up her shiny sickle.

“Time to bag us a Midnight Blitzer,” they announced as one with a shared smirk.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She swished past them in a rustle of robes. “Slaughter the rest of them for all I care. That includes Sunny since she hardly matters to me anymore. But Beatrix is mine...” The fool had the audacity to try and change her, and pride demanded she rub her snout in the dirt at the depths of her failure.

Now that her powers were returned, she would claim their souls, and through them, would be able to hunt countless more across an almost infinite number of dimensions.

Grabbing their axes, the maids cheerily hummed and trailed out the dungeon after their mistress. Their skirts fluttered in the draft, and their leader sailed ghost-like in her bloodied white robes, hooded and hemmed in black trim. Dark circles hung under icy blue eyes that appeared to glow; her snout drawn in a malicious grimace at what was to come.

Like the twins, her birth name was long abandoned, similarly chosen as theirs was to match her cutie mark. A constant reminder on her flank that she was born to be a monster. Her fellow grim reapers were simply in denial and deserved their deaths at her hands, foolish enough to blindly follow the Princesses who tasked them with meaningless drudgery for all their wasted lives.

She knew the truth. Deep down, everyone was out for themselves. They obeyed simply because it offered them security and companionship, neither of which ever appealed to her. She couldn't remember loving anyone, not even her parents.

Climbing the crumbling stone stairs, they ascended back to the maze, brought back into existence by their perceptions. The labyrinth manifested throughout the darkness before their eyes, and the sisters cooed and sparkled in delight. She imagined each hedge has obscured a portion of the abomination's grotesque innards.

Unlike the maids, Shadow Scythe wouldn't bother with a reprieve for their guests. She'd always been efficient. To a fault, some of her instructors had chastised.

Love? Familial bonds? Like most she'd met before her betrayal, her parents believed she was simply cold because she felt like an outsider, not helped by her grim cutie mark. Instead, she had secretly worn the adornment with often unspoken pride.

“I can't wait,” said Wet Nurse, who obsessively rubbed the stitched scar around her neck.

“Patience, sister.” Foal-Bearer held her clammy hand and squeezed. “Midnight will warm us up soon.”

Waving a sleeve at them, Shadow Scythe ordered, “Silence, both of you.” The howls of wild beasts sounded from deeper within, loosed by her master, who she realized struggled to act on its own.

Without agents like them to act as its 'hands,' the abomination was practically helpless. She pondered if perhaps it strained to maintain its existence in the realm of the flesh, as its true self existed on another plane?

If so, it was another weakness she could potentially exploit down the line. A thin smile crept onto her snout.

She studied the twins from beneath her hood and realized that it had taken quite some time to break them, warping their perceptions until they surrendered to madness to escape the anguish; and that a similar fate might have lay in store for her and the rest of Beatrix's team had they not escaped their trap. It had been looking to replace the twins for some time.

She had been chosen. Naturally. Her palm stroked a mossy wall, and she further speculated the beasts trapped here were similarly drawn from other universes, sucked in wherever the phantasmal mansion passed as it attempted to interact with the mortal realm. Most would have thought the abomination mad, but she knew it didn't think like mortals did.

The alien was a living dimension. Its own miniature cosmos, displaced and unable to fully integrate itself into another universe.

*****

Her fists flared with an ethereal energy that matched her horn, and Beatrix launched a colorful blast that forced the hellhounds before them to scatter, growling and whimpering. “Is it just me,” she called between huffs. “Or has our magic gotten much stronger?” Her cape fluttered after her, her entirety rushing with raw power she channeled from her core.

“Definitely,” shot back Sunny, who raised a shield that deflected the flames breathed their way. Embers danced off the invisible barrier, smoke pouring around the cramped tunnel. “I think the manor's influence is growing weaker!”

Scorch marks painted the battlefield. Ashes whirled in the air that carried an acrid stench. While only a portion of their full potential had returned, the magicians were now able to tear through the walls that once bound them, supported by Midnight and Cerise, who fought side-by-side. Despite her lack of experience, the dancer's now bestial instincts helped carry her.

“Watch out!” Cerise called out, fluttering away.

