Prisoners of War : A Beatrix Belladonna Tale

In the main lobby of the spacecraft, the informal council continued over the Necronomicon's fate. Arcanum Folklore's fingers drummed across the dried-flesh cover while more attendants and allies gathered after settling their personal affairs or fulfilling sensual distractions.

Yet they couldn't come to a consensus. The tome's continued existence would spread havoc, yeah... but none of them knew for sure what the consequences of its destruction could mean. His attention turned to the dark void of Analise’s Onoma, which dissipated and revealed the thoroughly exhausted demoness and pegasus.

“Ahh, good. Perhaps some new perspectives will help cement our decision?”

Midnight and Ana hobbled in; the latter was visibly distraught, her shoulders slumped and her face drawn in a frown. She stretched her limbs and said through a yawn, “Final-fucking-ly! Pretty sure I passed aahhht carpet times durin' that bore-fest!”

Deinos approached them, Lightning Spark and Moonlight River flanking his sides. The twin pegasus gently said, “I understand the experiment wasn’t favorable for you, but I do want you to know how much I appreciate you helping my brother!”

“Yeah yeah, spare me the gushy shite,” grumbled the demi-human, arms folded underneath her perky chest. “Everyone else gotta make nasties while I got stuck wif Sir Drabsalot.”

“A noble sacrifice for the greater good~,” snickered Wispy Willow.

This irked the demoness, pointing a neon pink claw at the cheeky tigress. “I’ll get ya, Pussywilla. And it'll look loike a bloody accident!”

The nekomata stuck her tongue out in response, earning a flick to her nose from her vixen sister, Kitsune, who was still annoyed at her for (albeit unsuccessfully) seducing Kyube. The vulpine bandit sat beside her with his tanuki sister in his lap.

The arachnid changeling cleared his throat. “Unpleasantries aside, what are the results?”

Ana shrugged. “Well, 'e’s been fillin' me bowler tit for tat wif splooge for abaht pearly gate 'ours, and not once did 'e 'ulk aahhht. So take that as ya will.”

“That’s a good sign, right?” Eclipsed Heart asked from her seat.

“Indeed!” Confirmed Deinos, his large compound eyes analyzing Midnight’s condition while he patted down his clothes. Remarkably, the vibrant shade of blue had started to return to the stallion's fur and now fluffed-up feathers. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” he replied with some of his usual chipper demeanor returned and a pep in his step. He cast his sister and former herd mate a sheepish smile. “I think it worked out for me!”

Lightning gave two thumbs up while the moody batmare averted her gaze. While glad her childhood friend was recovering, bitterness remained from his neglect and selfish behavior.

Moonlight knew she could eventually forgive him, but what they would be afterward wasn’t as certain.

“Good on you,” announced Arcanum. “Now that you’ve got that out of your system, care to join the rest of us at the grown-up's table? We’ve still got problems that need solving.”

Nodding, the four took to the empty seats, one occupied by Dion. Midnight failed to suppress his irritation at the burly ram for bagging Moonie and Sparky while preoccupied. The warrior caprine noticed his pupil’s glare and arched an eyebrow. “Got somethin’ tae say, laddie?”

“… nothing,” the pegasus knight conceded. It wasn’t worth arguing over anyway.

“Right then, back to business,” Arcanum directed their attention until the electronic doors above the spiraling stairwell hissed open. Layla and Bellatrix gently descended and landed gracefully by the front of the table.

“Was the entrance necessary?” Iclyn said snarkily.

“Of course,” the motherly primordial teased back when she sat amongst her fellow Demi-humans. Seb and Julianne had been attentive, while Arron was more interested in the handheld mirror he brought, admiring his reflection. She looked around and noticed the interior wasn’t as luminous as before. “That’s odd…”

Once seated between Beatrix and Analise, Bella asked, “Did we miss much?”

“Eh. Not really,” the gambler answered. “We’ve gone back and forth about what to do about this wretched book. I mean, look at this thing! It’s so old and gnarly looking; I doubt even die-hard Wiccan wannabes would pay a petty penny for it!”

“That’s… completely against the point, but yeah. We’re still in a deadlock,” the erenn warlock admitted.

Eclipsed Heart furrowed her brow when noticing someone remained missing. “Where’s Zeloph?”

“Up top,” replied Layla. “I’d rather he not be bothered with this. Not while he’s still in mourning…”

Bellatrix cleared her throat and sheepishly added. “It’s better that he rests up after our intense bout of ‘training’…” She purposefully left out the aftercare she did to help lift the fallen one’s spirits a little before he requested time to himself.

Beatrix stood up in surprise. “Wait, what?! You were training?”

“And got some scrumptious angel cake on the side?!” Wispy joined in. “Lucky bitch!”

“Wispy!” The pop idol said, exasperated. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Yeah, sounds completely unnecessary,” agreed the deighdyr, fed up with these convoluted reasons just to lay pipe. Arcanum was about to say his piece but stopped himself. It wasn’t his place, especially after conducting his own ‘business’ with the half-succubi twins.

“It was, believe it or not,” insisted Layla. “Both needed this ‘union’ to revitalize and awaken the ancient power tied to our bloodline.”

“Sounds an awful lot like hyper-stallionism,” noted Deinos, stroking his mandibles. “And yet, not as frantic or with any dire side effects?”

The first woman nodded. “Think of it more as a ritual to strengthen their prowess. Not their physique.”

“Now that you mention it,” the violet unicorn looked over her succubus sister and beamed. “You do look a lot more energetic than usual! Kinda like when you were in your old angel form!”

“Yes, well… It helps that I fulfilled an item on my bucket list,” Bellatrix slightly boasted with a sly smirk and half-lidded eyes when her black leather thong-clad bottom lazily settled its crimson cheeks into a chair. Beneath the table, the succubus started curling her tail towards Ana's, eager to toy with her more. But when she was met with a harsh look from the dour demoness, she withdrew her spaded tail.

“But never mind all that,” she dismissed with a wave before resting her chin atop her hand. “Are we going to destroy the Necronomicon or not…?”

“That is the question,” said Arcanum. “Most of us are here and accounted for, so let's see where everyone stands. Me? I say destroy the damned book.”

“I second that,” Iclyn added.

“Aye,” grunted Dion. “Be done wit it!”

Eclipsed Heart shook her head. “We don’t know what’ll happen if we do! Most of our lives are tied to its effects. What if once the book is destroyed, and Middy, myself, and everyone else changed by its influence end up erased from existence?!”

“Mmmn… a fair point,” muttered the detective. Then he turned his eyes to the violet unicorn. “You’re more affiliated with the book than any of us, Beatrix. Ultimately, it’s your decision that’ll factor in the most.”

“It’s the bane of my existence,” the witch admitted aloud, scowling at the flesh-covered tome. “And the source of my power. Every inch of my life has been tethered to its morbid pages and forbidden arts. So much so, I feel it’s starting to affect my dreams.”

The cyan doe raised her snout. “Hmm. You have been suffering a lot of vivid nightmares lately. Care to elaborate on them?”

The witchy mare visibly paled when the freshest of her dark dreams manifested in her mind. She shook her head, not wanting to hear that dreadful chant. “Only that they’re pretty bad.. worse than before even…”

“I’ve also been having weird dreams,” added Midnight, who got a scornful look from most of the women in the room. Gulping, he continued, “Well… granted, they didn’t start bad, but this latest one was incredibly mind-boggling. It’s…er… Oona was in it—”

He yelped when a meaty fist slammed onto the table; Dion’s crimson eyes fixated with an intense glare. “Choose yer next words carefully..!”

“Hey, back off!” It was Moonlight who spoke up, showing previously concealed concern for her friend. “We’re well aware of his fantasies. Middy wouldn’t be talking about one if it wasn’t important.”

“Besides,” Lightning butted in, snout pursed. “You don’t get to act that way after we… erm, well~.”

“Damn!” Arron snickered. “You guys are putting rabbits to shame with how much ya’ll fuck~!”

The pop princess narrowed her gaze at the wrestler. “Oh. And you wouldn’t do the same if a cute guy was on board?”

“Nah! Ain’t nobody here worth the champ’s time. Besides, life’s got more purpose than just pleasure. And more pleasure will only lead you to more pain. I wouldn’t want to end up like that wrinkly ass dork over there~!”

The other demi’s openly stared at the bullheaded brawler in absurdity. Arron glanced at each of them with furrowed brows. “What?”

“That… was actually kind of philosophical,” admitted Analise, dumbfounded. “Well, minus the shade on Middy at the chuffin' end.”

“Still, I’m impressed,” complimented Seb. “Maybe we’ve been too harsh on you, amigo. I was wrong to assume a competent brain didn’t exist inside that fortress of muscles.”

“Oh, fuck the both of you! I’m not that big of a dumbass, you sacks of—”

“Focus!” Layla interrupted loudly, which got her brethren to shut up. Looking towards Midnight, she said, “You may continue.”

“Th-thanks, M’Lady,” the olden stallion graciously said. “As I said, the Oona in my dream didn’t act like the one we know and love.”

Iclyn’s cold gaze deepened. “How so?”

“She was completely unladylike. Used her elegant charms to tempt me into… y-know. But that’s when the scenery changed, and my nightmare took hold.” Fear was written across his features when he recollected. “Cadavers of my friends were crucified over a blood lake. Oona swapped forms with Chrysalis once she forced me to breed her until I drowned with them.”

“Sounds more like a wet dream with some mildly disturbing elements,” Arcanum scoffed, scratching his chin before lifting his mug of Irish coffee to his lips.

Midnight soured. “I dunno. Just something about how this Oona stared at me gave me the creeps. And the things she said while we made love were so absurd! ‘Birthing spirits,’ ‘Flesh reborn with each generation,’ ‘Fill me with a thousand young’—”

The erenn unicorn instantly choked on his drink at the sound of that phrase, coughing hoarsely.

