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Delta Guardian

by The Emerald Nightingale

Chapters

Welcome to the Madhouse!

It's been three years since my brother disappeared. Three fuckin' years of emotional torment, eventually leading to a breakdown that landed me in the local mental asylum, wasting away my days in a padded cell with my arms pinned to my sides. The only human contact I get is from the doctors and the other patients, and even that was only after I had proven to be 'stable' enough. Fuck you and your stability! My brother disappeared at a convention - most likely taken into a trafficking ring or something - and you want me to be stable! Insensitive pricks. I guess I can play along long enough to get out of here, though.

"Patient number 2615525, I am coming in. Please move to your bed."

*sigh*, great. I've got him again, Doctor Tightass. Guess Helen isn't in today, which makes it Wednesday. Helen looks after her sick grandmother on Wednesdays, and comes here every other day. She's really a sweet woman, and she treats me as though I was her own daughter, which is nice.

"Patient number 2615525, have you done as instructed?" Doctor Asshole asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." I grumbled, shuffling over to the bed and throwing myself down on my back. Aside from the straitjacket, they let you wear what you want, which for me is a pair of black hot pants. "I'm on the bed. Better not have your way with me."

"Very funny, patient number 2615525." he said, opening the door and walking in, closing it behind him. He took a seat on the only other piece of furniture in my room, a small wooden stool with no back. I hate the thing, not comfy at all. At least they ask you what mattress you'd like. "I am merely here to inform you of an outing we are conducting, to the local convention centre. They are holding a video game convention on Saturday, so arts and crafts tomorrow will be dedicated to making any costumes you would like."

I sat up, glaring daggers at the fucker. "How dare you." I growled, resisting the urge to charge at him. An angry tone is the most I can get away with these days without ruining all of my hard work. "You ask me if I want to go to the place where my brother disappeared?! Is this some kind of test!? Or just some sick joke!?"

He just sat there, jotting down notes on a small pad of paper. "No joke, I assure you. Just a day out of the asylum for the more behaved patients. Would you like to go?"

I growled one more time before sighing and falling back onto the bed again. "Sure, John." I said, defeated. "I'll go. Can I get a haircut first though? I feel like I haven't had it cut since I got put in here."

"You haven't. I'll arrange for Patricia to come by later, 2615525. Might I recommend this character for your costume?" He held out a small picture.

"Zinnia, huh? Why her?" I asked. I'd liked Zinnia a lot before coming here, and I suspected that someone put that on my file, which is why John knew about her.

"Well, you share quite a few similarities with this character physically already. All you would need is the hair style and the outfit." he explained. Can't say he's wrong. With the raven black hair and amber eyes, my face is pretty much a perfect mirror of Zinnia - with the right haircut, of course. Even our fashion choices were similar, hot pants and a tee-shirt, though I was never sold on the cloak. What was creepy, though, was that when I was little my parents got me a hamster that I names Aster. It was a rescue animal, used to test shampoo before it was rescued, so the chemicals had changed it's fur colour. To pink.

"Yeah, alright." I said. John pulled the picture back, moving back to the door.

"I'll have Patricia take off your straitjacket, too." He said, pulling the door open. "You've been deemed safe enough for free roaming without it. Congratulations, 2615525."

"My name's Zoey, asswipe!"

A few hours later, I was sat watching some show about ponies in the commons room while Patty cut my hair. I liked some of the songs they sang, but the show itself was horrible. But it was Steven's turn to choose what we watch, so I didn't say anything. Poor guy thought his mom and sisters were some kind of crystal aliens...

"So, you're going to the con?" Patty asked. Another of the nice ones, Patty, she was a pretty tall phillipino woman with pink hair down to her shoulders and huge jugs. I'm not kidding, I asked her what size she was once, and do you know what she told me? Thirty eight double G. Thirty. Eight. Double. Fucking. G. Me gusta...

What? I'm bi and I have a huge sex drive, get over it.

I shook myself slightly, causing any loose hair to fly off. "Yeah, thought it'd be nice to get out for once, ya know?"

"I still don't know why you're still in here, girl." Patty said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're fine. No maniacal laughing fits, no rocking back and forth with distant eyes, no talking to a bag of flour wearing a party hat."

"Can we not talk about the flour, please?" I asked, wincing. That was embarrassing, especially since it was only because I couldn't see my family on my birthday.

"Sorry, Hun. Forgot."

"It's fine, Patty. No worries."

We sat in silence for a minute before Patty handed me a red belt with a bag fastened to the back. "For the costume." she said, brushing off my shoulders. "Made it myself for my niece, but she didn't want it. Then I noticed that this Zinnia character has a red belt and brought it in for you."

"Thanks, Patty." I said, tears forming.

"No prob, Hun." she said. She then leaned forwards, pressing her breasts against my back and (presumably) unintentionally sending my heart into overdrive. "Listen," she whispered, her minty breath washing over my frozen face. "They're making you have a staff member to help tomorrow, but they let you choose. Just ask for me. I'm good with clothes."

"But isn't tomorrow your day off?" I asked, shifting my shoulder. I felt her breast move too, and it was awesome.

"Yeah, but it's for you." she replied. She then stood back up and grabbed her mirrors, handing me one. "Whadd'ya think?"

Pushing back the urge to shudder, I examined the excellent job Patty had done. "It's perfect, Patty. Looks just like her."

Patty started putting her things away as I stood up and brushed myself off.

"Darn it!" Patty said. When I turned to see what was up, I got a view of Heaven! And it was black and lacy.

"Say, Patty..." I began, trailing off as Patty turned her body, still bent down, and gave me the perfect valley view.

"Yeah, Zoey?" she asked, snapping me out of my trance. "What's up?"

Now or never.

"Would you mind... uh... coming to my room later? Like... after dark?"

Patty giggled, causing her chest to jiggle slightly. "Sure, Hun." she said, standing up and putting a hand on her hip. "I'll even come... alone." She slipped into a sultry tone on the last word, sending me over the dam.

"'KaythanksseeyoulaterPattybye!"

And with that, I ran back to my room, closed the door and collapsed onto the bed before thrusting my hands into my shorts.

So Patty actually did come by last night. And she came alone. And she had put my tape on a sleep loop.

I'm gonna say one thing about what happened next - Patty is good.

Anyway, now we're in the commons room again, only this time there's a bunch of sewing equipment and fabric dyes all over the tables. Patty was helping me dye the patterns onto the shirt when Lewis and Mikey got into a fight, Lewis actually managing to draw blood when he stabbed Mikey in the shoulder with a pair of scissors. Lewis was taken to the 'time-out room', which is basically solitary confinement, and Mikey was taken down to the infirmary. Both were taken off the trip.

I was beginning work on the shorts when Steven came over.

"Say, Zoey, do you have any spare pink cloth?" he asked. I reached under the desk I was sat at and handed him my entire roll. I didn't need it anyway, since my character didn't have any pink in her clothes. I watched him as he walked back to his area and saw that he was making a little plush lion, entirely pink. I wondered why for a moment before I looked to the side to see he had made a cardboard sword and shield set, both following a rose theme in design. Next to them was a folded set of clothes. I guess he finished early and just started making a little teddy. Cute.

"Zoey, you're shirt's ready!" Patty called, taking the shirt off of the line we had set up to let it dry on. Patty had worn her own clothes to work today, and they let her off because it was supposed to be her day off and this was technically charity work. Today she wore a purple low-cut crop top that showed off her cleavage, as well as a pair of purple bike shorts. She had a black trench coat that covered her completely when she came in, but she was wearing it open, so I don't know why she bothered with it. I know she was teasing me after last night, and fucks sake it was working!

"Thanks Patty, I'm just starting the shorts now." I replied, turning back to the sewing machine. Patty leaned directly over me, breasts against the back of my head and a smirk on her face.

"You do realise you're wearing a pair of shorts that you could use. You only need the cloak." she said.

"Oh yeah," I leaned back, using her chest as a pillow. "Have we got any brown fabric?"

"No, but I already have the cloak sorted." the bombshell produced a perfect replica of the cloak from seemingly nowhere, placing it on my chest (and using it as a cover to fondle me a little).

"How?"

"Remember that uncle I had who was a hermit?"

"Oh yeah."

I did remember the uncle. In fact, he was a patient here for about a year until he died of a heart attack. Poor guy, all he wanted was to live and die in Nature's embrace, and instead he dies in this place.

"Come on, Hun." Patty said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Let's go back to you're room and see how you look!"

"Alright." I gathered up the costume and cleaned up while Patty went and told John, who was in charge of the arts and crafts session today, where we were going. I gave Steven a few of the other fabrics I had left, receiving a plush Whismur in return. Guy works fast! After that, Patty lead the way back to my room and closed the door behind us.

Without hesitation I stripped down to my panties, exposing my ample D-cup breasts to the woman before me. I took my time putting the clothes back on, too, enjoying the way her legs pressed together. The shorts went on first, because for some reason I had felt the need to take them off in the first place. The way the fabric tingled on my skin was new, but it was wonderful new. Next came the boots which, while not as sexual, did give me an excuse to be topless with Patty for just a little longer. Then the shirt came on, it's tight fabric exactly what I wanted. I fastened Patty's belt-bag around my waist before putting on the cloak with a flourish and striking a pose. Patty applauded me, biting her lower lip slightly as she stood.

"Gimme a little twirl, Hun." she said. I did as instructed, stopping facing away and giving my ass a little shake - which Patty took as an invitation to give it a smack. "Nice. Sexy."

"You think so?" I asked, turning around. I looked down a myself, a spitting image of Zinnia as far as I was concerned.

"Yeah, you'd have had guys drooling over you at that convention. Literally, if you wanted." I laughed at that, up until I registered what she had said.

"What do you mean, 'would have had'?" I asked. Patty smirked at me and handed me a small, spiralling anklet of a blue dragon with a small stone imbedded in the head.

"Enjoy your trip, Hun. I'll see you soon."

With that, the world went to Hell. The gem in the anklet flashed, and before I knew what was happening, a giant green dragon head burst through the wall and swallowed me whole.

Stable-izing

When I came to, I was lying on a patch of grass in the middle of the night in what looked like a statue garden. All around me were statues of people who's heads were half-horse, each one doing something different. One was holding a flag up, another had a spear raised in victory, and a third was... a pair of them fucking.

That's graphic for a statue.

I ignored the statues for now and started walking around, trying to figure out where I was. It clearly wasn't the asylum, they would've never allowed some of these statues, so where was I? The last thing I remember is getting eaten by a dragon, so unless it ate this place as an appetiser I'm pretty sure I'm not where logic would put me. I still seem to be wearing the Zinnia costume, though.

"You there, halt!"

I whipped around to face the voice, seeing one of those half-horse-faced people. Only this one was also covered in dark blue fur and had wings and a horn. Her hair - or is it mane? - was more of a gas, and seemed to hold the night sky inside of it. She wore a silver and light blue gown that flowed over her generous bosom, and a black crown that had a crescent moon on it that rested just behind her horn. She must have been royalty! Crap, bow you stupid bitch!

I dropped to one knee as the woman - mare? - glided over to me, seeming to inspect me as she neared. I caught her turquoise eyes as they roamed my form, seeming to linger in one or two places.

"Rise, fair maiden. What is thy name?" the mare - yes, fuck it, I'm going with mare! - asked. She held out her hand, which I gladly took as she pulled me to my feet with surprising strength.

"I'm Zinnia." I found myself saying without much thought. Why did I introduce myself as Zinnia, and not myself? Well, there's an easy way to fix this. "My friends call me Zoey."

"Greetings, Zinnia. As I am sure you know, I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night." She looked hopefully at me, as though hoping that I had indeed heard of her.

"I'm sorry, your highness," I began, thinking of how to put it lightly. "But I'm... not from the area, so I haven't heard of you before."

"Oh..."

Great. Now I feel bad.

"No matter. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Canterlot, as well as the rest of Equestria"

"Equestria?"

"Our country, Canterlot being the capitol. But enough of that. Please, walk with me."

I indulged the Princess, walking alongside her through the statues.

"So, Zinnia." the Princess began, facing forward. "If you do not hail from Equestria, then where is it you call home? How close is this land?"

"I'm..." I paused, looking at my boots. "I'm not exactly sure, Princess. I don't even remember how I got here. The last thing I do remember is being swallowed whole by a dragon."

"What?!" Luna's head whipped around so fast her mane flew right by my nose.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!" I insisted. I really didn't want to go to another crazy house.

"...We do not doubt you, Zinnia."

"Really?"

"No. 'Tis not the first story of dragons taking ponies just to place them in another location."

"Oh, thank God!"

"So would you be so kind as to fill Us in on your origins?"

"Uh... well..."

And so I told the Princess everything. How close I was to my brother, what happened to him, how that affected me, what happened to me, and everything that happened in the asylum up until today. When I had finished, I noticed that we had made our way to the doors leading into a large castle. From our current point I could just see over the walls, a thick canopy of trees greeting me.

"Come, Zinnia. I would have us continue this discussion inside over tea." Luna said, gesturing with her hand as her horn gained a blue glow. The door handles were surrounded by the same glow, and then the doors opened themselves. I shrugged it off. Horse people are weird enough that the fact they have magic just doesn't affect me right now.

"Of course, Princess. Please, lead the way." I replied, bowing slightly. Luna giggled a little, a magical sound that made me smile. She then led me into a large dining room, with four long tables lined vertically from the door, a fifth running horizontally along the far wall. Luna led us to the far table, taking a seat in a black and blue throne that held the same crescent moon as her crown.

"Please, seat yourself wherever you please. I shall have the night staff prepare us some tea." She said as she brought out a small bell and rang it. Almost immediately, a teapot with two tea cups and a plate of biscuits were placed upon the table by a horse man with a white coat and mane with bright red eyes. I thanked the... stallion? Yes, stallion. Grabbing the teapot, I poured myself and the Princess a drink. "Thank you." she said, taking hers.

"From what you have told Us, Zinnia," the mare began, taking a sip of her tea. I did the same, finding myself pleasantly surprised by the flavour. "We believe that you may have encountered a being of the Void."

I paused mid-sip. "A what?" I asked, placing the cup back on the tray.

"A being of the Void." Luna repeated. "Creatures with no physical form of their own, they are speculated to have a constant vision of the past, present and future at the same time. Some like to... nudge things in a different direction, often by moving a being."

"And of course by 'moving', you mean through dimensions."

"Indeed. The few times we have managed to prevent this, we witnessed the true form of these creatures - a ball of swirling energy. They seem to take a physical form that best suits their target." I blushed at that, remembering exactly what drew me to Patty. Wow, now I feel kinda shallow.

