End of an Era: The Upheaval

In the chaos since their arrival into this Equestria, many of those once in command were no more. Some vanished when the minotaurs and holstaurs crossed over to this world, while others were killed in the adversity faced upon their arrival. However, their troubles had momentarily settled down. Grimly, a youthful bull forced to become a man looked over the villa where his small number of people lived. Moon Hammer, now chief of his people, peered out a window.

It wasn't like him to brood. But he'd done that more lately, covered in an apron over chain armor that accentuated his muscles, pants, and thick boots. The worst part was, he was aware there were holes in his memory. Like places and people he'd known were erased on their trek here...

Glasses were wiped down by a napkin absentmindedly by a crimson-furred and skinned, older minotaur behind him. “Sit down, have a drink. Troubles out there aren't our problem.”

Moon Hammer looked over his shoulder. “You really believe that, Redrum?”

Thoughtfully, the elder bull pulled on his mustache. “I do. Our numbers are small, so we can't afford to mess around with the changelings. Leave it to the ponies, the Amazons, and whoever else wants a shot at 'em. Lost to many old friends already. Don't wanna lose you too, son.”

“But I can't sit around and let people die! Maybe we owe them some help,” he replied.

Redrum heaved his shoulders beneath his vest and picked another wine bottle from the counter. “Your call, son, since you're the chief now. I'm only a bartender these days.”

“Not at all.” Moon Hammer turned and smiled. “You're my advisor, and friend, too!” At this late hour, the bulls that hadn't retired were usually shit-faced drunk. But even from here, they could see and hear the subdued sounds from the Crystal Empire, and most people gathered to watch the fireworks from a distance. The one customer they had appeared to have passed out at a table.

They'd check on their fellow minotaur once in a while, to make certain he was okay, thankful that at least it had quieted down. He didn't want to deal with another drunken brawl whenever tensions flared. Last time, Redrum had to rip off his vest, flex his muscles, and box or roundhouse a few bulls that foolishly tried to take the war veteran on, under the assumption he was old and washed up!

Redrum seems to read his mind and said, “Maybe I should become a barista instead. Got too many wild drunks around here. No doubt because they feel cooped in here, far away from home.”

Moon Hammer nodded. “For them, it's hard to feel displaced. But for me, well, I hate to admit it, but it's been an opportunity and an adventure! “ He pulled out and extended his telescope, which he used to peer out the window. “I used to look at the stars! Now, we're in another Equestria!”

“When you put it that way,” admitted Redrum. “Just hope we can return home. A...neat place to visit, but I'd rather not be buried here. Guess I'll close up. I'll see our customer out.”

Moon Hammer nodded, helped Redrum shake the customer away, and they carried the drunken bull out. Around the villa, most of the minotaurs went shirtless, some dressed in no more than short loincloths to show off their beefy physiques, while their counterparts, the cow women known as holstaurs, were incredibly curvaceous, their assets barely contained by cow-print bikinis.

They were a 'simple' folk, old-fashioned, tradiational, stubborn, and prideful. Everyone was expected to pitch in, as they worked their trade as farmers, craftsmen, carpenters, and soldiers, whatever it took to maintain order here, while the inhabitants became ever more restless.

A pair of holstaurs, war orphans that Redrum had 'adopted', approached them. Creamy Canyons, the older of the pair, with part of her mane up in a bun while the rest flowed behind her, her snout pursed in weary skepticism. The cow woman was spotted like all her kind, with caramel fur and skin. Her close friend Milky Mountains, sleepy-eyed with a lazy smile. A dense, wavy mane traveled down her stark white curves, and their collars bore cowbells that tinkled when they walked.

Creamy folded her arms beneath her udders and noted, “Another drunk huh? We'll see him home.”

Moon Hammer asked, “Are you sure? It's no trouble.”

Milky tilted her head with a wider smile and cut in, “We don't mind! Leave it to us!”

Redrum nodded. “It's not far. Not like we can wander far from this settlement.” They handed off the drunken, half-asleep bull to the cows, who then carried him off between them, both minotaurs unable to help but admire their supple buttceeks, mostly bared when they swayed away. He cleared his throat when they were out of earshot and said, “Maybe I'll ask 'em to become barmaids.”

“Not a bad plan,” the blacksmith replied. “Think they'd accept if I asked to marry them?”