Ana quirked her eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s wot gets ya? I’ve 'eard more depraved smack abaht baby-makin' from the bloomin' twins!”

After clearing his throat, Arcanum stared wide-eyed at Midnight. “That last part. Did she say that word for word?!”

The pegasus knight shifted uncomfortably. “About wanting ‘a thousand young?’ Yeah. What about it? It was just sexy talk… wasn’t it?”

The warlock blanched. “… No… oh, no no no no…”

His horn lit up to summon his belongings, spilling the bag onto the table while looking through his books.

“H-Hey!” Wispy exclaimed. “What’s with him?”

“I don’t know,” replied Iclyn, equally stumped. “I never seen him act this way before.”

Beatrix pursed her lips, not liking where this was going. “Arcanum, what’s wrong.”

The erenn stallion briefly ignored their concern as he scanned his books, rapidly flipping through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. “… I’ve only heard that set of words once before,” he elaborated through shaky breaths. “If what Middy said is true, then we’ve got more than an anomaly to worry about!”

Everyone shuffled close to observe the page Arcanum held his finger on, a wave of terror washing over the table at what was depicted on it. An ancient illustration of a forest, eclipsed by a dark, ghastly, vaguely caprine-shaped entity within a harrowing cloud. Its massive frame was extruded by long tentacles, salivating maws, curved horns, and hooved legs. And lurking out the trees were smaller eldritch creatures, overseeing the subjects who threw up their hands in worship.

“‘The Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young,’” Arcanum read the epitaph aloud. “Shub’Niggurath!”

Beatrix balked. “Shub-whatwrath?!”

“Whoa there!” Arron exclaimed. “I don’t think you’re allowed to say that!”

Seb added, “Yeah, since when did you get the N-word pass?”

“Quiet, you two!” Bellatrix cuts off. “This is a serious matter!”

“It was an insensitive century when this ungodly monster was named,” acknowledged Folklore with a roll of his eyes. “But that’s beside the point. What you’re looking at is one of the oldest cosmic entities that predate the mere concept of time. A perverse fertility goddess who cares only about preserving its vast power through its monstrous progeny.”

Kitsune frowned heavily. “That thing is a ‘she?!’”

“Inapplicable, but yes. Many cults were formed to offer it devotion. There have also been records of it impersonating other well-known fertility figures to steal would-be worshipers.”

“It’s true,” Layla concurred with a bitter face. “During my slumber, I’ve witnessed my old faith foolishly believe I had returned to guide them… when it was Shub’Niggurath in disguise. If I had the chance to face off with that greedy sow—”

Arcanum grimaced. “I’d advise against that. I’ve fought against plenty of minions and even a few of its ‘dark young.’ But to even dare try to tackle Shub'Niggurath directly is suicide! You’d be driven mad long before she even acknowledges your existence!”

“Pft. You forget how often legends and mythos are overexaggerated by their scholars,” reminded Iclyn.

“Even so, I can’t overlook Midnight’s dream as a mere coincidence. Cause things start to line up if you really think about it.” Arcanum ran his finger over the text on the opposite page. “Right here! ‘The most devoted to the Lord of the Woods include kindred relations, followers blessed by Shub’Niggurath herself, and—”

“The Mi-Go!” Beatrix gasped as she followed his finger. “Those are the cordyceps infecting Chrysalis and her changeling swarm!”

“Wait… you might be onto something,” the deighdyr considered. “One of the cult members we faced, Vox, mentioned answering to a ‘higher calling.’ We assumed he meant the anomaly… but what if he referred to Shub’Niggurath instead?”

Midnight perked up. “Hey, yeah! That might also explain the ‘flesh reborn’ line from my dream. The Cult was reformed by worshiping the Ebony Goat of the Woods!”

“So then, what about the anomaly?” questioned Eclipsed. “How do they fit in this?”

“Well, previously, the Cult of the Nemesis revered me as their ‘dark messiah’ due to my connection to the Necronomicon,” explained Beatrix. “If Shub’Niggurath is this all-powerful eldritch deity, who's to say they didn’t make a connection through her?”

Suddenly, Seb snapped his fingers. “A bargain!”

Bellatrix’s eyebrows lowered. “… Really? A classic ‘deal with a devil’ setup? It can’t be that simple!”

Arron held out his hand. “Nah, hold up! Let him cook.”

Nodding, the pinstriped demon continued. “So the current thought is that this ‘anomaly’ has beef with Beatrix, right? And, as the saying goes, when you get wronged, you wanna get even. And what better way than to gain similar reality-warping capabilities on par with Belladonna’s? So they go into hiding and try to find a way to revive their cause. Maybe even reach out to old forgotten deities. Perhaps, if you will, an omnipotent horny abomination on goat legs who's looking for a gullible sucker to spread its influence with? Then, Bada-bing, bada-boom! A deal is made. One gets dimensional-breaking powers. The other gains willing devotees after resurrecting the fallen order. And from there, they bide their time until the pieces are in place to reshape the whole multiverse and enact revenge on the one responsible for their downfall.”

“Ooh! That would make a lot of sense,” complimented Julianne.

“It does make for a convincing motive,” added Kyube.

“Here’s where I’m really sold about this theory,” the card demon went on. “Look carefully at this depiction of Shubby here. Remove the tendrils, mouths, and other goat bits. What does this resemble?”

Midnight tilted his head while squinting. “Huh… just kinda looks like a dark clouuuuuooooOOOHHH!!”

Moonlight’s eyes widened. “You mean like the one devastating our universes!?!”

Seb made a finger gun gesture. “Bingo~!"

Eclipsed Heart clenched her fists tightly and pouted. “Ugh! I have to give you credit. That’s a pretty good observation. Well played.”

She shuddered in disgust, feeling the shit-eating grin behind the demi’s bandana. “Why, princess! If I didn’t know any better, that sounded like a genuine compliment. Not a single ounce of sarcasm was detected! Am I on a roll today or what~?”

“Wow. Is it even possible for you not to gloat like a jackass?” Wispy hissed.

“Now, Sebastion,” the rosy-haired nun Julianne firmly said. “Nobody likes a sore winner. You did a good job. That’s all.”

Seb slumped back in his seat, arms crossed. “Not my fault you’ll get on my level!”

“Regardless,” Arcanum cut off. “Everything we’ve discussed about the Cult of the Nemesis and the anomaly points to Shub’Niggurath’s involvement almost perfectly.”

“Not to mention Chrysalis,” Deinos said. “Rather fitting, she embodies Shub’Niggurath’s philosophy of being the ‘all-mother.’ Being bestowed with the Mi-Go to further supplant her ideal hive of loyal changelings only solidifies the suspected partnership between her and the Cult of the Nemesis.”

Lightning Spark chimed in. “Then it's settled, right? We understand what we’re up against!”

Dion shook his head. “Nah. Just because we’ve got a clearer picture doesn’t mean we have a plan. Ah fought a lot ov things in mah life. But ne'er a borderline god…”

“He’s right,” surmised Iclyn. “We’re grossly ill-equipped and on thin ice.”

“Welp! We might well bend over and touch our tow's wif 'a much we’re gettin' fucked,” scoffed Ana.

Beatrix exhaled a long breath before rising from her seat. “If we’re going to beat this, we’ve gotta be willing to make sacrifices. And if that means putting aside my magic, immortality, and vanity to undo all my mistakes, then that’s the price I’ll pay!”

Iclyn furrowed her brow. “Are you sure..?”

Beatrix nodded, staring at herself through the table’s smooth surface. “Some people might be wiped from existence or lose their memories of me. But then again, maybe not. Sister, you were 'born' from the book but have been fine so far! But then there's everyone affected by my interference and influenced their reality! Midnight, Lightning, Eclipsed, Zeloph… What if they get erased?”

“We don't know that,” reassured Bellatrix. “I've survived the Necronomicon's 'destruction' before without consequence; I should be fine.”

“Plus, I highly doubt Mikael’s Crucible would allow the erasure of its current wielder,” stated Seb.

Eclipsed added, “And if we sever your link, potentially, the same can be done to the anomaly!”

“It’s the needs of the many versus the needs of the few,” surmised Arcanium. “But it’s the only shot we got to avoid total annihilation. We’ve got to take the risk.”

When no one offered objections to the notion, Layla rose up. “Then it is decided. The Necronomicon shall be destroyed. I’ll inform Zeloph and—”

Her words were drowned by the sudden blare of emergency alarms; everyone doused in a blinking red sheen. Around them, the Glamorguis bellowed out its pain and subtly quaked around them. “What’s going on?!” Exclaimed Beatrix.

“I’ve got a bad feeling,” lamented Layla. “Something is troubling the Glamorguis.”

Swiftly, she raced to the surveillance system and panned across the rooms, with special attention on her prisoners. And what flickered into view made her gasp in horror. “Oh no!”

A denuded Autumn Equinox left to twitch on the floor, stained in fluids, with Viscera nowhere to be seen. All that remained was rapidly festering substance, puss, gunk, and eyeballs growing from the meaty mold that contaminated the interiors. Worse, the UFO's power supply steadily declined by the second.

She yelled into the sound system, “Everyone! Remain alert! Viscera has escaped confinement and is sabotaging the ship! We’re losing power!”

Everyone balked. “What?!”

Ana recoiled in disgust. “Aaawh, fuck that!”

Lightning panicked. “What will we do? If the ship can’t take off, we’ll be stuck on this death ball!!”

Moonlight cursed. “I knew I should have stood guard!”

“The fault is mine,” confessed the primordial woman. “I shouldn’t have underestimated her, thinking not even she could possibly meddle with the advanced tech onboard.”