Out of nowhere, a deafening roar rang out, echoing around the vast room. Luna shot to her feet, myself not far behind as she raced back the way we had come. Eventually we had re-entered the statue garden, and I found myself stunned by what I saw.

Six black, ribbon-like wings beating powerfully. Three long necks covered in black, hood-like fur - one on the top of the main body, two on either side in place of arms - ending in two small, rounded heads and a third, more defined one. It's blue scaled body was split by the black fur composing it's hood on the upper half and two purple striped running vertically down it's lower body. A pair of stubby blue legs that ended in small claws dangled beneath the beast, a long, powerful blue tail with a purple underside thrashing around behind it.

There, hovering above a statue of a stallion wielding naught but a ball, was a fully-fucking-grown Hydreigon! As in, the Pokemon! How the actual fuck is there a Pokemon here!? Luna, apparently, wasn't as shocked as I was, as she was currently barking orders at a bunch of mares and stallions wearing dark blue, light-looking armour and wielding anything from a halberd to a dagger.

"Not a single pony breaks ranks!" I heard one of them shout, this one wearing a different design of armour which indicated higher rank. "I want this thing gone, you here me!?"

The Hydreigon reared it's main head back, a purple and black energy forming in it's gaping maw.

"Shit." I muttered, charging forward as it picked it's target and fired. I surprised myself with the speed at which I moved, tackling the stallion to the ground mere moments before the Dark Pulse attack hit, turning the grass into a grayscale version of itself with the epicentre a burnt patch. Looking up, I saw the Dark Dragon fire trio of beams - fiery red, lightning yellow and icy blue - at the statue of the stallion holding the ball. The stone structure shattered from the power of the attack, but the ball itself fell to the ground and rolled towards me. As it did, the stone seemed to flake off of it's surface, revealing a white sphere with a red band, a small button on the band.

"Is that..." I said, reaching out and grasping the ball. A flash of light came from my leg, and I saw that the anklet Patty had given me had found it's way onto my right leg.

A second roar rang out, this time not from the Hydreigon, and before we knew it the beast was tackled into the ground by a sky blue blur, kicking up a cloud of dust. I stuffed the ball into my bag as quickly as I could. The blur hopped backwards out of the cloud, revealing itself to be a bulky, quadruped dragon with sky-blue scales and red wings, it's segmented underbelly being a metallic grey. Red accents framed it's sharp eyes just behind it's six fins, three on each cheek.

"No fucking way!" I shouted, gaining the blue dragon's attention. "A motherfucking Salamence! That's just too cool!"

The Salamence seemed to grin at my words before being hit with a ball of orange energy, knocking it back a few feet. Luckily, it's Flying type halved the damage taken from the Focus Blast. And I just realised that I sound like a huge nerd. Oh well, fucking Salamence! Without thinking about it, I pointed at the slowly rising Hydreigon and shouted "Dragon Pulse!". A purple and blue beam flew from Salamence's mouth, smacking Hydreigon directly in the face. Without giving it any time to recover, I shouted "Flamethrower!", resulting in a stream of flame being spat at the Dark Dragon, engulfing it. I decided to end it then, giving one final command. "Roar!" I bellowed, and a second later a great, guttural roar reverberated around the area, instilling fear in all hostiles who heard it. The Hydreigon flew off towards a mountain range in the distance, scales still smoking.

Salamence landed with a thud, bellowing in victory before turning to face me. Luna had moved silently to my side, horn glowing and wings spread wide. Looking behind me, I noticed the guards in battle-ready stances and sighed. I then motioned for them to lower their weapons before turning and striding confidently towards the dragon, arm outstretched and palm splayed. Salamence ducked it's head, pressing it's snout against my hand with closed eyes.

"Thank you." I said, petting the powerful beast's snout. Salamence seemed to smile before using it's long neck to flip me onto it's back, crimson wings spreading wide as it prepared to take flight. Luna called out, but was too slow to stop us as Salamence carried me in the opposite direction to the one the Hydreigon had fled in.

The wind whipped through my hair as Salamence soared through the skies, and I couldn't help but laugh at the sensation. I was riding a Salamence! One of my childhood dreams has come true! Salamence seemed to pick up on my joy, because it started doing tricks! I held on to it's thick neck as it began doing barrel rolls, aileron rolls and even  loop-the-loops. It then began climbing higher and higher until we were miles above what I assume to be Canterlot Mountain, due to the castle built on it's side, before going into a corkscrew dive, aimed at the peak of the mountain. My laughter grew and grew as I clamped down with my legs, throwing my arms into the air as I screamed in pure joy. Salamence levelled out before gliding into a cave opening, plunging us into darkness as it landed. It opened it's mouth, a flame dancing on it's tongue as it moved to what appeared to be a small pile of wood. It spat the flames at the wood, filling the cavern with light as the kindling caught. It then plodded it's way further into the cavern, curling it's massive body around a small pile of straw holding... is that an egg! I crept forward, trying to get a better look but not wanting to push any boundaries.

The egg seemed to be a sky blue, matching it's mother's scales, with a pale yellow oval on the front and a silver-grey pattern running from the top to about halfway down the back. Salamence's beefy tail shifted slightly, curling lovingly around the egg as she lifted it up and moved it towards me.

"Are..." I began, too shocked to form a full sentence. "Are you giving me your egg?" Salamence just nodded before giving off a weak-sounding groan. I took the egg into my arms as she started coughing violently, small splatters of blood hitting the floor. I felt my eyes bug out at this.

"You're dying..." I stated, dumbfounded. This powerful creature had just saved Canterlot in a clearly horribly poor condition, and was now entrusting me with the care of her only child! I took a deep breath before walking over and sitting beside her neck, earning a confused grunt. "I'm not going to leave you here to die alone." I said simple, crossing my legs and placing the egg in the folds. Salamence nuzzled me thankfully before laying down completely. We sat in silence for a time, the crackling fire the only sound as I absently stroked Salamence's neck. I pulled out the ball from the statue, examining it in the fire's light. I wonder why the ponies try to fight off the Pokemon when they'd clearly found the way to capture them. Or maybe the pony in the statue kept it to himself? At any rate, this was clearly a Premier Ball, one of the most hated variants of the Pokeball - it was literally just a different colour. All it provided in the games was an extra ball for free. But maybe I could find someone that could reverse-engineer some copies for me, maybe even the upgraded versions!

Delicate wing beats caught my attention, if only because they disturbed the fire. I turned to see Princess Luna and another, taller pony with white fur and a tri-coloured pastel mane and tail, her horn longer and wings larger than Luna's. This one wore a white sundress with gold trims, as well as a golden crown situated just behind her horn.

"Princess." I said, turning back to the Salamence. Her breath had become ragged, but she seemed to calm slightly when I started stroking her again. I heard Luna and the other mare move closer, clearly wary of the dying dragoness. "You can calm down, you know." I said without looking at them. "She's dying, no threat. And she saved your home. I'd say that deserves a thank you." Luna crouched down beside me, placing her hand gently on Salamence's snout. Salamence grunted in response, but did nothing else.

"Thank you, great dragon." Luna whispered as her horn glowed. The same glow surrounded Salamence's chest, calming her ragged breathing even more. "We are truly grateful for your aide. Sleep now."

And with that, Salamence sighed blissfully, giving it's final breath. A small wisp of red smoke blew out of her mouth, floating up my nose. It burned slightly, but it wasn't unpleasant at all. I wiped the tears from my eyes and hugged the orphaned egg close to my chest. The white mare placed her hand on my shoulder, smiling gently.

"I'm aware that this isn't the greatest way to meet," she said, helping my up. "But I am Princess Celestia, Luna's older sister."

"Zinnia." I sniffed.

"I understand that you commanded this dragon when it defended our castle." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I did."

"Well our thanks are with you, too."

I nodded, not wanting to talk anymore. I then walked to the mouth of the cave and simply stared at the horizon. Why was I so sad about the death of something I barely knew? Was it because she saved my life, or because she entrusted her child to me? Or was it because of the sense of being complete that I got when I rode on her back. Either way, I had been given a great responsibility, and I would be sure to fulfil it as best I could. Luna moved to my left side, and Celestia mirrored her on my right.

"What will you do with the egg, Zinnia?" Celestia asked, eyeing the unborn dragon in my arms. My grip tightened slightly.

"I'll hatch it." I replied, eyes narrowing in determination. "And I'll raise the drake as though he were my own."

"How do you know it will be a boy?" Luna added.

"Huh?"

"You said you would raise the drake." the midnight mare stated. "As though he were your own child."

"Did I? I guess I just knew."

"And what about accommodation?" Celestia asked.

I looked behind me. The Salamence was still laying there.

"I'll stay here." I said. "I'll give Salamence a proper funeral, and then I'll move in here."

"Surely you jest!" Luna cried. "You cannot live in this cave!"

"Why not? It's big enough, all I'd need to do is put a door or something over the opening."

"I think my sister is worried about you getting up and down the mountain." Celestia chimed, unfurling her wings. "We flew up, and there was no visible trail."

"I think there was a tunnel back there, looked promising. It might lead to the base of the mountain - maybe even into Canterlot itself."

"Perhaps, yes." Celestia handed me a roll of parchments, a quill and a pot of ink before turning to leave. "We will leave you to rest, Zinnia. A team of guards will arrive tomorrow to assist in any way you need. With them will be a personnel assistant that will remain to help you adapt to Equestria, and will also act as a messenger between us should you need it."

"Thank you."

"Good night to you, Zinnia." Luna said, spreading her wings with her sister. "We hope to see you soon."

With that, the diarchs flew off, leaving me to my cave. I turned, walking back in and setting the egg next to the fire. I then moved over to Salamence's body, slowly moving it to the mouth of the cave. I know that it's disrespectful, but I wanted to make it things at least a little easier for tomorrow. I then grabbed the egg and lay down on the straw, surprised at how comfortable it was. Consciousness fading away, I drifted off to sleep.

Flames of Beginning

I woke the next morning to the sound of voices, with a burning sensation in my stomach. It wasn't unpleasant, far from it actually, just new. Sitting up, I looked to the mouth of my cave and found a small platoon of golden-armoured ponies attempting to lift Salamence's body onto a golden chariot. I shot up, making sure the egg was safe before storming over to the guards.

"What do you think you're doing!?" I demanded, arms crossed over my chest. The stallion I had stopped sputtered for a moment, cheeks flaring red, before snapping into a salute.

"Ma'am! We were ordered to assist in the disposal of this dragon's corpse, Ma'am!" he barked. The other guards also snapped to attention upon seeing us.

"Disposal?" I hissed, seething with anger. "DISPOSAL!? This dragon saved your asses and deserves a proper funeral, not disposal!"

"O-our apologies, Ma'am!" a mare said, sweating slightly. "W-we should have awaited y-your orders!"

"Damn right you should have. Now, I want that dragon gently placed on to the chariot."

"Ma'am, yes Ma'am!"

With that, the guards returned to moving Salamence's body onto the chariot, but were much more careful this time. As they did so, a mare with deep, forest green fur and a maroon mane walked over to me. She wore a simple white dress shirt with a black trench coat and black slacks. Forest green wings rested on her back, fed through small holes in the coat. She pulled a hot-pink suitcase behind her, and her golden-yellow eyes seemed to be constantly roaming around the cave before settling on me.

"Hi." she said. "My name's Whiplash. Princess Celestia sent me."

"Of course, the personal assistant." I replied, smacking my palm into my forehead. "I'm Zinnia. Make yourself at home, Whiplash. I know it's not much, but I plan to renovate at some point."

Whiplash nodded and moved to the back of the cave, right next to the opening of the passage.

"Where does this go?" she asked, peering in.

"Not sure, I haven't had a chance to look yet." I walked up next to her, leaning in to the passage to get a better look. It was pretty dark, but I'm sure I can get some torches or something from the guards. "Can you see if the guards can spare some lights?"

"Sure." Whiplash hurried off, leaving me to the passage. A breeze seemed to be blowing through - not sure how I missed that - which means that it opens up again somewhere. A tap on my shoulder told me Whiplash was back, and a second later a green light illuminated the passage. I turned around to see a horned guard with white fur and a black mane, his blood red eyes boring deep into mine.

"Private Flare at your service, Ma'am." the stallion said, saluting.

"Thank you, Private." I said, turning and leading the way down the passage. "Whiplash, you're in charge while I'm gone!" I called.

"Okay! I'll make sure they stay in line!"

I chuckled at that. She seemed eager to please, and she was pretty cute too. I could get used to having her around. For now, though, I focused on the path ahead of us. Flare walked along behind me, his horn glowing the whole time.

"So Flare," I started, stepping over a rock. "How long have you been a guard?"

"Three months tomorrow, Ma'am." the stallion replied, ducking under an outcropping I hadn't noticed. It was then that I noticed he was a good head taller than me.

"Call me Zinnia."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"What did I just say? Chill out a little, Flare."

Flare sighed. "Sorry, force of habit."

"No problem." I glanced at his glowing horn. "How are you doing that?"

"What?"

"The thing with your horn."

"You mean my magic?"

And the penny drops.

"Magic?" I asked as we came out into a large hangar-like room with three more tunnels off to the side. "You mean like that hocus-pocus junk?"

"Hocus Pocus was a great unicorn and I would appreciate if you did not refer to his work as junk."

"Sorry, didn't even know that was a name. Should've guessed, though. But what do you mean magic?"

Flare sighed again before clearing his throat. "Magic is the fundamental energy of all Equus. Certain species, such as Unicorns and Alicorns, can tap into this energy and use it to shape the world - within certain parameters, of course."

"So you're a... what? Unicorn?" I asked, leaning over the edge of the cavern. This seemed to be well hidden from the naked eye, if the rocks below said anything. The sun's rays shone directly through the mouth of the hanger, telling me that it faced East as it was still early.

"Yes. The Princesses are both Alicorns, and are the only ones besides their niece in the known world. They have a much greater magical potential than any common Unicorn, resulting in their ability to move the sun and moon across the skies."

"Wait, what? Doesn't the planet orbit the sun here?"

Flare looked at me as though I was crazy. Maybe I still was, but I'm just quoting what I was taught in school.

"Never mind." I said, heading to the three new passages. "How much do you bet one of these leads toward Canterlot?" Flare's horn pulsed, a green wave of energy travelling down each passage. After a moment, he fired a few balls of light around the room before the glow on his horn cut off.

