"Come, My Beckoning Fair One..."

Chapters

The Legend of Ponyville
The Fair One
The Party
Revenge, Served as Cold as the Grave...

The Legend of Ponyville

I sat up in bed, yawned, and pushed the mares out of my way as I got up to go to use the facilities. They were all well-trained, these descendants of the conquered nation of Equestria, so they knew better than to protest my treatment of them. Indeed, as I casually looked back at them just before I entered my bathroom, all three of them had fallen to their knees on the floor with their heads down, awaiting my next command. I smiled, then snapped my fingers. They jumped to their feet and followed me into the bathroom, knowing exactly what I wanted them all to do after serving me as long as they had.

After relieving myself, I flushed and closed the lid of the toilet and sat on it. One ran the shower and prepared my towels, soaps, and shampoos, while the other two knelt between my legs and began sucking my cock. As a high-level officer, I can afford to select the finest, most talented sluts the stables had to offer, and I'd picked these three for their exceptional mouth skills.

And they did not disappoint!

All three had thick, soft, luscious lips, just right for massaging a cock, as well as long, hot, wet tongues, no gag reflex, and supple, soft hands. They cradled my balls and gently ran their tongues all around them while taking turns licking up and down my shaft; then one would bury my dick in her throat while the other suckled my balls, then they would switch off. The one running my shower came over and started kissing me all over, then joined her sisters between my legs.

I felt my orgasm approaching as the redhead was deepthroating me, so I placed my hand on top of her head and held her in place, and began thrusting violently! The other two moved out of the way as I facefucked their sister while she closed her eyes and held onto my thighs. I did hear her give a little whimper, but she knew better than to try and fight me. They were red collars, after all.

As I unleashed my loads, I felt her throat frantically swallowing as she tried to keep up with my spurts of cum, anxious not to spill a drop. But being the well-trained slut she was, she succeeded, and I finally relaxed with a sigh as she sucked my cock one last time, then sat back on her knees. And even though she didn't deserve it, I smiled down at her and said, "That was good, slut. Master is pleased." Her face went from passive to utter joy as she beamed but still kept her eyes averted, as was proper. Still, that little 'whimper' bothered me. It must have something to do with that 'apple' cutie mark of hers...if I remembered my ancient history, the Apple Family was one of the last holdouts during the War with Equestria, so there must still be a bit of that stubborn streak in this one. I really did not understand why these sluts still grew these ridiculous tattoos on their asses once they reached maturity; as I understood their history, it was supposed to indicate their station in life and what they'd be best at. It made more sense to me they'd have 'marks' that indicated talents related to sex since that was all they were good for, although we did have some that were excellent cooks...when they weren't on their backs and being plowed into a mattress!

I put the matter out of my mind as I stepped into the shower; it was a long, LONG time ago...and the Apple Family, along with all the rest, had been soundly defeated. I laughed at the thought: after all the trouble they'd caused, their many-times great-granddaughter was now sucking my cock whenever I felt like it...so let her whimper!

I was lounging in the Officer's Quarters when I happened to overhear a curious story, one that I hadn't heard in quite a while. A few of the older officers were relating tales of their great-great grandfathers' conquests during the War. I listened with pride as they spoke of the leadership of King Daiin the First, and how he had led the first invasion into this land...how he had personally defeated their monarchs Celestia and Luna, and turned them both into his own broodmares.

But then, they spoke of the town called "Ponyville" and the unusual choice the entire populace had made. I watched their faces as they turned pale.

"They had amassed most of our army a few miles outside of the Town, far within that place they'd named the 'Everfree Forest.' Their scouts had reported no armed resistance, and so their general gave the order to advance. They had yet to face those the Equestrians called 'The Elements of Harmony,' but the rumors were these were their most powerful force outside their Princesses. They laughed at these rumors, for they had all seen by now both Celestia and Luna dehorned, stripped, and made to serve as naked sex slaves to our King and to anyone who would have them, so if these so-called "Elements of Harmony' were their best, they should have nothing to fear!"

"They were within sight of the Town when they got our first look at the main square. It looked like every resident, from adult mare to child, with a few males, was gathered there. As they marched up to the square, they were suddenly stopped by the giant circle of a purple field. They stared inside and could see a purple Alicorn mare exerting all of her will to maintain the field, along with the help of several other unicorns. Beside her, they could see five others gathered around her who fit the descriptions of those mares who were called the 'Bearers:' a white unicorn, a pink Earth pony, a blue pegasus, an orange Earth pony, and a yellow pegasus, all with the same defiant look in their eyes."