“Don't worry about me,” said Midnight, who grinned, blotches of scarlet across his armor. “Here, catch!” He tossed his spear to her, which she caught, and instead, he unsheathed a sword at his hip he'd discovered back in the love motel room.

“Thanks!” She kept her distance, stabbing at the drooling, snarling beasts that thundered their way. She'd never taken a life, barely harmed so much as an insect, but the predatory instincts that now burned inside helped Cerise push down her hesitation.

While she still had her reservations, Midnight sailed next to her the best they were able in the enclosed space, his smile warm and his eyes alight with delight. The rush of blood made him feel more alive than ever, bloodlust from battle and desires aroused by Cerise and the twins awakening a part of him he'd been completely unaware of in all his short life.

“Let's just blast our way through,” called Beatrix brashly, tossing a smoke bomb from the folds of her cape. The object rolled and hissed, spewing dense clouds that obscured the path behind them. “Moxxi, where are you?!”

“Still here, Lov!” The imp groaned, vanishing in puffs of colorful smoke rapidly to confuse the scattered monsters. Though some came close to grabbing at her tail.

“Not much of a team player, huh? Well, I'm used to playing support, too.” Beatrix shook her head and then launched another beam that seared into solid stone.

They were reliant on the imp who lead the way between the battle with their pursuers, now able to tear down the maze with ease and take shortcuts that allowed them to close in on their destination.

She wondered what waited at the very bottom. The mansion's heart, hidden to protect itself? Knowing it was pointless to focus on right now, she shook such thoughts away, chanted, and called on the elements, colors flashing over her allies and opponents alike as she helped Sunny unleash a storm. Gales tossed the hounds about, some of them flash-frozen in an instant.

“Almost there, I think,” said Sunny as the tossed about beasts rained down and bounced yelping off her shield.

“You think the manor's trying to exhaust us on the way there by throwing all it has at us? Must be getting desperate,” Beatrix said hopefully, breathing on her fingers, surprised at her own strength.

It had been a while since she'd been able to really cut loose. Her mentor had taught her well, and while she wasn't nearly on Sunny's level, her talents were far beyond the norm.

“Maybe. Best not to get cocky,” answered Sunny, who took a moment to study the devastation they'd unleashed.

Portions of the earth were iced over and sparkled. Tufts of rust-colored fur still whirled in the winds. Walls were cracked and fallen entirely. And that was merely a taste of what they could do. After she had united with her counterpart, Sunset Shimmer, she'd awakened to her own potential, but unlike her, Sunny had never been formally trained to harness that raw power.

“Hey! No time to dwindle,” broke in Moxxi, poking at her belly. "No need to be holdin' back now either, lov.”

Midnight panted as he and the dancer landed. “Can't believe it's over already!” He wiped his bloodied sword on the fur of a dead hound, one of several who'd fallen at his hands. He'd beheaded and dismembered them in the heat of battle, almost in a trance once his blood was up. “Hey Cerise, you okay?” He turned to her, concern written on his features.

“I'm fine, thank you!” Unlike him, Cerise still hadn't managed a clean kill, the several monsters she wounded left for him to finish off. Her heart raced with ambivalence at what she'd been driven to do.

Was she truly her father's daughter? Sombra wouldn't have hesitated. But then again, he'd never lived a pampered, protected life under a concerned mother.

He'd been forced into a life of hardship at an early age from what little she knew, from a rather primitive time. Once more, she took the soldier by the arm and pressed close to his plume, wondering if her parents would approve of him?

He tore a strip of his tunic over his armor and tied it near the spear's point. “Something to help us bond.”

“How romantic,” she said and batted her lashes between titters, wiggling in glee and making the bells on her costume jingle.

“Oye! Lovebirds! Time and a place for makin' goo-goo eyes at each other. Mama needs her mojo back!” Moxxi growled, beckoning them with both claws. They spread their wings and sailed to catch up, Beatrix stalking alongside the imp who bounced in the lead.

Whenever a trap reared its head, the imp was quick to point them out and disable them with a touch of magic, due to her chaotic nature detecting certain anomalies in their surroundings.

