Prisoners of War : A Beatrix Belladonna Tale

“What are you doing here?” The chieftain of Hammerfall demanded softly, eye deadlocked with the minotaur magus.

“The same purpose as your allies,” answered Grimmwald. “To stop the calamity wreaking havoc across the multiverse.”

“Whoa, whoa! Hold up now,” interrupted Bloody Merry, who stood between the towering bullmen. “Who the hell is Brutus?!”

“Warden of Canterlot and consort to the Sovereign Witch, Tatyana… or at least, I was.”

Moon Hammer lowered his weapon, brow arched. “What do you mean by ‘was’..?”

Grimmwald dipped his snout slightly. “To keep this brief, I am no longer affiliated with the queen, nor the Vice Lords and their ‘Legion of Black Roses’, who are waging a petty war against Oona Ewe and her people as we speak.”

Merry planted her fists into her hips. “From your side of the multiverse, I take it?”

The half-masked minotaur nodded. “Something far worse calls for my concerns here. I detect traces of Specimen-01931 all around this land.”

Moon Hammer stroked his chin. “Specimen-019… wait, you’re referring to the Mi-Go!”

The brick red mare scowled. “So you’re the one who gave Chrysalis and her changelings the eldritch shroom?!”

Brutus snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’d allow those cordyceps to spread their parasitic influence. It was stolen from me!”

“By the anomaly,” presumed the chief minotaur.

“Which is why it's rather fortuitous, my being here,” continued the bull mage. “I can play an active role in dismantling the prevalent threat that ails you. A way to atone for my crimes… I understand by your expressions that trust is not so easily given here. But it’s all I ask.”

“Humph. Can you really blame us?” Moon Hammer scoffed. “I mean, between the warring factions, Chrysalis' swarm, and this so-called 'Cult of the Nemesis,’ we can barely afford to harbor refugees as it is! Not to mention the U.F.O. that flew over Hammerfall several days ago, abducting Beatrix and her friends!”

“Belladonna is not here?” Brutus’ hard gaze softened. “That is unfortunate…”

Bloody Merry folded her arms beneath her buxom chest. “Regardless, this planet has become a patchwork of broken parts made from other worlds! So if you really want our compliance, you’ll tell us everything you know about—”

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Their conversation ended the moment Fiery Kickstart entered the scene, the supreme commander offering a pasting glare at his soldiers recovering from the short skirmish with the beastly abominations flanking Grimmwald’s sides. They snarled, baring teeth and claws at the approaching half-burnt pegasus, but didn’t act without their master’s signal.

Turning his harsh gaze at Moon Hammer, Fiery reiterated, “You want to explain why you haven’t imprisoned this intruder yet, chief? He assaulted my men!”

“Oho! You mean the same men who planned to—”

“Wasn’t speaking to you, wench,” the mustard stallion cut off, much to Merry’s growing ire. He resumed his interrogation. “Care to elaborate? Need I remind you that this affects our truce, as we are your only means of protection against the changelings.”

Moon Hammer balled his fists to white knuckles, wanting nothing more than to pulverize this mass murderer parading himself as a war hero. Instead, he exhaled his vexation and calmly said, “His name is Brutus Grimmwald. Another victim of the transdimensional merge. He claims to know about the Mi-Go mushroom infecting the changelings with eldritch power.”

“Does he now?” Fiery momentarily scanned the half-masked bullman before deciding, “Then he won’t mind confiding with me, will he? Such information could be vital in our efforts to win back Equestrian soil.”

“Fuckin’ war-happy cocksucker,” Merry muttered under her breath.

His ears twitched at the insult, shifting to put the mare in her place until Brutus said, “I’ll tell you everything I know. In exchange for safe passage here.”

Fiery stiffened but restrained his need for discipline and turned his back on the trio. “Very well. To my tent. And leave behind your ‘pets.’”

The minotaur magus scrunched his snout, but dispelled his grimms and cautiously tailed behind the supreme commander.

“Hey,” called Moon Hammer. “We're not done here!”

“I speak with you later, Chief,” Fiery hollered back dismissively, not bothering to turn around.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’ll keep me eye on them,” promised Merry, who took out her auto-crossbow.

Moon Hammer grimaced but ultimately nodded his consent. “I know you can handle yourself, but just… be careful. The last thing I need is to get on Fiery’s bad side.” Assured the situation was handled, he went to check on his wives.

“Pft. From what I’ve seen, that’s every side!” Nonetheless, Merry put her old spy skills to work and cautiously shadowed the pegasus and minotaur. After a brisk walk to Hammerfall's outskirts, the pair approached a lone tent and entered it.

No doubt the Supreme Commander was cautious and wanted to keep his secrets, since she'd heard he was notoriously paranoid. She hid behind a bush, close enough to hear pieces of the conversation happening within.

“… I’ve already heard plenty about the Mi-Go. We find the hive, locate its roots—“

“Mycelium,” corrected Grimmwald. “Their interconnecting nerves will sense if danger is near. Storming into Chrysalis’ hive won’t accomplish anything.”

“If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked,” Fiery retorted rudely. “Just tell me how to destroy it.”

“For that, you’d have to listen, which isn’t your strong suit, evidently.”

Merry flinched with how hard Fiery slammed his fist into his desk. He spoke with held-back anger. “The only reason you still draw breath in my vicinity is because I find your intellect useful. Now, I don’t know if you noticed, warden. But Equestria is dying. And I swore to protect her prosperity. So you can either tell me your secrets or be buried with them.”

Brutus chuckled dryly. “You think the answer lies in the slaughter of your enemy? Specimen-01931 can’t be destroyed. The biomaterial used to create the fungus was genetically harvested. From the essence of a primordial monster called Shub’Niggurath.”

The brick-red mare covered her snout with both hands to prevent a startled gasp from escaping her throat. ‘What? Shubb’Niggurath?! Here?!?’

Fiery gave a laugh. “The Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young? You honestly expect me to believe such fictional nonsense?!”

Grimmwald responded with a serious glare. “It makes no difference what you believe. The Mi-Go is indestructible… but not invincible.” He reached into his coat pocket and produced a piece of torn paper. “I’ve crafted a formula that, with enough time and ingredients, can create a special vinegar to cleanse the mushroom’s eldritch properties and stop its infestation.”

Fiery set aside his disbelief and observed the scrap presented to him before snatching it out of the bull-man’s hand. His brows furrowed. “What in the—There’s nothing on it!”

“Precisely,” Brutus gloated, tapping his forehead. “The formula is safe and secure in my memories. So that it can’t be weaponized by blood-hungering warmongers. If you want to ‘save Equestria’ as you so boldly claim, you’ll do it my way. Cleanly and without brutality.”

She couldn’t see it, but Bloody Merry could tell the Supreme Commander was absolutely livid with this ultimatum. A solution to his problems. A potential key to unlock his perfect victory. Gate-kept by some pompous cow who didn’t have the stomach for genocide.

Fiery was seething, nostrils flaring and eyes burning with rage. “You would dare risk the lives of thousands—millions of Equestrians just to spite me?! Many women and children have been kidnapped, raped, and made broodmares to bolster those monster’s numbers. Do you not understand that!? I need to know how to destroy Chrysalis and her swarm! I must win this war!”

“I said I would tell you everything I know, and I have,” the bullman clarified. “I never said I would help you. Especially when you call the kettle black.”

In an instant, Fiery rose and poised his sword near the Minotaur’s jugulars, flames immolating the steel. Yet Brutus did not flinch or even react to this gesture. Only smirking with amusement at how little control the Supreme Commander held over his temper.

“It never ceases to amaze me how easily men can be deceived by their true nature,” Brutus chuckled.

“What the fuck does that mean,” the mustard pegasus demanded through clenched teeth.

The eyehole of his botanic mask glowed softly as he analyzed his magical prowess burning within. “You harbor a familiar aura that I’ve seen before. Behind that audacious facade lies an all-consuming hatred on the threshold of outbreak. You are not the Good Samaritan you believe yourself to be, leading your people away from ill intent. You, Fiery Kickstart, are the ill intent, who have set upon Equestria down a road to ruin!”

The two held an unbroken stare for several seconds until Fiery lowered his weapon and disenchanted his Onoma. Turning his back to the minotaur mage, he gruffly said, “Get out of my sight!”

Parting with a ‘hrmph,’ Grimmwald exited and slowly made his way back to the ville. Bloody Merry quietly started to follow when Fiery’s voice forced her to halt. “I don’t appreciate the eavesdropping, bar maiden. You’ve got something to say? Say it to my face.”

Merry looked between the tent and Grimmwald, then cursed at that momentary distraction. “Hell's bells, this ain't me day!”

Putting aside her misgivings, the brick red mare pushed her way into the tent, confident he wouldn't try anything too bold while in potentially hostile territory. Gear lined the floor and tables, and the mustard stallion stood barechested as he tossed his armor and top beside a stool. “… How much did you hear?” he started off, his hands casually behind his back as he paced.

“Heard lots about you before the bloke arrived,” she admitted. “Most of it not so nice.”

“Yes, well, we all have our biases. The Crystal Empire and minotaurs never had an easy start—”

“You let cannons rain down fire to deal with the swarm!” Merry countered.

He stopped and bowed his head. “A miscalculation, born of desperation. But a few dozen holstaurs were still captured by the hive. Imagine what the whole population of Hammerfall could help Queen Chrysalis breed! So long as she’s still alive, none of us are safe. We have to put her down, once and for all!”

“Genocide ain't exactly what I'd call justifiable for any reason. But I'm not here to reprimand you. Not sure why you wanted to see me, anyhow. Wanted me to hear your side of the story? Hoped you could pull me to your side. Not happenin’! You treat everything like dirt while they’ve treated me like family!”

“But you're still a mare,” Fiery reminded. “You won't ever really be one of them. Not until you've taken one of those potions and become like those half-bovine bimbo twins.” He scoffed. “No, I'm well aware of their clumsy attempts to spy on me. Doesn’t help that my men get chatty when horny..!”