"I'm told the General laughed and shouted, "Give up, stupid females! You cannot hold us back forever!"

"And that is when the Alicorn's eyes turned white, and she shouted back, "We will NEVER be your slaves! LONG LIVE EQUESTRIA!!"

"Then, I'm told, she closed her eyes, and the field grew brighter and brighter! The General, warned by some battle-ready instinct, ordered, "Fall back, FALL BACK!" as all rushed to obey him. They just made it to the outskirts of the Town when there was a tremendous explosion, and all were thrown off their feet."

"With their ears ringing, they all stumbled up, then turned back to look at the Town. Every window had been blown out, every building was set ablaze and damaged...and in the middle of the square...every single one of them lay dead."

The one speaking took a long pull of his drink before continuing.

"The bodies were contorted and twisted...some torn to shreds, but...they all had...smiles on their faces...those that still HAD faces. As if...as if...even in Death, they knew they'd won."

"One of them, the pink one, I'm told, wasn't quite dead when the General finally made it back into the square. As he stared down at her, her body was in shreds, with her head missing her lower jaw, but her...eyes...swiveled up at the General, and she started...laughing. She wouldn't stop, she just. Kept. Laughing. And then, all around them, the screaming started. The soldiers looked all around them, trying to locate the source, but there was nothing but dead bodies! Mares! Fillies! Colts! Stallions! All dead! Shredded, bloody, but screaming and LAUGHING! That's when they all fled and never returned..."

He took another long drink as his hand visibly shook.

"Even now, a hundred years later, no one goes into that Town. They say you can still hear the screams...and the laughter..."

The Fair One

It was a tale I'd heard long ago when I'd been a mere cadet. I didn't believe it then, and I certainly don't believe it now. So that was why my boots were scuffing along on the dusty road to this Gods-forsaken Town weeks later, despite all the dire warnings from my peers.

I did not understand their reluctance, for we are the Caribou! We have conquered nation after nation, fought many glorious battles, defeated countless enemies, and carved out our place in history! How can those same soldiers be wary of one little insignificant pony town whose residents were such cowards they had refused to fight but rather kill themselves? And even if the place was haunted, what of it? The insubstantial, non-corporeal essences of creatures long dead had no power over the living other than to inspire fear. And my heart held no fear of any mare, neither living nor dead!

As I left the road that once led to their fabled city of Canterlot, before me lay the twisted, gnarled remains of their Everfree Forest, once a mighty, thriving woodland teeming with life, now reduced to a few scattered groves that had regrown over the ages after King Daiin the First's orders to destroy it. There were still great patches of scorched ground where nothing would grow, as well as stagnant pools that once held clear bodies of water. My boots crunched onto the dry skeletons of animals long dead, although I could hear in the distance the sounds of others that had returned and still eked out a bare existence in this dead Forest.

I smiled grimly as I pushed through what was left of towering trees with overhanging vines and branches. Many a rebel had been found hiding out in this Forest; those who thought they could escape us by fleeing into the wilderness from Canterlot or settlements as far away as the ones the ponies had named 'Appleloosa,' and 'Manehatten,' and thus, the order had been given to burn it all down. Many that we'd been tracking for moons had been discovered as a result and finally brought to their knees and collared. I had even heard of a so-called Shaman who had made her home in these woods, a Zebra mare if the stories were true, who had escaped capture for years and had tried to lead many with her out of Equestria. I smiled again as I used my machete to slash some vines out of my way. Of course, she had failed and eventually, willingly, joined the fate of all females under our rule.

Or so I'd been told.

A few hours later, as I broke through into another thick grove of trees, I saw a curious sight before me. There, off in the center of a circle of overgrowth, was a long-abandoned hut. Drawing closer, I recognized various markings and sigils belonging to certain members of the conquered Zebra nations; then, it dawned on me what I was seeing! This must be the very place where that Shaman, that Zebra, once lived. I couldn't recall her name, but it struck me as odd that she'd chosen to live out in this once-wild forest rather than reside in the relative safety and community of the nearby town. Perhaps it was true as we'd been told: for all their mouthings of "friendship" and "harmony," the ponies had all been nothing but hypocrites, unable or unwilling to accept a creature as different as a Zebra into their midst.