They soon arrived back at the fountain, where the voluptuous nude statues of the Princesses towered. “So it's beneath here,” reasoned Beatrix, to which the imp nodded. She started to approach, only for the fresh water that flowed from the urns to suddenly turn bloody and flow over the sides where they pooled before her heels. She stared upward. “You! How the-?”

Seated at the top were the twins, who smiled and kicked their feet. “Welcome back, everyone!”

“You're still alive?” Midnight tilted his head. “What happened to you two?”

“Oh, you know,” came another familiar voice. Above them, Shadow Scythe materialized like a phantom, her weapon held in her grasp. ”A little necromancy and some inherited magic means not even death is an obstacle...at least not to me!” She coolly smiled down on her enemies, seeing them take defensive stances. “You wish to cross this threshold? Then you'll have to go through us first.”

“Fine by me,” said Beatrix, who pursed her snout and took a step forward.

“Wait,” called Sunny, who raised an arm in front of the witch to stop her. “How are you still alive? We saw you-”

“Get swallowed up? Yes,” mused Shadow Scythe, whose black-lined white robes rustled around her. Icy eyes heavy with dark circles traced over them. “The manor has appointed me the new master of the house. The rest of you weren't worthy, I'm afraid. And through our mutual hatred for you, I've almost returned to full power! Almost. Your souls will help me fill in the blanks!"

“Tch! And I bet you plan on betraying the manor too, right?” Beatrix scoffed while pointing at her. "When are you going to learn? You've become nothing but its pawn!"

“Pha! As if simpletons like you could ever understand. You know why I was granted such an exceedingly rare cutie mark? Because I was born as a candidate to become a Goddess! The rest of the reapers were fools to chose servitude! The Princesses feared our potential and tried to suppress it, but I refuse to be contained! For I am death incarnate!" She cackled maniacally.

Beatrix planted a hand on her hip. “Done with your trite villain speech? Because I'm just about finished with you!”

Memories of how many times and ways she'd slaughtered the irritating little witch and her friends surfaced to the forefront of Shadow Scythe's thoughts, her cruel grimace widening. “For once, the feeling's mutual! You were born cursed with your power!” She nodded at the swirling cosmos cutie mark on her partially exposed flank. “A bad omen! One fated to ruins whole galaxies! I'm sure it's your fault Shining Armor died! And as a Goddess, I've come to sit in judgment of your sins!”

“Look out,” warned Cerise as the reaper swooped in and flashed her sickle. Another smoke bomb was cast, Beatrix rolling to avoid the blade. Immediately the twins hopped down, axes at the ready to match their teeth-baring smiles.

A rush of sheer magic rushed from Shadow Scythe's horn, and Beatrix desperately raised a barrier, sliding back on her heels that dug into the earth with a grunt. Sweat poured down her temple, struggling to keep pace, only to be aided by Sunny, who added her own mystic might to the equation. But she too was pushed back against the reaper's beam, who doubled down on her attack.

“Come with us,” teased Wet Nurse between swings at Midnight. “Cerise can join you, too!”

“Don't you want her to submit to you? To be part of your herd?” Foal-Bearer made their pitch, engaged in her own melee with him and Cerise. She purred, “She can help us fulfill your every unspoken, taboo fantasy...”

Still unable to fully understand what they offered, nonetheless he couldn't deny how they thrilled him, both in-and-out of battle. They were able to match him blow-for-blow, and their exotic nature similarly fascinated him. He'd always been different from other stallions. His wingspan much larger, and likewise his 'package,' as a classmate had teasingly told him in the unisex showers.

“Stay away from him!” Declared Cerise, stabbing at the elder twin.

Foal-Bearer replied, “You want him? Then prove it after you've wrestled him from our cold, undead hands!”

“You hear that? They're not even alive!” Cried Cerise who poked at her. “I'm not sure any of their old selves are left in there!”

“I think their souls are still trapped in there,” called Sunny over the deafening sounds of magic she, Beatrix, and Shadow Scythe worked in an attempt to turn the tide, still locked between their colliding beams. “Probably pushed way down deep, but who knows if their consciousnesses are still locked in there, forced to helplessly suffer and watch as their flesh reacts?”

“That's horrible! I'll set them free,” swore Cerise, certain they were better off dead than left in such a state.