“You forgot who her predecessor was,” proclaimed Bellatrix.

“Well, we can’t just stand here,” insisted Eclipsed. “She’s probably filling the ventilation system with noxious gas!”

“But we can’t leave the ship either,” Wispy reminded. “Not without our organs melting!”

“Nidoto son'na koto o keiken sa senaide kudasai!” Chisana whined.

Layla steadied herself with a deep inhale and turned to everyone. “Then we have no choice. We return to Midnight Blitzer’s world immediately!”

Jellyfish-like tendrils descended from the ceiling to merge into the back and spine of the mother of all demons, who moaned and quivered from the sensation of symbiosis with her saucer-shaped pet. “I’ll use my energy to combat the sickness plaguing the ship,” declared Layla. “I should be able to repair enough of the damages to ensure we achieve lift-off.”

“But doesn’t this leave you at risk of getting infected?” questioned Kitsune worryingly.

“For the safety of my passengers and people, I’ll gladly put my life on the line,” the matronly succubus assured her.

Dion nodded and shouted over the alarm, “Ye heard th' lady! We ain’t just gonna muck around like sittin' ducks! Let’s split intae three groups. Group A, ye’re in charge ov huntin' down Viscera. Group B will be responsible fur retrievin' Equinox. Group C, look out fur those who can’t fight!”

Everyone quickly gathered into their preferred group and was ready to depart when a new alarm went off. The burly ram glowered, “Awfurfuxakes! What is it now?!”

Layla pulled up a holographic screen that displayed a radius outside the UFO, detecting an unidentified signature fast approaching.

“We’ve got company!”

The invisible windows manifested to reveal the dawning sun over the lush alien landscapes, highlighting the all too familiar silhouette of a three-headed dragon beating his mighty wings.

Mortis Saltaire and his followers rode Andrei’s scaled back, steadily closing the distance between them and the struggling spacecraft. “We will intercept their ship in a moment,” he announced. “Let none survive our onslaught. Only then may we finally rest in peace.”

“At once, master,” confirmed Triad, hand ready over the hilt of his magically infused katana.

“Oohoho,” hooted Penny Dreadful. “I shall make my most magnificent masterpiece out of their innards~! Faster, beastie! Faster~!!”

The undead drake growled once he soared through the deathly atmosphere. None the wiser to the kite-sized corvid creature that observed them, sailing overhead undetected.

“Y'know, I’ve been dealt some pretty shit hands before. But this?!” Seb pointed to the incoming undead legion. “Fucking abysmal ass luck!”

“I will buy us a little more time!” Layla said when she activated the Glamorguis’ defenses, raising a large, bubble-shaped force field to prevent their attempt to board. The tri-headed monster breathed ghoulish green flames, which smoldered and dissolved against the impassable barrier.

The lich, however, was unfettered and unleashed soul-infused black bolts from the palm of one hand, which wrapped around the invisible barricade. With the other, Mortis drew upon the familiar shadowy wisps of Shadow Scythe’s power to conjure a squall of sickle-based weaponry… and rapidly loosed them on the shield, the interior shaken under repeated blows.

Layla yowled, sharing in the ship’s distress and pain. “N-No! It can’t be!!”

Ana glowered, eyes glowing irate. “That fucker nicked Atalanta’s Onoma!!”

“This is bad,” whimpered Beatrix. “That means he can slip inside the ship through its shadow!”

“Not unless we bring the fight to him,” suggested Bellatrix, lengthening her claws. Turning to the other passengers, she directed, “Secure the prisoner, hunt down Viscera, and help get this bird in the air! The demis and I will deal with the undead!”

Seb waved his arms and exclaimed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! ‘We?’ I don’t remember volunteering for—”

His complaint was stifled when the scarlet succubus seized him by the throat, golden eyes glaring hotly. “If you’ve got a better plan, I would love to hear it right about now!”

“Aaghk! Alright, alright,” the male demon choked. “I’ll play ball!”

“Love the new enthusiasm, Bella. 'eaven and 'ell! Tryin' ter keep me fuckbox from springin' a leak,” Analise praised while fanning her face. “But last nickle and dime we were outside the bloody 'appeny dip, we nearly mutated”

Arron grumbled. “Yeah, as much as I want round two with that three-headed gecko, I'd rather not go through that bullshit again!”

“Which is why I’ve taken precautions should such an occasion occur,” Layla proclaimed, struggling to maintain telepathic communion with the Glamorguis while in such shearing agony. Circular symbols blinked behind them before capsules rose with a whir from the floor. “These symbiotic suits should protect you from the lethal atmosphere. But be warned; they have yet to be tested.”

“They’ll make do. Now let’s move!”

Bellatrix, Ana, Arron, and Seb quickly stepped inside the capsules, transparent doors sealed around them. First, the air sucked the clothes from their forms, and the trio was left naked. Liquids started to fill the interiors. Within seconds of submerging, any protests were lost amidst gurgles as their mouths and lungs filled. Thankfully, the substance proved harmless to them; their bodies encased in a thin layer of suits that conformed to their bodies. The excess liquids drained, and the capsules opened with a low hiss. They all stepped out and took a moment to admire their new duds.

“My mask! My hat!!” Seb complained. “How about a little warning next time, huh?!”

“At least these 'spacesuits' are spiffy,” observed Bellatrix, who glanced over her shoulder to admire how shapely her butt looked, giving it a slight wiggle.

“Ooh! Wouldn’t mind 'avin' wahn of these in me wardrobe~” Ana purred while stretching the elastic skin material off her chest, watching it recoil and give her squished titties some jiggle.

Arron did some brief Adonis-style poses, loving how the suit conformed to his bulky musculature. “Ooh yeah, just what I need! Threads that won’t tear whenever I bring out the gun show~!” He kissed his biceps while pulling out some spare shades to adorn his face. “Alright, bros and hoes. We rollin’!”

The card demon looked at Julianne, still wearing her nun attire. “Wait, why aren’t you joining us?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be caught dead in that,” the rosy-haired angel said, smiling shyly. “Too immodest!”

“Aww, C’mon! You’ll be a knockaht,” encouraged Ana. “Plus, we’re garn ter need your merry melodies if we wanna—”

“She is needed here,” reaffirmed the mother of demons. “Her musical healing will aid those who can’t fight.”

“Y-yeah, but—”

“Time is of the essence,” urged Julianne. “Now go!!”

Begrudgingly, they nodded, and the quadrant leapt through an open portion of the ship Layla conjured, each of them spreading their wings (save for Arron) to engage Mortis right as his magic penetrated through the Glamorguis' dwindling defenseless. But the matronly succubus sensed that two of the revenant's underlings had already breached the ship. Between the combined assault and spreading sickness within the UFO, the chances of becoming stranded on Sacratera grew more likely. Nonetheless, she would continue to undo the damage done and coordinate everyone.

“Penny Dreadful and Triad have made it onboard,” she announced. “We’ll need someone to intercept them!”

“I’ll find them,” said Kitsune, her brows furrowed and fangs bared when hearing the swordsman's name, reminiscing how easily he'd bested her in martial combat. “I have a score to settle..!”

Wispy joined in. “Not without me, you won’t!”

“Nor me,” Eclipsed Heart rallied, briefly looking at the vixen’s missing tail. “This isn’t a battle you can win alone, at least not until you've healed up!”

“She’s right,” added Kyube. “We’ll have better odds facing them together.” Chisana beamed and nodded in agreement, holding a thumb up.

A small smile stretched Kitsune’s snout a bit before she relented. “Very well. We’ll take care of the intruders.”

“And we’ll go retrieve Equinox,” decided Deinos, Lightning Spark and Moonlight by his sides with an affirming nod. Both teams separated into different corridors, hoping to reach their objections quickly.

“Then we’ll guard this area,” proclaimed Iclyn, her hands, and antlers lighting up with frost and snow. Dion readied his claymore and shield while Foal-Bearer and Wet-Nurse helped Midnight to his seat next to Julianne and Layla, the blue pegasus still sour and frail now that the hyper-stallion gene had been cleansed from his body. The pegasus knight was in no condition to fight, despite how desperately he wanted to redeem himself in the eyes of his distant companions.

“Guess that leaves me to go nephilim huntin’,” said Arcanium, loading up on weapons in his arsenal.

Iclyn raised an eyebrow. “You sure it’s wise to face her alone?”

The erenn warlock snorted. “Probably not. But I work better alone anyway. Especially after…huh?!” His eyes dilated when he found the Necronomicon missing from the table, hands frantically searching his inner coat pockets. “What the—where did it fuckin' go?!? I swore it was right…”

Iclyn’s expression soured when she noticed the sudden absence of a particular violet unicorn mare.

“Oh, for fuck sake—Beatrix!!”

“That wily witch must have snagged it when shit hit th' fan sideways,” assumed Dion.

Arcanum growled, slamming his fist into the table. “Bagh! Remind me to strangle her if we somehow make it out alive!!”

The trio raced up the stairway to chase after Beatrix, a brief flash of her cape vanishing once she entered Layla’s private chambers.

*****

At the topmost layer of the UFO, Zeloph sat motionlessly on the bed’s footside, oblivious to the blaring lights and sound around him. Too crestfallen and focused on his lover's death. It felt like he'd soiled her name by sleeping with another woman, despite receiving permission to move on the moment she passed her short life.

Dull cerulean eyes hovered on the Vorpal Blade in his hand, the weapon as lifeless as its wielder. Perhaps it no longer deemed him worthy after hours spent trying to force its latent ability out. With its mystic power muted, it was reduced to little more than a flimsy needle, likely to snap in half should it cross another blade.