I snorted. Such beings needed to be conquered. I grinned as I further inspected the crumbling hut. We Caribou harbored no such prejudices: a female is a female, no matter the race. If she could please a male, then it didn't matter what country from which she hailed; all she needed to be was obedient, nothing more.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was being...watched. The hut was larger on the inside than it looked on the outside, and as I stood in the doorway, I could see a dark opening far off down a short hallway. It was from there that I got a sense of watchfulness being directed toward me, along with a feeling of...hatred? I squinted into the darkness as I put away my machete and drew my heavier sword, readying myself for combat. Even now, after a century, it was possible there might be some who had escaped and were still hiding out. If so, I wouldn't bother trying to capture them; I'd simply put them out of their misery, but only after making a survivor or two reveal their other companions.

"Come out!" I shouted into the darkness as I pointed my sword into the ruins. "Now that I know where you are, there's no escape for you!" And that's when I heard it. Faint at first, almost like a whisper. Then, the sound was unmistakable.

Laughter.

I gritted my teeth and charged forward. "Let's see how much you find it funny with my sword in your belly, slut!" I burst into the darkened room, swinging my sword in every direction...but there was nothing. As I strained my eyes, looking all around the dusty, decomposed room, something touched the back of my head. I spun around, swinging my sword, but again, there was nothing there. "Who's here?! SHOW YOURSELF!!" I bellowed as I turned my head back and forth, keeping my sword at the ready.

And even though I think of myself as a hardened warrior, something happened next that nearly made me soil myself like a newborn calf.

There was more of that insane laughter, and then a cold hand grabbed my cock...

It was full night by the time I came to myself. I sat up and stared about myself. I was in the middle of a clearing, with no sign of that decayed hut and no idea where I was. I still gripped my sword as I got shakily to my feet and slowly turned. I could see nothing, but I could hear movement. I took a few steps in a circle, holding up my sword when my foot brushed against my backpack. Relieved, I bent down to open it and retrieve my lantern. Once it was lit, I held it up in my left hand while keeping a firm grip on my sword in my right. I shone the beam all around me, trying to pinpoint the source of the movement, but it was as if the darkness was swallowing up the light mere yards from my lantern.

I shouldered my pack and was just about to simply pick a direction and start walking when I was stopped cold by a...voice.

"Oh my...are you...lost?" I spun swiftly around, sword at the ready, and pointed my light at the voice.

It was...a mare. A small, yellow mare, who was holding her hands up to her face, shielding her eyes against the glare.

"Who are you?! And what are you doing out in this forest?!" I demanded.

"I...I'm sorry! You...you just looked like you...you needed help!" she whimpered. At her submissive tone, I lowered my sword and took a good look at her. She was dressed in a long, white, flowing gown that was almost see-through. Her mane was pink and flowed over her shoulders and down her back, and her eyes were a piercing blue. Her breasts were...impressive, to say the least, and her hips were wide. Her lips were full and looked very soft, and she was quite small. I looked down at her feet and saw she was barefoot, which briefly made me wonder how she could walk out here in this forest with its floor full of broken branches, bones, and sharp rocks, but then I dismissed the thought as unimportant.

"Are you a rebel?" I growled. The question seemed to confuse her.

She fidgeted with her hands nervously as she stared up at me with those soulful eyes and shook her head. "A...rebel? What do you mean?"

I scowled. "Don't play games with me, slut! We conquered this country long ago, as you well know, so you might as well tell me who you are and where the rest of you are hiding!"

She took a step back while keeping an eye on my sword as I raised it again. "Please, Sir! Don't hurt me! I really have no idea what it is you want from me!"

I slowly put my lantern down as she fearfully watched me, and then I suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her by her mane. "What is your name?!"

"Fluttershy! My name is Fluttershy!!" she screamed as I gave her mane a twist.

I was relentless. "And who else is with you?! Where do you live?!" She fell to her knees, openly crying while holding onto my hand.

"I live in Ponyville, Sir! Ponyville!" I released her and stood back as she fell to all fours and continued to sob.

"...you're lying..." I whispered as a coldness gripped my heart. I raised my sword. "YOU'RE LYING!!" I shouted as I brought it down with all my strength. Only to bury it in the empty ground.

She was gone.