“Only one way to find out,” said Redrum, but the two of them let it drop for now, both distracted by the war that raged in the distance, like everyone else here. It's true their numbers were low. They couldn't afford to lose anyone. Yet both wondered whether they could maintain neutrality.

Especially with the war so close to them, and the knowledge that, should the Crystal Empire suffer the unthinkable and fall, the swarm would no doubt come for them next...

*****

Cadance stood at the forefront of the battlefield, a flash reflected off her each time her hands and horns worked another spell to hold off the invasion. She shouted, “Retreat into the Crystal Palace! My chivalrous 'Swords', form a blockade to cover our retreat!” The knights obeyed without question, devoted to their queen with their lives which they had sworn to her service. Night Blade included, whose sword was drenched red, a dark reminder of how the thestral's originated.

Thunder Storm offered his shoulder to Shining Armor and helped him inside, the paladin still entranced by the shield he continually cast, which made the white stallion perspire all over. “Hold on my friend,” said Thunder. “Almost to the throne room where you can rest and recover!”

“Good to know,” he mumbled in reply, barely able to stumble, with the fear that the moment his concentration broke and the barrier shattered, their forces would be overrun.

Night Blade was forced to land when he sailed inside the palace. Gates were pushed by the soldiers, which slammed shut behind them with a momentous thud. He asked, “How are there so many...?”

Fiery's voice echoed down the halls when he called back, “They must've planned this for a while! We underestimated how fast these monsters can apparently breed! Ocellus is one of them!”

Cadance balked momentarily, amidst the brief reprieve as their enemies were shut out, and hammered at the entrance. “What? One of my top maids betrayed us?”

“Afraid so,” replied Fiery. “That dirty roach is probably still somewhere in the palace! I'll crush her the next time I see her! Don't know where Foal-Bearer or Wet Nurse are now, either!”

They made their way down the corridors, to the throne room, where some maids continued to openly fuck butlers and revelers, while others were slumped about, unconscious. Cadance scrunched up her snout when she stepped in a puddle of cum and almost lost her balance.

She lamented her carelessness. To try and raise morale, she'd visited disaster on her people!

“No one's to blame,” said Thunder to break the silence. “Other than our enemies. We all knew this would come someday. Chrysalis won't rest until she's conquered all of Equestria.”

Shining Armor practically collapsed onto his throne with a huff. “Maybe I can keep this shield up for another hour or so, since I only have to protect the palace now. But after that, well...”

Cadance weighed her options. She could teleport away, but could only take a few people with her, and no way was she about to abandon her people and her country! Nor could she exactly leave this continent and return with reinforcements, the radius of her teleportation limited to a few miles.

Grimly, her 'Swords' stood on watch, their blades and armor spattered in blood. Fiery paced back-and-forth with a crunch of boots across the carpets. She sat by her husband on her throne, and touched his arm. He forced a cheery smile back at her, while a sweatdrop rolled from his forehead.

It appeared bleaker by the moment. Not so different from when they'd taken the Crystal Empire from its usurper, Sombra. She wondered, had the tyrant felt fearful and desperate that day...?

*****

The cadets were ferried away from the throne room, to the cafeteria where swaths of the civilians were relocated and kept under watch by a number of commanders and elite soldiers. Unrest and demands for answers echoed around the spacious chamber, which Snowy Blizzard and Moonflower attempted to help ease, to no avail. With each second that passed, they feared a riot would break out. Dishes knocked off a table shattered, the noisy atmosphere thick, heavy, and stuffy.

“It's hard to breathe in here,” muttered Moonlight, who fidgeted in her boots.

Lightning cried, “It's totally unfair that we're stuck in here like a bunch of newbies! Didn't we just help save a bunch of bystanders? I'd like to think we've all proved ourselves by now!”

“May as well sit down and have some food,” said Moonlight, who plopped down on a bench at a table. Cafeteria workers delivered them steamy soup, which she idly spooned at. Her bat-like ear twitched at the accusations she heard and whispered, “They have a point. Is this safe to eat?”

Lightning asked, “You really think changelings already infiltrated the palace? No chance!”

Midnight rubbed the back of his neck and admitted, “I dunno. It's possible. But I sure am hungry!” He and his twin sister's stomachs growled in protest at the idea they'd let this food be wasted. “We were promised a feast today, and look at the mess we're all in! I can't stand it anymore!”

Moonlight poked at her soup and asked, “So what should we do? We're supposed to stay here.”