His feathery ears barely twitched when the electronic doors opened, and Beatrix rushed inside. “Zell! What are you doing? We're in big trouble!” The angelic demi didn’t answer. Barely seemed to register that another person was in the room. Scrunching her snout, she marched up to him and dropped the Necronomicon beside him with a *thunk!*

“C’mon, snap out of it! Death is literally knocking at our door as we speak! Your friends and everyone are out there fighting to survive an apocalyptic battle! We need you!”

The somber angel glanced at the evil book, the same tome he had once been imprisoned in.

“Zeloph, please!” Beatrix pleaded. “I know you’re hurting right now. But you’ve gotta destroy it before more harm can be done!”

“I'm...not even sure that's possible now,” he finally spoke, gently holding up the Vorpal Blade. “It’s been dormant ever since I took her life. Perhaps that’s why it no longer responds to me…”

Whether that was the case or it was an excuse, it did not matter in the slightest. The witch could tell by his weary features he already accepted that answer. That he'd murdered his beloved.

Beatrix grasped his shoulders. “No! You know that’s not true. Mortis tricked you into stabbing him with the Vorpal Blade. You couldn’t have possibly known their souls were intertwined through a spell! Hell, the sword was practically blazing when met with the Necronomicon.”

“And now, not even an ember flickers,” he murmured melancholically. “It's time I wake up and face reality, Beatrix. I’m not meant to wield it! All that I touch—-everything I love… falls to ruin or dies. This planet. These people. Quicksilver. Jonn. Atalanta… I let them down. I’m no hero. I’m just… nothing.”

“No, you’re not!” Beatrix rebutted, roughly trying to shake sense back into him. “You’re the only one who can stop this crazed spirit of vengeance! Don’t you understand that? Mortis won’t rest until everyone is dead! Are you going to stand by and allow others to perish? Do you want Atalanta’s death to be in vain?!!”

“N-No..! But what can I—”

“Don’t even get me started, mister!” The witchy mare mounted atop the stubborn angel, stroking his stiff frame. “You told me I didn't deserve the Necronomicon's power if I was nothing without it. And you were strong way before you started using the Vorpal Blade. So what if that rustic needle doesn’t deem you worthy? You already were in Atalanta’s eyes!”

Before Zeloph could absorb her words and decide his next course of action, the echoes of twisted laughter resonated throughout the room. Beatrix rose up instantly, head waving around to locate the source, pausing on the single vent that slowly hissed with green steam.

She yelped when a taloned hand punched suddenly through the steel grate to grab the floor. Viscera crawled out, squeezing her monstrous frame and dusty wings through the confined space. More of the foul-looking mold spread from the torn vent.

Stretching her limbs and neck with grotesque bone cracks, the avian monstress leered at the unicorn and demi with a delightful grin. “Ohoho yes, my poor, lovesick seraphim. She’s absolutely right. You are more capable of defeating Mortis than you think! But don’t let her shallow sense of ‘morality’ blind you to what true power can bring!”

Zeloph gripped the Vorpal Blade tightly while Beatrix instantly drew out her Onoma and rapier sword, the darkness of the Demiurge cascading around her denuded form like a curtain as she mentally banished her clothes to let the cool darkness submerge her. When the nephilim took a few steps toward them, she warned, “Stay back!”

Viscera ignored her and proceeded to get closer. “Don’t you want to avenge your beloved Atalanta? Her executioner is right outside this ship. This is your chance, Zeloph. Now is the time to make him suffer! Make him wish he had never reanimated. And then… grant it!”

“Don’t listen to her,” urged Beatrix. “She’s trying to use you! You are not what she is! You’re not—”

“Evil? Ha! And who are you to label me as such?” The vile one chortled with amusement. “You, the foolhardy tramp who selfishly condemned half her friends and their worlds to their demise! You’re not even here to comfort him!” Her chartreuse eyes briefly glanced at the Necronomicon. “You’re just pushing your grievances onto him so he’ll fix your mistakes. All because you’re too inadequate to handle them yourself. Now who's really using who here~?”

The violet mare’s face hardened with fury once Viscera turned her gaze back to Zeloph. “But since when did lions care for the opinion of sheep? We are demi-human! We were made better, smarter, and stronger than the common mortal. We were meant to ruin mankind. This planet is living proof of that!”

The angelic demi shuddered as a nostalgic dread crept up his spine. Memories of thousands of voices crying out for help while he stood above the destroyed buildings and righteous flames.

Viscera offered her hand. “You can not escape who you are, Zeloph. Who you were meant to be. Together, you and I can finish what he started. We can reclaim Scaratera. Repopulate it with our superior offspring. And restore his fallen legacy~!”

Beatrix knitted her brow. “‘His?’ What are you on about? I thought you despised Varys. But if anything, your plan sounds no different from his!”

“Unless you mean…” A terrible epiphany slithered through Zeloph’s psyche like a venomous viper. A possibility that rekindled the burning wrath within. Not for Mortis, but for someone else who he held more contempt for. Someone he had long convinced himself no longer existed.

Vermillion eyes fixated on the harpy witch and, with tranquil fury, demanded, “…Whose legacy are you trying to restore?”

Viscera stretched her grin until her beak-shaped face was uncannily wide. She then gave her answer. “You already know who. You’ve just been lying to yourself this whole time. Did you really think he could be so easily done in~?”

The Vorpal Blade gleamed with brilliant light as Zeloph flashed forward to decimate the wicked bringer of beldam. Predicting this action, Viscera blocked the attack with orichalcum bones protruding from her wrists. With her prey right where she wanted, she propelled him into the glass barrier with a hard kick. Then her corpse flower tail shot a sticky adhesive and glued the seraphic demi-human to the dome.

Beatrix cried, “Zeloph!”

“Ohh, don’t worry about him. He’s not going anywhere,” the nephilim cooed, licking her teeth while extending her poisonous talons. “And neither is anyone else~!”

The witch snarled and launched a triple storm of elements at Viscera in an attempt to end her on the spot. The avian monstress flew out of the blast radius and fired back acidic projectiles and spinal quills. Beatrix, in turn, deflected them with an invisible barrier she mystically erected.

A rush of footsteps sounded outside the door. “Lassie! What th' hell is goin' on!?” bellowed Dion.

“She‘s in here! Hurry, before—”

“Oh, no, you don't!” The Nephilim shrieked as she soared and jabbed her claw into the panel beside the door. Instantaneously, the meaty mold rapidly expanded until the electronic gates were consumed by a wall of toxic flesh.

Eyeballs, warts, and pus-filled boils blocked out Dion, who cursed when he halted his charge. One swing proved ineffective, the disease absorbing the ram’s great sword and dissolving it into rot within seconds. “Gnaagh! Fuckin' nasty!”

“It smells worse than it looks,” said a revolted Iclyn, hand clipping her nose.

“You can bitch about it after we open this damn door!!” Ordered Arcanum, who blasted the foul green growth with spells. The deighdyr summoned a flurry to try and freeze the sickness, to no avail due to how feverishly hot the festering growth was. "Dammit! Our spells are useless too?!"

Trapped inside, Beatrix strained to hold back Viscera while Zeloph struggled to free himself. His hand desperately reached for the Vorpal Blade, which gleamed underneath the hardened discolored substance a few inches from his fingertips.

The witch flung her most potent spells and cosmic radiance, utilizing the teleporting orb trick she developed while training to keep Viscera on her toes. And fortunately, she maneuvered the ball to hit its mark when the vile one misstepped, dark matter bursting in front of her. “Aaaugh!”

Viscera squawked from the collision, tumbling onto the floor like a rag doll. When she lifted herself up, she found a thin blade poised between her brows, her glare meeting Beatrix’s.

“I’m only saying this one final fucking time! Stand down,” she commanded through heavy breaths. “Don’t think for a second I’ll hesitate to kill you!”

The nephilim gave a throatful chuckle in response. “You think your friends will be safe after you’ve murdered me? Idiot! They’ll never know peace so long as you're around to toy with their pathetic lives! After all, my dear Beatrix… It’s all your fault~!”

At the sound of those words, memories of that horrid nightmare Beatrix tried so desperately to repress instantly manifested. The violet unicorn felt her will falter as she dropped her weapon; the voices and images of everyone blaming her for the continued unraveling of the multiverse were overwhelming.

“N-No! Stop! I didn’t mean for this to happen! I’m sorry,” she cried hysterically, collapsing to her knees and clutching her head. “I’m sorry, Oona! Please forgive me!!”

Zeloph ceased his wriggling to observe the situation, eyes widened. Never before had he seen his ex-lover in such a state of duress.

“Beatrix...?” The others outside could also hear her bawling, which only drove them to try and break inside the room harder.

Even Viscera was briefly taken aback by the sight of her foe regressing to that of a frightened child… before immediately seizing the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. The shriveling witch thrashed wildly beneath the vile beldam, who pinned her hands with her wings.

“I must admit. I’m quite curious about what’s causing you such beautiful trauma,” Viscera purred, exploring and grasping the busty unicorn’s ample curves with one hand. At the same time, the other dragged her talon along her slim stomach. “If only so that I may replicate it tenfold~!”

Zell’s ears flickered at rhythmic tapping coming from behind him. He turned his head enough to see the corvid-shaped creature from before fluttering about while pecking the glass with its nooked beak.

‘You again?’

The pale raven tilted its head side to side before flying upward to somersault into the dome. But instead of smashing into the glass, like he was expecting, it phased through and planted its clawed feet into the sticky substance, trying to pry out the Vorpal Blade.

“What in the world..?”

But Zeloph didn’t waste time questioning the abnormality, somewhat thankful Viscera hadn’t detected the bird’s presence, far too occupied with molesting Beatrix during her hysteria.