The Party

I stared down at the empty place where my sword was embedded, then slowly looked around. Unlike earlier, there were no longer any sounds of animals or other movements. All was completely, utterly still. Then, I scowled and pulled my sword out of the ground with some effort. It was a trick! It had to be! When that slut had fallen to all fours, I'd noticed she still had her wings, so she must have quickly flown off before my blow had landed. Even though we knew the ponies to be as inferior as any other race, we did not lie to ourselves about their abilities. I remember hearing stories of how fast the pegasi could be, which was why it became standard practice to remove the wings of all captured female pegasi. She must have been an exceptionally fast one, or else she was fueled by fear and adrenaline when she saw she was about to be cut in half, and moved out of the way of my blade so quickly. As I walked back to retrieve my lantern, I convinced myself of this solid truth, for the alternative was impossible...

In all of our travels, during all of our conquests, I'd heard many stories from dozens of different lands, tales of supernatural beings and other entities. And while I didn't believe them all, I wasn't arrogant enough to assume that there only existed things I could myself see or touch, for I knew there had to be more beyond this life. I looked up at the night sky and took a moment to stare at the expanse of stars. The Great Cock Constellation stood out most prominently, eternally representing the place of Male domination over all females. This was not by chance but by Design, so there had to be other Forces at work in the Universe.

So it only stood to reason that if there were one unseen Force, there would have to be others if the stories I heard were true. I took another moment to look down at the hand that had grabbed that mare. She had been real! Solid! In none of the stories had I ever heard of a ghost being such. Yet...she had claimed to be from Ponyville, under pain. But, Ponyville was supposedly gone, along with every creature that lived there, a century ago. It...made no sense.

So...the only logical conclusion is the slut had to be lying. I snorted as relief flooded me. Of course. Without discipline, all females would tell a lie as easily as drawing breath. If I ran into her again, I would teach her that lesson before I killed her.

But, there was still the matter of my being lost.

I lifted my lantern and began scouting the ground. As small as she was, she still should have left some discernable traces, such as footprints, disturbed leaves, and maybe a bit of cloth torn from her gown adhering to some thorns or branches, but after an hour of searching, I came up empty. She couldn't have just appeared out of thin air! And her body, mane, and clothing were far too clean for her to have been roughing it out in these woods, so she had to have a dwelling close by. That, and the way she came up behind me so quietly, indicated she knew her way around this forest, so, despite her frail appearance, I wasn't dealing with a novice. This one had obviously been hiding out for a very long time and knew how to hide when she needed to.

Then I stopped as another thought occurred to me. If...all that's true...then...why did she approach me? Alone? In the dark? Surely she could recognize my race if she'd been hiding from us...so why the farce? As quiet as she'd been, she could have slipped a poisoned dagger between my ribs while she was behind me or waited until I'd fallen asleep...but she acted as if she'd never seen my kind before. And, for that matter, how did she find me? Had she been...watching me? Did she wait until I'd lit my lantern, or had she been out here on her own already and happened to find me? For what purpose? It made no sense! I stopped and strained my ears for the slightest sound while shining my light in every direction. Then I took a deep breath, trying to catch the scent of a cooking fire.

And that's when I heard...music?

I tuned my ears for the source, then started walking in that direction. The music was faint but growing louder the longer I trudged through the rough foliage, pushing and hacking my way through thick bushes and vines until I suddenly found myself looking at a dirt road. Now, I could not only hear the music but also see faint lights far off in the distance, so I walked out onto the road and began following it.

After ten minutes of walking, I came across an ancient sign partially buried in the dirt. I bent down to look at it, then sheathed my sword and brushed away the matted growth that obscured the writing. Then, I froze as I read the words: Sweet Apple Acres. I stood and shone the light before me. I could just make out the remains of a ruined building that could have been a barn off in the distance, then shone the light back where'd I come. I was no farmer, but those trees through which I'd trudged past for the last hour might have been all that remained of a devasted apple orchard. If so, then this was what was left of the Apple Family's holdings after we took our revenge on them for causing us so much trouble during the War. If I cared to, I could probably turn aside into that dilapidated barn and see the site where they'd drawn and quartered that traitor to males, the leader of the Apples, one Macintosh Apple. We'd all been taught how he had defied us and bought time for his female relatives to escape. And how the General had rightly dealt with the traitor before they'd approached Ponyville.

I took a moment to spit on the sign before turning to follow the sound of the music.

If I remembered my geography, then Ponyville was next to Sweet Apple Acres, so someone or someones was there now, having a celebration of a sort. I snorted. I guess whoever it was hadn't heard the place was "haunted" and "spooky." Yet they could be enemies, possibly rebel friends of that mare, so I kept an eye out for assailants the closer I got.