The sound of glass shattering caught their attention as Beatrix was blasted to the other side of the wall, yowling in pain from the impact.

"Beatrix!!"

Shadow Scythe hovered before her, weapon poised at her throat. The struggling unicorn mustered one more effort to blast the deadly scythe wielder, only for her to deflect it with the edge of her blade. "Your time has finally come, Beatrix Belladonna. Now die, knowing you've failed to save those you love once again!"

But right as the final blow was about to be delivered, a puff of neon smoke appeared as Moxxi caught the blade between her claws, a wicked smile on her face. "Forgettin' someone, lov?"

Shadow Scythe jerked back, seething at the lowly imp who kept getting in the way of things. "Pft. Doesn't matter! All of you will be dead at my feet!"

"M-Moxxi, move..." Beatrix groaned, her limbs shaking to pull herself back up. "She's so strong, I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me.... I-I can, I'll.... Gnngh!"

"I understand what yer feelin', lov." The imp glanced back at the unicorn, a sad smile on her painted lips. "But you need to save yer breath. Yer not gonna rescue my niece if you tryin' to finish a fight on death's door..."

"Your.... W-what?!"

"I've been meanin' to explain lov, but... I guess we got caught up in this. I've still got my promise to ya. Once you and yer friends are safe...I'll tell ya what ya need to know." She crossed over her heart, reminding Beatrix of the gesture before the little imp turned to face the reaper. Taking a deep breath, rainbow-like light began to illuminate around Moxxi, the entire room whiting out.

"Graagh! What is this?!" Shadow yelled, shielding her eyes. The rest of the fighting halted, everyone blind to really continue. But the light dimmed down as the colorful haze swirled over the levitating figure. Everyone gasped over the sight that they saw.

In the place of the imp was instead a tall, curvaceous creature. Two pairs of bat wings spread from her back to curl over her figure. Two tails coiled around her long legs. A long, asymmetrically woven dress hung lowly from her shoulders, showing off her impressive bust. What was once messy short hair had grown too long, flowing locks with a wide mane. Two horns twisted in different directions. Her cheeky smile remained as her multicolored eyes opened...before a third eye revealed itself.

"Moxxi!?" Beatrix stammered in alarm. The full devil turned back, chuckling softly—her voice lower pitch and far more sultry.

"It's as I said. Things get different once I'm in my full glory," she explained before turning to address the stunned reaper and the maids. "And this maniacal Lil' cunt isn't prepared for the world of hurt I'm about to put her through~."

"Pft. So you got taller!" Shadow Scythe scoffed, unimpressed. "I'm still the master of this house! Life and death are mine to rule over! Doesn't matter who is in my way. All will be cut down!" She lunged at the newly formed demoness, who would shift quickly to another part of the room, poised with the grace of a ballerina.

"Well, you're not gonna cut anything down swinging wildly, like that, deary~."

"Grrrrngh!"

The chase was on. Shadow Scythe continued to slash and blast at the demon, who kept moving around at blinding speed, striking many fabulous poses. While the twins were distracted watching, Midnight, Sunny, and Cerise helped Beatrix stand up.

"You alright?" Sunny asked, checking for any cuts or wounds.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Beatrix insisted, pulling away from their shoulders to direct her focus on the battle at hand. "But what happened to Moxxi? I thought she couldn't..."

"More lies, perhaps?" Midnight suggested.

"I don't think so," Cerise added. "She was very adamant on finding this part of the manor. Maybe she can't hold onto this form for long..?"

As the group's questions and concerns continued, Shadow Scythe grew more irritated, being unable to land a single blow to this taunting demoness. "Enough of this!! Taste inescapable death, you whore!" She shouted, her scythe emanating deathly energy before she slashed a wave at her, much to her amusement.

"Oh love, you are mistaken," she sighed, striking a pose as weird energy glowed around her hands. "This isn't the end...but the beginning~!"

Suddenly, the entire room began to spin and distort, causing gravity to be thrown off balance. Beatrix yelped as every inch of the corridor bent to the demon's will, which rose out of Moxxi's hand and fired out a wave of bright pink waves, disrupting the flow of the projectile before it disintegrated into mere specks.

Shadow Scythe stammered in disbelief. "WHAT!?"