“Shouldn't be too hard to slip out.” Midnight nodded at the civilians that barked demands and pushed at the guards, who used their shields to force them back. “There's our distraction! We can zip by them, have a look around the palace and see whether anyone else needs our help!”

“You always have to play the hero,” his childhood friend chided with a shake of her head.

“Sounds like a plan to me!” The electric blue mare punched the sky. “Looks like we'll have to risk it! Can't fly on an empty stomach!” The siblings slurped down spoonfuls of soup before it cooled, and with a roll of her eyes the bat mare sipped at hers too, so she wouldn't be left behind.

Thankfully for everyone here, Ocellus hadn't tainted this batch of food. The siblings filled their bellies with what food they could, since soon that energy would be burned away, while their pal ate a smaller portion of her own. They wiped their mouths with napkins and downed some water.

Lightning asked, “Ready to hit the road?” The other two nodded. “One the count of three! One. Two. Go~!” She zoomed off, followed by Midnight, with Moonlight at the back. They pushed themselves to the limit to wind around the masses, reduced to a colorful trio of blurs.

By the time the guards realized someone slipped past them, it was already too late, as the threesome had escaped into the halls. Some of the crystal mare maids squeaked when they zipped by at rapid speeds, their skirts tossed up the winds, dozens panty-clad asscheeks flashed to the world.

“Sorry,” called Moonlight over her shoulder, while Lightning burst into laughter and Midnight couldn't help but stare a bit, drawn by his hyper-stallion side to the taut cameltoes on display.

At least most of those in the palace that partook of the food had now recovered from the aphrodisiac venom, as they eventually either burned it off while they rutted, or slept it off. Guards, however, now filled the corridors, especially around choke points that could be invaded.

They raced to a stop in a more solitary section.

Lightning planted hands on the hips of her Wonderbolts costume and whined, “There's far too many soldiers about! Maybe there'll be less of 'em down below? Let's check it out!”

“Not sure that's a good idea,” admitted Moonlight, who wished she'd put on a similar costume too, her tank top a bit stained and transparent with sweat, which drew her crush's eyes. Her loose shorts didn't fare too much better, but at least they were a darker shade with a pair of panties underneath.

Midnight said, “Sounds like a fun adventure to me! Remember how we all used to explore when we were foals? Come on, I saw some stairs nearby!” He took their hands and whipped back into action.

They prepared to head downstairs, unprepared for what awaited in the royal crypt...

*****

Sometime before then, before the trio even sat down to eat in the cafeteria, the 'Sons of Sombra' were still at with Ocellus, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse. The three unicorn stallion studs, with handsome saturnine features similar to their father, and the same chiseled physiques that made them perfect specimens of masculinity, practically shared one mind since they'd absorbed their father's ideals from foalhood. That power ruled all, and was the only morality of any worth!

Shadow Haze, who'd taken the leader role between the troika, cooly commanded his brothers Shadow Bane, Shadow Gloom, and the fertile wenches they'd taken hostage. “I'm a bit tired of Cadance,” he told the shape-shifter. “We'll have a real taste of her royal cunt later today!”

Shadow Gloom, like his other brother, held the naked mares. “So what now?”

Their leader stroked his chin, and a devious smile split his dark snout. “Well, we're practically triplets, and we have a pair of cute twins to trade between us. Ocellus, wasn't it? Why not make yourself look like them?” The shifter whimpered, and in a flash, took a form somewhere between Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, with the former's thicker hips and butt, the latter's more buxom bust.

Shadow Bane chortled and leered. “Now we're talkin'!” Greedily, his palm played with Ocellus' titty.

“Shame you can't replicate their cutie mark abilities,” observed Shadow Gloom, who instead squeezed her buttcheek, lifted the soft pink handful of flesh, and let it drop with a wild bounce.

Shadow Haze said, “I think she can. Try harder! I'm sure you can replicate a cutie mark!”

“B-but...even if I succeed, it'll only be a poor copy! Plus, I could end up permanently trapped in that form once the cutie mark stabilizes! Please don't make me...!” Ocellus sobbed, but with the threat of their firm hands around the necks of the twins, she had no choice but to obey.

Gradually, she concentrated and shifted her flesh around her haunches. 'Generic' cutie marks were easy to fake, since they contained small pockets of magic, but a more complicated one like the twins bore, filled with a unique arcane signature, drained her own innate magical reserves. To a shape-shifter like her, to lose one identity and be trapped in one form forever was a nightmare.