I stopped when I saw a sign along the road that read, "Ponyville, Population 1200," and could see lights in the buildings up ahead. I frowned. From what I could tell, the structures all looked ancient and burned, hardly fit for a place of celebration. Then, a cold wind blew past me, and I caught the scent of ancient rot, of decay. I took a step past the sign...and everything...

CHANGED

I was in the middle of a huge crowd of ponies, all gathered around tables filled with various food and drink. As I stared, the buildings were intact and completely restored, not burnt, decayed, and dilapidated as I'd seen them only seconds before. The Moon shone brightly down upon the assembled throng as they all celebrated with laughter and music. Then, one grabbed my hand. "Come on! Join the party!" It was a pink mare with a puffy mane and an eager smile. I hesitated for a moment, then allowed her to pull me to a table. She grabbed a slice of cake and pushed it into my hands. "Eat up! It's a special occasion!" I stood dumbfounded, looking all around me. How...how could there be an entire town of ponies not under our rule?! And I was told they'd all killed themselves and destroyed their home...yet here they all were, ALIVE, and...and having a...PARTY?! Worst of all, none of them seemed to show any fear of me! How could they not know my race?!

Then, I turned and looked into a nearby shop window...and my heart almost failed me. In the reflection, I did not see happy ponies dancing, singing, and playing with one another...I saw...corpses. My eyes grew wide as I looked at the tables. Instead of cakes, pies, and other delicacies, I saw rotten piles of decaying fruit...long-dead slabs of putrescent flesh covered in flies, moldy loaves of bread...and the worst part? The...corpses...were trying to...eat all the disgusting offal as if it were the most delicious food they'd ever tasted. Some...some no longer had midsections...so the objects they tried to swallow would slip out onto the ground, but they didn't seem to notice...

I looked slowly down at the reflection of the slice of cake I was holding, and it was filled with squirming maggots. With a great cry of disgust, I dropped it, leaped back, and drew my sword. I turned back from the reflection, expecting to see the same horrors, but all was as it was before, only now, everyone of them was staring at me. The music had stopped. There was no more dancing or singing. All of them stood. and then slowly started walking towards me.

"Keep back!!" I shouted, raising my sword. I backed off, looking for a way out. There were too many of them, but by Daiin, I'd take more than a few of them with me to The Inferno before they took me down!

The pink mare laughed. "Don't be silly, Silly! I told you it's a special occasion!" She held out an arm as she reached for me, as that smile stretched across her face.

"Keep back, I said! I'll cut you in half, bitch!" She giggled once more, then rushed me! My arms reacted without conscious effort, honed by years of battle training, and I took her head with one swift blow. I watched her body still stand upright, expecting it to fall any second, but then...then I heard something that almost shattered my mind:

Laughter

Her...severed...head...was LAUGHING.

I felt my bladder release as I watched her headless body turn, pick up her still-giggling head, and then set it back in place.

When she turned back to me and SMILED, her teeth had been replaced by rows upon rows of...fangs. As the laughter began again, I stared at the rest and saw they all had changed: their teeth had grown long and sharp, their eyes blood-red, and their fingers into claws. Then, the pink mare spoke, but her voice had changed to gravel:

"Now the party can REALLY begin!!"

She looked back at her companions. "GET HIM!!"

"NOOOOO!!" I screamed as I swung my sword wildly, but there were too many of them! They swarmed me like ants, then began tearing into my flesh like rabid dogs! Great chunks of flesh were ripped from my body as my screams filled the air, yet all the while, they were LAUGHING...LAUGHING!

My last sight before the darkness claimed me was the pink one, her mouth bloody and stretched to an impossible width across her face giggle one last time and growl, "yOu'Reee...DeLIciOcIOusssss...!!" then sink her teeth into my throat...

Revenge, Served as Cold as the Grave...

Fluttershy's onryō sat next to a crackling fire out in the woods as she watched the Caribou toss and turn in his sleep. While she didn't possess Pinkie's eidetic memory, she was still able to recall every instance she and the other onryō had done this to a Caribou.

And each time, it became easier and easier to break them.

It was Twilight's original plan. Once word reached her of Celestia and Luna's defeat and her brother and sister-in-law's betrayal to the Caribou, she came to them all and revealed her dark purpose.