She met his half-burned face, the scars visible down the same side of his muscled chest and belly, and no doubt went well past his pants. “So why tell me then? Not much of a tactician yourself when the iron's too hot!”

The Supreme Commander leaned on the table. “You give me the impression of someone dependable in all situations. I understand you have a couple of problems of your own. Why not kill two birds with one stone?”

When Merry didn't answer, he continued, “I can provide a map of the hive's territories. It’s why you’re spying on me, isn’t it? Here.” He procured a rolled-up scroll from a stack of them and dropped it on the table. “I’m willing to lend it to you… for a price.”

Merry tried to hide a small swallow. “...what do you want in return?”

He crossed closer with a wry smile. “...you.”

She balked. “You shit spewing tart! I'm not a common camp whore!”

“Think of it more like how an alliance is sealed,” he pressured, standing tall. “I’m not asking you to marry me or put my foal in your belly. Surrender your body to me until the sun comes up, and the map's all yours. I've even marked it with the recent movements of my troops! You’re also in an intense heat, right? I can help cool you down.”

Bloody Merry cursed the scalding ache in her loins, subconsciously aware the studly stallion offered imminent relief. “Fuckin’ prick. Chastising your men for being down bad perverts when you’re no different!”

He shook his head. “It's the power that does it for me, honey. And there’s nothing more thrilling than to flaunt my authority over a mare,” he confessed with a smug smirk. “That pretentious bore really riled me up, so it’s in your best interest to unburden me of that stress. If not, I could always take it out on one of Moon Hammer’s sows…”

Merry rolled the idea over in her head and let it marinate. Could she ever look herself in the mirror, were she to do the nasty with this cruel tyrant? Would the map even prove useful? But were it so, she could potentially save lives in Hammerfall and possibly find a way to disassemble his army from the inside out!

She'd already died once. “...Alright, I...I'll do it. But if word gets out what we did, I’m castrating your giblets!”

Fiery chuckled. “I think you’ll find yourself enamored with my ‘equipment.’ Now, start by taking that top off. Slowly…”

With a roll of her eyes, the brick-red mare steadily undid the buttons on her dress shirt. When the last button popped, her bare heavy breasts flopped free, swathed in perspiration, and tickled by a steamy draft that rolled in.

The air started to cooled down in the late hours, so her nipples were swollen and hardened under chilly, nocturnal kisses. Bloody Merry tossed her shirt aside and began unbuckling her belt. ‘Can't believe I'm about to do this. Thank fuck me mum ain’t here to see me…’ She rolled down her pants and stepped out of them.

“Mmm… You keep yourself fit,” Fiery observed, his eyes drawn by her silky panties, crotch already moist despite the pads she'd put in place to lessen the leaks from her rampant estrus.

“I can break a stallion in half,” she warned him. For a moment, she considered the auto-crossbow holstered at her belt, tempted to put a few bolts in his brainpan, heart, groin…

“And I’ve broken plenty of bitches far more feistier than you,” the Supreme Commander boasted, gesturing with his burnt hand for her to turn around.

Merry’s face twitched in a subdued manner, but she nonetheless did exactly like he instructed, her wide, sculpted ass in his direction when she leaned forward and slowly slid down her panties, which slinked to her ankles before she stepped out of them. Looking over her shoulder, she spat, “There! Happy now, you half fried fu—uugck~!!”

Fiery seized her hips and answered with a hard thwack across her right cheek, grinding his concealed hard on into her bare muff. “Know your place,” he grunted, delivering another smack. “If my Amazonian wives weren’t so busy fucking around, I wouldn’t be this pent up. And neither of them have yet to bear the fruit of my loins. Useless cows… a shame I can’t have you knocked up in their stead.”

Merry chewed her lip to the point of bloodying her mouth, unwilling to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her reflexively moan while he bruised her ample ass with seats of his palm.

Eventually, Fiery backed off and pulled her around to face him. “Let’s put that stubborn mouth to good use, shall we?”

“Typical,” she hissed but conceded by dropping to her knees. Merry unceremoniously unzipped his pants and freed his cock, lined with a few subtle burn scars but otherwise perfectly intact and impressively sized. Her pussy wetly winked in anticipation when she inhaled his masculine musk and she planted the first tentative lick on his runny, flared tip.

“Good mare,” he murmured and opened himself wider to help her service him. The brick red mare tried not to think about what they were up to whenever she planted more laps and kisses across his shaft as it throbbed.

Merry swept her blonde mane aside, took him to the hilt in her lips, and bobbed her head. His palm rested atop her dome, Fiery reminded that he and Shining Armor were more alike than he wanted to admit. Yet he concentrated on Snowy Blizzard, the lost love of his life, imagined in Merry's place.

He would've protected her! Not like that noble fool, Thunder Storm!

Over and over, she sucked him off. Faster. More firmly. Her lips were a closed vacuum around his dick as he curled his hand into her mane and wheezed on the precipice of climax.

Suddenly, a loud thunder reverberated across the skies, pulling the Supreme Commander out of his lusty haze. “H-huh? Wha-what was that?!”

With Fiery momentarily distracted, Merry took the opportunity to bite down on his cock and punch his hefty nutsack for good measure. The mustard pegasus roared, cradling his injured pride and collapsing bow-legged, sharp pain overriding his arousal.

Merry grabbed at the map, fetched her clothes, and spat out precum when she made a beeline out of the tent before the angry stallion could recover. She didn’t bother wasting time to redress herself, ducking into a bush while several soldiers flooded towards the tent upon hearing the outcry.

“Sir! We heard a ruckus. What happened—”

Fiery immediately knocked the moronic grunt off his feet, belting, “Idiots! Abandoning your posts during a war! It’s because of you that bar maiden took my map! If Moon Hammer learns about those locations, the truce is over. So find the little harlot and bring me her head!”

“B-But sir—”

“NOW!”

The squadron nervously collected their unconscious comrade and scurried out to retrieve the stolen goods, lest they face the unquenchable wrath of their leader. With no one else to blame for his arrogance, Fiery trashed his private quarters by throwing a tantrum, breaking everything within sight.

Merry wiped away the lingering taste of his dick from her mouth after calming her breathing. She might have jeopardized what little peace there was between Hammerfall and the Crystal Empire, but hopefully, the contents within the map would be well worth it. The look of anguish on Fiery’s face was icing on the cake, too!

Once she was certain none of the Supreme Commander’s men were searching around the area, she undid the scroll and took a peak.

The map was repeatedly marked all over. True to his word, it revealed the recent known movements of his units, the swarm, and what little was speculated of cult activity. It also revealed one of his units had been recently lost and a possible area.

A delighted grin spread her snout. “Guess a wee bit of anarchy was just what we needed! Better get this to Moon Hammer pronto!”

Merry tucked the resealed map into her breast pocket and put on her garments and pants. As she was buttoning her shirt, she spotted something streaking across the blackened sky, growing in size and luminosity as it approached the ground.

“Blimey! Is that a comet? No, wait… Moony mentioned a UFO earlier! Has it come back?!”

Regardless, the brick red mare had a mission to do: fixing her wardrobe and making a quiet rush back to Hammerfall, evading Fiery’s pursuit squadron in the process.

*****

Upon re-entry of the war-torn Equestria, the Glamorguis rattled and warbled; many of the passengers braced for impact once it began to land. The enormous saucer-shaped creature mewled weakly the moment it touched down, suffering from the sickness inflicted by Viscera. By now, hundreds of zombies were slaughtered, corpses and pieces of them scattered across the grimy corridors.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done by the infiltrators, the onboard systems unable to keep up with the constant onslaught while antibodies deployed to remove the moldy plague corroding the passageways. Layla realized too late that this was Mortis’ true aim. Triad and Penny Dreadful were mere distractions while the undead hordes tore apart the U.F.O.'s technorganic interior.

Under normal circumstances, the damage would be surface-level. But thanks to the Vile One’s efforts, every system had been compromised, and the two villains took advantage of the situation for their own ends.

“My poor baby,” the mother of demons murmured, stroking a polished wall. “Mommy will make it better.”

Still connected to the ship, Layla attempted to heal it with her own life force, a skill she'd developed from the angelic form Bellatrix Primadonna cast off to become her new flesh… only to fall to her knees and hurl her stomach’s contents all over the floor. Sickly purple blemishes formed over her voluptuous form, veins bulging underneath her eyes, snot and tears oozing out her orifices. She coughed out bile between screams.

Julianne rushed to her side. “Lady Layla! Are you alright—?!”

“Don't… mmnugh! C-come any closer! Please,” the motherly succubus warned, hand over her mouth. “The disease has taken root in me as well… I've managed to heal some of the Glamorguis’ wounds, but at a terrible price. Viscera… I swear I’ll make her pay for thi—eeghmm!!”

Seb and Arron followed behind, only to recoil at the sight of the primordial woman vomiting all over the stainless floor.

“Eeugh! Now that’s a gamble even I wouldn’t risk,” muttered the card demon. “So undignifying!”

“Nah, that’s her child, bro,” said Arron. “You'd do whatever it takes to save your own, yeah?”

“…Y-yeah, I would,” Seb admitted softly, crossing his arms. “If I were still a part of their lives…”

“If I hadn’t intervened, the Glamorguis could have died. I understood the consequences,” Layla wheezed, her skin pallid and dotted in perspiration, fever boiling while it tried to burn out the sickness. “And I’d do it again if it means protecting my children. That is what a mother must do.”

“Still, the odds aren’t in our favor,” said Seb. “Zell, Ana, and the fakeubus are playing against a stacked deck on a deserted planet, which we barely made it out alive. Doubt we’ll be able to get the frisbee off the ground anytime soon.”

“There's more,” said Julianne, who tapped into the ship’s surveillance to pull up glitchy footage of a certain one-eyed convict climbing out a torn opening and spreading their bat wings to sail away. “Autumn Equinox managed to escape before our arrival. Scanners can’t find any trace of her nearby.”