Yet she'd betrayed the sisters. She owed them this! So, she forced the copy 'cutie mark' onto her, a pair of intertwined female symbols which covered parts of her hips and buttocks when it solidified.

Shadow Gloom said, “Looks like the real deal! But will it actually work?”

“Let's find out!” Shadow Bane buried his fingers knuckle-deep into Wet Nurse's pussy with a wet squelch, as she clenched around him and spattered her lust on his hand, one of his firm digits crooked to rub her spongy g-spot. She blushed and failed to stifle a moan, which made her sister croon and squirt a little too, as she was equally molested and defiled by Shadow Gloom.

Their cutie marks started to almost inaudibly hum and shine in resonance.

Shadow Bane blasted her moist pink pussy faster and hissed in her pinned back ear, “You like that, huh?” He pressed his hard cock between her beautiful buns while he sucked on her ear. His shaft ran up-and-down over her slimy orifices, which his tip smeared in dollops of his precum.

Shadow Bane's own tip rubbed over Foal-Bearer's slit and clitoris when he humped into her from behind, and his powerful hands cupped and played with her tits. “A tad less busty than your sister,” he hissed. “But more than a nice pair of handfuls! I bet every soldier here wants to breed you!”

“M-maybe.,” admitted Foal-Bearer with a whimper between pleasure and dread.

Shadow Haze said, “Let's try a little experiment.” His horn lit up and seized around ceremonial swords on display on the statues in the crypt. Not suited for a real battle, but with a sharpness he knew could break skin, as his aura lifted them over. “Twin sluts, prostrate yourselves atop one of the slabs and eat each other out.” He waved the blades above their heads like Swords of Damocles.

Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse draped themselves on the cool marble slab, the former on top and the latter on the bottom, in a sixty-nine position while they set out to devour each other's holes. Not an unusual configuration for them, since they'd made love many times to pass the lonely nights. They'd been connected from the moment their cutie marks manifested, and knew they'd one day marry the same stallion so they'd never be apart. As they feasted, their cutie marks shined brighter.

Ocellus widened her eyes when her 'cutie mark' illuminated too.

Shadow Haze leered with delight. “Looks like it worked! You're up, wench.” He slapped her ass, which made her yelp as it rippled. “And since you sold out your so-called friends, I think it's only fair you pay the price with your body!” The studs laughed and surrounded Ocellus, who they lifted onto another slab, and positioned her so that they could all drive their erect horsecocks into her fuckholes, Haze deep in her pussy, Gloom balls deep in her ass, Bane thrust into her throat.

Haze took care to not break his concentration, lest the blades fall on separate heads from lovely bodies. Of course, he'd never harm any of them permanently unless there was no other option, since they wanted them to carry their foals, but fear had momentarily made Ocellus overlook this.

Or perhaps part of her wanted to be punished further, after what she'd done?

Not that the three stallions concerned themselves much with that, as they hammered at their whore, watch her fake 'cutie mark' start to resonate with the twins', which in turn amplified all their pleasure, their minds all but melted with pleasure, reduced to shaken, squirty messes as the boys chortled and worked them over. Gaped wide fuckholes were see-sawed in-and-out of in a blur.

Palms rained down. Audible smacks of tits and asses echoed around the misty crypt.

The sisters smeared one-another's snouts and faces in their shared lust, which drenched their fur. They felt each other dive in, lick, suck, and penetrate their loveholes, and also felt the phantom horsecocks of the studs piston in-and-out without mercy, as they were stretched and split wide open. Whenever one of the three connected mares reached climax, the other two followed.

Eventually, the three brothers buried themselves with a last, brutish thrusts, and fired off into Ocellus. In the crystal mare shape, her belly swelled heavily with more fertile seed.

After they finished, they all pulled out at once with loud, wet pops. Gaped pink fuckholes oozed with cum, while Ocellus drooled with a mouthful of spunk, while more poured from her nostrils. They chortled and bumped fists, with more sharp spanks delivered to her tits and buttocks.

The three mares were passed out, overwhelmed by pleasure forced on them Shadow Haze floated away the ceremonial blades, which landed on a slab with a clank. “Give them a few minutes to rest, brothers. Then, we'll take these bitches for another ride, break 'em in until they love us.”