"The middle passage leads further down the mountain, with a few empty caverns along the way and an opening into a park in the city." he reported, gesturing to the passage in question.  He turned to the other two as he listed off their properties. "The one on the left leads to a series of empty caverns that are roughly the size of the average bedroom. The right leads to another five hanger-like chambers, with smaller rooms in between. They are surprisingly large considering the size of the mountain, and the distance to Canterlot is surprisingly small."

"So you're a radar as well as a flashlight?" I joked, earning a small chuckle from Flare. "That was surprisingly easy, I must admit. Should we check out the other hangers or head back?"

Flare's answer was cut off as another guard poked her head out of the first passage.

"The dragon is ready for transport, Ma'am. We await your orders." the mare reported.

"Guess that means we're going back then, eh?" I said, nudging Flare. Flare nodded, smiling down at me and causing a small blush to rise on my cheeks. We made our was back the way we came, my head spinning. Why are there so many rooms here? And why are they all connected? It's almost like it used to be some kind of military base, with all the hangers, but if that was true then why didn't the Princesses say anything? Unless it wasn't theirs. Maybe the Salamence's family had been staying here longer than I thought, and they just dug out more rooms when they were kids.

When we came back into the original room, I almost flipped. One of those stupid guards was about to throw the egg off the cliff! What the actual fuck!!!

"HEY!" I shouted, causing the guard - and everyone else - to jump. "What. The fuck. Do you think. You're. Doing."

"Uh..." the guard trembled in fear. Huh, guess they need some better training. "G-getting rid of-"

"Give. Me. The egg." I growled. "He is still alive." The guard shuffled over to me, head down and arms out, presenting the egg. I took it gently, giving it a quick cuddle before passing it to Whiplash - no idea how long she had been stood there - then turned back to the guard. Without thinking, I reared back and punched the fucker full-force in the face, sending him stumbling backwards into the cavern wall. I stalked over to him, hands curled into claws, and grabbed him by the throat, lifting and pinning him to the wall. "Don't touch my baby."

"Y-yes, Ma'am! I'm sorry, Ma'am!" he stammered, blood trickling from his now-misshapen nose. Did I break it? Oh well, fucker deserved it.

I dropped the guard before taking the egg back from Whiplash and walking over to the chariot holding Salamence's body. The guards backed away, forming two lines on either side of me as some of the winged ones attached themselves to harnesses at the front. I smirked, stepping into the chariot with Whiplash just behind me. Three winged guards that weren't already attached to the chariot grabbed some of the horned ones, another two grabbing two of the ones without wings or a horn. They followed behind us as the chariot took off. I directed it towards the first hanger that Flare and I had found. As we flew, Whiplash turned to me, a look of worry on her face.

"Zinnia?" she asked, flinching slightly when I turned to look at her. "What happened back there?"

"What do you mean? The guard was about to throw my egg over the cliff, so I told him off. Simple as that."

"You did more than that!" the Pegasus cried. I raised a brow at her, silently asking for an explanation. "Zinnia, you didn't just shout at him. You roared."

I blinked. "What?" I asked, blinking again.

"Not just that, either."

"There was more?"

"Yeah, your hands... they glowed when you grabbed him, Zinnia. A sort of purple-blue colour, in the shape of a claw."

I sat back, contemplating this. What did it mean, being able to do these things? There are way too many weird things going on now. First I'm sent to another world where I find out Pokemon - or at least two families of Pokemon - existed. Then one of the Pokemon dies, giving me her egg to take care off. Then I apparently get powers!? Is that what this burning in my stomach is? And I've been remembering things differently, too. Whiplash shook me slightly, pointing to the hanger we were landing in. I thanked her and got up, getting ready to hop out when we landed.

As soon as we touched down, I was out of the chariot and moving to a table-like slab of rock sticking out of the wall. I took off my cloak and wrapped the egg up in it, placing both on the table before walking back to the group. The guards without wings or a horn were attempting to lift Salamence's body out, obviously struggling, and I sighed. I moved them out of the way and lifted the dragon easily, moving her into the centre of the room. After placing her down in a dignified position - neck curled around herself and wings folded on her back, so that she looked to just be sleeping - I stepping back. I looked to the guards that had followed and saw them staring at me slack-jawed. This time, though, I knew what I had done. I mean, it's kind of hard not to notice when you're carrying a dragon that weighs over two hundred pounds!

"You never cease to amaze, do you?" Whiplash asked, shaking out of her stupor. She fluttered her wings, flying to my side and staring at Salamence's corpse. "So... what're we doing here?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "We're gonna burn her." Whiplash stared at me for a second, obviously looking for some sign that I was joking. "That's how Dragons show respect to their dead, by returning them to the flames of life."

"O-okay, I'll have the Unicorns prepare and fire spells they know." the mare replied, turning to go. I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"No, it has to be dragon fire." I said, placing my free hand on my stomach.

"Where are we going to get dragon fire?"

"Right here."

Without waiting for her to ask the inevitable 'What?', I took a deep breath, focussing on the burning in my belly. The flames seemed to churn in response, acknowledging me as their master. A portion seemed to leap up my throat, tickling at the back of my mouth. Opening my mouth, I expected a stream of flames to throw themselves out, but instead all I got was a small ember...

Wait...

Oh my God, how did I not put this together sooner! I sat down, watching as the Ember caught on Salamence's scales and spread, slowly engulfing her. The red mist that came as Salamence's last breath the night before, that clearly wasn't a normal thing. It must have been her final gift - the power to protect the egg! Wow, that... shouldn't be possible, if going by the rules of the games, but Japan was always weird. If they can get away with the Mystery Dungeon games - people turning into Pokemon? Ludicrous. - then I guess I can let this slide. Either way, I can apparently use Pokemon moves now. I wonder what my 'move set' is?

"Uh... Ma'am?" I turned, seeing Flare crouched beside me with a concerned frown on his face. "Wouldn't you like to say a few words?"

"Yeah." I sniffed, getting to my feet. I wiped off my eyes before turning to Salamence's burning body. "From the flames of beginning you came, and to the flames you return. May your soul rest easy in the afterlife with the knowledge that your child is in good hands."

When the flames died down, all that was left was a pile of black ash. Flare handed me a small urn, and the next few minutes were spent gathering the ashes into the urn, which was painted sky blue with crimson accents, perfectly matching Salamence's scales. Fresh tears flowed as the guards piled on to their chariot, Flare waiting until last. He hesitated, throwing one last glance my way as Whiplash pulled me into a hug before climbing in with the other guards. The chariot pulled away, circling out of sight as they descended the mountain. Whiplash and I just walked to the passage that lead to the first cavern in order to gather her belongings. I helped her settle in to one of the bedroom-sized caverns, which was actually the size of a royal bedroom and surprisingly had windows - well, holes that we could put windows into at a later date. I went back and collected my egg before claiming a room for myself, just sitting in the centre of the empty cave for a while.

Whiplash peered around the doorway after a time, catching me playing with an Ember that danced around my fingers. I couldn't seem to recreate the claw, and I didn't want to try the strength or the roar just yet. She told me that a delivery had arrived. When I asked what the delivery was, she just smiled and said "Come and see!" before running off. I sighed before running after her, egg still in my arms. I need a carrier or something for this little guy.

In what I'm gonna call the primary hanger, a pony was unloading a bunch of boxes from a chariot styled like a delivery truck. Whiplash was signing something, so I decided to have a look through the boxes. Turns out the princesses had sent us some basic living essentials - furniture, beds, kitchen appliances, stuff like that. I'd have to remember to thank them later. Another box was added to the pile, and I saw that this one was full of baby supplies. I tore it open and sighed in relief at the sight of a baby carrier, which I quickly strapped on and placed the egg in. I lifted the baby supply box and carried it back into my room, placing it into the corner. The next few hours were spent moving the boxes and appliances into the right rooms and putting together the furniture. By the end of it, both Whiplash and I had four-poster beds in our rooms along with vanities and large wardrobes. I also had a cot at the foot of my bed, and a chest of childcare supplies that didn't need to be stored in the kitchen against one wall. By the time we had finished the sun had set, so we said our goodnights and went to bed.

{3rd Person POV}

Princess Luna flew through the distorted image of Equestria that was the Dream Realm. Around her, clouds representing the dreams of her subjects floated above where their owners slept in the physical plain. Most were the generic white, puffy cloud, meaning that the pony was having a pleasant dream. Every now and then, Luna would spot a storm cloud that showed that a pony was having a nightmare. The intensity of the storm from the cloud showed how bad the nightmare was, and Luna thanked her luck that any she saw on her way were minor problems, the result of scary movies and stories.

As she began ascending the spectral version of Canterlot Mountain, Luna was scared out of her wits when a dream bolt - the lightning produced by nightmare clouds - seared past a mere inch from her face. Looking to the source, Luna let out a gasp as she saw a full-force tornado of nightmare energy swirling the peak of the mountain. Luna took a deep breath before charging at the cloud, dodging dream bolts left and right as she went. To the untrained eye, her desperation may have merely looked like concern for the being suffering such a nightmare. The truth, however, was that the midnight mare was terrified. She hadn't seen nightmares that powerful since when Sombra still ruled the Crystal Empire, when the entire populace of the shining city would suffer from the trauma caused by the dark unicorn's reign.

Nothing, however, could have prepared the Princess for what she saw within the cloud.

Interlude 1: Nightmares

{3rd Person POV}

Luna found herself in a padded cell, a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a plain, metal-framed bed pushed against the wall. Opposite to the bed was a large metal door, clearly used to keep a pony from leaving the room. This should not be a problem. Luna thought, walking directly towards the door...

Before smacking her muzzle into the cold, hard metal.

Stumbling back, Luna glared at the door before flaring her magic. The azure glow surrounded the door, and Luna smirked as she attempted to rip the offending barrier off of it's hinges. The smirk fell from her lips when her magic flickered out. Luna kicked the door in frustration, causing it to swing open.

"Oh, come on!" Luna cried, storming into the dark corridors. All of the lights along the ceiling were dark, some destroyed. A single functioning light flickered erratically at the end of the corridor, casting shadows everywhere. Luna moved towards the light, grimacing at the surroundings. The whole building was in a state of disarray - trolleys upturned, medical supplies strewn across the floor. Passing by what she assumed to be the common room, Luna noticed the torn couches and smashed television. Art supplies were scattered over the ground, with some of the sharper objects embedded into the walls and floors.

"What is going on here?" Luna asked herself, walking around a corner. The princess froze, eyes wide as she saw the large claw marks that raked through the walls. Emerald-green scales were scattered throughout the new corridor, with more claw marks all over the walls and floor. More of the metallic doors had been smashed inwards, some having an arm or a leg trapped between the warped metal and the frame. Screams of agony reached Luna's ears from those trapped, causing her to press her hands hard against her skull in an attempt to block them out. She knew they weren't real, but that didn't make it any easier to listen to.

Just as the princess of the night made to move down the hall, a familiar - yet drastically different, to the princess's eyes - face rounded a corner at the other end of the corridor. Zinnia sprinted forwards, her long, unkempt hair flowing behind her and her arms strapped to her body by the straitjacket she wore. Luna's eyes were drawn towards what followed her, however. A massive, serpentine dragon with emerald-green scales and four antennae-like protrusions a the back of it's narrowing head. Glowing yellow markings ran the length of it's segmented body, the segments separated by a total of four bands - the first of which held the beast's thin, clawed arms and the rest holding four red-banded fins each.

Luna stood frozen once more, barely registering Zinnia as she sprinted past. The dragon paused, rearing as far back as it could in the cramped room. The shadows cast by the behemoth seemed to morph, condensing into a smaller, more humanoid shape. From the shadows rose a figure in a pitch-black cloak with a blood red collar of jagged teeth and a stark white, flowing hood. The single blue eye stood out from the creature's body, the single comforting colour causing the rest of the nightmare to seem that much scarier. Luna's breathing became ragged as she stared down the creature that was all too familiar to her. The thing that fed her jealousy until it consumed her, transforming her into the horror that was Nightmare Moon. The one true fear that the princess still held.

"Sh-Sh-Shadowed One..." Luna stuttered, the word itself causing bile to rise in her throat.

"Ah, my dear little Luna." The shadow spoke, though there was no visible sign of a mouth of any kind. "I see you no longer bear my gift."

"T'was no gift, monster!" the princess screeched, anger overpowering her fear if only for a moment.

"Oh, you were always so ungrateful. My greatest failure." The white wisp that was it's head turned to look at the emerald dragon towering over the two of them. "If you would?"

At those words, the dragon lunged, and Luna noticed the cyan, slit-pupiled eyes that signified the Shadowed One's influence over a creature's mind. As the beast's jaws opened in preparation to crunch down on her, Luna felt herself being pushed to the ground. She looked back the see Zinnia, stood panting and missing an arm. The woman's blood flowed from the wound, pooling on the floor around her feet. A white sleeve hung from the beast's teeth as it pulled back, and Zinnia's remaining arm came free from the straitjacket's hold.

"Princess Luna, run!" Zinnia cried, grabbing the princess's arm and throwing her back, out of the path of the dragon's next lunge. Time seemed to slow as it's jaws closed around Zinnia, swallowing her whole. The world seemed to shudder with the death of the dreamer, and Luna found herself forcibly ejected not just from the dream, but from the Dream Realm entirely.

Luna woke with a start, sweat beading on her forehead. Her breathing was ragged, her wings flapping wildly. When she managed to get herself under control, Luna could only say one thing. And when she said it, her voice shattered every piece of glass in her tower.

"CELESTIAAAAAA!!!!! "

A Delta Edda

Zinnia sat up slowly, stretching as she yawned. She hadn’t slept very well, what with her nightmare, but she shrugged it off as merely the latest in a long line. She had long since become desensitized to the effects of the night-terrors, and she wasn’t at all surprised as the fact that the dragon which had swallowed her whole - which she had since identified as the atmospheric Pokemon, Rayquaza - had shown up. She shrugged it off, standing as she stretched once more. The lilac sheets of her new bed fell to the ground, exposing her to be wearing naught but a pair of dark blue, silken panties with purple lace trimming. Her ample D-cup breasts heaved as she sighed, searching the room for the clothes she had discarded the previous night.

As Zinnia bent down to grab her matching bra, something small and metallic smacked her on the ass. Shooting upright, Zinnia saw that the object was, in fact, an exact replica of a Unitrix core from Ben Ten.

“Oh man, I used to love that show!” she shouted, grabbing the core and holding it up. As she did, a man’s voice resounded in her mind.

I am the changer of shape, seeking to understand the many forms of life. Call for the man of many shapes during your hour of need and I will come, a one man army. Activate the cylinder and in a flash I’ll be ready to clash.