"Twilight...are you INSANE?!" All six of them, including Spike, were in the Throne Room. And five of them mirrored Rarity's horrified face. "What you are proposing is...is...monstrous! Evil! DEMONIC!" she cried, rising to her feet. She turned and began to flee the room. "I will have NO part in this!"

Her hand was on the door when she heard a quiet voice ask, "So...you would instead enjoy watching your little sister being raped and sodomized, night and day, over and over, by a horde of savages?" Rarity turned slowly around, her nostrils flared.

"...what did you say...?"

Twilight grimly smiled. "My apologies, I misspoke. What I meant to say was you might hear about it happening, but you'll only be able to imagine it because the same things will be happening to you." She looked around the room. "And to you. And you. And to you. And certainly, to you." She finally cast her gaze to her right. "Spike, you're safe from the Caribou, so you don't have to do this, but as for the rest of us, I—" she was cut off.

"Fuck you, Twilight, for saying that..." growled Spike. At her shocked expression, he glared over at her and continued. "I'll die before I allow those monsters to touch any of you...and if I have to die to make sure they pay for what they've already done, then so be it!"

She stared at him as the silence in the room grew. Then, a tear fell down her cheek as she sobbed, "I'm...sorry, Spike...you're right: I shouldn't have said that. You...you have no idea how sorry I am..." She held out her arms, inviting him in for an embrace, which he took, and then they both sat back and waited for the fashionista.

Rarity resumed her place, but not before giving Twilight a look of pure venom. "My sister is but a child," she offered. "...surely, she's too young for them to touch her...?"

"Even if that's true now, she won't be for long...nor will any other filly be safe from them." Twilight stood. "I know this plan seems crazy, but it's the only way we have to fight those beasts." She used her magic to levitate an ancient box from an alcove, a box covered in runes and foul symbols and set it down in front of herself with a grimace. Even before she opened it, all others drew back from the pervading sense of evil that emanated from it, as a noisome reek was seeping forth along with dark tendrils of eldritch magic. She looked up at them with a determined but slightly demented glint in her eyes.

"Celestia and Luna have fallen and are now in the service of their King, doing anything and everything demanded of them." She stared at them to drive home her point. "Anything..." The pain showed in her eyes as she spoke further. "To make matters worse, this morning I received word that my own brother surrendered the Crystal Empire's Army to the invaders and that Cadence willingly submitted herself to them as well!"

"NO!" was the response from all but Spike, who had already heard the horrible news. Twilight nodded, then bowed her head.

"I hope you all now understand that I did not come to this decision lightly." She gazed at the box for a moment, then back at them. "The book contained inside this dybbuk has been hidden for centuries, and for good reason: the spells written within are of the darkest magic, and, under any other circumstances, would merit the only use of capital punishment Equestria still requires if anypony was caught using them." At this, there was a collective gasp.

"Ah...Ah didn't know...we evah kilt somepony fer any crime!" breathed Applejack.

Twilight grimly nodded. "We haven't done so since the Founding. Even Tirek, for all that he did, did not merit such." She fixed her gaze around at them. "That should give you all an idea of how serious this is."

Fluttershy timidly raised her hand. "Um...since you mentioned...Tirek...that reminded me...what if I tried talking to Discord again? If you don't mind my asking, that is..."

They all turned to her with a scowl, which made her shrink back into her throne. "YOU know why he won't help us! He's the God of Chaos! He thinks this is "the most interesting thing to happen to this world!" his words! To him, it's all one big joke!" snarled Twilight. "Remind me again: what was it he only offered to YOU?!"

In a small voice, the yellow pegasus said, "...he...he said he'd take m...me away, but nopony else..."

Twilight pressed her relentlessly. "And what did he do when you told him 'no?'"

Tears began to stream down her face. "...he...grinned...and said...said...that it didn't matter anyway, because all of this," she gestured around the room, "...is just one multiverse...there are countless others..."

"...and...?"

But this time, Fluttershy shook her head and refused to say more, just gazed sadly at her own hands.

Twilight looked around the group and finished for her. "He told her that she's not even his 'favorite' Fluttershy," and here she held up her hand and spread her fingers, "...because his Fluttershy has hooves." All other faces went pale, thinking about the cosmic implications. Rainbow, who was sitting next to her, reached out and patted her back, but Fluttershy kept silent.