"Behold, the power of Eris! Behold, Anarchia!" The demoness declared, her eyes shimmering before unfurling her wings to unleash the full might of her archaic magic. The room's colors constantly shifting as before arms formed out to make a grab at the reaper. Desperately, she slashed at the reaching arms, trying to find her footing.

But the flow of gravity pulled her into each wall while Anarchia remained still in the center, channeling her prowess to make sure Beatrix and her friends remained unaffected by the mind-boggling energy.

"Whoa.... This is so trippy!" Sunny proclaimed, growing dizzy from the display of light and movement.

"I-I never thought Moxxi would be anything but...small," Midnight admitted. "She's...so powerful!"

Beatrix remained disarrayed, a feeling in her chest of familiarity upon watching the little imp unveil her true form, displaying her chaotic powers. Anarchia secretly was straining to main the flow she committed. This form was difficult to maintain, feeling all the energy she collected drain from her. This was to be her trump card in case of emergencies like this.

But the raw explosion of light and waves would be too much to hold. Still, it kept her foe on edge, being battered around the room like a ping pong ball before getting blasted by the twisted pressure.

Soon, the world around them stopped spinning so uncontrollably, Shadow Scythe finally maintaining her position by wrapping herself in her own cloak of aura. The twins had landed in the fountain with a bloody splash. She gazed maddeningly at the imp turned demoness as she refused to let up her potent waves and disarming magic.

The fact that someone so small hid this much power was inconceivable! Shadow Scythe cringed as Anarchia unleashed one more blast of disorienting power, faced with a raw force that reminded her of the Elemental Titans that once served under Grogar. She hated to admit it, but in her current state, this devil was gonna shred her apart to such a degree she wasn't certain her immortality would save her.

Would she be reduced to a bunch of pieces, aware but unable to perish? She shivered and raised her barrier, which formed a nigh-indestructible bubble around her.

“Damnit, you.... I can't...hold out!” The demon strained, already feeling her form beginning to collapse from exhaustion.

“Damn you all!” Cried Shadow Scythe between clenched teeth. “Twins! Fall back now!” The twins nodded, but not before they lunged towards Midnight, breaking through the faltering magic field, protecting them, and tackling the stallion, his blade knocked from his grasp.

Trying to dive in, Cerise's bat wings beat furiously, and yelped as she too was tossed about some more. The twins stayed low and held Midnight down, straining to drag him with them to another void that manifested.

“Until next time,” said Shadow Scythe, who followed them into the rift. The white void closed behind them.

“Midnight? No!” Cerise tried to follow again, despite knowing deep down it was too late.

With the last of her strength zapped, the demoness lowered down onto the stable ground. The fountain erupted in a shower of heavy stones, and hot blood flowed out. Groaning, she fell to her knees before returning to her imp shape, panting hotly while struggling to hold her body up.

"Moxxi!" Beatrix rose up, rushing to lift the weak imp up into her arms. "Are you okay? What was that?!"

"A-aaaaang... I thought if I.... Haach! Ended it then and there, you'd all be safe.... But I guess I overexerted myself..." The imp muttered sleepily.

"C'mon, stay with me! I have so many questions! How was it you did all that? What did you mean by..." But her questions fell of deaf ears as Moxxi was out like a light, breathing softly. "Hgn..! Damn it!"

“We have to save him!” Cerise pleaded.

"Hey, look at that!" Sunny pointed at the hole where the fountain once stood. A river of crimson sloshed down the pit into a slimy tunnel where there came a faint heartbeat.

Shaken, Beatrix cradled the fallen imp in her arms. "Let's go inside. Maybe whatever's inside will help Moxxi perk back up."

“But what about Midnight?! He'll die,” reminded Cerise, who blubbered and stared at the cloth tied around her spear.

Beatrix shook her head. “Sounds like they still plan to make him their pet.” Not that it will likely be a much better fate, she thought but refused to say aloud.

Sure, they would offer him pleasures of the flesh, but at what cost?

“We'll do whatever we can to help him. I promise,” said Sunny, tracing the fracture in her horn. Thankfully, she didn't think it would be permanent, but it would take time to heal, and powerful magic channeled through it might misfire...or worse.