After continuous tugging, the semi-skeletal crow finally ripped the interdimensional sword free in its talons. Astonished, the seraphic angel managed to unbind his arm and reached for his weapon.

The weapon finally responded and emitted a powerful light that dissolved the adhesive completely, allowing Zeloph to reclaim his saber and unfurl his wings. His sight set on the accursed book wafting with foul magic.

Viscera’s eyes winched at the sudden glaring light illuminating the room before her attention was drawn to her freed captive. “What?! How did you—NO!”

The vile one blindly fired eldritch bolts from her fingers. Zell and the raven ducked out from the projectiles, the avian thing knocking down the cast-aside Necronomicon, its malevolent aura shuddering from the ample light.

The delusions plaguing Beatrix vastly weakened, awareness returning to the shaken witch. When she realized what was happening, she called upon the Demiurge to entangle its inky tendrils around Viscera’s limbs.

Before any more doubts could change her mind, Beatrix raised her voice over the harpy’s screeching, shouting, “Now, Zeloph! DO IT!!”

With a mighty battle cry, the angel dove down to plunge the sacred saber through the flesh-bound grimoire, which imitated an agonized shriek. Oily black blood leaked from the stab wound, which caught fire as the purifying light expunged the evil within its moldy pages. Lightning, smoke, and noise funneled out from the Necronomicon, a cyclone of screaming visages and eldritch abominations evaporating into the aether.

Reality shook violently, and everyone aboard the Glamorguis lost their footing and fell to the floor. Outside, the UFO was no different; the battle between Mortis, Bellatrix, Andrei, and Demis came to a halt from the sudden tornado of damned souls whirling out of the glass dome, a pulsating light glowing larger beneath.

The lich’s spectral pupils shrank to pinpoints. “It can’t be..!”

At the catalyst of the Necronomicon’s destruction, time stood still, and sound deafened. The faces of many gazed at it with shock, awe, and subsequent dread. Zeloph, Beatrix, and Viscera couldn’t tear their gaze away from the beams of light pouring out the cracks chipping away at the cursed book until it ultimately exploded.

A giant shockwave of energy rippled out the ship, knocking everyone down with indomitable force and extending out Sacratera into the far reaches of deep space.

Every universe, planet, and sentient being felt the phantasmagorical wave run through them. The king and queen from Cerise’s world didn’t see anything change but felt something was amiss. The citizens of the Cyberverse experienced a period of power loss, which made them panic until the mayor regained control of the situation. Almost everyone in Midnight’s world believed it was a sign that the distorted terrain would worsen, prompting their war leaders to work faster into assembling their armada.

*****

At closing time, Bloody Merry helped the pub owner clean up. “Time to shuffle on,” she informed the stallion soldiers that lingered about. There were a few grumbles, but they rose and made their way out through the saloon's double doors. She'd taken off her jacket, sweaty from the summer heat. However, none of the minotaurs or holstaurs appeared bothered by the temperature. Despite the fall of darkness, a swelter of air stifled her.

“Goodness,” she muttered, wiping her sweaty brow with a napkin. “Not sure how you take this heat all the time! No wonder none of you bother to wear much in the way of clothes!”

The twins beamed back at her, down to cow-print bikini bottoms that barely concealed their pussies and left nearly their entire coral-pink asses on display, their bare, swelled-up udders dotted in beads of milk that rested on the tips of their broad, runny-pink nipples. “You should try this! It's fun!”

The brick-red mare smiled and waved them off. “No thanks, you two milkmaids have that covered!” The twins volunteered to help the staff today since Moon Hammer busied himself with Hammerfall and potential alliances. The troops not temporarily banned were ready to pay extra to suckle the milk from the twin sisters, mainly because they wanted to believe they pulled one over on the chief. However, Moon Hammer hardly minded their amorous nature, more concerned his wives were safe and cared for.

“Oh dear,” said Strawberry Moon, who deliberately bent over with a shake of her wide, heart-shaped ass, which she playfully shook as she used a napkin to clean up a milk puddle, her pendulous tits suspended. “Stains everywhere!”

“It's hard to always aim directly into a cup~,” whined Blue Moon, who squeezed a naked udder and watched the streams of blueberry milk fired from her plump nipple splash across the rim.

A low moo escaped the sisters as their cutie marks shimmered from shared stimulation. Merry shook her head, used to their amorous antics by now. After all, they'd told her they needed to be routinely milked many times, like all cows here, or their tits would swell and turn sore.

“You two relax. I'll take out the trash,” offered Merry, who hefted a heavy sack. She went behind the counter, past the storage room, and exited the back of the building. A phosphorescent light cut into the dimness, dense shadows cast across the dim brick wall on her way to a packed dumpster swarmed by flies. Her nose crinkled at the stench when she tossed the sack into the bin.

Her ears perked at faint words from an alley. Cautiously, she crept closer and peeked around. Troops were still on the property. She was ready to tell them off, especially when she saw a couple of almost naked cows were with them, but hesitated when she noted the conversation appeared amiable. Nonetheless, she stuck around to make sure the waitresses were safe...and to listen in.

One of the stallions smirked and said, “About that extra service-”

“The bits upfront,” replied one of the cow women with a smile as they stood taller than the ponies.

“Count it if you doubt us,” said the second soldier, who rattled his coin purse.

“More than enough, Creamy,” said the first curvaceous cow. The pair undid the strings to their cow print thongs and let them fall at their feet, rendered entirely nude when they lowered themselves to their knees. Then, they fished the half-erect cocks from the pants of the ponies and let them flop free with a heavy bob.

“Nice and hard, Milky,” said the second cow with a slow lick of her luscious lips. Immediately, the waitresses started to plant small kisses and licks on the tips of the flares, which leaked and throbbed while they swelled up to fullness.

“Goddamn,” the first soldier said as he ran his hand across the mane of the cow that sucked him off. “You have no idea how you milk maids work us up! Our damn commander won't let us blow off some steam!” He bucked a little into her mouth as Creamy's lips closed around his cock.

“W-well,” mumbled the second stallion as Milky throated him balls deep like a two-bit whore. “After what happened to that lost unit...” That information was supposed to be classified...but loose pussy lips led to their own loose lips.

“Rumor has it they fell afoul of that damn cult!” He pushed Creamy harder into his crotch and drove his dick down her gullet, determined to savor their money's worth as confidential info spilled out.

Merry leaned in around the corner to listen more intently. The so-called 'Cult of the Nemesis'? Worse, she couldn't help but feel a heated stir in her loins since she hadn't been laid in forever! 'Creamy' and 'Milky' (which she doubted were their real names) wrapped their udders around the presented horsecocks and continued serving them, determined to milk out their seed.

“Y-yeah...you cows should thank us,” one mumbled while he continued to rail her face; sloppy saliva mixed with his flare's precum leak dribbled down her chin. “We can protect you! Wouldn't want to end up at a breeder camp-”

“Hush,” warned the first one with a side-eye as he, too, facefucked his sow into submission. The stallions took the cows by their tiny horns and railed their hot throats as hard as possible.

The brick-red, blonde earth mare carefully considered their banter. Breeder camps? Would Fiery Kickstart really take it up to that level?

She'd heard the supreme commander was a fanatic, driven to unite the world under an iron fist and put ponies on top, but to turn mares into livestock should it help him win the war...?

She swallowed a surprised cry when hands pulled her back. “Oh,” she whispered. “Just you two.”

“Well, excuse us~,” teased Blue Moon with a swivel of her wide hips. “You look a little flustered.”

“Just a little,” confessed Merry, thankful that the foursome ahead didn't hear their whispers over their conversation and the sloppy sounds of their blowies. “No more than a small itch.”

Strawberry Moon sniffed the air. “Smells like estrus to us~!”

“Oi! Don't be weird,” she playfully warned back. “Rebirth must've kickstarted me damn cycle. Crapcakes! That means it'll only burn worse and worse until me...well...” Her cheeks burned harder.

“We can help you,” offered Blue, delicately tickling the mare's tummy as she lifted her shirt.

“Don't particularly swing that way. Plus, a mare can only do so much for my itch. But ah...crap. Doubt I'll be able to sleep a wink in this condition.” Merry could feel her resistances crumble little by little since her instincts screamed relief was nearby, unable to tear her eyes from the expertly serviced stallions.

Finally, she exhaled. “F-fine. Just a quickie.” She looked at a potion Blue offered. “This is-?”

“What we offered last time. It'll help,” she assured her with a sly wink.

Merry stared at the corked, bubbly tube. “...fuck it. Was always curious how I'd taste.” She popped the cork and drank down the contents, which settled in her belly. A warmth spread across her already sizable breasts, slowly expanding and threatening to burst out of her shirt.

She suppressed a low moan after her breasts and hardened nipples teased across the stretched fabric. The slight hint of a rip sounded. Swiftly, she unbuttoned her shirt, and her now larger-than-life tits flopped free with a lewd series of bounces.

“C-crap. When did they get so sensitive...” Likewise, her cunt leaked across the crotch of her silky panties and threatened to stain her pants, which she quickly pulled down and kicked aside. Her panties were soon dropped and pushed aside, too, as on instinct, she lifted a titty and raised the perky nipple to her lips.

Gently, she suckled at first, then harder, rewarded by a spike of pleasure when her face burned. A wet pop sounded as she momentarily released the now milky tit, her mouth stained by a messy milk mustache. “Huh. C-cinnamon?”

“Spicy,” murmured Strawberry when she knelt before the mare's plush ass and, likewise, Blue before her pussy. The sisters started to devour the earth mare's lower holes as Merry cast back her head and bit her lip to stifle a cry. She tended back to her cinnamon milk titties, which she kneaded. “Wh-when does this stuff wear off?”