Zinnia raised her brow, chuckling slightly. She sat back on her bed, clothes forgotten as she hefted the cylinder before her eyes.

“‘In a flash I’ll be ready to clash’? Seriously? I’ve gotta meet this guy so I can smack him for such a bad rhyme.” She said, absently rubbing her thumb over the top of the device. A soft *click* caused her to eye the thing strangely before in activated in a green light. Zinnia dropped the device in shock, watching as it shot a green beam at her wall. A portal opened on the wall, the beam acting as a centre point as the hole in reality widened to be roughly the height of the average man.

“I’m not sure if you should be asking me for advice Spike,” a rather tall human male said as he walked through the portal. A cyn pony with a rainbow mane and what looked like metallic legs trotted in after him, a small purple lizard on her back.

“Weren’t you the one that told the Crusaders that we could be a herd?” the lizard asked, its voice male.

“Yeah, and I’m still being told its a bad idea.” The man paused, looking around. “Ok, this is not Valhalla.”

Zinnia stared at the three visitors, not entirely sure what she was looking at. She waved awkwardly at them, before clearing her throat.

“Uhh, hi?” she started, looking from one to the other. “Not entirely sure what’s going on here, with the portal and stuff, but I guess welcome to my bedroom.”

“Seriously lady?” he asked, quickly covering the lizard’s eyes, “Put a shirt on.”

Zinnia looked down at her chest, just now remembering that she was, in fact, mostly nude.

“Can you see mine anywhere? It’s the only one I’ve got and I have no idea where it is. Black, with red markings on the chest.” she said, standing and looking around.

“What is it with you guys and clothes anyway?” the pony asked, rolling her eyes, “Over there,’ she said, pointing with a talon to the corner of the room, where said article of clothing was laying on the floor.

“I forgot why, myself, talon pony.” Zinnia replied, grabbing the shirt and pulling it over her head. She ignored the fact that she was still in her panties. “I never really had to cover myself for a while, so it’s just natural for me. Also, you’re freakin’ adorable in a deadly sort of way.”

“Thanks,” the pony said with a smirk. The man just rolled his eyes, pulling his hands away from the irate lizard.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat,” I’m Jason, this is Rainbow Dash and the little guy is Spike.”

“Nice ta meet ya!” Spike said, dropping his irate look and shooting Zinnia a smile, waving at her.

“Nice to meet you too, Spike. I’m Zinnia,” her eyes flicked to the ‘door’ of her room, seeing a tuft of maroon hair. She rolled her eyes and giggled slightly, causing her chest to bounce. “And the mare who thinks she’s being sneaky is Whiplash, my personal assistant assigned by Celestia herself.”

“H-hi.” the Pegasus stuttered, stepping around the corner and getting a good look at their impromptu guests. Her eyes lingered on Jason before she let out an involuntary “Woof!”.

“What?” he asked blankly, looking at the Pegasus.

“I think she likes you, dude.” Zinnia stated, causing Whiplash’s face to turn from forest green to dark red in a matter of seconds. “And I must say, I wouldn’t mind a go at you myself…” she added, falling into a lidded gaze that most would call ‘bedroom eyes’. If Zinnia saw them herself she would have called them ‘creepy’.

“I’m married,” Jason said flatly, crossing his arms, “So no thank you.”

“Shame. Wouldn’t have minded a little five-way. I’m sure talons can scratch that particular itch just right.” Zinnia’s gaze turned on Rainbow Dash, who’s wings sprung to attention at the husky tone of the woman’s voice.

“C-can we change the subject, please?” Whiplash asked, blushing even harder than before as she fought to keep her own wings down.

“Fine.” Zinnia groaned. “Just try’na have some fun…” she trailed off as a loud *crack!* filled the room, her head whipping around to see the egg sat on the other side of her bed, a large crack forming in it’s sky-blue shell.

“Is that an egg?” Dash asked, letting Spike off her back, “You hatching a dragon or somethin’?”

“I didn’t think it would be this soon, and probably not the kind of dragon you’re thinking of, but yeah!” Zinnia began breathing heavily, sweat forming on her brow. “My baby boy’s hatching! Whiplash, blankets and food, now!” she barked, and the upright Pegasus shot out of the room.

“What kind of dragon is it?” Spike asked, waddling over to Zinnia. “Ya know, I’m a dragon too!” he smiled proudly, striking a bit of a pose.

“Not the dragon that I’m holding, dude.” Zinnia stated, giving the drake nervous smirk “This one’s more of a Dragon-Type.” The egg gave a lurch, the crack growing as Zinnia struggled to keep a hold of it. “I have no idea what I’m doing!” she shouted, looking desperately to Jason for help.

“Set it down,” Jason said, gesturing toward the bed, “Make a nest out of your blankets,” he ordered her.

Zinnia did as instructed, hands shaking as she pulled the lilac sheets around the hatching dragon. “What now?” she asked, trembling as she stood up. Whiplash returned at that moment with the requested items, and Zinnia quickly took a large bite out of the sandwich before spitting it out. “The fuck?! Why the fuck is there a flower on my sandwich!?”

“Here,” Jason said, pulling a sack out of his pocket, tossing it to Zinnia, “Got nuts. That's about several pounds of jerky in there.”

“Jerky?” Whiplash asked, head tilted slightly to the side. “What’s jerky?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Zinnia said, opening the bag and pulling a piece of meat out. “More importantly, what kind of jerky? Beef? Turkey? Oh, please say you just gave me turkey jerky!”

“Boar, taken from the body of an immortal boar that resurrects himself the day after you kill him,” Jason said with a grin. Dash stared at the jerky, licking her lips.

Zinnia stared for a moment before it seeming to click back into consciousness. “Saehrimnir?” she asked, throwing the piece of jerky in her hand to Dash before grabbing another piece for herself, devouring it in seconds.

“Huh, I’m surprised someone actually knew that,” Jason said, watching as Dash snatched the jerky away, starting to num on it like a madwoman.

“Meh, I liked the Thor movies and decided to read up on Norse mythology because of them.” Zinnia’s attention was drawn back to the egg as it gave one final shake before the shell burst, sending shards in all directions. The dragonling left behind was a small, sky-blue drake with a tan underbelly and a silver-grey set of spines that ran the length of it’s slightly elongated neck. Tiny white fangs poked out of it’s mouth, glinting as it looked around, blinking it’s coal-black eyes. It seemed to lock onto Zinnia after a moment, reaching out with it’s stubby blue arms as it gurgled at her.

“Oh geez, is that a Bagon?” Jason asked, looking at the little creature, kneeling down to get a better look.

Zinnia lifted the drake into her arms, smiling slightly. “Yeah…” she said, lifting a piece of the jerky to the Bagon’s mouth. “I think I’ll call him… Stryker.”

Jason held his right arm up, revealing that he owned an Omnitrix to Zinnia. It chirped, passing a yellow light over the new-born. It didn’t seem to like the light, starting to wail rather loudly.

“Aw come on Jay!” Dash groaned, covering her ears, “I thought you were better with kids!”

“I usually am...” he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head, “Uh... sorry about that...”

“It’s fine.” the woman said, smiling. “He’s just hungry.” She proceeded to feed Stryker the boar jerky, taking a piece for herself every so often. “This is good!”

Uncatalogued DNA detected! the watch chirped.

“Yes I know, I have to scan the Pegasus," Jason said with a roll of his eyes. He moved toward Whiplash, only to stop as the watch scanned Zinnia. “Wasn’t expecting that...” he said, blinking in surprise.

“Me neither…” Zinnia agreed, glaring at the watch. “Unless you aren’t human.”

“I’m not, and I already have a human form.” Jason explained, “That means, you aren’t human.”

“Fucking wonderful!” Zinnia Roared, her voice raising in volume to the point that everyone in the room - except, surprisingly, baby Stryker - had to cover their ears or suffer the complete destruction of their eardrums. “As if I wasn’t fucked over enough in my life, now I’m not even a human fucking being!!!”

“Calm down!” Jason shouted, giving her a nice slap, “You should consider yourself lucky, a lot of us get turned into monsters.”

“Whadd’ya mean, monsters?” Zinnia’s facial features were clearly waging war, the main factions being rage, confusion and intrigue. Intrigue seemed to be winning.

“You haven’t had the talk yet have you?” he asked with a sigh, running a hand down his face.

“Yes, I know what sex is.” Zinnia sighed. The war had ended, with annoyance reigning supreme over Zinnia’s face. “I tried to talk you into it, remember?”

“That's not the talk,” Jason said, looking at the floor, “You went to a con, cosplayed probably, bought something from some creepy guy and wound up here correct?”

“Incorrect! I was given my anklet, wherever the fuck I left it, by a nurse at the mental hospital where I lived after my brother disappeared. Then a dragon ate me. Now I’m here.”

“Ok, that's different,” Jason said with a blink, “Still, you are now a Displaced. There are Yggdrasil knows how many of us, each sent to a different version of Equestria.”

“Are they taken by Void creatures?”

“It’s usually by one guy, The Merchant...who is dressed as the Merchant from Resident Evil 4,”Jason said, waving his watch arm, “I bought this thing from him and got sent to my Equestria.”

“Ah, never played that. But still, guy sounds like a dick. At least my one was hot and let me do her first.”

“Do her?” Spike asked rather innocently.

“He’s a minor? Fuck…” Zinnia sighed, dejected. “Why didn’t you say when I suggested the five-way!? Now I look like a pedo!”

“You’re fine,” Jason said, giving her a pat on the back, “Anyway... this is a Pokémon universe yes?”

“I’d guess so. A Salamence and a Hydreigon duked it out at the castle the other day, if that helps. The Salamence was Stryker’s biological mom, but she died and gave me his egg. The Hydreigon ran off, don’t know where to.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a tremendous roar echoed through the halls of the cave, causing everyone to stiffen up. Whiplash threw Zinnia’s shorts at her in a panic, the woman pulling them on quickly after gently placing Stryker back on the bed.

“Whiplash,” she barked, pulling her cloak from atop the bed when she spotted it's corner hanging off the roofing’s edge. “Watch Stryker for me.” The Pegasus just nodded, taking a seat beside the frightened child.

“Don’t worry,” Jason said, quickly stealing a scan off Whiplash, “I got this. Omnitrix, XLR8,” he commanded, and in a flash of green light, shifted into a vaguely velociraptor-esque creature before zipping out of the cave in a blur. Zinnia chased after him, the roaring leading her to the second of the many hangar-like caves in her home. There, she found a large creature that appeared to be a hybrid of a bat and a wyvern stood in the centre of the room, a white cloak of fur running down it’s back, covering the coarse black hairs that covered it’s purple scales everywhere but it’s underbelly. A powerful tail whipped around behind it in annoyance as Jason zipped in and out, delivering punch after punch whilst avoiding it’s claws. It’s large, sonar-like ears pulsed once before it let out a deafening screech, sending Jason flying back before he flipped over, landing at Zinnia’s side.

“I don’t think that’ll work against a Noivern, Jay.“ Zinnia stated, focusing on the burning feeling in her stomach. “You need something good against Dragon- and Flying-Types.” she spat the Ember at the dragon, cursing the fact that that was the only thing she could consciously do as it burned out on it’s leathery wing. They dodged as the Noivern let loose a Dragon Pulse, destroying a chunk of rock where they had just been standing. “It’ll just use Boomburst again if you try and get close.”

“Ok fine, gives me an excuse to do this anyway, Omnitrix, Second Sight,” he commanded, shifting into a tall, cat-like creature with a purple tail.

“Where the actual fuck did you meet a fucking Mewtwo!” Zinnia shouted. Even the Noivern seemed to do a double-take as it now faced one of it’s Gods - or at least a copy of it.

‘ A Mewtwo Displaced by the name of Medulla, nice guy’ Jason spoke via telepathy before hurling a shadow ball at the Noivern.

“I’ll have to look out for him then, won’t I.” Zinnia whispered, spitting another Ember at the Noivern whilst it was distracted. “Dammit, I apparently used Dragon Claw yesterday, too! Where the fuck is that now?!”

“ Don’t worry I got this,” Jason said, catching the Noivern with a Thunder Punch, sending it to the ground. He shifted back to normal, quickly stealing a scan off of it.

“Wow. Remind me not to piss you off, man.” Zinnia stated, walking over to the downed dragon. It stared at her, obviously injured. “Why did you attack my home, bug guy?” she asked it, reaching out and stroking its neck. What she didn’t expect when asking, however, was for it to answer.

“This is not your home, Draconid. This cave belongs to Sky Slicer, my best friend.” it rumbled in a deep, masculine voice. Zinnia looked to Jason in shock, looking for an answer. However, he didn’t seem to be able to hear anything coming from the drake, as he just gave her a blank stare.

“Hey, Jay?” she started, an idea forming in her head. “Can you go ahead and turn into the form you got from me?”

“Uh... sure,” he said with a nod, “Give me a sec to find it, I have like three forms in here that look human,” he muttered, popping up the Omnitrix’s dial, browsing through it, “Ok I think this is it...” he said, pushing it down. With a flash of green, Jason morphed into a male version of Zinnia, though his hair remained it’s original colour and was slightly longer. Instead of hot-pants, he wore a pair of black skinny jeans, and a black muscle shirt replaced Zinnia’s t-shirt, the red markings forming a delta sign. An emerald-green cape hung around his neck, fastened by a golden buckle in the shape of the delta sign, the same sign being tattooed onto his face, surrounding the left eye. Dragonair tattoos circled his arms, the tails disappearing under the cape and the heads resting on the backs of his hands. Black combat boots finished the look, with crimson shoelaces keeping them strapped tight.

“Well this is new,” Jason spoke, blinking at his new form, “This form got a lot better of an outfit than Gram did.” He looked up at Zinnia. “What do you think?”

Zinnia stared for a moment before smacking herself, shaking herself out of the trance. “I think I’m really disappointed in the fact that you’re married.”

“I’m confused as to why the young ice-child became a Draconid.” Noivern added, blinking rapidly. Jason jumped at the new voice, staring at the drake for a moment.

“First off, I’m a Jotun, not an ice child,” Jason said, shaking his head, “And secondly, how the hell do you even know that?”

“You’re essence is imbued with the powers of ice. I merely assumed you were a child to the Ice-Types as the Draconids are to the Dragon-Types. My apologies, Jotun.” the drake bowed his head to Jason, rising as the strength returned to his body. “I now feel foolish for acting so brash, as the scent of Sky Slicer’s scales still burns on the wind. Tell me, Draconid girl, has she passed?”