Their father had conquered many crystal mares in a similar way. Forced himself on them, offered them riches and pleasure, until over time he eroded their wills and made them happy to submit and serve his needs. At his height, King Sombra's harem was said to number in several hundreds, so many fertile mares he couldn't remember their names or faces, most left to lives of luxury.

Shadow Haze would have them all collared and chained, after he took the Crystal Empire throne!

A short time later, after the three mares stirred, Bane buried himself in Foal-Bearer's ass and Gloom in Wet Nurse's pussy, which they probed with slow, deep strokes, not mindful at all of the cum still packed into them. Perhaps they'd even mix their seeds, so they could father their foals as one!

While the pair of them pounded the bent over bitches, Haze sat on his slab and rested his palm atop the skull of Ocellus, which he forced to bob up-and-down to service his cum-soaked and feminine-lubricated shaft, as she tasted herself each time he swabbed her filled throat.

That hardly mattered to her. Her eyes watered, unable to shift back anymore.

“Suck it,” he demanded, as he balled a fist in her pastel pink mane, and she obeyed with sways of her titties each time she was lifted, then driven back down, her nipples perky in the cool air. She winked wetly on the floor which steamed from the small puddle, felt the phantom dicks buried inside her.

He found that over their short time here, more of their lost power returned. More warmth returned to their flesh, which hadn't atrophied due to alchemy and enchantments. “Time to experiment further,” he decided, his horn and hands lit up to work some simple necromancy.

Caskets rattled. Lids were thrown off with a crash. More preserved corpses rose, reanimated, some of them also their brothers that hadn't taken the preparations for their revival before they met their end, others close servants of the queen, a mixture of crystal stallions and mares. Garbs were torn from their bodies at Haze's mental command, little more than mindless flesh puppets he animated.

Wet Nurse whimpered, and peed herself a little while her pussy continued to be pounded, and the sensation forced Foal-Bearer and Ocellus to tinkle a little too while they were also bred. “Z-zombies...?” She visibly paled and froze up, her cunt clenched up hard around a cock inside it.

“They won't harm you,” purred Haze. “If you submit and obey.” At his mental manipulations, the reanimated meat descended on the mares, preserved in a manner so that the blood was able to rush back into their extremities, slaves to baser instincts as they drove their dicks into the unfilled fuckholes of the crystal mares. The rest rubbed cocks and tits all over them, or turned to fuck each other, a mass of clammy flesh which audible clapped as they drooled and moaned in the crypt.

Ghoulish horsecocks pounded into them, helped by Haze, Bane, and Gloom, who felt at home in the cold, dim burial chamber. Like their father, they delved into the dark arts for more power.

Rough hands molested their flesh, grabbed and pinched at it, while horsecocks were slapped all over them and their tips drooled slimy precum across their supple flesh. Multiple orgasms were pushed out of the crystal mares, Ocellus unable to call herself a changeling anymore after she'd stabilized into a form she feared would be permanent. Over-and-over, they were hammered without relent.

Shadow Haze smiled wickedly at his work. A small demonstration of his true power!

The mares lost track of how many times they were cummed in and on, as the zombie horde ran a train on them, no ruined hole left unfilled for more than a few seconds. By this point, their well-used orifices were pleasantly sore, trapped in a blissful feedback loop as they were used up.

Bane helped the zombies rail his chosen wench and asked, “Think their sperm still works?”

Gloom pounded ass while he answered, “Probably not! And no way their seed'll take over ours! Hrrrr~! Take it, bitch!” He'd already filled Wet Nurse's cunt, and now fired up her asshole.

Ocellus saw them as little more than barbarians, while her throat was also hosed down by spunk and her belly filled anew. But she wondered, with Chrysalis in charge, were the changelings all that different now? They'd steal away the mares, treat them like incubators, their wombs exploited...

“Gonna knock you up for sure bitch,” shouted Bane, Foal-Bearer seated in her lap while he also shot up into her birth canal, while a zombie clapped her buttcheeks and her head was titled to suck off another zombie, while more cocks and tits were rubbed all over her cum-soaked curves.

The twins, lost to a sea of pleasure, nonetheless held onto memories of each other. They refused to be broken, or to hate Ocellus, no matter how many thick horsecocks were forced into them.