“Pft! She’s just a lousy punk. Nothing a little attitude adjustment can’t fix!” Arron proclaimed, smacking his fists.

“We don’t have time to chase her,” the rosy-haired songstress said. “Not while the Glamorguis and her ladyship acquire medical attention.”

“Yeah, we’ve got much bigger problems at hand, amigo,” noted Seb. “At least we touched down a few miles from this ‘Hammerfall’ place.”

“Thank the stars,” whispered Layla, who sluggishly lifted herself onto her feet. “Anyone that wants to head into the minotaur town will have to hoof it from here. I need to incubate for a while; sleep off this ghastly illness.”

Julianne nodded and turned to her fellow demi-humans. “I think it’s best if we stay aboard as well. I can help the ship replenish while you boys guard the premises.”

“Oh, you mean like a bouncer? I can do that!” Arron said enthusiastically, literally bouncing on his heels while throwing punch combos in the air. “Anyone who crosses my way is gonna get got!”

As the burly wrestler strutted his way down the hallway, Seb cheekily added, “Nothing ever gets past you, buddy~.”

“Sebastian.”

The gambling demi stiffened before turning his attention back to the nun-garbed angel, whose bright and happy smile masked an unsettling aura that wafted around her.

“I understand you’re still healing from your previous fight, but I would really appreciate your help. Keep in mind that while I take temporary command over the Glamorguis, there will be no loafing of any sort.” She then loomed uncomfortably close as her cheery tone dropped to a threatening whisper. “Is that clear~?”

“Geh! Y-Yes, ma’am! Right away,” Seb acknowledged fearfully as he swiftly ran towards the armory section of the ship. Demand aside, it was a good opportunity for him to restock his deck of capture cards with higher-tier weapons.

Julianne tittered and turned to Layla, who was equally unnerved by how passive-aggressive the peppy nun was. She then said, “You need to rest, Milady. I’ll take care of everything in your absence. I trust we won’t get sick so long as you're in quarantine?”

“Y-yes, you all should be safe,” the motherly demi-human replied weakly. “It's because I was linked directly with the Glamorguis. I've taken every precaution possible to protect the pools here from contamination and sealed them off before the virus reached them. Consider the core a containment zone.”

“Splendid! I’ll inform everyone else.” The rosy-haired nun skipped her way to the control panel while Layla was raised to her room by the UFO’s jellyfish-like tendrils. Tapping into the communication hub, Julianne announced,

“Attention, passengers. In spite of the turbulence and zombie infestation, we have successfully arrived at our destination! Please follow the pathway lit by a red line to exit the ship.”

“Finally,” groaned Wispy Willow, who had been standing by the infirmary entrance in case any stray zombies were skulking around. Thankfully, it seemed like the invaders had all perished. “Don’t think I could handle another hour flying in this thing!”

Back in a cheongsam since her old costume was trashed, the tigress nekomata impatiently walked around her sister’s bedside, who’d she whisked here after her fated duel with Triad. “You feeling better, sis?”

“Yes imoto,” Kitsune softly said as she slowly raised, heavily wrapped in sarashi. The mystical blade left behind by Triad was sheathed on a shelf nearby next to her arsenal and tools. “I-I should be able to—”

“Dìyù lǐ méiyǒu bànfǎ! Guts’ll spill everywhere!” The twin-tailed tigress firmly yet gently pushed the injured vixen back down. “The others have got this, okay? Most of them are professionals like us! So just leave it to them!”

“O-of course, imoto... I'd merely be in the way,” lamented Kitsune, her foxy ears flattened.

Wispy planted hands on her pear-like hips. “No need to sulk about it! Geez, for such a badass, you sure are sensitive! Hēi! Kyube, Chisana! Back me up here!”

“You defeated Triad,” the male vulpine said encouragingly. “That alone offered them the chance to clean up the rest of the undead! And without their lieutenants to direct them, they’re little more but aimless fodder!”

“Sore wa ano kurutta tori no josei o taosu no ni yakudachimashita!” added Chisana, her ringed tail wagging.

Wispy nodded along with them before slipping into a low mumble, “Could've been faster, though... Can't believe I let that oversized tabby wreck my own pussy!”

Clearing her throat, Kitsune asked the Yokai bandits. “And what will you two do? Return home?”

“I'm not sure we have a home to return to, given the state of the multiverse,” admitted Kyube, his eyes torn between the raccoon dog and the vixen. A short smile then spread his canine features. “Who knows whether another chance will come? I guess, for the time being, you’re stuck with us~.”

Wispy purred, “Well, I’m certainly not opposed to your company, Húlí. But you miiiight wanna take it up with my sister though. Pretty picky about the people she keeps close by~.” She threw a wink at Kitsune while flashing a saucy smile. “Plus, Eclipsed wants to stay and help Cerise! And that means I'm with her, too!”

“I won't ever leave you or Eclipsed alone,” assured Kitsune, cheeks heated from the constant teasing. “I swore to lay down my life should it ever come to the worst. But in my condition...”

“Just relax, heal up, and let us take care of you! We can handle it!” Wispy insisted. “Say, do you think Layla has a television hidden in this thing? I would love to watch a few martial arts flicks! Hiyah!”

While the nekomata punched and kicked the air, Kyube shook his head. “I think I've seen all the combat I need for today. We were lucky to have finished off Triad and Penny Dreadful!”

“Ohh! Kawari ni shizen shō wa ikagadesu ka?” Chisana found a remote and turned on a monitor. But no matter what button she pushed, all the tanuki girl found was footage from the cameras outside, which showed the bloody battle underway, a thankfully one-sided one. She grumbled, “Kono chan'neru wa kiraidesu!”

“Whoa, kiddo!” said Wispy, who covered the raccoon's eyes once more. “That’s enough gory violence for you!”

Squirming free of the nekomata's hold, Chisana reminded with a pout, “Watashi wa kodomo janai yo!”

“Shizukani shite kudasai,” hissed Kyube, who nodded towards the other inhabitants further in. Moonlight stifled her sobs beside Lightning Spark, who she'd carried at the first opportunity. The pegasus was in a coma shortly after losing her eye, and the battle left for Midnight to finish at her request.

“It's all my fault,” choked the bat mare. “You trusted me, and I-I…”

How many more would they lose to these senseless wars before it was all done? Could she carry on...?

At least her childhood friend was back in shape and had apparently unlocked his Onoma. A small comfort after the hell he'd put her and Cerise through. “You'd better handle this, Middy,” she whispered sternly. “Because whatever you've done, we need you.”

Moonlight River’s entire life had been a lie. Her family was confronted by prejudice, since thestrals were associated with Nightmare Moon and blamed for the first major recorded conflict in recent history. At first, they'd needed to hide in caves until the military found them and indoctrinated Midnight, the boy her parents had taken in. To be by his side, she, too, enlisted to serve the state.

Yet until his hyper-stallion side awakened, Midnight only saw her as a friend, more like a sister to him. Shining Armor, the stallion she'd idolized, also used and abandoned her. And now Lightning Spark paid the price for her pride and the need to even the score with that heartless bitch Equinox!

“My parents will always be in danger until we finish this. I can't abandon them. Plus, I'll be able to see Moon Hammer.” She stroked the unconscious mare's cheek, struck by a solitary tear she couldn't hold back.

The electric blue pegasus mare twitched, half her face wrapped in bloody bandages that were routinely swapped, where she would later be transported to a pool to heal once the ship was properly stabilized. Layla explained it was too risky now, with all the systems focused on self-repair.

Otherwise, there was a risk her psyche would permanently bond with the ship in her comatose state.

According to Layla, even the ship's onboard technology couldn't recover a destroyed eye. At best, she could offer some sort of cyber replacement, which was a small comfort to the ex-cadet. And with the tech difference, she doubted even the minotaur blacksmith could do any better...

*****

Docked in the woodlands, stairs whirled out to allow anyone aboard to egress since, by this point, nearly all the undead that lingered were dealt with. Beatrix Belladonna was one of the first to exit, and stretched in the dawn's muted sunshine, where she breathed in the clean air with a wide smile and an exhale. “Aaaah~! Sure is nice to be back on solid, breathable earth,” she said to herself.

Arcanum Folklore strode out beside her, his coat bloodied and frayed in places. “Oi. Ain’t the time to be dottling. We still have this 'Cult of the Nemesis' shit to figure out. Stay sharp in case those bloody bastards attempt an ambush!”

“Yeah, yeah. This isn't my first adventure,” she replied with a dismissive wave. “You should try and relax, appreciate life a little more!”

Arcanum hardened his glare. “And you should be taking this seriously! Now that your enhanced magic is gone, we’ll need to double your training while on the road!”

Her face fell, reminded of what she'd lost with the Necronomicon's destruction. She was mortal now. More vulnerable than ever. “Right…”

Iclyn strolled behind them, her arms casually crossed under her bust. “I'll watch our flanks. I swear, I can already feel eyes on us.” The azure doe's eyes scanned across the thick forestation.

The party divided, half left on the U.F.O. to recover after the battle and help the spacecraft heal and protect those aboard. Meanwhile, Beatrix, Arcanum, Iclyn, Dion, and the half-succubi crystal twins headed towards Hammerfall to touch base with its leader.

Miles were passed on foot until they crossed the first minotaur scouts in watchtowers, on the lookout for intruders.

“Heeeey!” Beatrix cheerfully called from her cupped hands to announce herself. “Didn’t miss me too much while I was away, did ya~?”

The minotaurs and watch nodded. “Wait here,” said one, who climbed down from the watchtower lined with clockwork turrets and cannons, then headed to the heavy double gates in the distance. A few minutes passed before they opened, and a squad arrived to escort them inside.

Faint whispers and murmurs resonated from both the bovines and equines, bewildered and astonished to see Beatrix and her entourage return so suddenly.

On the way in, one of Fiery's men stepped in to ask, “Halt! How do we know you’re not changelings?” He kept a hand near his sheathed saber, like many of the soldiers that observed their approach.