She imagined it exploding into shards, destroyed forever in a bloodied mess, and trembled at the thought.

“I'm sorry,” said Beatrix. “Hopefully, he can hold out until we find him. He's tough. After all, he was trained by my father!” She wasn't certain whether she was trying harder to convince Cerise or herself.

Forced to take the lead, she felt responsible for them all, and come what may, she refused to let them down! Her attention returned to Moxxi's clutching form and said, “You hang in there too, Lil' scamp. Ready to head down, everyone?”

Sunny nodded, tore part of her skirt, and wrapped her horn. “Careful, we're down an ally.”

“I know.” Not to mention they were all fatigued or otherwise compromised. But knowing it was far more dangerous to turn back now, Beatrix waved everyone to follow.

Sniffles arose from Cerise, who folded her leather wings around her and reluctantly fell into step, still taking looks at the void where her lover and their enemies had vanished.

Cautiously they descended into the bloodied hole, down the twisted slope, where stone soon gave way to a fleshy, bowel-like passage that trailed further downward.

*****

The incessant drip-drop was maddening. The prisoner wasn't certain how long she'd been trapped down in the darkness, where she should have been at home. She hung bent forward, naked and restrained by a series of heavy chains, trapped within a chamber where a continuous uneven heartbeat sounded that made the area shudder.

Barely able to remain conscious, the room itself drained her, a parasite that fed off her lifeforce...but she was weaker by the day, practically at death's door.

The she-devil's golden eyes stared down at her scarlet flesh. Stringy black hair curtained her human-like face. Atrophied leather wings drooped on her back, and a spaded tail draped down her buttocks.

She clawed at her palms, scratched with her sharp toes at the floor, clenched sharp teeth between bestial growls, all reminders the proud succubus had been rendered helpless.

Prey. Not unlike the ones she once hunted as a mindless monster, before she had awakened to self-awareness.

A creak sounded. The sealed double doors opened, and a sliver of light spilled in. Heavy eyes turned to stare, and a short but well-shaped silhouette spilled in across a floor decorated by a pentagram written in blood. “Who...?”

More footsteps echoed before Beatrix pushed through. Her eyes widened before she placed the imp in Cerise's arms. “Sister!

Cerise stammered before securing her hold over Moxxi's body. “Bellatrix Primadonna? You were captured by the mansion, too?” Rushing ahead, Beatrix was already hard at work to undo the binds, horn lit up in an attempt to break the powerful enchantments fused into the chains.

“Not sisters by blood, I take it,” observed a skeptical Sunny, who folded her arms.

“No. But she's one of the most important people to me,” admitted Beatrix, who hunched down and channeled her magic into a chain. In frustration, she threw her entire weight into it, throwing herself back and gritting her teeth while she channeled her entirety into it. Her hands and horn glowed, her eyes shut tight, desperate to free her sister as soon as possible.

“W-wait.... Allow me,” Moxxi quietly added, struggling to lift her finger up before drawing her x shape over the bonds. Despite her weakened state, her chaotic nature proved enough to make the difference as the chains snapped, Bellatrix collapsing to her knees while Beatrix tumbled backward with a yelp.

“Damnit, Moxxi! You really shouldn't be pushing yourself,” groaned Beatrix, who scrunched her snout and fluffed out her squashed hat in her hands. “Still, thanks...” She rose off her rump and dashed to her sister's side. “You up to travel with us?”

“I think so. But I'm still weak,” admitted the succubus who drew her mouth in a line. “Ever since this place captured me, it's siphoned all it could.” She slumped in her sister's grasp, barely able to focus her heavy eyes. “Whatever this abomination is, I get the sense it's one of the most powerful we've ever faced. Yet it's like a wounded animal, unable to utilize its potential.”

“Sounds familiar,” said Beatrix, and her sister shared a small smile with her. It was a melancholy reunion, another person close to her swallowed up by this monster and forced to endure torments for who knew how long?

She reminded herself that whatever Shadow Scythe claimed, she wasn't responsible for the actions of others, not even those villains who used her friends to hurt her.

The she-devil turned to address her sister's companions this time around. “So who are these two? This one looks an awful lot like Sunset Shimmer," stated the succubus.