“If Sky Slicer was the Salamence, then yes, she died two days ago. She was burned in this room yesterday, and she entrusted her child to me, who hatched this morning. I have named him Stryker.”

“I can vouch for the hatching, little guy’s back that way,” Jason said, gesturing to the chamber they had come from, “He seems healthy, though I don’t know much about Pokemon health in the first place.”

“I would see the child, if the guardian would allow it.” It was posed as a question, but both Jason and Zinnia could tell it wasn’t.

“I’ll just go get him.” Zinnia said before heading back to her bedroom, leaving Jason and the Noivern alone. Upon arriving, she found Spike and Stryker bouncing on her bed with Whiplash watching them, Rainbow Dash drumming her talons on the stone floor. The prismatic mare perked up when Zinnia walked in, scrambling to stand.

“What’s going on?” she asked, gripping Zinnia’s shirt. “Did you win? Where’s Jason?”

“Come with me and you can find out, I just came to get Stryker.” Zinnia removed Dash’s talons from her shirt before scooping Stryker up into her arms and leading the way back to where Jason and the Noivern were talking about his Mewtwo form and how he had acquired it. Noivern had just seemed to wrap his head around the idea of multiple universes when he noticed the others enter, and almost immediately a smile appeared on his face.

“Ah, the hatchling is indeed quite healthy. And strong! To have only just hatched and already be able to cause Twisters!” proclaimed, his booming laughter filling the caves soon after. “I believe he will grow to be a great warrior!”

“That's always good to hear,” Jason said with a smile, “I’ll have to come back when he’s a Salamence.”

“I’ll give you a call, but why’re you skipping a stage?” Zinnia said, brow raised. “Shelgon's defences would probably be pretty handy at some point.”

“Because I already have a form with unbreakable armour,” Jason said with a shrug, “NRG’s suit can only be pierced my tadinite.”

“Oh yeah. Well, it wouldn’t hurt to come see your nephew every now and then, would it?”

“What?” Jason asked, looking at her like she was insane.

“Hey, you took both his DNA and mine.” Zinnia punctuated both parties by poking Jason in the chest. “That makes you family, and you clearly can’t be the father if you’ve already got a wife, can you? That makes you Uncle Jay.”

“Oh sweet Yggdrasil, its the Apples all over again,” Jason groaned, hanging his head.

“Your family just gets weirder and weirder Jay,” Dash said with a snicker, “Lady, you have no idea how crazy this guys family reunion is going to be.”

“Well, he said he’s Jotun, so I’m guessing he’s related to at least one of the Norse Gods. Which then means he’s related to almost all of them. And then there’s the Apple comment, so I’m guessing there’s some ponies in there somewhere. Add in the wife… yeah, sounds like a fun reunion.”

“Actually, he’s got two wives,” Spike called up, waddling into the room, “And he’s also related to Gilgamesh.”

“What he said,”

“Gilgamesh? Who’s that?” Zinnia asked, before her face met her palm. “Wait, don’t tell me, it’s another Displaced.”

“Yeah, great guy,” Jason said with a nod, “But, I’m only related to two Norse Gods, Hel is my grandmother and Loki is my great-grandfather. Their uh... all dead besides Hel.”

“You do realise that if Loki’s your great-granddad, then that means you’re related to Thor, and Odin, and the Midgard Serpent, and everyone else in Loki’s extended family, right?”

“That was only in the Marvel stuff, Loki wasn’t actually Thor’s brother,” Jason said shaking his head, “Plus the serpent wasn’t even a god, just some weird... snake Jotun.”

“Aww, and here I was wanting to meet Thor in person.” Zinnia said, pouting slightly. She soon perked up, though. “Oh well, worth a shot!”

“I have no idea how I’m going to survive if everything is this crazy.” Whiplash stated, holding her head. “I’m just glad you’re not somehow related to a snake thing.”

“She kinda is now,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“But he just…” Whiplash started before Zinnia cut her off.

“He said the snake wasn’t a God, Whiplash, pay attention,” Zinnia said before turning back to Jason. “And on that note, how do I make one of those portal-calling doohickies?”

“Find something that represents you and focus on it,” Jason instructed, “Then you put a phrase into it and throw it out into the multiverse.”

“Hmm… ah, I’ve got it!” the woman shouted before turning back to Whiplash. “Where’s my anklet?”

“It’s, uh… tied to your cloak for some reason.” the mare replied.

“I wondered what that was!” Spike proclaimed as Zinnia pulled the cloak around to grab at the offending trinket.

“Okay, got the object!” Zinnia turned the anklet over in her hands for a moment before looking at Jason again. “I have no idea what to say.”

“Well, what do you stand for?” Jason asked her, “Try to vocalize that and make it known to the world.”

“Okay… yeah, got it.”

For those of you in need, whether it’s in a fight or you just need some advice, I am here. Merely hold this trinket and call my name and I will be there. I am Zinnia. I am a Draconid. I am the Delta Guardian!”

A moment of silence passed in the cave before Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, rolling around on the floor. Spike was soon to join her, and even Whiplash had a giggle at Zinnia’s expense. The Draconid just huffed before realising something.

“Wait… I only have one of this.” she said.

“Yeah, so?” Spike asked, having recovered from his laughing fit.

“I’ll kinda need it if I ever find a Mega Stone for Stryker.”

“I can help with that,” Jason said, tapping the Omnitrix, shifting into a strange creature that was made up of pieces of other creatures.

“Hello!” it spoke, grabbing Zinnia’s hand and shaking it, “I’m Hodgepodge! I share Jason’s head with like, two other people!”

“Multiple personalities? Just means more uncles for Stryker!” Zinnia exclaimed, pulling the Draconequus into a hug.

“Daw! I’d be happy too!” Hodge said with a smile, hugging her back, “Here ya go!” he said pulling a strange stone out of Zinnia’s hair.

“Salamencite? Nice!” Zinnia said, snatching the stone from the Draconequus. “But I still only have one anklet, and that has my Keystone in it.”

He stretched his arm out, taking it. He then grabbed it and seemed to pull it into two separate anklets. He dropped one into her hands before opening up a hole in the world and tossing it through.

“Well, that was easy.” Zinnia said, fastening the original anklet to her leg. “What now? I can’t think of any other questions for you right now. Oh! Do you have one of my token?”

“Yup,” he said pulling it out of his ear, “I’ll put it in with all the other tokens we have. Though,” he floated over to the Noivern, “You got any friends we can scan? We can never get enough DNA,” he paused, shooting Zinnia a look, “You make a dirty joke and I swear I’ll make you as sexless as a Barbie doll!”

“Aww, but dirty jokes are the best jokes!” Zinnia whined.

“There are others who were coming to see Sky Slicer, but they will not arrive for quite some time.” The Noivern replied.

“I can give you guys a call when they do if you want!”

“Sounds fun!” Hodge said with a smile, “I can’t wait!” he said, hugging Zinnia again, “We best be going before they get worried about us.” He flexed his talons before slicing open a tear in reality.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys later then!” Zinnia said with a wave as Rainbow Dash and Spike joined Hodgepodge at the tear. “Oh, I almost forgot! Could one of you smack Jason for the horrible rhyming he put in his call please? Thank you!”

“Yup!” he said, pushing the others in before waving one last time and diving through the tear, which sealed up behind them.

“Nice guy.” Zinnia said, staring after the group.

“Which one?” Whiplash asked. “The one that looked like you or the crazy one?”

“Both of them.”

A moment of silence passed by before Whiplash asked something that had been on her mind since Stryker's egg had hatched.

"So... what is jerky?"

Ormageddon Unleashed

{Zinnia’s POV}

It had been a week since Jason’s visit and already Stryker was walking around easily, meaning we had to keep a constant eye on him. The Noivern - who had told us his name was Sonar - had decided to stick around, and he revealed that a fully-grown Dragon-Type with enough discipline could revert into their previous stages at will. Accidentally, mind you, when he scared the shit out of Whiplash on the day he decided to investigate the, quote, ‘heavenly smells drifting from your room of food preparation’, and fluttered through as a Noibat. The smell was, in fact, a serving of bacon that Whiplash was preparing for me and Stryker, just a single part of the huge shipment of meat that Celestia and Luna had sent us after Whiplash delivered the message that I was an omnivore, as well as the supplies for a meat locker and an engineer to install it. Sonar helped to dig out an extra chamber in the kitchen for the locker, even offering to hunt for us. Since he had to feed himself anyway, I agreed on the grounds that he didn’t kill anything sapient, and ever since trying a piece of the jerky that Jason had left us - which, unfortunately, had run out - Whiplash had been eating meat whenever she thought no one was looking. I didn’t understand why until she burst into tears one day after I walked in on her shoving a sausage in her mouth - it’s pretty much taboo for a pony to eat meat, due to the fact that they’ve been a herbivorous race for as long as their history can tell. I just let her get it all out before explaining that I didn’t think any less of her for it at all, which seemed to cheer her up. Especially considering the fact that she kissed me. Granted, it was only on the cheek, but it was still more than I expected.

Now, I was on the way down the passage that supposedly led to Canterlot, Stryker by my side, when a familiar voice echoed in my mind.

‘Zinnia? Can you hear me? I-I need help. I don’t really know who else to turn to for this.’

Was that… Jason? Oh god, he sounded terrified! I’ve gotta help him!

“Hold on, Jay!” I shouted, feeling a pulling sensation from below me. Stryker hopped into my arms, and considering the fact that I had no time to find Whiplash, I guess he’s coming with me. I guess it’s a good excuse for him to see his uncle again, and he can meet his new aunts too. With a deep breath, I plunged into the ground with Stryker clutched to my chest.

Jason panted softly as he rested against a tree, the pain having subsided by now. He took in the peaceful silence of Jotunheim, glad for once in his life to be alone. He had already tried Gilgamesh and hadn’t gotten a response, and he wasn't about to summon Drake again, so his only hope was Zinnia.

The girl in question dropped into view, dropping to her knees as she landed in the snow with her cloak falling around her. Zinnia shivered slightly, looking around before her eyes fell on the exhausted Jotun before she rushed over to his side.

“Jason, what’s the matter?” she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. She jumped slightly at how cold he was, so much so that she could still tell in a blizzard. “What’s going on? How can I help?”

“It wants out,” Jason said, looking up at her. “I can’t... it wants out, and it’s going to get out.”

“What wants out?” Zinnia asked. “Is it that thing Hodgepodge told me about, the Orm guy?”

“Yeah... ever since Hughes left I can’t suppress him anymore, and he wants out,” Jason let out a cry of pain, holding his head. “I know... its not a dragon, but you’re the only one I could think of...”

“What do you think I can do?” Zinnia shouted, flinging her arms out. “I don’t even have a hold of my powers yet!” A small blue drake fell from within her cloak, causing Jason’s eyes to bug out.

“You brought him!?” Jason demanded, his eyes wide in horror. “You have to get him out of here!”

“I panicked! We were on our way to Canterlot when you called and Whiplash stayed behind!”

“You...” Jason howled in pain before the Omnitrix went off, shifting him into Ormagoden. Orm let out a bloodcurdling roar, his hateful eyes locking on Zinnia.

“Okay, I’m guessing you’re Orm…” Zinnia said, pulling Stryker to her chest and standing up. Orm stood with her, eyes locked with hers. “Can… can you talk?” she asked.

“I am Ormagoden! And I will strip the meat from your bones, you waste of flesh and sperm!” he roared at her, lunging forward to snatch her between his jaws. Zinnia rolled to the side, keeping her eyes trained on the primal beast before her.

“Okay, now the cloak comes off,” Zinnia sated, pulling off her cloak and pinning it around Stryker’s neck before placing the drake in the snow. “Go hide, sweetie. Mommy has to deal with the nasty abomination.”

With that, Zinnia span back around just in time to dodge a swipe from Orm’s claws, bending backwards and spitting an Ember as she did so. The tiny flame burst in Orm’s face, distracting him enough for Zinnia to slip away.

“Okay,” she said to herself, her right hand subconsciously curling into a claw. “Jason said something about a Hughes leaving, so I’m guessing Hughes was the more aggressive personality that kept Orm in line. I need to induce a replacement.”

“I will not be chained again! Not by that whelp! Not by you! Not by anyone!” Orm roared, his body starting to crackle with electricity. He let out a shriek, discharging the electricity in a massive blast. Zinnia braced herself, arms crossed in front of her body. A green dome of light erupted from her core, acting as a barrier and deflecting Orm’s attack skyward where it exploded in a shower of sparks. Orm bellowed in rage, charging the girl. He whirled around, swinging his tail at her, snapping several trees like twigs. Zinnia moved to block, a claw of purple draconic energy encompassing her hand and adding to her strength. She then brought the other hand up, the same energy in that one as she raked the clawed construct across Orm’s chest. They locked eyes once more, and Orm saw that Zinnia’s regular scarlet eyes had shifted to a more draconic nature, her pupils mere slits and the whites of her eyes lined with her veins. Zinnia jumped backwards, hoping to gain some distance. Orm, however, tackled the girl as soon as her feet left the ground, the two of them crashing into the snow with Orm pinning Zinnia down.

“Get off’a me, you freak!” Zinnia Roared, her voice causing Orm to recoil just enough for her to kick him off.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” he growled, flexing his claws. “I’d be happy to rip them all out!” As the drake said this, he charged at Zinnia, swinging his claws in an upward strike that Zinnia just barely managed to dodge. Orm had, however, caught her shirt with a single claw, and their combined motions resulted in a massive tear right down the middle, exposing her bra.

“Oh, you done fucked up now!” Zinnia shouted, slamming her forehead into Orm’s with a vicious Headbutt. She followed this up by breathing a purple flame at the drake, the Dragon Breath attack dancing over his armour. Orm replied by raising his fists over his head before smashing them down on Zinnia, causing the Draconid to drop to the floor. She rolled out of the way of his foot as he moved to stomp on her head, springing up before throwing a punch directly at the Omnitrix. It sparked a bit, sending a surge of green energy through the lizard. With a pained roar, Orm collapsed onto his side, his body going limp.

“This thing on?” the body spoke, though the voice sounded more playful than furious.

“Hodgepodge?” Zinnia asked, relaxing slightly. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes returned to their regular look. “Oh, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice!”

“Sorry about all this, we’re trying to straighten things out on our end, this form is more a communal effort than anything else. We’re going to have to give it a new name.”

“How about ‘Fucking Terrifying’? It seems pretty fitting for that beast,” Zinnia grumbled, pulling her torn shirt around herself. “Or maybe ‘Shirt-Ripping Ass’...”

“To be honest, I rather like you without it...”