“Aufurfuxakes, did ye not see th' giant saucer soarin' throogh th' sky?” grunted Dion. “We ain’t changelings!”

“We ain’t taking any chances, pal!”

“Ah ain’t yer pal, bub!”

“But you are mine. Step down,” told Moon Hammer dismissively, his face stoic for the moment as the air brimmed with tension. Small talk would have to wait until they weren't in the open.

In truth, at the news of their arrival, he'd requested Marathyssa's help, who'd immediately accepted. She'd taken the temporary form of a holstaur peasant, her protoquen senses able to sniff out drones or anyone infected by the cult's larva. Fortunately, she found them all clean and gave the village leader a subtle signal.

Before Fiery’s soldier could pry out any further information, Moon Hammer funneled them into his home. “Relax, friends,” he said after an uneasy sigh. “You're safe here. A lot's happened since you've been away, but we can discuss it later. I'm sure you're tired and famished.”

“Believe it,” replied Beatrix, who plopped down in a chair. “Going back and forth between two worlds is tiring. Even for me!”

“Aye. Our vacation was ruined,” said Dion, who also settled in with his half-succubi lovers in tow. “Ah needs me sum strong stuff!”

“Our specialty ~,” called Strawberry and Blue Moon with a whistle and went to fetch them breakfast. They were helped by Marathyssa, who retook a crystal mare maid form in a flash to assist the half-cow twins.

Once breakfast was served, the group of heroes relaxed and exchanged summaries of the events they faced. After the last few hours of relentless hell, they needed some relief, which came in the form of a well-prepared meal by the twins and protoquen.

Amaranth and Amethyst, the half-succubi twins, also hurried into the kitchen to provide service. The house was soon filled with a variety of aromas, and their bellies were full of food and beverages.

Iclyn broke the ice first after a light burp. “Excuse me! Been a while since I ate this good.”

“Preach~,” moaned Beatrix, patting her tummy.

“Right then,” Arcanum said while wiping his snout clean. “Onto business. We're strapped for time as it is.”

Grimly, Dion nodded. “All sorts ov villains have crawled out from th' shadows. Mortis, Viscera, Vice Lords, this damned cult led by th' anomaly. Not tae mention th' swarm an' Fiery's army!”

“At least they've called a truce for now,” the witch noted between sips of her tea.

“I hardly call this a truce,” admitted Moon Hammer. “What we have with the Crystal Empire won’t last long. Especially now that you’re back.”

“This isn’t the only world on the brink of all-out war,” reminded Iclyn. “Walpurgisnacht will happen soon in the Lost World.

“I’ve got a hunch telling me that both conflicts were orchestrated by the anomaly,” added Arcanum, half-downing a bottle of wine. “Mmm! Sublime.”

“This world could fall apart at any moment,” restated Moon Hammer. “Everything we've built could be demolished in an instant. My wives, our calves, my people...I couldn't bear to lose them.”

“We won’t let that happen,” assured Beatrix. “Layla’s Glamorguis should have plenty of room! Maybe we could—”

“It's in bad shape, lassie,” said Dion. “E'en if it flies, we need tae head back tae mah homelain!” He shifted towards Moon Hammer. “Besides, ye can't abandon this place sae easily, can you?”

The chieftain bowed his head. “… I can’t. Part of my world was pulled into this Equestria. It's like this planet's a complex patchwork made up of separate puzzles. I'd sworn to my people to protect this land. It may seem unimportant to outsiders, but the land's sacred.”

“I understand all too well,” said Iclyn. “The deighdyr have fought for generations to protect the native life of the tundras from invaders. It may be a frozen wasteland at times, but it’s ours.”

“And I have a family who needs me as we speak,” said Beatrix. “But even if we can’t stay for long to support you, I’m sure our friends from Sacratera will provide aid!”

Moon Hammer nodded. “Thank you. Speaking of, we've had some new arrivals of our own recently. One claims to be an old friend of yours.”

He looked at the warlock, who perched an eyebrow. “Old ‘friend?’ Who?!” Arcanum tensed up and shot to his booted feet, fearing it might be an old adversary of his. “If it’s that shit for brains Doctor Reanimator, I’ll—”

A knock sounded at the door, which then opened before they could move. “Apologies,” said the half-masked minotaur flanked by Moon Hammer’s guards. “Thought I’d let myself in and… Oh. You have arrived.”

“Brutus Grimmwald,” hissed Iclyn between her clenched teeth.

“Ye’re got balls showin' yer face 'round here,” growled Dion.

Arcanum, however, relaxed into his chair, utterly relieved it wasn’t who he thought it was. “Oh, thank fuck! Thought it was someone… eh, never mind!” He took another swig from his glass.

Beatrix paled, but nonetheless, her face also twisted while she rose up. “Why the hell are you here, Bruno? And don't tell me Canterlot's forces aren't far behind, ready to invade too?”

Brutus snorted. “You mean the same forces I commanded when I assisted you in battle with the Burning King? No, I’m here due to the disastrous storm desecrating the multiverse.”

The violet mare scoffed. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, huh?”

“Listen, Belladonna,” the half-masked bullman said while taking a seat at a nearby table. “Whatever grievances you have with me are justified. I unintentionally brought harm's way to your pregnant lover—“

“‘Unintentionally?!’ You and that stuck-up bitch Tatyana are in league with the Vice Lords! The very people who ransacked my manor and enslaved her, my sister, and Omen!”

For a moment, she detected a lot of fury burning within his yellow pupils. Still, he managed to keep a little calm face. “That was never my decision. The Sovereign Witch had her heart set on conquering the Isles of Parras.”

“Yet you still allowed her to talk you into it, did you not?” Iclyn pointed out dryly.

“The queen… no longer listens to me,” he solemnly confessed, reaching into his breast pocket to pull out his wedding ring. “All I’ve ever wanted was to love her. But in my pursuit of such happiness, I was blinded to how ambitious, greedy, and callous Tatyana had become. How I had become.”

His eyes softened when staring into the wayward witch’s violet orbs. “You understand all too well, don’t you? To be burdened with the weight of thousands of innocent lives. All because you made the wrong choice.”

Beatrix lessened her tense expression and only offered a small nod.

“Consider this my exodus from the Lost World,” surmised Brutus. “I will not take part in Tatyana’s vanity quest. I… I wish to help you put an end to this growing madness.”

“Bah! Get over yourself,” Iclyn spat coldly. “We’ve practically started a whole club of people who want to make up for their heinous actions. Belladonna, Bellatrix, Zeloph, Shadow Scythe, Midnight—the list goes on!”

“At least they had th' gall tae tough it out an' not turn tail when their tower ov issues toppled over,” snorted Dion. “Unlike ye, coward!”

Grimmwald hardened his glare. “My penance is beside the entire point! Don’t you get it? The anomaly has set everyone against each other and plans to divide and conquer the remaining players from the ashes.” One of his furrowed brows arched. “… You don’t even know who's behind all of this, do you?”

Beatrix tensed up. “Oh, and you do?!”

“Fat chance,” said Arcanum. “Fat fucker’s lying through his teeth!”

Brutus brushed off the warlock’s insult and continued, “Contrary to belief, I am more than acquainted with him. I’m partially responsible for his becoming.”

Iclyn narrowed her icy green eyes. “Him?!”

“Wait, so you’re admitting that this is all your fault?” Moon Hammer accused. Beatrix clenched up from hearing those insidious words.

“I am,” confirmed the minotaur magus. “The crumbling multiverse. The Cult of the Nemesis’ resurgence. Both this war and the one brewing on the Isles of Parras. All of it was because of my misjudgment. In trying to plant the perfect garden, I allowed one bad weed to sully and taint my labor.”

Dion demanded, “Well? Out wit it, then! Give us a name!! Whose arse dae Ah have tae kick?!”

Beatrix more gingerly asked, “Who is the anomaly, Brutus..?”

With all eyes on him, Brutus reached for another item inside his waistcoat and placed it on the table. Everyone gathered in with a wry gaze, and what Beatrix saw sent her anxiety through the roof.

“His name is Aiden Darkbloom. But you know him by another alias…”

It was a withered photo depicting a much younger Grimmwald and Tatyana together, tied to the arm and waist with confident expressions. They looked happier, younger-looking, and without botanic accessories. But it was who was next to them that carved a sharp pain through Beatrix’s chest like a butcher’s knife.

A tall, gray deerman in formal clothing, face partially concealed with an open book. The side of his face turned away from the camera, maroon eye giving a side glare.

“…Omen?!”

Grimmwald cast a wry glance at the distraught witch. “Like I said. We’ve both made the worst mistake imaginable. We both indulged with the Nightmare Stag.”

Iclyn slammed her fists into the table, startling both the succubi and holstaur sisters. “I fucking knew it!” She sneered, frost spreading from her balled-up hand. “He was not to be trusted!”

“W-what, no!” Beatrix shook her head, refusing to accept the vile notion. “No, he was captured alongside Oona and my sister! He couldn’t have—“

“A convenient cover-up,” the icy doe shot back, her words laced with venom. “Using the threat of Alma hijacking the manor to draw away suspicion. Urrgh! And I was stupid enough to let Oona convince me to babysit you!”

“But he helped us rescue Abadonna,” the unicorn witch protested with watery violet eyes. “Why else would he—?!”

“It was your union that gave him the chance to re-enter reality,” said Grimmwald. “Tell me, if Omen truly cared, why hasn’t he made himself present throughout your struggle? When was the last time you heard from him?”

Beatrix shuddered, recalling the last dream she shared with Omen, how he consulted her about making the right choice before they engaged in promiscuous affairs. The witch then forced herself to confront the nightmare tormenting her. The final monster set upon her flesh, while her twisted beloved choked her out and harbored a head crowned by outstretched antlers. Omen has not once reached out to her ever since that night…

Bitter tears continued to fall down her cheeks as her wounded soul surrendered to the inescapable truth. Perhaps the deepest parts of the witchy mare always knew the Nightmare Stag was the culprit behind the calamity and tried to bury it, so she couldn’t acknowledge that she unwittingly allowed another monster into her life.