Twilight sat heavily down with an air of finality. "So you see? To him, we're all just one version of infinite Equestrias! Why should he care?" She raised her voice to the ceiling. "I hope you're watching us, you bastard! I hope you get a big laugh out of what we're going through!!" Then, she stared at the dybbuk, watching the glowing tendrils morph and twist into their grotesque forms. After some minutes, a quiet voice asked, "What...what do we do?"

Instead of answering, the Alicorn lit her horn...and opened the box.

"Ah...Ah caint! Ah cain't do this!" Applejack had backed herself into a corner with her eyes wide and staring and her chest heaving. "It ain't natural! Even if'n it werks, whut'll happen to our souls?!" She looked from face to face, desperately seeking support, but every other had already been convinced.

"It's the only way!" shouted Rainbow. She pointed back at the corpse. "Do you want that to be for nothing?! We can't take those monsters on one-on-one, or else I'd be the first to try! You know that, AJ!"

Twilight closed her eyes. "Applejack, I understand you're frightened. So am I. But in order for a spell such as this to work, it will take all of us! And we haven't even spoken to the rest of the Town yet! We need them as well!" But the farmer shook her head.

"Y'all will haveta do this without me! Ah knew we wuz messin' with sum dark magic, but Ah didn't know HOW dark! Ah. Jus'. CAIN'T!" With that, she turned, flung open the door, and fled.

Dash started to give chase, but she was held in a field by Twilight. "Let her go, Rainbow...it's...it is her decision." Twilight released her and sat back down on the cold floor. She stared at the bloody knife in her hand.. and then gently laid it next to the body of her Number One Assistant. Laying a hand on what was left of his head, she whispered, "Spike...I'll never forget you. I promise...when this is all over, no matter how much time it takes, I will find a way to bring you back..."

Then she leaned down, and gave his cheek a sweet kiss.

Over in a corner, the white unicorn was sobbing inconsolably. Fluttershy and Pinkie were kneeling next to her as the pegasus slowly rubbed her back. "If...if only she'd allowed me to give...give him...one...hour of...of...pleasure..." She held her face in her hands and broke into fresh tears. "I was such a fool..." she whispered.

Fluttershy tried. After exchanging a look with Pinkie, she said, "He knew how you felt, Rarity...that's all that really matters..."

She glared at her. "No, it doesn't!! I kept him at arm's length for years, just...play...playing with his...heart." She looked away again. "...I'm such a disgusting, heartless bitch...I deserve the Caribou..."

"Don't say that! Nopony deserves the Caribou!" cried Pinkie. She gently took her by the chin and turned her to face her. "You dishonor his sacrifice by thinking like this, Rarity."

Rarity stared back at her, then dropped her eyes and slowly nodded. She wiped her face on her sleeve, firmed her chin, then stood.

"You are correct, my friends." She looked over at Spike's remains, allowed a single jolt of pain to appear on her face, and then said, "Let's finish what we've started! For Spike!"

As the rest scoured the Town and gathered up all the residents, Rarity sat with her busty little sister in her home to take a few precious moments and explain the situation to her...and to tell her what had happened to Spike. Sweetie Belle's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. "S...Spike? He's...gone?" Rarity nodded sadly. "Oh...oh no...Spike..." wept the younger unicorn as she held her sister, and they both cried for some minutes.

Rarity eventually drew back, sniffed, and said, "...and the worst part, for me at least, is I never was able to make up for leading him on all these years...there just wasn't time."

At this, Sweetie lowered her hands, stared up at her, and sat back. "W...wait. What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Rarity startled and looked at her with her eyebrows raised. "Sweetie Belle! Now is not the time! I was trying to tell you how sorry I am for not giving Spike what he truly wanted...namely, myself." Then Sweetie did the last thing Rarity expected: she laughed. Rarity's cheeks burned hot. "This is completely inappropriate, young lady! How can you possibly find humor in all of this?!"

Sweetie wiped a tear from her eyes and managed, "Big Sis...Spike and I have been dating for the past year! How did you miss it?! And, judging by the way he pounded me until my eyes were crossed and I could hardly walk straight and made me suck his cock until those big balls of his were empty, I believe it's safe to say he'd gotten over you!" Oblivious to her sister's shocked expression, Sweetie gazed off dreamily into the distance and moaned, "Mmmm...that dragon cock was amazing..."

Applejack sat at her kitchen table, shakily holding a cup of hard cider while her family sat around her. Her expression was fixed into space in a 'thousand-yard' stare as her little sister, grandmother, and big brother exchanged worried looks. After trying again to take a sip (and spilling most of it), she whispered, "...ah ain't evah gonna git that sight outta mah mind...whut Twilight did ta Spike...an whut come outta that evil box when she did...nevah..."