“Go ahead,” lazily said Haze as he brushed his softened, wet cock across the smeared face of Ocellus. “Pulverize their pussies. A small taste of what we'll do, once Cadance is prostrated on her knees!”

The crypt doors creaked open. The three brothers snapped to attention. For a moment, the cadets who'd stepped in froze, as they never would've expected what they saw before them.

Midnight chuckled nervously. “Is this a bad time?” Suddenly, he wished they hadn't rushed in unarmed, their weapons taken from them when they'd been shuffled into the cafeteria.

Moonlight cried, “Foal-Bearer, Wet Nurse! They're the queen's personal maids! And...someone I don't know?” She didn't know who Ocellus was, now that she was trapped in this shape.

Lightning cried, “Who cares! They're the baddies, and we need to stop 'em!” In an electric blue blur of motion, she raced into the thick of it, her brother close behind her to rescue the mares.

“Fools!” Haze, who'd stood, raised a palm and unleashed a wave of darkness. The cadets barely evaded the blast, which collided with one of the statues, chunks of marble cast about. Before they could reach the brothers or the captured mares, he mentally ordered the meat puppets to block them. The cadets tried to zip around them, but they were too numerous, the crypt too cramped.

Chaos erupted in the confines, the brother-and-sister team forced to use their fists, feet, and plumes in an attempt to fend them off. Moonlight was thankful she always kept tools on her person in secret, small darts hidden within her bat wings, which she hurled open and released a bunch of darts on undead, careful not to hit any of her allies. The tips pricked into the flesh with subdued thunks.

Within seconds, a number of them slumped over, dosed with toxins that put them to sleep.

“Got ourselves a trickster,” said Shadow Bane, who marched forward, not mindful of his nakedness as his half-erect member bobbed. “Looks like you're about to become fuckmeat—ack...!”

A ceremonial blade sank into his wide, with a two-handed stab from Foal-Bearer. “Sister,” cried the older twin, which also spurred Wet Nurse into action, as she took up the other blade and swiped at Shadow Gloom, the tip raked across his chiseled chest in a small spatter of blood as he flinched.

Shadow Bane collapsed in a pool of his own blood and twitched. Shadow Gloom tried to tackle Wet Nurse, but the twins forced him back with more wild, two-handed swipes to put distance between them. Shadow Haze worked another spell...only for his eyes to widen when Ocellus pressed her nude body into his own, pressed her lips to his, a distraction while she willed herself to concentrate.

After they had been raped for hours, she collected all that lust, turned it back on the leader. She ached with unbelievably pain, pushed past her torments, as she shifted her teeth into a pair of small fangs and sank them into his lips when she kissed him. She injected aphrodisiac venom directly into his veins, made him shudder from an overdose, as she pulled away in threads of shared saliva.

He howled in ecstasy and dropped into a seizure, his horsecock painfully swelled from its erection, while he came-and-came volumes all over himself and the floor. The twins winced as they were hit with a few stray shots that fired all over their supple nude flesh, as they maintained their focus on Shadow Gloom, the last son of Sombra driven into a corner while more darts knocked out zombies.

Foal-Bearer kept her sword brandished at the mildly wounded stallion with her sister as she warned, “Nowhere left to run! One of your brothers has overdosed, another's about to bleed out!”

“What she said,” added Wet Nurse. “So, surrender, or else we'll have to finish you off!”

“Damn,” cursed Shadow Gloom, but like all the fanatical sons of Sombra, he refused to simply surrender. Most of the brothers would sooner attack to their last breath or throw themselves on their sword. Instead, his keen eye trailed to one of the few coffins that hadn't been opened. His horn lit up, as he weaved his hands and whispered a spell, despite the blades thrust near him.

A fist punched out of the lid, which snapped and tumbled off when the new zombie rose. The stallion seized Moonlight from behind, who yelped in surprise, as she was trapped in a headlock that choked out her breath, and his free hand tore the tank top, shorts, and panties off her like tissue paper. His erection pressed between her buns and throbbed, as his tip smeared her in precum.

“Looks like we have a standoff,” bellowed Shadow Gloom. “How about a trade? My brothers for your bitch! Otherwise, I'll let him crack her neck and have his way with her corpse!”

“You monster,” seethed Foal-Bearer, who nonetheless didn't drop her sword.

Wet Nurse asked, “Wh-what should we do?” Her hands shook as she, too, leveled her weapon.