Except this time, he sought to use the woman she loved and the child they shared. All of them none the wiser to his nefarious design. “…I don’t want to believe it,” sniffled Beatrix, her voice without strength. “Why… H-How could he betray me and Oona so easily?”

“Because you’re so gullible,” Iclyn bluntly said, withdrawing some of her frustration.

“You brought this upon yourselves,” added Arcanum. “I mean, seriously? C’mon! His bloody name is a giant red flag!”

Beatrix felt her breath hitch as if an invisible noise was tightening around it. Oona Ewe used to warn her not to embrace darkness so easily, back when they were aiding Cerise and her family in stopping Zeloph. Remembering how often she would push her perspective on the azure shamaness in hopes of being understood and accepted.

More evidence tying back her childish naïvity. More blame to strap down her shoulders and weigh her down. The disembodied chant manifested inside her head,

“All your fault!

All your fault!
All your fault!”

“GaaaaAAAAAAHAHAHAAAA!”

Beatrix wailed like a banshee as she slipped onto the floor, knocking dinnerware and uneaten food down with her.

“Beatrix?!” Iclyn cried, she and the others rising with concern. The warrior caprine firmly grasped her shoulders while she squirmed and yelled.

“Get a grip, lassie! Tell me what’s wrong?!”

But the frightened witch could only reply in screams, her vision clouded by the ghoulish recollections of her comrades, their spiteful chants synchronized with the frantic beating of her heart, which drowned out any voices of the real world.

And squeezing her throat was the eponymous anomaly himself, his eyeless bony visage looming over Beatrix. His salivating jaws parted, exhaling rank breath to suffocate her senses, the buzzing of static and distortion growing in the background as the nightmare stag whispered into her ear,

“ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋪꏂꋬ꒒꒒ꌦ ꇙꁝꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꇙꏂꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꉔꄲꂵ꒐ꋊꍌ. ꃳ꒤꓄, ꋊꄲꅐ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ,” the nightmare stag whispered into her ear. “ꋊꄲꅐ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꀘꋊꄲꅐꇙ ꅐꁝꄲ ꓄ꄲ ꃳ꒒ꋬꂵꏂ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂ꒐ꋪ ꅐꄲꋪ꒒꒯ꇙ ꋬꋪꏂ ꉔꋬꇙ꓄ ꒐ꋊ꓄ꄲ ꄲꃳ꒒꒐꒦꒐ꄲꋊ.”

“N-no!” She cried shrillingly, squirming as a long, slimy tongue lapped along the shell of her ear.

“ꋬꁝꁝꁝ~! ꌦꄲ꒤ ꓄ꋬꇙ꓄ꏂ ꇙꄲ ꂵ꒤ꉔꁝ ꃳꏂ꓄꓄ꏂꋪ, ꋬꊰꋪꋬ꒐꒯,” he chortled. “꒐’ꂵ ꍌꄲ꒐ꋊꍌ ꓄ꄲ ꇙꋬ꒦ꄲꋪ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ ꅐꋬꀘ꒐ꋊꍌ ꂵꄲꂵꏂꋊ꓄ ꄲꊰ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꋬꍌꄲꋊꌦ, ꃳꏂꋬ꓄ꋪ꒐ꉧ. ꅐꋬ꓄ꉔꁝ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꍌꋪꄲ꒦ꏂ꒒ ꁝꏂ꒒ꉣ꒒ꏂꇙꇙ꒒ꌦ ꋬꇙ ꒐ ꓄ꋬꀘꏂ ꋬꅐꋬꌦ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ—ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꁝꄲ꒒꒯ ꒯ꏂꋬꋪ.”

“No! No no no, NOOO!!”

“ꋬꋊ꒯ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂꌦ ꋬꋪꏂ ꍌꄲꋊꏂ, ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐ꒐꒒꒒ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꒯ꋬꋪꀘꋊꏂꇙꇙ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꇙ꒐꒒ꏂꋊꉔꏂ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꇙ꒤ꋪꋪꏂꋊ꒯ꏂꋪ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꂵꏂ!”

“STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHP!!”

Beatrix managed to conjure her Onoma into her hands and shoved the perpetrator off with a blast of magic… only for the illusion to glitch out and find Dion’s body lying between a broken table. Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer ran to his aid while the others stared at her bewilderingly.

The hyperventilating unicorn stared at her hands with wide eyes, black steam evaporating from her palms. “Dion..? No…O-Oh gods, please no! I didn’t mean to—“

“Augh! I-It’s alright, lass,” the warrior ram reassured, mustering a stiff chuckle while letting his crystalline lovers and Moon Hammer’s wives help him back up. “Nothin' Ah haven’t broken before!”

He hissed, rubbing the reddish bruise on his muscular chest.

“Are you okay?” Iclyn asked, dropping her cold demeanor while running a hand over the sweaty mare’s face.

Beatrix shook her head rapidly. “I-I don’t know what’s going on anymore!”

“You’ve cracked,” huffed Arcanum, wine staining his undershirt. “Flailing about like a mental patient getting ready for the asylum!”

“It appears Omen’s Onoma has afflicted you,” observed Brutus, earning appalling stares from the group.

“H-His Onoma..?”

“It is called Melinoë,” the masked magus elaborated. “Through despair, he can harness your fear and cast you into a lucid state of perpetual paranoia. Entrapped with whatever causes you the most suffering. Driven insane until your heart expires from over palpitation. Normally, you’d be safe so long as you’re awake. But evidently, his power has grown beyond the limitation of sleep…”

“So then, how is he breaking reality?” Iclyn questioned. “We know Beatrix made herself an anomaly through the Necronomicon. What did Omen do to achieve the same?”

Brutus turned to the fireplace, charred coal left in the pit as his history played out through his mind’s eye. “… In my attempt to bring prosperity to Canterlot, I instead brought the beginning of our catastrophe. It was twenty years ago. Shortly after Tatyana’s coronation and our wedding day. That’s when we first met Aiden. He was a young, timid, yet sophisticated fellow, having traveled to Canterlot in the hopes of developing a cure that might end the mysterious ‘wendigo sickness’ plaguing his people.”

Beatrix looked at Iclyn, whose icy stare hardened.

“I took him in as an apprentice,” continued Grimmwald. “Together, we cultivated our studies, as well as our fondness for the finer things in life. Cooking. Gardening. Art. Music. It was nice to finally have someone who saw a similar world as I, since my wife wasn’t into any of the sort.”

His frown deepened. “But all of that changed when we first attempted a trans-dimensional spell. Aiden was convinced that the answer to his problem and our vision of a magical utopia lay within an ancient grimoire covered in ebony. Imbued with an odd-looking goat skull ornament.”

Beatrix’s pupils dilated to pinpoints. “Black book with a goat’s face? Then that can only mean—!”

Iclyn revalued the image; the book Omen was reading near pitch black. Yet she could make out tiny details that, sure enough, revealed a caprine-shaped sigil etched into the cover. Multiple coiling lines stemming from the bottom, “… Shub’Niggurath!”

Moon Hammer furrowed his brows in perplexion. “I’m sorry. This is a lot to take in. What the hell is a ‘Shub’Niggurath?”

“Not what. Who,” corrected Brutus. “Shub’Niggurath is an eldritch entity older than the passages of time itself. Known infamously as ‘the Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young’ for her insatiable desire to prolong herself through procreation and corruption. Many have long since revered that abomination as a goddess of fertility.”

The erenn stallion begrudgingly concurred, “If you know about ol’ Shubby, then you really ain’t shittin’ us, huh? Bloody hell…” He downed his current glass. “Me partner and I also had a few close encounters with the goat’s progeny. The Darkyung. Each battle more fucked up than the last, I might add.”

Moon Hammer snorted. “So then, what does this all mean?”

“We have reason to believe the Cult of the Nemesis is in worship of Shub’Niggurath,” answered Iclyn. “Hence their affiliation with Chrysalis' thirst for total conquest. They’re most likely using her to provide sacrifices for their ‘goddess.’”

“I told Aiden contact with such a being was highly irrational, if not improbable,” continued the masked bullman. “But he was adamant that the ritual would summon her. Desperate, even. And it wasn’t until the seance commenced that I understood why… He, too, was plagued by the disease he sought to cleanse.”

Beatrix pursed her lip.

Brutus shut his eyes, his brows squinting with how horrible the memory was. “Right off the bat, something went wrong. Instead of opening a portal from below as described, the ghost circle tore a rift through Aiden. His state of being split across different planes of existence, simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. It took both Tatyana and I to cancel the spell, but the damage had been done. To our surprise, the ritual proved successful despite Aiden’s anguish. From the circle sprouted what would become my crowning achievement in Canterlot.”

“The life-bearing tree.” The violet mare recalled how the towering behemoth broke through the castle to touch the skies.

“Aiden was incapacitated, suffering night terrors. Spouting nonsensical visions of events that had yet to occur. The disease he had kept hidden was mutated at a startling rate. Constantly salivating, always hungry. Flesh and mind wasting away. The only thing that seemed to help nourish him was the sap collected from the tree. Thus began my research and experimentation in hopes I could save my friend.”

“So that’s how th' Grimms came tae be, huh?” said Dion.

Grimmwald nodded. “Through collected samples, I discovered that the tree processed eldritch properties, hosting a variety of biological matter. Plant, mammal, fungus, arthropod. Anything you can think of, the tree would respond with complete symbiosis. That’s how I learned that the ‘sap’ we’ve been feeding Omen was anything but.”

“If it wasn’t sap, then what was it?”

The minotaur magus grimaced. “Milk… or something of a similar substance.”

The holstaur twins, along with their succubi duplicates, winched and kept a hand over their snouts to resist the urge to puke.

“Wait a minute,” Arcanum spoke up, having been quietly considering the information provided thus far. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume this ‘life-bearing’ tree is an extension of Shub’Niggurath herself, right?”

“An interesting hypothesis,” acknowledged Brutus. “One I believe is correct.”