Zinnia smirked, pulling one side of the tear away teasingly. “Oh really?” she asked, running a hand over her bra-covered breast. “And what if I took this off too?”

“You’d freeze probably, though you’d look good doing it.”

“Huh. You know, the cold isn’t really bothering me.” As she said this, Zinnia removed the tattered remains of her shirt and dropped them in the snow. “Must be the fire in me, keeps me warm.”

Hodgepodge went to speak when the Omnitrix flashed. “Personality instability detected. Analysing existing personalities.” It flashed more quickly for a few seconds. “Required qualities determined. Selecting personality base.” The form selection image appeared on the face of the Omnitrix and quickly flipped through all the scans Jason had acquired, finally stopping on the Plant form. “Personality base determined. Balancing.” the watch chirped before it went off, replacing the hulking reptile with the form of Gram. He sat up, blinking a few times, seeming a bit confused. Zinnia regarded the plant with caution, slowly moving into a battle-ready stance.

“Relax,” he spoke, looking up at her, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Forgive me for being a tad sceptical after what just happened.” she replied, though she did come out of her stance, moving over to crouch beside him. “Who’re you?

“I am... Gram.” he said, looking at his hands, “And you’re...Zinnia right?”

“Yeah… is Orm still in there?” she punctuated the question by poking Gram in the forehead.

“Yeah he is, he’s just...quieter now”

“Well that’s good to hear.” Zinnia stood, placing her hands on the small of her and bending backwards over them. This had the effect of making her near-bare breasts much more pronounced, causing a blush to form on Gram’s face. “Now, where’s Stryker?” she asked, the drake in question rushing over at the mention of his name, her cloak billowing behind him. The child took one look at Gram and screamed, firing a concentrated vacuum of air at the plant, the Twister attack pulled all snow and dirt in it’s path along with it. Gram’s eyes went wide before he rolled out of the way.

“Ok, baby dragons are dangerous, good to know,” he muttered to himself.

Zinnia grabbed the drake, holding him in front of her. “Stryker, no! Don’t attack Gram, he’s not the bad one!” she scolded, causing the drake to look away, dejected.

“He’s fine,” Gram said, getting to his feet, “He was just trying to protect his ma is all.”

“Yeah…” Zinnia sighed. “He still has to apologise though! Tell mister Gram you’re sorry, Stryker.” with that, she placed the drake down. The drake waddled over, holding his hands together shyly.

“S-sorry, mister.” he said.

A tree fell in the distance. All three heard the impact.

“When did you start speaking, son?” Zinnia asked, kneeling down. She pulled her cloak from the drake’s neck and wrapped it around herself.

“Yesterday!” he replied, waving his arms happily.

“What?” Gram asked, looking utterly lost, ‘What, is he talking or something?”

“Right, you need to be a Draconid to hear him.” Zinnia muttered, before frowning slightly. “Or whatever reality-warping thing Hodgepodge is… anyway! Gram, this is Stryker, my son. Stryker, this is Gram. He’s a person that lives inside Uncle Jason’s watch.” She then turned to Gram, concern working it’s way into her features. “So how’s Jay now? He doing any better?”

“I think he’s fine,” Gram said, rubbing his head, “Probably exhausted but he’s fine. You weren’t hurt were you?” he asked, shifting focus onto her.

“My wrist aches a little from when I blocked him, but otherwise I’m fine.” She then looked down at herself, fluttering her cloak slightly. “Tore my only shirt, though.”

“That's good, I was afraid we had gotten you hurt,” Gram gave her a smile, “Jason wouldn’t have forgiven himself if you had.”

“That guy cares too much.” she dismissed the sentiment with a wave, but the blush rising on her face betrayed her gratitude. “Do you have a way out of here, by the way? I’m guessing Jotunheim isn’t you’re Equestria’s version of the North Pole.”

“That would be me,” Hel said, having emerged out of the shadows behind Zinnia. She chuckled a little to herself as the woman jumped up, a big smirk on her face.

“I take it you’re Hel, huh?” Zinnia asked, admiring the Goddess. She extended a hand, causing her cloak to fall open once more. “I’m Zinnia, and this is my son Stryker. It’s nice to meet another member of the family we placed ourselves in.”

“Another one, Corypheus?” Hel asked, looking to Gram. Zinnia raised a brow in confusion.

“Corypheus? Is that another voice?” Her eyes then widened in horror. “Does he wanna kill me too!?”

“Corypheus is my grandson’s real name,” Hel enlightened, “Most just call him Jason.”

“Oh. Well, that makes me your sort-of granddaughter then, because Jason took my DNA and I made him be my brother.” Zinnia smiled innocently, accentuated by Stryker’s wide, glittering eyes as he clambered onto her shoulder. “And he’s Stryker’s uncle, too, though I guess that would be obvious.”

“Hello little one,” Hel cooed, kneeling down, looking Stryker in the eyes, “Aren’t you just adorable?” she asked, grabbing him up, cradling him in her arms.

“I’m not adorable, I’m fierce!” Stryker complained, letting out the most adorable attempt at a roar to prove his point.

“Of course you are dear,” she cooed, tickling his stomach gently. Stryker resisted at first, but eventually fell into a fit of giggles.

“Wait, you understand him? I thought only Draconids could hear Dragon-Types talking.” Zinnia asked, a calm smile on her face.

“I’m several million years old, what do you think?” Hel asked, not relenting as she tickled Stryker silly.

“I guess you’ve got a point there, plenty of time to learn all languages in existence right there.” Zinnia looked to Gram, who was still sat in the snow. “Hey, you alright there new guy?”

“Hm?” he asked, snapping out of his trance, “Oh yeah I’m fine. It was a pleasure meeting you but Jason’s ready to come out,” Gram said, tapping the Omnitrix, shifting back into Jason. The young Jotun blinked, shaking his head, groaning.

“You feel better now, Jay?” Zinnia asked. Stryker wriggled out of Hel’s grip, sliding down her leg before rushing over to Jason.

“Uncle Jason!” he cried, tackle-hugging the Jotun with very little effect, due to his small size. “You’re okay!”

“Yeah... got one hell of headache but I’m ok,” Jason said, managing a smile for Stryker. “Hey little guy, nice to see you too.” he reached down, petting the little drake’s spines.

“He’s talking now, apparently.” Zinnia said, chuckling. “You may need to switch to talk to him properly.”

“What do you mean, mama?” Stryker asked.

“Uncle Jason is different to me, Stryker.” Zinnia explained, kneeling down. “He’s not a Draconid, which is what I am, so he won’t understand you unless he studies how to talk to your species.”

“I can turn into a Draconid, though.” Jason added, cutting off Stryker’s sadness as soon as he saw the tears forming. “My watch lets me turn into other species, and your Mommy gave me a Draconid.”

“Oh. Do it now, do it now!” Stryker started bouncing in Jason’s lap, the Jotun looking to Zinnia.

“He wants you to show him.” Zinnia giggled.

Jason smiled and nodded, popping the dial up and turning into Catscratch, “See?”’ he asked, looking at Stryker.

“Whoa, that’s so cool!” the drake shouted, dropping into the snow. “I wanna pick one!” He reached for the Omnitrix on his chest, pushing down on it before anyone could stop him. He tapped it, causing Jason to shift into Upchuck. Stryker started giggling, reaching for the Omnitrix again before Jason pushed his hand away gently.

“You gotta be careful, the Omnitrix doesn’t like being messed with.

“This unit would not harm a child,” the Omnitrix chirped at them.

“Well, that's good to know,” Jason said, watching as the Omnitrix timed out.

“Wait, does your Omnitrix have an AI?” Zinnia asked, scratching her head and exposing her breast again. She looked down at Jason’s scowl before chuckling nervously, pulling the cloak around her with a “Sorry.”

“This unit is self aware,” The watch chirped.

“Oh, cool.” Zinnia nodded before her eyes lit up. “Hey, can you tell me about my powers if you have my DNA?”

“Negative.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Zinnia sighed dejectedly, kicking a pebble. “Guess that was a bit of a stretch, eh?” she asked. Stryker moved over and hugged her leg, causing Zinnia to laugh and pick him up. “I can’t get upset about this, it just gives me a challenge!”

“Yes well, I still need to talk with my grandson,” Hel spoke up, getting their attention, “Something rather important.”

“Is that our cue to leave?” Zinnia asked, ignoring Stryker’s whine. “‘Cause I kinda wanted to meet Jay’s wives.”

“I never said you had to leave,” Hel said, opening up another portal, Chrysalis and Rarity tumbling out of it.

“Oh,” Chrysalis said, helping Rarity to her hooves, “Hello Hel, always nice to see you.”

“Yes, nice,” Rarity grumbled, getting steady on her hooves, placing a hoof on her swollen belly. “Oh my, I didn’t know you had company,” Rarity said, looking at Zinnia.

“Hello, I’m Zinnia, and this is my son Stryker.” Zinnia said, shaking each of their hooves. She didn’t notice the cloak open so that it fell behind her shoulders, exposing her shirtless-ness to the mares. “I assume you’re Jason’s spouses?”

“Yes, I am Chrysalis and this is Rarity,” Chrysalis said, holding Rarity rather protectively, “Now, would someone please explain why we’re here?”

“Well, I kinda said I wanted to meet you two,” Zinnia explained. “But I expected to come to you, not the other way around.” She then turned to Hel, smiling slightly. “So what’d you want to tell Jay that doesn’t need me to leave?”

“This may sound insane, but we’re going extinct.” Hel started, taking a seat, not caring if she didn’t have a chair.

“Extinct!” Zinnia exclaimed, placing Stryker down. “No way, how!?”

“Really?” Jason asked, giving her a flat stare. “Did you just ask how the Jotun are going extinct? We’re dying out! There are four left, including me.”

“S-sorry, I was just shocked.”

“See, the problem is,” Hel started, looking at Rarity and Chrysalis, “Their children aren’t exactly going to be Jotun.”

“Well duh, I could’ve told you that.” Zinnia stated. “I mean, come on! I’m pretty sure you aint gonna get an Ice Giant out of a Pony or a… whatever Chrysalis is.”

“I am a changeling,” Chrysalis said with a snort, glaring at her.

“Really?” Zinnia shrugged. “Never met a changeling before.”

“Well now you have.”

“If we could get back on track.” Hel huffed, “The point is, I’m in no position to have anymore children, Terra refuses to remarry and Ib isn’t interested in having kids. Which leaves Jason,” she said, turning to the rather uncomfortable younger Jotun.

“So… Jay needs to pork someone who’s not his wife, huh?” Zinnia asked. “What?” she demanded when the others just looked at her with varying degrees of annoyance, all except Hel.

“You seem like a good candidate.” Hel leaned in close, looking her over, staring into her eyes.

“You want him to do me!?” Zinnia’s shocked look quickly morphed into a lecherous grin. “Well, if the Norse Goddess of Death and the Afterlife demands it…” as she said this, she slipped her shoes and shorts off, now standing in just her underwear. She looked around briefly before picking her discarded clothes up. “Can we go somewhere a little less… arctic?”

“Do we not get a say in this?” Rarity asked, looking at them, a rather angry look on her face. “I mean really, does marriage mean nothing to you people?!”

“Uh... maybe this isn’t a good idea...” Jason said, putting his hands up, “I mean really, this is just the worst idea I’ve heard since Celestia chucked the sun at Surt.”

“Now that’s just mean, Jay. I mean really,” she ran her hands over her chest. “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?”

“That's not the point!” he shouted, his face getting rather red.

“This is an easy problem to solve,” Chrysalis said with a purr, “A foursome involving kinky shape shifter sex.” She moved up to Rarity, nibbling on her ear.

“S-stop that!” Rarity stuttered, trying to pull away, only to give into Chrissy’s advances.

“Ooh, me gusta!” Zinnia called, dropping her clothes again and pressing her chest against Jason’s. “Whadd’ya say, Jay? Kinky times?”

Jason looked from face to face before sighing and hanging his head, “Fine.”

“Good!” Chrysalis said before leaning up to Zinnia’s ear, “This is a one time thing. You ever come onto my mate again and I’ll jump rope with your intestines.”

“Ooh, I like you! You’re super kinky!” Zinnia said, pulling the changeling into a kiss.

“Well I’ll leave you four too it,” Hel said sinking into the shadows with a big smirk.

“Wait, I still don’t wanna do it in the snow!” Zinnia shouted, pulling away from Chrysalis, leaving the changeling breathless.

“I must agree with you there,” Rarity said. “As much as I hate to.” she muttered.

“Come on, Utgard isn’t that far away,” Jason said with a sigh, starting to walk away, hands in his pockets, muttering about sex crazed mares.

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Stryker asked, making Zinnia jump.

“Oh, crap!” she shouted, catching Jason’s attention. “Is there any way I can send Stryker home? I can get Whiplash or Sonar to watch him.”

“Not at the moment, the Omnitrix needs to recharge,” Jason said, shaking his head.

“Hmm…” Zinnia rubbed her chin, the brief thought of rubbing something else flashing through her mind. “Would you say Utgard is dangerous?”

“We’re the only ones in the entire realm besides the Windigos.”

“Windigos?” Zinnia’s confusion seemed to upset Chrysalis, if her scowl was anything to go by.

“Do you seriously know nothing about the world you live in!?” she demanded. “And don’t tell me it’s different from this one, there are the same species in them!”

“I’ve been there three days and have met the Princesses, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus.” she grumbled. “I’ve seen Ponies that don’t have a horn or wings, but I’m not sure what their called.”

“Those are earth ponies,” Rarity clarified, staying close to Jason for warmth

“Oh, thanks.” Zinnia said. She picked up Stryker, smiling at him. “Anyway, the only other species I’ve met were Pokemon.”

“Well, you need to get out more,” the changeling huffed. “Maybe your version of me could use some help becoming Empress.”

“Yeah... “ Zinnia stared into the distance, thinking. “I wonder what you’d look like anthro…”

“Probably just as beautiful,” she said, smiling. Utgard came into view, it’s imposing sized dwarfing them.

Ice Giant, Indeed!

As the group walked into the main hall of Utgard, Zinnia let out a low whistle of appreciation before placing Stryker down. The drake looked around in awe, eyes sparkling as visions of ancient treasures flew through his young mind.

“Why don’t you go explore, Stryker?” Zinnia asked, smiling at his manic grin as he sprinted down one of the hallways. She let out a chuckle, throwing her clothes to the side. “Kids,” she said. “If there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s a love for exploring.”