“A few hours with that small dose,” reassured Blue Moon, who continued to eat her out. Thankfully, the triple assault on Merry's body soon made her shake and squirt directly into Blue's mouth when the stallions emptied their balls onto the rosy faces and down the well-pounded throats of Creamy and Milky.

Milk dribbled and squirted from the squeezed-together udders of the cows, who drained the last ropes that shot across their runny faces and tongues, drenched in dollops of splooge from the pent-up soldiers. Milky and Creamy cleaned off the last drops of spunk with tongue swirls, and likewise, Merry hurried to redress herself.

It wasn't like her to do something like this, but she knew estrus could make a mare do some pretty dumb stuff. Thankfully, the twins had helped her put aside her little problem.

“Let's keep this between us, okay? Don't want to build a saucy reputation.” The twins bowed and nodded before they headed back inside the pub.

More importantly, she'd learned a bit of information that could come in handy. Did the wives of the supreme commander know? At the least, she could share her knowledge with Moon Hammer. She returned to tidy up the milk bar, now lost in troubled contemplation.

Finally, she and the twins returned home. On entry, they heard muffled moans. “Of course,” said Merry with a slight roll of her eyes and a grin as she placed her jacket on a hatstand. "We're back!"

In the kitchen, Moon Hammer sat unclad in a chair. “Hey,” he called with a deep chuckle.

“Hello there,” also answered Panna over her shoulder, as the also denuded doe bounced on his cock, which left its imprint on her belly; she was only able to safely take his bitch-breaker thanks to one of the potions Beatrix left behind that rendered her insides extra stretchy. “He...he constructed me a replacement horn,” she huffed between her ride. “S-so...I wanted to properly repay him-”

“And help form another alliance,” whispered the twins with a twitter as they wiggled out of their bikinis and left them in a trail when they raced over to their husband and rubbed their udders on him while they peppered him all over with butterfly kisses. “Join us, Bloody Merry~?”

“No thanks. Me itch was dealt with.” For now. She knew her estrus wouldn't relent until she took some proper dick, but she wasn't about to submit to the first attractive male thrown her way.

Sure, she'd had a few dates that led to one-night stands in the past, but for the most part, she'd been too busy for romance. Just another soldier that helped carry out a covert war alongside Arcanum. While the blacksmith buckled under his rider, the fawn's spotted ass clapped across his lap, as did her equally spotted tits in his face.

All the while, Merry explained what she'd overheard about these supposed breeder camps. Despite his loss in the throes of passion, Moon Hammer listened intently and nodded, even when he wheezed, clenched up, and finally pumped his heavy load into Panna, whose belly swelled up as she, too, drenched his crotch.

He met Panna's emerald eyes and asked her, “Did you and Chezka know about this?”

She shook her head. “There are some secrets Fiery keeps even from us.” Sweaty breasts heaved on his chest while he stroked her sharply-cut mane that fell to her shoulders. “But somehow, I'm not surprised. My brother Cornelius and I used to fight an oppressive regime. Now I'm forced to serve one by my Amazon code.”

His firm, wide palm squeezed one of the supple cheeks of her spotted ass. “You could break it-”

“Could you so easily abandon your people? Chezka and I are the last representatives of the Amazons. Should our code be broken, their culture dies with us.” She mewled in appreciation at how he kneaded and rolled her pert ass and did the same with one of her tits.

Nevertheless, subtle doubt warred across her attempt to maintain a poker face. When she rose and popped the bull's cock out of her, a waterfall of his seed drooled from her slit as he patted her butt. She smiled back at him and hobbled over to the mechanical horn he left on the table for her. "The construction looks wonderful. Like a piece of art."

"All yours," he said and winked.

The twins playfully whined, “Hope you still have some stamina left for us~!”

“Always,” he reassured with a smirk. “Help yourself to the cooler, Merry.”

“Already had a heavy dinner at the pub. But I could use me a drink,” she confessed and rustled up a few beers while the minotaur kissed and fondled his insatiable wives. On her way to her room, she saw the nursery put aside for the newborn calves, cradled close to Chezka's heavy bosom as the centauress rocked them. “Hello there,” she said between drinks. “Didn't expect to see you around these parts, either.”

“They needed some alone time, so I decided to pitch in,” explained Chezka, who stared at the little bull and cow. “I'm not really used to the domestic lifestyle. It's kind of...quaint. And I overheard your talk in the kitchen. Panna doesn't care much about the Amazon code... but follows it for my sake. We're sisters, if not by blood.” She hummed to the babies before tucking them into their blankets in the crib.

Whatever she claimed, it was clear to Merry. This lifestyle stirred a softer side in the centaur.

Once in her room, Merry tossed off her sweaty clothes and underwear, then downed a few more beers. Outside, she heard the faint chirp of crickets and cracked her window to feel the breeze. Heavier and more prominent than usual, breasts settled into place and leaked more cinnamon milk. She lazily kneaded one; soreness became pleasure each time she played with her milkers.

"Damn it. They'll make me a cock gobbling whore yet at this rate," she muttered as she squeezed herself dry into a basin the twins had left in her room.

Merry had certainly seen some strange stuff around Hammerfall, which made her wonder, were most of the citizens here on Moon Hammer's payroll? It would certainly make sense to have people in the background like 'Creamy' and 'Milky'; well, milk the soldiers for information!

The bartender and twins were likely in on it too. It annoyed her to be left out of the loop, but she understood Moon Hammer's reasons as a former spy. She still needed to earn his complete trust.

She reclined on her back and wondered, would she be stuck here forever? Would she be able to see Arcanum since Moon Hammer and the twins seemed convinced they would return any day...?

*****

Ordered to undertake daily lessons for her supposed ‘destiny’ to become the ruler she wished to be, Cerise Silhouette felt there was little choice but to obey since the princess remained alone and surrounded in the labyrinthine, connected series of hives below the hollow earth. The closest thing to comfort came in the form of the queen's toys, who cast her odd sympathetic looks after she'd protected one of their own.

But nonetheless, they were compelled to obey their mistress. Not that she blamed any of the poor pleasure drones. A draft from the hollows rolled across her nubile form while she shivered.

Ahead of her, the crimson horn sat on the white stallion's forehead; enchantments carefully layered onto it every day until it permanently attached. “Lesson one,” called her 'father/brother' with a smooth clap of his hands. “Etiquette.”

Sombra stalked to the throne room, and she followed, mindful of how her rounded portions jiggled with each step in her almost nonexistent costume, several eyes from drones particularly drawn to breasts clad in pasty-like pieces of platinum. Her butt was partially on display, its crack hidden by her hot pink tail, but most of all, they eyed her taut twat, also concealed by a flimsy silvery piece over the slit that left her charcoal mound and pubis exposed.

Cerise kept her head down, and her cheeks burned on their walk through the tunnels. Again, they passed the chambers with the holstaurs and directly entered it this time. She realized he'd deliberately chosen the scenic route in this house of horrors, part of his test to break her spirit down and reshape it into the cruel, would-be successor to her father's tyrannical bloodline.

The occasional moo echoed around a cave slick with puddles of lactation. The cow women, suspended above and swollen with eggs after the drones repeatedly stuffed their wombs full of their seed, were intertwined with tentacles that coiled around and molested them when not in use by the hive, the heavy, pendulous udders left to swing and sway, the milk kneaded from their swollen titties. She winced and shuddered when a warm splash of honey-sweet milk splattered over her face and sluiced down her all but fully exposed breasts, which bobbed and swayed free with each movement due to a lack of support.

The platinum princess wiped her face and tried to dash out of these chambers of terror where the denuded, voluptuous were routinely milked, only to cry out and slip on a puddle. “Oof!” Her bare black butt splashed in a pit of cooled milk. Shakily, she rose, drenched to her neck when she rubbed her sore bottom with both hands and pouted.

“Heh. You shouldn’t stumble,” Sombra teased with a dark chuckle, his hands and horn lit to redirect the droplets that fell from above. The enchantments to fully seal his old horn to him were incomplete for the moment, so he dared not risk its destruction with any advanced displays of arcane prowess, telekinesis but a mere trifle.

“Not everyone is blessed with magic like you!” She refrained from telling him that none of her powers worked ever since she awakened from that crystal coffin. Not that she dared try and test them too much in her current situation.

Cerise couldn't summon a solitary crystal. And she doubted her ability to dance and entrance onlookers would be possible, either. Her sole question was, why? Did Omen do something to nullify her abilities? Or was it the hive itself? She knew it was pointless to speculate. Whatever the reason, she was rendered all but helpless here.

More self-conscious than ever in her tiny costume now that she'd been soaked neck-to-toe in milk that stained her skin and charcoal fur after they exited, she raced to follow him, despite the awkward bounce of her nubile contours. Not to mention the knowledge every drone here would sacrifice a limb to fill up her unused womb. She shuddered anew and willed this madness to end.

Finally, the pair arrived back at the 'throne room,' where the Mi-Go mushroom illuminated the room, and Queen Chrysalis awaited in her pool. The hive's mistress narrowed her eyes at the princess but kept her tongue; more water lazily splashed across her voluminous shape.

Sombra announced, “You've chosen the vocation of a dancer, yes? Then I think it's time we saw what you're capable of, my sweet.” He patted Cerise's bare rump to send her forward.

Glaring hotly at him, she replied, “Aren't you already more than familiar with that since you have all of my brother's memories?”

Yet dozens of drones started to collect around the inner sanctum, unable to help but salivate at the show she'd no doubt put on.

A wolfish grin spread his stolen features. “I want to see it with my own eyes! As does everyone else. Now show us what you can do, my daughter of darkness!” He all but ordered it with a harsher slap to her shapely pert ass, making her seethe harder, and pushed forward into the center with everyone distanced to allow her proper space.