“Not the one you've met,” Sunny cleared up. “I'm her counterpart from the 'human world,' as ponies like to say. Sunny.”

"And this is Moxxi," Cerise introduced, the imp dreamily smiling up at the fuller demoness. "She's an imp wanting to return to her full power.... She just spent a lot of it saving us. We don't know the details yet...“

"An imp? A lesser demon,” she stated, unable to hide an edge of contempt and pity. “If I was born that weak, I would have killed myself. But not to worry. I'll help you overcome your unfortunate limitations.”

"M-much appreciation, lov~" She giggled softly before shutting her eyes to rest for a bit longer.

"Admittedly, I'm not certain how much I can teach you. It's taken quite some time to understand myself.” Helped to her feet by her sister, she leaned on her for support, thankful that now the chains were removed, her strength had slowly started to return. She stared at the pentagram drawn below, her face drawn in quiet distaste. “How tacky.”

“I'd figure you'd feel at home,” her sister teased.

She was met by Bellatrix's casual shrug. “I'm not simply a succubus anymore.” She concentrated and groaned, flesh shifting before their eyes as she recovered.

Weak as she remained, she managed to shift her supple form, skin turning unnaturally pale, black locks turning to golden curls, eyes turning cerulean, leather wings shrinking into slits in her back only for a white plume to explode out in a shower of downy feathers. Her claws turned back to delicate nails, transmuted from demon to angel.

They watched, transfixed. A thin light radiated emerged from her bare flesh, dome topped by a thin halo. “For a time, I was trapped in this form,” said the she-devil. “Now I can switch between guises at will.” She rubbed the area where her curved horns had receded. “Sunny, is it? Allow me,” she said on her approach and started to undo her horn's dressing.

“Yo, what are you-” Hands were laid on the fractured horn, caked in dried blood, and warmth rose from Bellatrix's hands, which glowed like white gold.

Sacrificing a portion of her life essence, the cracks were filled in and healed over, and a soft moan escaped the unicorn. Within seconds the wound vanished completely, and the demon withdrew her touch.

Bellatrix heaved and murmured, “That should do it. A boon of this guise.”

“Hey, thanks!” Sunny rubbed her horn. “But doesn't that take a lot out of you? You already look half-dead!”

“I'll survive,” mumbled Bellatrix, who rubbed her forehead. “Besides, we'll need your aid to escape.”

Beatrix supported her with her shoulder. “Hate to say it, but it's not that simple.” She quickly summarized all that had happened so far, and the succubus nodded each time, used to her sister's wild tales. After all, she'd been a part of some of them.

“So Midnight's here too? Not to mention Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse? I didn't expect to see a civilian either,” said Bellatrix, who looked over Cerise. “Although it appears you're not quite the hapless wench I recall.”

“Come on, don't be rude!” Cerise scrunched her snout and flexed her wings. “I'll show you how far I've come!”

“Cool it,” said Beatrix, who came between her bemused sister and the irritated dancer, pushing them apart when they pressed closer together. “We're all on the same side!” She noted how much bolder Cerise had gotten, no doubt due to the animal instincts her thestral shape now burdened her with. “Please,” she asked more softly. “You're both dear to me. I need both of you.”

Cerise exhaled. “I know. I-I'm sorry. But I just want you all to take me seriously for once!”

“Mmm, I like this bold new direction.” Bellatrix smiled, unable to deny she admired her boldness, at the least. “Very well, I apologize, too. I sometimes speak without proper forethought.”

She offered her hand, and after a moment Cerise took it, and they shook. Beatrix breathed a sigh of relief, hopeful they could finally move on from this dreary place.

Beatrix turned to take in the chamber, realized that its outward appearance had started to warp and reveal the truth buried below. It appeared they truly were in the abomination's bowels, where the slick discolored walls pulsed, the heartbeat grew louder, and the chains were replaced by thick tentacles covered in suckers. She trembled, thankful it appeared unable to assault them.

A cape swirled behind her once she spun on her heel and marched out, followed by her allies, who trailed close behind.

After her sister recovered, she had no doubt they would be a match for Shadow Scythe, despite the reaper's deal with a devil.