The brother-and-sister shouted in unison, “Blitz 'em!” The pair of blurs rammed into the zombies, knocked him off balance and bowled him over. Moonlight stumbled in her boots with coughs while she steadied her balance, while Gloom attempted another spell, only to widen his eyes in surprise and choke up blood when he found a pair of swords driven deep into his stomach.

“I-I'm sorry!” Wet Nurse shook, her eyes moist as she skewered him. “You left us no choice...!”

“It's what you deserve,” said Foal-Bearer more coldly, as she nonetheless shared in her twin's tears. Gloom collapsed like his brothers, neutralized while he, too, started to bleed out.

Wet Nurse dropped her bloody blade with a clank. “Wh-what have we done? We have to-”

Foal-Bearer held her back. “Save them? No, you heard what they plan for the Crystal Empire!”

“B-but I'm a nurse! I took a vow to save lives, whoever they are!” Wet Nurse covered her face with both hands and broke down as she wept. Foal-Bearer dropped her blade, embraced her and cried, too. Ocellus also sniffled, as her 'cutie mark' continued to resonate with the sisters.

Midnight turned to his friend and asked, “Are you okay? And permanent harm?”

“Don't think so. Thank you,” said Moonlight to Lightning, who found a thin sheet and wrapped it around her naked form, her nipples painfully hard in the cold. “Too bad I'm all out of darts.”

Lightning said, “At least we saved the day here! Uh, such as it is.” Her face fell when she saw the mares they saved cry, which barely made it feel like a victory to the three cadets. “Guess we'd better take them somewhere safe, clean them up and let them rest. Once they're ready, of course.”

Wet Nurse wiped her face and with a sniffle said, “I-I'll treat any wounds when we're out of here.”

“Me too,” said Foal-Bearer, who'd inherited a few medical skills her sister had learned.

Wet Nurse trembled when she carefully approached the sons of Sombra, flanked by the cadets, her sister, and Ocellus to watch her back while she checked their bodies. “L-looks like they're all dead.”

“We have to be sure,” said Foal-Bearer. “After all, they came back before.”

Another voice carried from outside the crypt. “Looks like we'll have to burn their carcasses. Just to be sure.” Fiery Kickstart marched in, followed by a number of his men. “Sorry we're late. Guards and maids spotted and reported your movements, but they lost track of you, and we finally found you here. Everyone okay?” They nodded. “Good. Men, take them to shelter, I'll handle this.”

He immediately went to the twins, and his free hand touched their cheeks affectionately. “I'm so relieved to see you're safe. Ocellus, you're under arrest.” He nodded to one of his men, who approached and cuffed her hands behind her. “Watch out, remember, she's a shape-shifter.”

“She saved our lives,” reminded Foal-Bearer.

“It's her fault you almost lost them in the first place,” he countered. “Just look at the mess she's made. No, I can't take it easy on her. I'll see to it she's publicly executed,” he said bitterly.

“Please...have mercy on her!” Wet Nurse pressed her nakedness into him with sad eyes.

He balked a little, unable to deny the mares he adored. “I'll...consider it. For you two.” Gently he pushed past them, and with a snarl, arced down his blade, Shadow Haze's head separated from his carcass. The twins winced and turned away, unable to watch as he hacked the sons apart.

He wanted to set his blade ablaze and reduce them to ashes, but he wasn't about to smoke up the royal crypt, which had already been defiled. Over his shoulder he said, “Good work, cadets. But you'll still have to be disciplined later. There's a chain of command for a reason.”

“Sir!” The three cadets awkwardly snapped to attention and saluted his back.

Once his troopers led everyone away, Fiery stood in the dim crypt and contemplated what had happened. He feared the Umbra were still out there, in the darkest shadows, perhaps lost and trapped in the royal burial place forever, unable to claim any corpse that didn't match their own. To be certain, he hacked apart any body that remotely resembled Sombra's he found here.

Blood soaked his broadsword and armor. The mustard stallion huffed and ran a hand into sweaty, flame-like hair. Another threat from within, which incompetent rulers failed to deal with.

“Maybe this was inevitable,” he muttered. “Empires always fall in the end. Sombra wasn't completely mistaken. It takes an iron fist to rule a nation sometimes.” He balled up his free hand with a snarl. “What can anyone hope to accomplish, without power? Somehow, I have to master this flame!”

The three disembodied Umbra drifted in the burial mound, reduced to little more than phantoms.