“Yes, it is rather cute.” Chrysalis nodded before nibbling Rarity’s ear, eliciting a moan from the mare. “But can we start now? I got myself all excited back there.” Jason moved behind the two mares, having removed his shirt and pants already. Zinnia’s eyes drifted down his form, from the solid six-pack to the large bulge in his underwear, and she licked her lips in anticipation before moving closer herself and kneeling down between Rarity and Chrysalis, who both turned to face Jason with her. From her right came a flash of green fire, revealing a fully nude, dark skinned woman with blueish-green hair and teal eyes, her breasts slightly larger than Zinnia’s. Chrysalis smirked, reaching over and unhooking Zinnia’s bra with ease, causing the garment to fall to the floor. Rarity, meanwhile, used her magic to teleport both Jason and Zinnia’s underwear off of their bodies, causing Jason’s nine-inch member to stand proudly. Zinnia licked her lips, leaning forward only for Chrysalis to pull her away from her target and into a passionate kiss, lying back with the woman over her. Rarity took this chance to wrap her lips around Jason’s manhood, eliciting a groan from the Jotun.

Zinnia broke the kiss, gasping for breath even as Chrysalis reached out and groped her breast, causing her to moan in appreciation. The woman smiled down at the changeling, pressing their lips together once more before peppering kisses along Chrysalis’s jaw, down her neck and towards her breasts. Chrysalis bit her lower lip, watching as Zinnia’s hand snaked it's way up her body to fondle her left breast, tweaking her dark nipple at random intervals as she licked at the space between the changeling’s mounds. Zinnia’s free hand found it’s way to Chrysalis’s crotch, and the mare let out a gasp as she felt her folds being teased.

“Y-you’re good at thi-is!” she moaned, calling out when Zinnia pushed two fingers into her.

“I’ve had some practice,” Zinnia replied before latching onto Chrysalis’s free nipple, suckling and nibbling, causing Chryssi to squirm and groan with pleasure.

    Meanwhile, Jason had sat on the ground as the Unicorn in front of him bobbed her head, taking his length in and humming with delight at the taste. Jason placed both hands on her head, curling the fingers of one into her mane as the other began rubbing her horn. Rarity’s eyes rolled back in her head as her speed increased, her tongue wrapping around Jason’s cock with every motion. The feeling caused Jason to thrust his hips unconsciously, making Rarity gag as he pushed against the back of her throat. A pale blue aura surrounded Rarity’s horn, the same aura coating her nethers as her fold began pulsing with need.

“F-fuck, Rarity…” Jason groaned, scrunching his eyes shut tightly. “I-I’m gonna…”

“Mweh phoo!” Rarity replied, her words muffled by Jason’s member. Both let out one last, loud yell as they came, Rarity’s juices squirting out onto the floor, her cheeks bulging as she attempted to swallow every last drop. Despite her best efforts, though, the Unicorn just couldn’t handle the load, gasping as she pulled away, the remaining few spurts covering her face with thick, white strands of Jason’s cum.

Chrysalis watched the whole thing, crying out as that combined with Zinnia’s ministrations pushed her over the edge. Her disguise faded, revealing her black chitin once more as Zinnia moved to her soaked, green-tinted nethers and began licking up her juices.

“R-Rarity…” Chrysalis moaned, placing her hoof atop Zinnia’s slightly bobbing head. “You’ve got to try this.” She cried out again, her still-sensitive pussy shivering as Zinnia nibbled on her clit, smirking. Rarity nodded, stumbling over on unsteady legs before laying down and pulling Chrysalis into a kiss. Zinnia quickly switched from the changeling to the unicorn, lapping eagerly at the fashionista’s folds, pushing her tongue further in and wiggling it around as she revelled in the mare’s moans. Chrysalis pulled herself up, regaining her balance before sashaying over to Jason, who had already recovered.

“Take me, Jason.” Chryssi panted, turning around and presenting her winking slit to him. “Mount me like only you can!” The Jotun smirked, lining himself up with her before thrusting in, hilting himself. Chrysalis cried out in ecstasy, clamping down on Jason’s cock as her tongue lolled out of her mouth. Jason proceeded to pull back until only the tip remained inside of her before hilting himself again, repeating the process over and over, steadily getting faster and faster. He gripped her ass firmly, raising his right hand before bringing it down hard, spanking the changeling and tinting the softer part of her chitin a slight pink. Chrysalis cried out again, mumbling incoherently as she rocked with the force of Jason’s thrusts. She licked her forehoof and reached below herself, pushing down on her clit with the tip even as Jason’s thumb slipped into her ass.

Rarity cried out, her juices spraying over Zinnia’s face as the woman happily nibbled her labia. Both paused, watching Chrysalis with a mixture of lust and jealousy. Zinnia smirked, tugging Rarity’s hoof and leading the mare over to the others before positioning herself so that Chrysalis could easily access her nethers. Both mares caught on fast, Chrysalis transferring Jason’s force into her licks as she plunged her tongue into Zinnia’s soaked pussy as Rarity moved to sit on the Draconid’s face, Zinnia resuming her assault on the Unicorn’s sensitive nethers. Rarity then leaned down until she was lay completely on top of Zinnia, her face perfectly level with both the woman’s folds and Chrysalis’s face, the changeling’s muzzle carrying a distinctive sheen from Zinnia’s juices. The mares shared a kiss before smirking devilishly at one another, Rarity using her magic to subtly raise Zinnia’s hips until her pussy was level with Chrissy's horn, which the changeling slowly pushed past Zinnia’s folds, causing Zinnia to gasp and seize up at the feeling. Chrysalis kept going, a few more inches disappearing with each of Jason’s powerful thrusts as Rarity began suckling on Zinnia’s clit. Zinnia snapped out of her reverie, smirking before diving back into Rarity’s snatch as she reached around and grabbed the mare’s flank.

“O-oh, sweet Celestia!” Rarity cried out, grinding against Zinnia’s face as she came. Zinnia let out a muffled groan, squirting her juices as Chrysalis plunged her horn as deeply as she could into the woman, opening her mouth in a silent scream of pleasure as her folds clamped down on Jason. The Jotun pulled out of her, stroking himself briefly before grunting, his seed shooting out to cover the three girls. He then dropped to his knees before laying down beside Chrysalis, Rarity crawling to his other side as Zinnia cuddled up to the changeling.

They lay there for a brief moment, regaining their strength before Jason’s member re-hardened. Seeing this, Zinnia quickly moved over Chrysalis - briefly grinding her nethers over the changeling's horn, sending shivers through both - before positioning herself over the tip, her back to the Jotun. She looked over her shoulder at the Jotun as he placed his hands on her hips before impaling herself on his spear, letting out a silent scream of fulfillment as her tongue lolled. She then began bouncing in time with the Jotun’s thrusts, her breasts flailing with her movements before Chrysalis and Rarity latched onto them, each suckling a nipple as they rubbed each other furiously. Jason reached his hand around, rubbing at Zinnia’s clit, giving the sensitive nub the occasional pinch. Zinnia’s eyes went wide and, in a moment of pure instinct, let out a plume of flames into the air above them all as she came, her insides clamping down on Jason and raising in temperature, pushing the Jotun over the edge as he pumped his seed into the woman. At the same time, Chrysalis flared her magic, stroking at every inch of both hers and Rarity’s marehoods, inside and out, pushing both to their own orgasms. All four collapsed into a hot, sweaty pile of bodies, Jason sliding out of Zinnia as the woman rolled to the side, smiling at the feeling of the Jotun’s seed inside of her.

“That was amazing,” Zinnia sighed, placing a hand over her stomach. “How do we know if it worked?”

“Leave that to me.” Jason breathed, tiredly reaching for the Omnitrix. In a flash of green, Jason had once more assumed his Mewtwo form. His eyes flashed blue for a moment before he frowned, shaking his head. “No, that can’t be right…” he said. “Hey, Hodge, check this for me?” he added before the Omnitrix flashed green again, Hodgepodge taking Jason’s place. The draconequus stretched his neck until his nose floated directly above Zinnia’s stomach before taking a long, deep sniff.

“Oh no…” the amalgamation recoiled slightly before catching himself, looking to Zinnia with an apologetic expression. “Jason, you were right... “ he said, a single tear falling from his smaller eye. “You should tell her.” He tapped the Omnitrix with his paw, reverting to Jason.

“What?” Zinnia asked, panicking slightly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Well…” the Jotun began. “There’s the good news, the bad news, and the really bad news.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “The bad news is you’re not pregnant.”

“What’s the good news?” Rarity asked, placing her hoof on Jason’s hand.

“It’s not because she’s infertile. She has as much chance of having a baby as either of you two.” Jason looked Zinnia in the eye, reaching out for her hands. The Draconid let him take them, holding her breath in silent dread. “The really bad news, though... “ He paused, seemingly trying to think of how to say it. “Zinnia, in the games… did it ever mention the character having kids?” he asked.

“Well, there was the theory of Aster…” Zinnia’s eyes widened in horror. “No… please, no!” she pled, tears forming in her eyes.

“Zinnia, you… you have a rare disorder.” Jason paused as both mares gasped, hooves flying over their mouths. Both had made the connection. “You can have kids, but…” he sighed, pulling the woman into a hug. “I’m sorry… they would never survive longer than a week.”

The floodgates opened. Zinnia blubbered and wailed and cried into Jason’s shoulder, Rarity and Chrysalis just watching, shocked. Despite their initial dislike for the woman who, since they had met her, did nothing but try to coerce their husband into bed, they couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Before long, Stryker rushed into the room looking distressed, clearly having heard his adoptive mother’s distress.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” he asked. Zinnia turned to him and smiled pathetically, pulling the young drake into a loving hug. “Mama?”

“Nothing’s wrong, son.” Zinnia sniffled. “Not as long as I have you.” Stryker smiled, returning the embrace as best he could with his shorter arms. A moment later, Zinnia released the drake, placing him on the floor before silently getting dressed. She turned to Jason as she clipped her cloak around her neck, the Jotun still sat in the same place except now wearing his underpants. Zinnia smiled softly at him as Stryker moved to her side. “I think I’d like to go home now.” she said. Jason just nodded.

“Zinnia, our contract is complete.”

And with that, Zinnia once more fell through a portal in the floor.

Upon arriving home in the same place as she had left and moving to the nearby opening that led to a clearing in a park, Zinnia looked around, spotting a clock not far away and noting that it had only been five minutes since she had left. She shrugged, calling Stryker along as she strode across the grass. Stryker hurried to catch up with her before matching her pace, looking to his mother worriedly as they made their way to the park’s entrance.

Shop 'Till Your Boss Drops

Zinnia walked down the streets of Canterlot, cloaked pulled tightly around herself as she ignored the sneers from the nobles. Her eyes drifted along the shop signs as she walked, making notes of which shop sold what. Before long she saw a sign advertising ‘High-Quality Clothing” and smiled, pushing past the door with Stryker by her side. She took a moment to admire the displays - ranging all the way from suits to shorts, dresses to denim, and everywhere in-between. She had just made her way to a selection of winter jackets when she heard a woman shouting in the back room. Zinnia couldn’t make out what was being said, but soon after a cream-coated mare with a powder-blue mane and tail stumbled out, catching herself on a counter before she fell. She straightened out her lilac polo shirt, re-tied the crimson cravat around her neck, brushed off her black skirt, sighed, and smiled. The whole time, Zinnia merely watched, a nagging concern at the back of her mind. The mare looked around before noticing her, walking over with an air of practiced professionalism.

“Hello,” she greeted, curtseying slightly. “My name is Coco, and welcome to Polomare Apparel, for all of your fashion needs! We make all of our clothes in-shop, and each item is made with the customer in mind. How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for a few outfits.” Zinnia started, looking around. “I’m gonna need everything from shirts to underwear.”

“Of course, ma’am. Do you have any preference as to style?” Coco asked, gesturing around the store. “As you can see, we pride ourselves with a wide variety of clothing.”

“Casual, but resilient.” Zinnia began walking as she talked, grabbing herself a black leather jacket with a fur collar. “Maybe something a bit sexy, too.” she added.

“Well I would be happy to help you out in any way I can, ma’am.” Coco offered. Without missing a beat, Zinnia handed her the jacket and turned towards the lingerie displays. Coco hurried to keep up, blushing as Zinnia removed her cloak, revealing her shirtless chest.

“I’d recommend turning the sign to ‘closed’ while I’m here,” the woman said absently, picking up a red and black bra. “I wouldn’t want you to lose any business from what they might see.” Coco blushed as Zinnia reached behind herself, fumbling with the hooks to the bra she was currently wearing. She hurried to the door, locking it and flipping the sign to closed. She then proceeded to move to each of the windows, pulling down the blinds and preventing any random shoppers from seeing anything. When she turned around, her blushed increased tenfold when she saw Zinnia stood in nothing but her underwear, holding a bra over her chest.

“What do you think of this one?” Zinnia asked, staring down at the bra. When she didn’t receive an answer, she looked up at Coco to see the mare blushing profusely, legs pressed tightly together. Zinnia smirked slightly before throwing the bra to the mare, putting her own back on. She grabbed a few more sets of bras and panties, passing each and every one to Coco, before moving to another display - this one showing women’s casual wear. She continued the cycle of trying on outfits and passing the ones she liked to Coco as the two moved around the store, even having Stryker try on some of the clothes designed for children.

After many, many hours, Zinnia had gathered pile of clothes as tall as herself, now sporting a pair of white jeans, a deep purple crop top with no sleeves, black pumps, and the first jacket she had picked up. Stryker stood next to her dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a black leather duster with red interior, looking quite happy with his new outfit. Coco stood behind the counter, sweat pooling on her forehead as she noted down the price of each item, adding them up as she went. Zinnia picked up her cloak from the pile of already-scanned clothes, pulling a slip of paper that Whiplash had given her that morning from a hidden pocket she had discovered within. Opening the paper, she read through the words for what felt like the millionth time that day, still not entirely believing them.

Dear Zinnia,

Due to the heroic feat you displayed on the day that we met you, my sister and I have decided to appoint you as a Knight of the Realm, allowing you all of the benefits of such a title. One such boon of your title includes the ability to charge any purchases to the throne. Included is a badge to act as proof of your status.

However, we regret to inform you that as a Knight, you will be called upon to defend the realm against any threats that the Royal Guard are incapable of defeating. Note that you are not the only Knight of the Realm, the closest others being six mares in a town known as Ponyville not far to the south west of Canterlot. Should you wish to meet these mares, please let us know and we will arrange for them to make the journey.

You should also know that you have the power to appoint another as a temporary Knight of the Realm. However, if you wish for their position to remain permanent, you will both have to present your case to both my sister and I in front of a court.