The erenn stallion groaned with disgruntlement, shaking his head. “Oh, you fucking sod. You nursed him back to health with mother’s milk!”

The bullman furrowed his brows. “I beg your pardon?”

“It’s the sacred boon of the Black Goat of the Woods! A reward given to her devoted worshippers that, when consumed, morphs you into a new abomination to add to her progeny. Aside from that, it’s said to be the most scrumptious, delicious drink fathomable.”

“So not only did Omen make contact with Shub’Niggurath, he brought a small piece of her to the Lost World,” Iclyn surmised.

“And nearly destroyed himself in the process, by the sounds of it,” noted Beatrix. “But that still doesn’t explain how he became an anomaly like me!”

“If you’d quit interrupting, I’ll get to that,” grunted Grimmwald. When the table fell silent, he proceeded. “It is true that Aiden’s body was healing, but his mind was another story. He would rave madly in his sleep, arguing with something vexing him. Then he just… stopped. No slurred conversations, no tossing or turning. Just soundless rest.”

A borrowing expression twisted his face. “A while after that, the incidents began. Tatyana and I got reports about parents losing their children. It was only a couple at first. But the list grew more and more with every passing week. Mothers and fathers alike, complaining how the children spoke of a tall, slender antlered figure stalking them, luring their friends into a dark forest with the promise of ‘sweetish delight’…”

Beatrix clinched a fist over her heart, trying to hold back more tears, conflicted and sick to her stomach by what she was hearing.

“When I confronted Aiden about it, he claimed naïvity. He had only recovered enough strength to walk by himself, and his endless hunger seemingly quenched. But I could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was lying. The once kind, patient smile he gave me looked… wrong. A paper-thin mask hiding something far more malevolent. It was at that moment I knew my friend was gone, replaced by some kind of monster wearing his skin. I knew what had to be done to end the restless nights. But like always, Omen foresaw this…”

Brutus’ stout frame trembled as raw emotion bubbled from beneath his surface. “I should have just strangled him then and there. Maybe then I could have prevented… that night. That horrible night continues to haunt me to this day. I woke up in a sweat, having suffered a vision that would quickly come to pass. Blood and bodies decorated the halls. Guards and servants were brutally dismembered, their mangled frames displayed in a manner meant to mock me. Those that weren’t murdered were locked in deep sleep, screaming tirelessly with eyes wide and black as pitch.”

“After navigating around the massacre, I eventually found him with Tatyana in the dining hall, seated in her chair, limbs severed. I was expecting to see the monster those parents had described. Instead, I saw my friend crafting my wife’s arms and legs into a dish that would put my most talented chefs to shame. And he greeted me, clothes and mouth painted in red splotches as if none of the carnage around us had happened… I pride myself on never losing my temper, no matter the situation. But that rule was broken the moment Aiden presented me with a plate full of Tatyana’s garnished flesh and asked me to join him.”

“Geezus fuck..!” Arcanum muttered softly. He had his fair share of sick fucks to deal with during multiple cases and adventures. But by the anguish in Brutus’ voice as he retold this twisted tale, the erenn warlock could tell that Aiden—or Omen fellow, was an entirely new breed of sadistic.

“I fought with all my strength to take him down,” Brutus said with a voice wavering between sorrow and rage. “But he was so much stronger than I. Assaulting my sight with horrific visions, drowning my eardrums with the cries of all his victims.” His hand grasped the masked part of his face. “My horn lost to me in his attempt to finish me off. And he would have succeeded if not for the Dreamweaver’s intervention.”

“Dreamweaver..? O-oh! You mean Oona’s mentor!” Beatrix remembered her lover mentioning such a figure during a trip to Ebony Ivory’s village.

“Minerva had gotten wind of the Nightmare Stag terrorizing Canterlot and came to investigate. With her own oneiromancy, she managed to subdue Omen, casting a spell that would banish him from the physical plane. But during the process, he stopped fighting and smiled almost as if he knew this would happen. As he departed from the waking world, he turned to me and said this; ‘Fear not what I’ve done this night, my friend. Fear what I will do to this world when I return to rob it of its precious hope. All that will remain will be empty and hungry as I am!’”

The bullman paused, taking a moment to recompose himself. Blue Moon offered him a handkerchief to wipe away his tears, which he accepted. “Minerva assured me that she and the other dream shamans would ensure the Nightmare Stag could not escape the dream realm. So long as people brushed him off as a mere ‘boogieman,’ he would never come back. But despite their best efforts, his infamous reputation continued to haunt the minds and hearts of many throughout the years.”

Beatrix hardened her soft violet gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?! If Oona and I had known beforehand, we could have—!”

“You continued to mistrust me even after my aid,” countered Brutus. “Would you have really believed my story then?”

When she didn’t answer, he turned to address his audience. “I continued to perfect my Grimm experiments, resulting in both the creatures I magically conjured and the apparel adorning my face.” He tapped his stark-white mask. “But Tatyana required more than what I could offer, and after contacting every medical professional to heal her, she passed in secret.”

The violet unicorn balked. “Passed? Wait, you mean she died?! But I fought with her months ago!!”

“What you fought was merely a clone,” Grimmwald admitted uneasily. “The second of three, to be exact. None of them retained my wife’s kind and considerate nature. Each duplicate growing more powerful, angry, and deranged than the last.”

“All the more reason you should quit sulking and help us with that crazy bitch,” butted in Iclyn. “If what you say is true, then you owe it to the ponies of Canterlot to put down the monsters you created!”

Brutus lowered his face, unable to meet their gaze. “I will help you in any way I can. But I will not be returning to the Lost World. Not after all the irrefutable damage I’ve caused there…”

“Oi! That’s not yer choice tae make,” snarled Dion. “Now get yer sorry arse up an'—”

“Hold it!” Moon Hammer interrupted firmly, hand motioning for the irate ram to sit back down. “I understand that what’s happening to this world is connected with other realms. But my first duty is always to my people. Stubborn as it may be, I will not abandon them.”

He stared at his fellow minotaur. “Since you’ve taken refuge in my village, what will be done with you is ultimately my call. Now, I don’t fully trust you, Grimmwald. But I’ve seen what kind of magic you bring. One of those ‘Onoma’ thingys, right?”

Brutus gave a mute nod.

“Our last bout with the changelings ended with a lot of collateral damage. And we need time to rebuild our homes. I don’t trust Fiery and his ‘protection’ as far as I can throw my war hammer. But your barriers and beasts might just be what we need. So I ask you, will you lend me and my people your power?”

With his shoulders slumped, the masked magus momentarily weighed his options before replying, “I… will do what I can for Hammerfall.” He then glanced at Beatrix, a wave of sympathy washing over him. “I, too, have a selfish request. One I believe you and you alone can fulfill. If and when you have the leverage to kill Omen? Please… do not hesitate. End him.”

The distraught witch gave no answer. The room quieted down; everybody stumped on what their next move should be. For now, it seemed most prudent to rest and prepare as their enemies continued to multiply.

Wars continued and brewed on all fronts, with Omen poised to reap the benefits from the bloodshed.

*****

Wet squishes sounded around the bedroom. Cerise Silhouette twitched and stirred in her deep slumber, overwhelmed by a familiar series of nightmares brought on by the Nightmare Stag each time she closed her eyes and drifted off. A variety of horrific scenarios played about in her mind. Her womb once more filled with a clutch of unhatched ovum. A puddle of her lubricant pooled under her butt.

Her 'father/brother' slain in battle by her would-be saviors, and the war ended in mutual destruction, while Chrysalis cackled and made the princess the hive's bitch to punish her after she 'stole' Sombra from the queen. Like poor Snowy Blizzard, reduced to a broodmare until her prolonged expiration after she pushed out clutches.

She murmured, “N-no...!” Finally, she pulled herself back to dim awareness. Once half-awake, Cerise found herself propped on her side, a nude Trixie poised atop the charcoal mare while she scissored her silly. “Wh-what are you…? Trixie, don’t—a-aohh~!” Cerise moaned whenever the witch made contact with the tiny cover over her slit.

The scanty metal pieces vibrated in response, like the heart-shaped crystal shoved up her sphincter, stimulating her most vulnerable parts, her perky nipples and clitoris painfully erect. Wetness ran down the crack of her plush ass. Trixie huffed and blushed as she inquired, “Doesn't it feel nice, pretty princess?”

“Nah-N-Nooo~,” lied Cerise between her teeth. “Stop it! D-don't...what?” She felt the costume pieces on her vulnerable bits loosen, the enchantments Sombra placed weakened. Was this due to Omen's interference...? First, the sections over her perky pink nipples popped loose, followed by the one over her tight cunt.

“I'll miss those vibrations. But now I can make contact with your pussy directly!” To demonstrate, Trixie's puffy pink pussy smacked on Cerise's as their moist birth canals madly winked and squirted under a blur of fleshy contact.

Cerise whined and blushed despite herself, the pair struck by a mild climax. Surrounded by Trixie's aura, Cerise found herself flipped onto all fours like a bitch in heat ready to be mounted, and her cunt nudged by what felt like a slimy dick while magic kept her pinned.

“Wh-what...?” She looked over her shoulder and visibly shuddered at the sight. No, not a dick at all! A larva emerged from Trixie's twat, which spread and dripped while the love honey-laced worm was slowly pushed out! The creature started to burrow into her; the sexy mares connected by the eldritch abomination-turned-dildo!

“Just relax and let Trixie fuck a baby into you~,” she whistled.

“N-nono, stop! Please, Trixie!” Yet the once platinum-clad princess found herself paralyzed by her aura, her flesh weakened by the outpour of relentless terror Omen instilled, denying her true rest. Trixie drew her shapely hips back, then slammed them home, inch-after-inch slowly thrust into Cerise's cunt each time she fucked her.

Black hips and heart-shaped buttocks clapped under each moist, audible thrust, the princess taken on all fours like a lowly beast in heat, her eyes wet despite the pink tinge on her cheeks and another euphoric shriek forced from her lips once another wet orgasm washed over Trixie's thighs. The witch slapped a hand onto Cerise's ass, which wobbled, a red handprint left on her skin when the princess mewled.