Cerise swallowed and insisted, “W-Well, I can't really dance without mus—” Around her, many changelings produced instruments carried within their multiple limbs, which they started to play. Likewise, some onlookers began to clap to a rhythm. With a loud sigh, the dark dancer took the first tentative steps, slow at first, hesitant to totally lose herself to the sway that called to her like she usually would.

There was no choice but to persist, not when they'd simply punish her disobedience. Or worse, abuse one of the Queen's toys to motivate her. So she closed her eyes and continued to swivel.

“Smile,” commanded her 'father/brother,' and she forced herself to do so.

On instinct, she seized her amethyst-quartz-tipped spear he tossed her way. “Wh-what is this for...?”

“The cult recovered it from the battlefield. A prop will help you perform better, won't it?” His leer deepened.

Their confidence was evident since they considered her little threat even with her prized weapon, the spear tipped in quartz. With a heave of her shoulders, Cerise's bare feet moved delicately across her toes until she started to pirouette faster. Grace that befitted her royal status carried her every movement, her figure shaped to perfection by a lifetime spent in carefree dances. She realized portions of the earth around the rock were soft clay, and a sudden stroke of inspiration lit her features.

Cerise drove the spear's tip into the clay to keep the weapon embedded there, then started to twist around the makeshift pole to the cheers of approval from the crowd. For a moment, she'd almost forgotten where she was...until she momentarily opened her eyes and looked back to the masses, aware of what they'd done and were capable of, which made her stomach turn.

Omen’s voice sounded in her skull once more. “ꅐꁝꏂꋪꏂ’ꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꏂꋊ꓄ꁝ꒤ꇙ꒐ꋬꇙꂵ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꉣꋪ꒐꒯ꏂ? ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒐ꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꏂ꒒ꏂꂵꏂꋊ꓄. ꒯ꄲꋊ’꓄ ꓄ꏂ꒒꒒ ꂵꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤’ꋪꏂ ꍌꏂ꓄꓄꒐ꋊꍌ ꇙ꓄ꋬꍌꏂ ꊰꋪ꒐ꍌꁝ꓄ ꋊꄲꅐ, ꋬꋪꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤?” She did her damndest to ignore the insufferable whisper, focused on the melody and rhythm to better guide her deft motions.

“ꌦꄲ꒤ ꒯ꋬꋊꉔꏂ ꃳꏂ꓄꓄ꏂꋪ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꋊꋬꀘꏂ꒯, ꌦꏂꇙ? ꉣꏂꋪꁝꋬꉣꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꇙꁝꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꋪꏂꂵꄲ꒦ꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꉔꄲꇙ꓄꒤ꂵꏂ. ꉣ꒐ꏂꉔꏂ. ꃳꌦ. ꉣ꒐ꏂꉔꏂ. ꒤ꋊ꒒ꏂꇙꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐꋬꋊ꓄ ꓄ꄲ ꍌꏂ꓄ ꄲꋊ ꒯ꋬ꒯꒯ꌦ’ꇙ ꃳꋬ꒯ ꇙ꒐꒯ꏂ~.”

Cerise hesitated. But at Sombra’s cold stare, she reluctantly conceded and discovered the spell on her costume that kept it adorned to her temporarily lifted. When she peeled off the first platinum pasty, her perky tit was drawn to full tautness before her stretched-out pink nipple was freed, and her teeth clenched after her bared titty bounced until it settled. She then drew out her other tit and released that erect nipple; that breast was also left to wobble under pressure once released. Finally, the lips of her pussy were pulled taut once she removed the bottom piece.

Rendered fully exposed, Cerise continued to straddle and spin around the pole, her tail hiking on instinct from the aroma of lust around her.

Chrysalis was the sole exception to the shared lust, who instead watched clearly incensed and ordered her toys to lower themselves on all fours and form a throne for her, which she then settled her voluptuous bare bottom onto. Another reminder of the queen's status, since she never bothered with clothes in the hive, Chrysalis could do what she pleased, whenever she pleased.

Sombra snickered. “That will be you one day~.”

With a shake of her head, the princess carried on her dance. Bared flesh quivered under the eerie, emerald sheen of the moist caverns. An hour later, the music ended, her skin and fur matted with perspiration, and her ears filled with more claps and cheers. She reclaimed her spear from the clay, forced a humble bow, and then squatted to recover her cast-aside costume.

“No need,” said the tyrant, as the pieces floated up and once more conformed to her flesh, breasts, and ass, left to violently wobble when the tiny silver pieces slapped into place. “You exceeded my expectations. Well done.”

“Thank you,” she answered neutrally after Trixie took her spear to put it away.

His leer widened with a lick of his chops. “You deserve a reward. Come to Daddy~.”

“E-ehh, no thank you—”

His saturnine face darkened, and Cerise approached him tentatively with another exhale. Sombra took her hand and led her to a private room he'd ordered specially prepared. The chambers resembled one of the fabled harems she'd heard about beyond the outskirts of her homelands, a verdant paradise that contrasted the endless desolation of the desert dunes. Exotic pastel plants blossomed around them. “I withdrew this from your brother's memories. A place he'd once stumbled on amidst a mission to free slaves sold to a harem, that momentarily tempted him.”

“I'd prefer not to see such a private place—”

Yet he pressed on. “You think White Shadow Penumbra pure? Hardly! He, too, deals with constant temptations, ones he pushes down with discipline. No wonder he went into military service! Your other half-brother, Ashen Dunes, at least knows how to have fun, weak as that fop may be! Penumbra's disbanded slavers and resisted slave mares that threw themselves at him...” To reenact this, several female drones stepped forward and, in a flash, took the shapes of beautiful, denuded mares, ready to service him by the saucy poses they struck.

Cerise grimaced. “S-so he finds pretty mares attractive? That's normal! What's your point?”

“My point is that this would be heaven to even the noblest stallion. To let his armor down and indulge in almost every vice imaginable! Certainly, he's content with his wife, Lily Longsocks, but she's barely above a peasant! Much like your own husband, since a knight is merely a couple steps above the masses!” Like Chrysalis, Sombra commanded one of the mares to prostrate herself on all fours. Once she did so, he sat upon her upraised bottom, and likewise, another nude mare lowered and offered a seat to Cerise with a sway of her heart-shaped ass. “Sit. Now. ”

Cerise begrudgingly obeyed and sat on the soft rump, which she hated to admit made quite a nice cushion when tender cheek flesh squashed under her bare bottom. She'd also heard the tales from Ashen Dunes of indoctrinated assassins, conditioned by drugs and the promise of virgins in the afterlife until they were molded into perfect weapons. Ashen and Penumbra once studied these dark, lurid tales in secret, and Penumbra had taken the lessons learned within to heart in order to master the sword...and himself, lest he one day lose himself to sin and embrace his suppressed inner darkness.

Her 'father/brother' removed his shirt and lit his opium pipe. Glassy-eyed, he inhaled the substance, then passed the pipe to her. Her hands shook when she took a puff and choked a little, reminded of one of her last interactions with Penumbra. No doubt his intention.

His free palm offered lackadaisical strokes of the bare buttocks he sat upon. “Free yourself, my sweet. Let the real Cerise Silhouette out.”

“The 'real me' wouldn't put up with all this,” she seethed impotently, the pipe passed back and forth. Her consciousness muddled increasingly with each drawn-out puff she took, her stomach pleasantly afire. A squeak escaped her when his hands and horn lit up, and she was drawn by his aura into his lap, where he sat her. Her blush darkened. “What...what are you....”

He caressed her heated cheek. “Doesn't it feel wonderful?”

“D-don't...oh...” A hum sounded when the silvery 'bikini' started to vibrate, subtle, but nonetheless, it added to the pleasant warmth from the opium, no doubt laced with other additives. Despite herself, her bare buttocks squirmed across his lap. The vibrations tickled her tender nipples and teased out her clitoris, which swelled and rubbed at her barely hidden slit, which moistened in answer.

Sombra summoned phantom hands, which started to rub her shoulders, and her back and moved lower across her hips. Cerise squealed between her gritted teeth, barely able to resist anymore in her hazy state, while multiple ghostly palms started to molest her all over. She tried to brush them aside, but there were far too many, wandering all over her feminine shapes, barely a trace of her body unmolested by his touch.

"Ah...n-no...!" Her face twisted into a fucked silly expression, tickled until tears dotted her eyes.

“Heh. But it seems I left an important piece of your costume out. You've earned it.” The dark tyrant pulled her down until she rested across his lap, her heart-shaped ass upraised like 'daddy' was ready to spank it. Instead, the other harem slaves started to rub every inch of her supple flesh down in scented oils. Glistened skin and fur were kneaded, squeezed, and pinched while she shamefully moaned, feet kicked, and toes curled.

Sombra licked his chops and produced the prize a slave handed him, a miniature plug in the shape of the Crystal Heart. He cupped one of his daughter's asscheeks, yanked it aside to expose her delicious asshole, and worked the plug into her pink pucker. The bat mare whined and squirmed, his thumb driven up her taut, heated sphincter, his digits dug into her pinched as flesh. He took his time to savor the act; her penetrated rectum widened when it was driven open when the false Crystal Heart settled in, the ring of her stretched anus taut and warm around its intruder that burrowed deeper inside.

“A-ahhh~! N-no, please...” She whined louder as her pussy winked and leaked across his lap, intimately touched by a sea of spectral hands and the warm fleshy one of her 'father/brother,' who continued to directly knead and squeeze her supple, oil-slicked pert ass. Her brain threatened to melt under unwanted bliss, and the princess was left to writhe and mewl under the full-body molestation.