They all remained silent until Granny spoke up. "Child, that gal has opened up some ancient magic that Ah only heard about from mah great-granny. An' from whut Ah hear about these Caribou, it might be the only way to fight 'em..."

Applejack startled and looked at her. "Granny! Whut are you sayin'?! I dun told you: whut Ah saw wuz pure EVIL!" But the matriarch shook her head.

"No, hunny...it weren't." She turned and stared out the window at the setting Sun, then sighed. "Them's forces in this world that git called on by the desperate, and that's only in time of greatest need." She looked back at her granddaughter. "An' they always demands a heavy price." She pointed at Apple Bloom. "Them Caribou are gonna rape her 'til her mind breaks, or if'n she fights 'em, they'll kill her." She looked up at her grandson. "If'n he don't go along wif 'em, they'll do terrible thangs to him, and then they'll kill him..." She placed her hand on her own heart. "They ain't got no use fer somepony as old as me, so Ah ain't gonna survive this no matter whut." She reached over, took the cup from her, then took both of her hands in hers. "Ah ain't so old Ah don't know whut's bin happenin'. Ah know the Princesses are beaten. Ah know them bastards are on their way here. We only gots two choices: let 'em do whut they want to us, or do whut Twilight sez." She gazed around at her grandchildren, and her eyes were deep wells of anguish. "Ah'd rather die a thousand painful deaths than have you all suffer one second of the things they'll do to you."

Applejack stared back at her, then broke into tears. "You...you're right, Granny! Ah'll do—" but she suddenly stopped and pricked up her ears, then looked toward the window. Her eyes grew round as her voice quavered, "Y...y'all hear that?"

Mac went to the window and looked out, then they saw his face lose color. He looked back at them.

"Run..."

The entire population of Ponyville was gathered in the Town Square as Twilight and her friends stood in the middle, and she held up a box. Her arms were bloody up to her elbows, and there were markings carved into her flesh, which gave her an otherworldly appearance and had made the task of convincing them all considerably easier. The herd was mostly mares, though some males, like Mr. Cake, Filthy Rich, and surprisingly, Caramel (the Town's self-appointed 'stud muffin,' whom everypony thought would be the first to join the Caribou) stood there. Each of them had a drop of dragon blood marked on their foreheads as they stood listening to Twilight's dire instructions.

"Citizens of Ponyville, hear me!" She used her magic to keep the dybbuk suspended as she pointed. "The Enemy is on their way and will be here within the hour! We have very little time!" She gazed at each of their faces in turn, noting the fear she saw. "I realize this is...horrible, and beyond anything you all have ever heard me tell you...but I had no choice!" She looked at her friends. "In order to guarantee this spell to work, I needed all of the Elements of Harmony, but sadly, one of my friends could not go through with this." She held aloft the necklace for the Element of Honesty. "Who will take her place?!" There was murmuring and a shuffling of feet as they all exchanged worried glances with one another, and then a voice asked, "Does...it have to be...a mare?" All turned to look at the one who had spoken.

"Car...Caramel?" asked Twilight. "You...think you can be...the Element of Honesty?"

He nodded as he stepped forward. "I've kept it secret, but...I AM an Apple. Applejack and her family are my first cousins." There was an incredulous gasp from the assembled, but he ignored it. "This is why I'm here: I don't want to see the Caribou destroy Equestria and rape all of you mares against your will." He looked around. "I know you all think I'm a scumbag, always chasing after you and never settling down, but if you'll all remember, I never tried to date any of you at the same time, and I never lied to you about my intentions." Many mares' faces went red as he spoke, and many dropped their eyes in shame. He turned back to Twilight. "So, yes, I am a "ladies' man," but I'm an honest one. As honest as any in my Family."

Twilight stared at him as a single tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm...sorry I doubted you." She held out the Necklace. "You would honor us..." But, before he could take it, there was a disturbance from the back of the crowd. All moved aside to allow a bloody, blonde Earth pony to make her way forward, followed by a shivering, weeping, redhead.

With her arms around her catatonic sister, Applejack stopped in front of Twilight. The look on her face made Twilight and all the other Bearers step back in fear. With her teeth clenched and her eyes blazing, Applejack snarled, "Whatever Ah have to do...however long it takes...Ah am gonna make them PAY fer whut they've done!!"