“You like to be spanked, don't you? Most mares do!” She landed more slaps on her bare, bouncy buns, and fucked her harder to push more of the larva in.

“Gaaagh.. stop! You’re hurting me!” wept Cerise, aware once it fully breached her womb, she would be lost forever. The worm's moist head rammed at her cervix, squirmed, and started to wiggle into her slimy womb, ready to attach itself to its new warm, wet home and create a new, compliant acolyte addicted to depraved pleasures.

“It’ll only hurt for a second. We want to share our gifts with everyone!” Trixie had fallen to the cult members, despite her attempts to resist them. She, along with her close friends Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, turned into larva carriers. Consumed by the purpose of sharing this bliss with her fellow slave!

The azure unicorn gripped Cerise's asscheek, which squished under her fingers and sank her thumb into her hot pink asshole. “Ooh~! Doesn’t this feel so nice? You like it, don't you? Let out the inner slut all mares secretly have!”

Another climax crashed over Cerise's mind, another squirty release left to wash over Trixie, the bloated larva that half-breached her uterus while it squeezed beyond her spread cervix, and the wet bedsheets. “I-I’m not a whore...I'll never be—Aaaauuhh~!!”

The grub's elongated tongue shot out, lashed out her inner walls, and licked their slimy surface clean, bit by bit. Another blissful, unwanted scream exploded from Cerise's open mouth.

She could feel the ribbed, fleshy bits of the larva tenderly caress her silky pink walls. Each squirm inside her wet depths, while he rubbed pink places even her husband's size couldn't reach.

Trixie's aura summoned ghostly hands which pulled on Cerise's hot pink pigtails, while she continued to fuck the last inches of the larva into her core. Cerise's eyes rolled into her head, her tongue rolled out while she panted, her medium-sized breasts left to clap like her asscheeks whenever she squirted even harder amidst feminine squeals.

“Almost there~,” huskily wheezed Trixie, struck silly by her own euphoria. “Mmm, nice natural handlebars!” She yanked harder on the mare's twin-tail mane. “Your hubby was one lucky stud~!”

Cerise would've sobbed, were she not wracked by unimaginable bliss whenever her brain threatened to melt. No doubt this was what happened to poor Trixie, Fuchsia, and Lavender, mind warped into submissive sluts...!

The larva prepared to detach and divide itself, to mold perfectly into the shape of its new home, a warm, wet royal uterus.

Trixie yelped, surrounded by another aura that ripped her away. The half-out larva retreated back into the witch's wombs amidst a squelch, while Cerise collapsed onto her breasts and huffed, face down and ass up, unable to stop how her pussy winked and smaller squirts rained across a bed behind her.

“If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a disobedient concubine,” Sombra darkly said as he came into the room, his hand clasped around Trixie's throat. She sputtered and choked under his silver fist, shaken and shrinking under his crimson leer. “The question is, how did you break my enchantments? They're far beyond a mid-tier witch like you.”

When she didn’t respond, the tyrannical stallion chose to punish her by twisting Trixie into a full nelson position; hands cupped around the sides of her skull. He jabbed his girthy cock straight through her marehood with a lewd squelch and began brutally fucking his impaled harlot into utter submission.

“Yaaaahagh~! I-I'm sorry, master,” she mewled, cumming instantly around his intruding dick and balls in a slutty deluge. “Th-the thick and breedable Trixie-ee~! Was overcome by desire! Please forgive me! I-I’ll be a good girl~!”

“You can atone with your ass,” Sombra boomed into her ear as her blue buttcheeks slapped under each savage thrust. Behind him, the live sex toys flooded in, the drones shaped into mares drawn from Penumbra's memories. His mother, Inky Rose. His wife, Lily Longsocks. The court priestess and handmaiden, Somnambula. And Cerise's deceased birth mother, Pacific Glow, all of them fully denuded and ready to be bred.

'Somnambula' carried a tray with a bowl of oats and water to Cerise, who shakily sat up and accepted the food. Her empty stomach churned, and reluctantly, she filled her tummy. After she finished, the nude priestess handed her a lit opium pipe, which Cerise smoked to ease her frayed nerves.

Sombra skewered Trixie and all the sex toy drones present, tossed aside with a bounce onto the bed each time he finished inside and with one of them. Splayed on their sides, their stretched pussies left to leak his seed. He panted heavily, his narrowed eyes fully on Cerise. “Do you see it now, my sweet? Please me, and I shall reward you!”

“With what? More opium? I don't need that...” It was denial. He'd successfully gotten her addicted to it during the process of making her a slave to pleasure. His beautiful bird. Trapped in a gilded cage. Not unlike the harems of the hashashin that Penumbra drew inspiration from, as a swordsman.

“You needn't lie to me. I can see into your heart,” he huffed, one of Sommy's pendulous breasts manipulated in lazy circles. Her areola rubbed by his thumb while he pistoned into her tight cunt.

With his newly attached horn, the tyrant's aura lifted in a tray decorated with pastries that made Cerise's mouth water, her brain lit up by the sweets he offered after days of oats and water.

“Eat. You've earned it,” he said with a sly smile as he fucked the priestess.

Cerise shook her head, even as her defenses continued to crumble. She missed the comforts afforded by her royal position. “I won't be here forever,” she proclaimed with a voice break.

Sombra chortled. “Of course not! You'll rule by my side in the Crystal Empire~.” His eyes drifted to the silver ring on one finger, which even his magic couldn't remove. “If only you’d get rid of that trash tarnishing your finger. Don't you understand that symbolizes you're merely a piece of property to that useless husband of yours? Even worse, you’re tethered to an ingrate far below your stature! A vessel for his pleasure!”

A shaken Cerise snapped back, “Middy doesn't think of me like-”

“Ooh, really? He treated you and your friends like pieces of meat while foolishly clinging to his ‘chivalrous’ facade. I don’t have to hide myself, for I wear no shame about whom I lay with. So long as my lineage prospers!”

Sombra solidified his point when he grunted and pumped his seed directly into Sommy's breached womb, finishing with a loud snarl as she cooed in appreciation at her use. He unsheathed from his sex toy, leaving her in the afterglow with the others on the bed, her breasts left to bounce then settle.

Then he strode over, his face inches from Cerise's. “That being said, a strong successor comes from the purity of its bloodline. And as royals, we must ensure ours remains forever pure.”

She flinched when he cupped one of her medium-sized tits and started to manipulate it. “Perhaps that's where your power comes from? A repressed Onoma, maybe? Mmm, yes… One day, I might discover my own. But for now, it’s time that my blossoming queen receives her proper ‘coronation~.’”

Cerise whimpered and moaned; her heart skipped a beat, aware of the impending destiny Sombra would inevitably implant deep within her.

Her sore muscles were too tired to resist when he pushed her back onto the stained bedsheets, surrounded by the well-creamed drones that continually leaked his seed, their sweaty breasts left to heave. His knee parted Cerise's thighs, and she winced in dreaded anticipation of his cock slick with the love honey of so many well-used mares; but instead, his silver hand's digits pressed to her winky wet slit and wiggled inside. She squirmed and cried, feeling him wriggle into her slick snatch until he pulled back to taste the cunt nectar staining his hand. “Ahhh, yes~!” Sombra hissed low. “You are almost ready for my love~!”

“Ah~! N-noo..!” He resumed curling his digits and stroked her spongy g-spot, her pliable pussylips squelched around his digits. The dark unicorn’s intrusions proved slow at first, and then faster as his three invaders started to finger blast the quivering thestral mare. Juices were left to splash and run down his hand and the crack of her ass, over her puckered pink asshole. She arched her back and curled her toes, unable to help but wail in a squirty climax whenever his false silver hand vibrated.

Stimulated to her core, Cerie's drugged-up brain threatened to break under raw, primal bliss once more. His thumb shoved into her rectum with a squish, and he felt its ring spread around him once his thumb vibrated.

“Please… no more~,” she pleaded with a euphoric scream, multiple climaxes forced from her. Yet his cruel leer widened, driven to lay it on thick, his free hand used to squeeze and bounce one of her titties, while one of his unused fingers vibrated when it rubbed at her wet, swollen, heart-shaped clit.

His horn summoned up phantom, disembodied horsecocks, constructs made from his magic that hovered around the pleasure-wracked princess. Glazed-over hot pink eyes stared back at him, half-lidded, Cerise unable to keep an unwanted smile off her face while he continuously stimulated her.

“M-Middy,” she sniffled. “I'm sorry, I-”

“It's time,” Sombra announced and withdrew with a pop from her stretched snatch. His horsecock's flare throbbed and hovered before her tight pink twat, ready to fulfill his purpose. He'd planned to save this for later, but he couldn't risk Chrysalis or the cult defiling her womb while he was away.

No, she needed to carry his child and provide him with another heir!

Gradually, his tip spread her mound's moist lips. She moaned at the penetration and felt him sink into her inch-by-inch, past the medial ring, while her pink vaginal walls were spread. Soon, his flare pressed on her cervix, which quivered and dripped on his tip, some primal part of her eager to receive it despite how her mind screamed for mercy. He sheathed himself to the hilt, gasping with monstrous delight.

“It-it's inside,” murmured Cerise in muted horror as he let her adjust to his size and shape, which conformed like her pussy was made to take only him. Her love tunnel winked and gushed around him, ready to be fully claimed.

She was committed now, unable to do more than ride out what he had in mind. Slowly, he withdrew until only his tip remained inside, then pressed his flared tip back hard upon her squashed cervix.

“And now, you’re mine,” hissed out her 'father/brother,' who picked up speed with each thrust. Her buttcheeks wobbled under his slams, and her love honey dripped down her asscrack and over her asshole. “Your body. Your womb. All of it belongs to me! My beautiful conquest! Take my seed, and in union we'll conceive a perfect child!”