Was this how he broke so many crystal mares? Addicted them to euphoria until they twisted into shameless sluts bent to his iron will...? There were flashes around her; the 'crystal mares' transformed into familiar females drawn from her brother's memories and her own, which his reattached crimson horn helped his skim.

Lily Longsocks. Inky Rose. Somnambula. Rhenaes. Even her birth mother, Pacific Glow, the earth mare that she was a partial reincarnation of. All the important mares in her life stood naked before her, reduced to pleasure slaves. She wiggled and moaned in his grasp, his deep voice in her curved ears when he fingered her hot pink asshole to the lewd sounds of wet squishes.

“They could all be your servants. To feed you lavish foods, bathe and massage you, and satisfy your every decadent fantasy! You could rule your entire world uncontested! Drive out all your doubters! They would happily serve your every whim, prepared to throw themselves on their swords the moment you commanded it!”

“I...I don't want slaves...!” Cerise barely choked out words when she leaked on him and the 'pet' below from violent winks of her puffy pink pussy.

“You will,” he assured her with a playful clap of her immaculately sculpted ass. “To think, so many alternate dimensions out there, ready to invade and conquer! Maybe I'll even claim Penumbra's lovely waif of a wife for my own!”

“N-no,” she whined under the fondles of her oiled-up, nubile contours, all nicely slick and shiny.

Thankfully, Cerise feels her lower holes seize up before she is shattered. She screamed out her pleasure and squirted all over his lap, a messy waterfall that made her toes curl and her supple skin quiver; her lips opened in a continuous howl as one climax followed away until, mercifully, her face warped in an undesired fucked silly face, where she eventually blacked out and went slack.

Worse for her, it didn't stop there. The charcoal thestral dreamed that her 'father' stripped her naked. Drove the princess to her knees, his massive black cock slapped across her face, a hand on her head to force her head down. Her lips spread around his vein-lined shaft, driven to service it with a wink of her wet pussy, her tail upraised and her heart-shaped ass lewdly lifted whenever she leaked dollops of liquid arousal.

'Daddy' continued to molest her while she slept and cooed, a fine instrument played by his firm hands. Pliable breasts and buttocks pinched and pulled under his ministrations. Instinct screamed for him to take her now. To seal the deal and put an heir deep within her fertile womb. But he realized it was far too soon. He'd already pushed her far beyond what he'd initially intended.

Would she loathe him even more once she came back to her senses? Would he be able to successfully twist her innocence before she ended up broken and all but useless to him?

She twisted once more when he planted an affectionate pair of pats on her plush posterior.

Outside of the hallowed chamber, Chrysalis quietly bristled. Her lover's attention continued to pull towards the new arrival. Sure, she was fresh meat, but what made her any better than a common harem slut? Royal blood? She scoffed at the idea! The spoiled wench didn't deserve her title! What had she sacrificed and endured?

“Royalty is more than blood. It's an attitude. Cerise lacks the imperious spirit,” surmised the queen. “Perhaps his brutalization can mold her into the mare he wishes her to be. But somehow, I doubt it. Her heart is too tender. Too pure.”

She rolled her eyes. At least Sombra took every opportunity to molest the wench, a cruel sneer at Cerise's humiliation written across her lips.

The black stallion in question exited without his prize, his cock's imprint painfully erect in his pants. Unable to stick it in his prized princess, his cold eyes turned to the azure unicorn instead. “You there. Do something about this.”

“At your service, my liege! Allow the Humble and Submissive Trixie to pamper you with her supple flesh~!” The unicorn mare snapped to obey, undid the laces that held her open robes, and let them pool at her feet when she knelt and started to roll down his pants. Sombra wasted no time once his dick was freed, slapped it across Trixie's face, which he smeared in his precum, and immediately speared his whore's throatpussy.

Chokes sounded, and spittle ran from her lips when he brutally fucked her face. He showed her no mercy, little more than a tool to be exploited; her throat railed into submission as she moaned and her cunt winked, to be used and exploited at his whim like any of his typical harem harlots.

He vented his frustrations on her, growling as he came down her throat, holding her face into his crotch. Trixie’s nostrils were filled with excessive cum that erupted outward and ran free. Then, he lifted her up by the hips and properly pounded her puffy pussy. She cast back her head and screamed. Her breasts bounced before him under each sadistic slam, liquid love left to dribble down her clenched asscrack and anus.

“Aaaugh! Yes, master! Fuck Trixie’s slutty pussy. Fill her filthy holes with your royal jelly~!”

Chrysalis shook her head as the cultists collected around her love slave throne, her attention drawn away from Trixie, who was ruthlessly railed raw. “Ugh… what do you want now?”

Their spokesman, Vox, floated before her, his visage hidden by a hooded robe. “We’ve received word from the anomaly,” he announced quietly so as not to draw Sombra’s attention. He doubted that would matter, given how ravenously he was now hammering Trixie’s backside.

Quirking a curious brow, the evil monarch said, “And..?”

“You must focus your efforts on rejuvenating the hive's numbers as soon as possible,” Vox told her. “The time for you to claim Equestria is fast approaching.”

Chrysalis glowered. “You can’t be serious! Do you have any idea how long it takes for me to sire a single platoon of soldiers?”

“All the more reason to strike now while your enemies are lapping their wounds. After all, hundreds were lost in the last assault. Should the armies of Fiery and the minotaurs properly formalize an alliance—”

“Don't tell me how to run my hive,” warned Chrysalis.

“No need to get angry with me, to majesty,” Vox chuckled. “I am merely a mouthpiece to consult with. An ‘advisor,’ if you will.”

The changeling queen scoffed. “What ‘advice’ would you offer? You’ve yet to give me a single ounce of useful information!”

“A warning then? Cerise's presence threatens your position in the master plan.”

Chrysalis did her best not to cackle loudly. “That sniveling whelp? Please! She doesn’t have the stomach for conquest!”

“But Sombra does,” reminded Vox. “What do you think will happen should he succeed in molding her into what he desires?”

That brought out more anger the wicked monarch tried suppressing. “He wouldn’t dare—”

“He would. And deep down, you know it’s true.” Vox held her shoulder and pointed towards the tyrannical stallion, battering Trixie’s womb in a mating press. “He’s not sating his lust with that floozy. He’s preparing to make Cerise a queen. His queen. And with his guiding hand, she’ll effortlessly usurp you.”

Her emerald eyes glowed with immense hatred, teeth bared and clenched.

“And should that happen, the swarm won’t be the only ones who’ll think you're unfit to rule,” Vox continued in a whisper.

Chrysalis fixated her glare on him. “What are you saying?! It was your Lord of the Woods who bestowed the power of the Mi-Go to me!”

“And you believed that made you irreplaceable?” The spokesmen laughed. “No, no. If you fail to live up to your role, Chrysalis, there are preparations for Marathyssa to take your place. You may have the experience and power, but a protoquen would be far more suitable in raising our ranks in time to win the war.”

Chrysalis was breathing frantically, trembling with fury. “You can’t do this to me! The swarm is nothing without me! I am the swarm!! I AM THE QUEEN!!!”

Face twisted with rage, her hand plunged into her slick cunt faster than most eyes could follow, withdrew a spine from her depths with a wet pop, and shoved the venomous spire into the cultist.

Immediately, he gurgled and shook, foam and discolored blood oozing out his hood before falling slack. The queen lifted from her makeshift throne and peeled away the hood, staring with disgust at the decrypted corpse before her… until the head suddenly shook.

She jumped back slightly when the mouth was forcibly opened, and a tiny pale creature slithered out. It detached blood vessels connecting to its exoskeletal frame before scurrying up the queen’s leg with surprising speed.

“W-What the hell!? Get off of me!!”

The creepy critter traveled up her voluptuous form quicker than she could slap it away, tiny legs clinging to her tummy before it nestled between her bosom. Chrysalis shuddered and moaned, staring down at the crustacean-looking bug atop her chest, resembling the appearance of a cymothoa exigua.

“You really must do something about that temper,” Vox said, his voice small and higher pitched than he usually sounded. “How embarrassing. I just acquired this body!”

“So all this time… I’ve been consulting with a mere parasite?”

“Correct,” confirmed the isopod. “As you can plainly see, I’m no bigger than half your palm. But what I lack in size and overall strength, I make up with a cunning mind. The only downside is that I must go through hosts regularly to survive, and they’re not exactly easy to sustain once expired.”

Chrysalis seized the tongue louse in her grasp, squeezing him tightly. “Wretched worm! Give me one reason I shouldn’t squish you here and now!”

“The Cult of the Nemesis would be very displeased to learn of my sudden death.” Vox chittered amusingly before taking a bite out of her thumb to loosen her grip. As she yowled, he crawled up her arm, along her neck, and settled above her ear. “And despite our arrangement to retrieve Marathyssa, I much prefer it if you remain in power. Superior genetic material only goes so far without the proper knowledge a queen is expected to have.”

The changeling queen visibly soured. “Quit sending mixed signals and get to the point!”

“I’m just informing you of what will happen if you don’t enforce your rule against Sombra’s,” said Vox. “We may need his prowess to better our chance of victory against Fiery and the Minotaurs. But predictably, I'm confident he'll attempt to seize power over the swarm and our order.”

“So then, what must I do?”

“Fear not, your highness. For I have a plan that’ll ensure he stays underneath your heel. One that’ll require physical commitment from you.”

Chrysalis briefly observed the scene of Sombra mounted over Trixie, who used her tits and mouth to worship his turgid tool while cum oozed out her overused pussy and asshole. Her eyes shifted to the slumbering Cerise, a hand stroking her swollen heart-shaped clit while she slept.

Her mind made up, the monarch softly asked, “And what is it you need from me?”

Despite not possessing a visible mouth, the isopod looked like it was smiling dastardly.

“Just one kiss."