Her palms pressed hard upon his bare chest. “Brother, please! Wake up!”

Their eyes locked. For a moment, she swore she saw a flicker of realization in his eyes, but he doubled down on his brutish thrusts, whereupon his cocktip hammered on her slick cervix.

“He can't hear you,” he sneered in a blur of humps, determined to fuck her silly and into submission. “Because your brother’s no longer here~!”

“Penny’s still in there! I know it!” Her wide eyes pleaded with him, and her limbs wrapped around her 'father-brother,' her arms about his lithe chiseled back, her thighs locked over his hips, and her legs crossed behind his muscled buttocks. She huffed, “Don't leave me, brother! You promised never to abandon me! I know you can hear me! S-so, please… Please wake up, before this monster claims your soul! Before he claims mine!”

Awareness dawned in the tyrant's eyes. That moment of weakness allowed Penumbra, trapped deep in Sombra's soul, to swim back to the surface. Gently this time, his body continued to move into her, and his snout pressed into Cerise's as the pair started to make love to maintain their intimate union.

They realized the moment they stopped, their bond would be broken. They had little choice but to carry on, lest he be lost to Sombra's will once more, as the half-siblings surrendered to the lust forced upon them. Their tongues danced, their hands wandered; Cerise lifted from the bed when the desert prince stood, the princess so relaxed her cervix opened to accept him fully when his flare crushed upon it.

A climax made her entire body quiver when he breached her womb, his tip mashed on her slippery walls and dragged across their slickened surface. The lovers smoldered and blushed red hot, teary eyes locked all the while at their reunion. She felt each twitch of his horsecock locked deep inside her core.

When their mouths momentarily withdrew in a huff, their heated lips connected by saliva, she shyly whispered with half-lidded eyes, “Penny, I...I can feel your heartbeat..!”

“Cerise… F-Forgive me,” he murmured back with slow, romantic thrusts into her fertile core when he tenderly stroked her blush-stricken cheek. “But we have to keep up our link to the bitter end, or else I'll be lost again. And I don’t know whether I’ll ever be able to come back!”

They hugged each other close, wanting to be as intimate as possible, in hopes his will would settle to reclaim his flesh.

“…M-make love to me,” the princess shyly whispered. “Whatever happens, I’ll say sorry to Middy and Lilysocks later. They can blame it all on—”

“No. I’m sure they'll understand once we explain it. They wouldn't want to lose us,” he responded and strained to hold back his release. “Naagh… I-I'm so close now! But if I don’t withdraw—”

“Do it! Come inside me! We can escape, find Beatrix, and have her make a potion!” She desperately searched for some way out; her heart swelled with renewed hope while they made love. Her pussy winked harder, burned hotter, dripped wetter each time he buried himself foot-deep inside her.

“I can't-aaammh!!” The moment his balls swelled for release, Trixie pressed her bare breasts into his side and locked lips with him. The sudden distraction broke the romantic union between the brother and sister, the small moment Sombra needed to push his violent will back to the surface.

Glowing, narrowed eyes met Cerise's hot pink orbs, which carried an azure hue in the dimmed bedroom. Sombra's horn shimmered when he cast a spell, which left his daughter's tummy transparent so he could see himself breach her cervix and womb. When he hilted himself fully in his daughter's conquered uterus and directly pumped his seed inside, he witnessed violent blast-after-blast erupting like a volcano as cum impacted her slimy womb walls.

The princess squealed and came once more, her 'father/brother' absolutely drenched by her climax. Her belly swelled after he started to fill her to the brim as he watched himself continue to fire off into her fertile, feminine furnace.

The spectral horsecocks he summoned throbbed and started to burst. Furious cumshots rained all over the well-fucked mare's naked flesh, drenched from head to toe, almost drowned in his virile spunk, and her back arced while her 'father/brother' seeded her. His aura forced one of the spectral horsecocks into her mouth, past her open lips, and another up her ample ass, the triple-penetrated princess lost in a sea of pleasure when his horn shone to cast one final spell…a yonic symbol that materialized over her fertile womb, to ensure insemination.

Sombra emptied the last of his load. Gushes from her gash flooded out with a wet pop, left to gape when he withdrew from her well-explored depths. The ghostly horsecocks continued to plunder her mouth and anus, while Trixie mashed her tits on him to happily inquire, “I did well, didn't I, master?”

“You did,” he confessed, aware without her interruption, his will might've been swallowed up by their romantic union. “Now, your reward, my lovely slut. Make sure none of my seed goes to waste.”

Cheerfully, Trixie bent her heart-shaped ass over and started to eat Cerise out. He studied her bubbly blue ass with another leer, tempted to brutalize those presented holes once more. But in truth, he was finally tapped out. She cooed when he instead planted a playful smack on her wide buns.

Awareness dawned on Cerise once the phantom horsecocks exited her mouth and ass, which continuously leaked seed that would never take no matter where it was deposited...unlike the warm spunk that sloshed in her uterus.

Quiet tears leaked down her red, hot cheeks. Her dear brother, lost once more. Her core, conquered and claimed by her false father. Her future, betrayed.

She wanted to sleep. To tell herself this was another bad dream set up by Omen. Somewhere in her subconscious, she heard his disembodied laughter echo, the princess little more than another toy and potential casualty on his way to victory. Mutedly, she sobbed when voracious Trixie licked her flesh clean.

The rune cast by Sombra materialized over her abdomen, cast in the shape of a uterus to ensure insemination, shimmered as she felt his seed churn and slosh in her core, her eggs drowned by a sea of his spunk. She received sympathetic looks from the sex toys, none of them able to help her.

Weakly, she reached for the opium pipe and with hazy eyes took it to her lips.

*****

Chrysalis swam and swished in her pool, near the Mi-Go mushroom. Her wet mane trailed after and skimmed the water's surface, her curvaceous form lit up by the hive's eerie emerald shimmer. She swam to the bank, and her heavy black breasts flopped onto the rocky, slimy surface with a wet plap to rest.

“He spends most of his time in the labs these days,” she muttered impatiently.

The stallion in question chuckled. “Oh, are you lonely, my queen?” He, too, arrived denuded and dipped his hands into the pool before he splashed the liquids over himself. “I don't know how it happened, but someone broke the complicated enchantments on Cerise's costume. Were you aware of this?”

“Oh? I'm afraid not,” she whistled innocently with a smile when she met his eyes and swayed her breasts.

Sombra scowled. “Don't play dumb with me! I know you're up to something. I simply don't know what. Yet. But when I find out, you will—ahhuuachk!?”

Blood suddenly pooled from his mouth, which he clasped to see his palm stained in crimson. The only sound he could make were gags and chokes. Then, a hot pain shot through his chest, as if his veins boiled with lava.

Chrysalis’s smile stretched into a Cheshire grin. “I will what now~?”

‘Naaaugh! What’s going on?’ Sombra screamed internally. ‘Why… can’t I move?! What did she do to me?!’

Then his arm moved by its own accord, ceasing his musculature from trembling. And when he spoke, it wasn’t his voice that came out. It was another’s.

“She did nothing. This was all my doing.”

‘Vox! How did you possess me? Why am I still aware if—‘

The spokesmen chuckled. “If you weren’t so blinded by your own lust and greed, you might have noticed something off the last time you and the queen shared a kiss.”

Sombra watched the changeling queen pucker her lips mockingly as she emerged from her pool, water dripping off her voluptuous curves as she swayed over to him, a mirror in hand. When she held it up, the stallion’s bloodied maw opened to reveal a white, flat, multi-limbed louse now acting as his tongue, much to the despot’s bewilderment and horror. ‘No! NOO!’

“Such a strong, versatile body,” mused Vox. “And yet wasted by a self-deluded mind, full of ego and unwarranted self-importance. Such things are useless to our cause. Hence, I am now taking over operations. I had to wait near the back of your throat until you’ve completely exhausted yourself. Thankfully, the right moment came when you tried courting your precious princess. Hohohoho~!”

‘Get the hell out of me! Give me back my body!’

“This was never your body,” the pale parasite reminded him. “And even if I did comply, you won’t be talking much now that I’ve finished eating your tongue. I had to wait until you’ve exhausted yourself so that you wouldn’t notice. It won’t be long now until I’ve fully embedded myself and seized control of all bodily functions.”

Tears started to leak from the ducts below the stallion’s eyes, bristling for control.

“I almost feel pity for poor Princess Cerise,” teased Chrysalis with another shimmy. “She won’t even realize that both her brother and the stallion that claims to be her father are gradually being erased right under her nose~!”

“No matter,” scoffed Vox. “A powerful sorcerer like Sombra will no doubt prove an invaluable tool in our conquest. I think I’ll go along with this plan he set in motion and proceed with the siege on his chosen target.”

‘Conniving worm. Treacherous bitch! I’ll kill you both!’ Sombra barked from within.

“I’d like to see you try,” the isopod chuckled. “Here. Why not tell her Highness how you really feel?”

Vox momentarily allowed Sombra to speak of his own tuition, which he used to shout, “Chrysalis, you fool! You can’t do this to me! Don't you realize you'll be disposed of too...?”

“Pha! Unlike you, I’m too useful,” gloated the queen, arms folded beneath her sizable bust. “With you and your ‘daughter’ at my disposal, my victory is absolute! And no matter what it takes or how much I sacrifice, I will thrive as the long-reigning queen of the changelings! I don’t play second fiddle to anyone!”

She then pressed into him; heavy tits squished into his torso. The monarch planted another kiss, her tongue coiling Vox in her saliva. Pulling away, she breathed, “This is my queendom. And you will rule by my side. Willingly or not~!”

“…of course,” came his muted reply, chest heaving in defeat as her wide nipples poked into his skin. He squeezed her tits and ass once more as she embraced him, fearful of when Vox would regain control over his body.

For now, Sombra would play along until his time came. Like it always did.

At least his planned march and assault would continue on schedule. The twin suits of enchanted armor were prepared, imbued by their pair of hosts.

And soon, the tyrant would take them on a proper test run to seize a victory!