Yours sincerely,

Princess Luna

Zinnia pulled the badge out of the cloak’s pocket, looking it over. It was a simple, circular shaped badge, with a black back and three raised golden segments. The two outer segments were semicircles with a smaller semicircle taken from the inside, both wrapped around a smaller, complete circle.

’What were the chances?’ Zinnia though with a chuckle, hooking the Pokeball badge to the inside of her cloak before fastening it around her neck once more. She then tucked the letter into her pocket before looking up to see Coco packing the last of the clothes in one of many small paper bags.

“That’ll be three thousand, two hundred and seventy nine bits, please sign here.” the mare said with a tired smile, sliding her notes to the woman. Zinnia showed the mare her badge as she signed, causing her to groan and collapse onto the counter. Zinnia couldn’t help but smile at that. Her smile turned to a grimace as she looked over the many bags she now had, sighing at her stupidity.

“Stryker,” Zinnia said, turning to the drake. He stopped spinning around, looking to his mother and smiling, causing her to giggle. “Could you do mommy a big favour and go ask Sonar to come help me with these bags? I think there may be too many for just the two of us.”

“Yes mama!” Stryker shouted before running for the door, zigzagging as he went, making ‘whoosh’ noises with his arms outstretched. Coco rushed past Zinnia, unlocking the door and making the woman blink in surprise at her speed. She watched as the mare moved about, re-opening the blinds and turning the sign on the door to ‘open’ once more.

“So,” Zinnia began, leaning back on the counter. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I’m sure I heard shouting when I first came in.” She raised a brow as the mare flinched. “Is something going on?”

“N-no, it’s just…” Coco began before sighing, walking over to stand by Zinnia. She then cupped her mouth and leaned in. “My boss likes to drink,” she whispered.

“Oh, okay.” Zinnia said, nodding with a frown. She had noticed a slight smear in on Coco’s face when the mare had leaned in, a slight blueish-purple mark being revealed underneath. Without warning, she reached out, grabbing Coco’s head and rubbing away the make-up that concealed her black eye. “I take it she’s a violent drunk?” she asked, inspecting the wound as tears formed in Coco’s eyes. A small cut situated just beside her eye had also been covered, recent if the small amount of blood still surrounding it was anything to go by.

“P-please,” Coco sobbed, flinching at Zinnia’s gentle touch. “Don’t tell anyone. S-Suri would kill me!” Zinnia sighed, pulling the mare into a hug as she cried.

“You made these clothes, didn’t you?” she asked, gently rubbing the mare’s back. She felt the mare nod against her and frowned - on every single article, she had seen a tag claiming that someone named Suri Polomare - clearly Coco’s boss - had made them, meaning that she had been taking credit for Coco’s work for an untold amount of time. She pushed Coco back and held her by the shoulders.

“Listen to me, Coco. In three days, the guards are going to receive an anonymous tip. They will come here to investigate a report of fraud and abuse.” She paused to make sure the mare was listening before continuing. “I want you to tell them everything. Show them this,” she brushed a stray strand of Coco’s mane from in front of her wound, tucking it behind her ear. “And anything else Suri’s done to you. Tell them that all of these designs are yours, and that Suri’s been profiting off of your work.”

“B-but…” Coco began, only for Zinnia to shush her with two finger on her lips.

“No buts. When it’s all over, I want you to go to the park down the street. On the far side, by the wall of the mountain, there’s a cave. Go in and follow the tunnel up, and you’ll find my house. If you see a Pegasus mare or a small purple bat, just tell them you’re looking for Zinnia.”

Before Coco could reply, the ground shook and Stryker ran back in.

“I got Uncle Sonar!” he shouted, and Zinnia smiled at him before starting to carry her bags out. She ignored all of Coco’s attempts to talk her out of the her plan, even as she followed her outside and screamed at the sight of the Noivern, watching with horror as Zinnia calmly placed her bags into his waiting claws When the last of the bags had been loaded, Sonar took off for home as Zinnia and Stryker walked wordlessly away, heading to the next store on Zinnia’s list. Coco stared after them for a moment before turning and walking back into the store and straight to the phone. She picked it up and dialled, waiting until someone picked up.

“Hello, castle finance department? Three thousand, two hundred and seventy nine bits have been charged to the throne by a Knight of the Realm.” She paused as the stallion on the other end spoke. “Yes, I have proof of the purchase right here. The business is Polomare Apparel.” Another pause. “Thank you.”

After hanging up, Coco retreated into the back room, where a very drunk Suri Polomare was chugging a bottle of wine. She sighed, moving into a room filled with materials and sat at a desk, pulling open a notebook with her cutie mark on the cover.

Three days later, a small group of Royal Guards walked into Polomare Apparel. The sight they came upon was shocking, to say the least. Suri Polomare stood over the unconscious body of Coco Pommel, the arm of a mannequin in her hands and a half-full bottle of wine on the counter. The mare was promptly arrested - though not without attempting to assault the guards, too - and Coco was taken to the hospital. When she awoke, she told the guards everything, even going so far as to direct them to the evidence of Suri’s theft of her designs. A trial date was set for when Coco could leave the hospital, and the cream mare was surprised to see Zinnia in the audience. When asked if anyone else knew of the events, Coco pointed to Zinnia, who strode proudly to the witness stand and proclaimed herself to be the one who tipped off the guards. Suri was found guilty of seven counts of abuse on an employee, one count of assault on the authorities, and over three thousand counts of fraud in the first degree. The light pink mare was sentenced to a total of fifty years in prison, vowing revenge on both Coco and Zinnia as she was dragged away in chains. Zinnia’s last comment before she left with Coco was how orange was the new black, much to the confusion of the ponies in attendance.

On the Wings of Lightning

Zinnia lead Coco out of the courthouse, where Sonar was waiting for them. After talking the mare out of her initial panic, Zinnia managed to convince her to climb onto Sonar’s back so that they could give her a ride home. Coco directed the massive drake towards one of the lower districts of Canterlot, populated by one-story homes and the occasional corner shop. Sonar touched down in front of a small house, discernible from the others by all but the painting of a purple fedora on the mailbox. Coco thank them both before hopping off of Sonar’s back and moving to the door. Zinnia watched her until she disappeared inside before sighing, tapping Sonar’s neck lightly to show she was ready. With three beats of his powerful wings, the Noivern had them in the air, rocketing skywards until they broke past the thin layer of clouds. He straightened out, gliding as Zinnia looked around.

"It’s beautiful," she said, leaning back and taking a deep breath.

"Indeed it is," Sonar replied, shifting slightly so that they banked to the left, leaving the sun directly behind them. "But I did not bring you here for the scenery. Something has been troubling you."

"How could you tell?" Zinnia asked with a sigh, running her hands absently through his thick, white, scarf-like fur.

"You have been quiet. You are not a quiet person." The drake paused as he sniffed at the air, climbing slightly. "What is wrong?"

Zinnia hesitated for a moment before answering. "You remember Jason?" she asked, waiting for the drake to nod before continuing. "Well… Long story short, his Grandma wanted him to try and have a kid with me."

"This is wondrous news!" Sonar boomed.

"Well, it was fun." Zinnia gave a half-hearted chuckle, placing a hand on her stomach. "But afterwards, we… we found something out…" She trailed off, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Sonar noticed this and frowned, staring straight ahead.

"What did you find out?" he asked, struggling to control his emotions. He was angry, confused, and upset. But above all else, he was concerned.

"I…" she paused, choking on the words. "Sonar… I can’t have my own kids."

"W-what!?"

"I can give birth, b-but…" At this point she just let go, unable to hold back the tears anymore. "Th-they’d never l-l-last more… More than a week!" She screamed the last part, burying her face into Sonar’s back as she wept. The drake said nothing, silently changing coarse and descending.

When he landed, the drake leaned back and gently nudged Zinnia with his snout. The woman had almost cried herself to sleep, but she fought off her grogginess as she clambered off of Sonar’s back, turning to find herself staring at the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

A massive, crystal-clear lake spread out before her, an ethereal glow emanating from the centre. Hordes of Bug-Types flittered about, some seemingly dancing whilst others drank from the water. Small crystals littered the lakebed, with Water-Types swimming in and out and around each and every one.

"What is this place?" Zinnia whispered, afraid to disturb anything. She crouched down as a couple of curious Catterpie crawled over to her, reaching her hand out. One of them sniffed her briefly before nuzzling her, chirping happily.

"This is Paradise Lake." Sonar explained, leaning down for a drink himself. "The home of Emotion and the second of the Lakes of Existence."

"Emotion?" Zinnia echoed, a puzzled look on her face. "Second of… Sonar, did you bring me to Mesprit’s lake?!"

"Yes. I was born here, raised by an incredibly generous Beautifly after my mother passed during childbirth." He paused, looking across the lake before sighing. "Sadly, none from my childhood are here anymore, as my lifespan is much more than that of a Bug-Type."

"Oh Sonar, I’m so sorry!"

"It is quite alright. I came to terms with my loss many, many years ago." Sonar smiled, looking to the centre of the lake. "There is still one from my childhood, though she sleeps at the moment."

"...You’re talking about Mesprit, aren’t you?"

"Yes. When I was a child, Lady Mesprit would often walk among those who lived here, making sure each family had what they needed." His smile dropped for but a moment. "She was there when I was born, she visited me on each and every one of my birthdays. She comforted me when Mama B passed…" The drake wiped away a tear before turning to Zinnia, smiling sadly. "Would you like to meet her?"

"...yes…"

Sonar turned back to the lake before plunging his head under the water, letting out a roar. Zinnia could almost see the sound waves as they travelled towards a cave in the centre of the lake before the light faded. A moment later, a small, powder-blue pixie rose out of the water, shaking out her pink hair. Two long, thin tails hung below her, the red jewels that matched the one in her forehead shining in the sunlight. She looked around briefly before she spotted them, floating over with a smile on her face.

"Sonar, you’re back!" She spoke through their minds, her voice surprisingly reminiscent of P!NK. "How long has it been? Three, four hundred years?"

"Four hundred and twenty three." Sonar chuckled before gesturing to the awestruck woman beside him. "Lady Mesprit, this is Zinnia. She has recently gone through quite the emotional ordeal, and I thought you might be able to help."

"M-ma’am." Zinnia stuttered, bowing slightly.

"Firstly, it’s nice to meet you Zinnia." Mesprit began before rounding on Sonar, slapping him slightly with her tail. "Secondly, how many fucking times have I told you to drop the formalities! I helped to fucking raise you, ya twit!"

To say Zinnia was shocked would be an understatement. The first that ran through her mind after the display went along the lines of ‘jaw, meet floor’.

"So, what’s up with you, huh?" Mesprit asked, turning to Zinnia. The woman snapped out of her shock and explained what had been keeping her spirits down lately, the pixie just floated there, listening, nodding at random intervals. At one point her eyes drifted to Zinnia’s stomach, lingering for just a moment before shooting back up the her face. After about fifteen minutes of ranting - which included small parts of crying, shouting, cursing, and vowing revenge - Zinnia finished.

"And that’s pretty much it," she said, taking a deep breath. Mesprit remained quiet for a moment before nodding, her eyes glowing blue for a few minutes. When the glow subsided, she looked to Zinnia, a knowing grin on her face.

"Tell you what," the pixie began, patting Zinnia on the head. "Wait for your little hybrid there to pop out, then come back to me and tell me if you can’t have a kid."

"W-what!" Zinnia shrieked, causing Sonar to flinch. "B-but… Jason and… and Hodge, they…"

"Were wrong? Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me." Mesprit giggled, sitting on Sonar’s head. "Sounds to me like this Jason was looking for brain waves in an embryo that had just been fertilised - and yes, four days is enough for me to tell." The pixie shot Zinnia a look. "If you don’t believe me I’ll get a test for you to piss on. Anyway, Hodgepodge is clearly a Draconequus, and they’re not really reliable for a direct answer. Reality likes to fuck them over in response to their blatant disrespect for it’s rules."

"Oh, thank Arceus," Zinnia sighed, placing a hand against her forehead. "At least I don’t have to worry about that disease…"

"Oh no, that’s real." Mesprit said, her matter-of-fact shattering Zinnia’s hope. "But this kid’ll be fine. Uxie says her the combination of her parent’s blood gave her enough strength to survive it."

A moment passed. Then another. On the third moment, a deafening shriek of pure joy rang out across the lake, each and every Pokemon there recognising it as the cry of a joyful mother.

"I’m gonna have a little girl!" Zinnia shouted, jumping around Sonar with unrestrained joy. "I’m gonna have a little girl! I’m gonna have a little girl!"

"Zinnia, stop." Sonar laughed, placing his wing in the woman’s path and laughing again when she smacked into it. "I am happy for you, yes, but I think we should go now. It is clear that you are much happier, and I am sure Whiplash and Stryker would like to hear the good news."

And so, with a quick goodbye to Mesprit, Zinnia and Sonar took to the skies once more. They flew in silence, Zinnia just smiling serenely, until a voice rang out from seemingly nowhere.

"Delta Guardian! Zinnia?"

A portal opened in front of the two, and Zinnia grinned.

"Why not?" she asked herself, and Sonar put on a burst of speed. "I’m in a good mood. See you later, Sonar."

And with that, Zinnia tugged harshly on the Noivern’s fur, causing him to pull up sharply. She then dived over his shoulder, flying head-first into the portal.

A portal opened in the ceiling, a swirling black void of energy from which a tall, olive-skinned woman with short black hair fell, head first. The woman landed with a roll, stopping on her knees. She wore a pair of black skinny-jeans, a low-cut white tank top with floral-lace patterns, a black leather jacket with a fur-lined collar and a pair of black leather biker boots with a studded strap across the front of her calves. An identical copy of the draconic corkscrew was wound around her ankle. The woman stood, looking around before her eyes fell on Lance and Hiro.

"Hey guys!" she called, waving happily. "‘Name’s Zinnia. Who’re you?"

"Gunvolt." Lance said almost immediately, holding his hand out. "But you can call me Lance."

"Hiro Hamada."

"Nice to meet you guys." Zinnia said, shaking their hands. "So what’s… hey, that’s a Combusken!" she added, distracting herself when she saw the chicken-like Pokemon. "Awesome! Kinda wish I’d brought Sonar with me now so I could show off."

"Sonar?"

"My Noivern friend. Helps me take care of my Bagon son."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"What? He’s adopted!" Zinnia asked, crossing her arms defensively.

"Oh… right…" Lance sighed, seeing Zinnia pout a little to herself. "Well, on the subject, maybe you can help me out. Kai here, or you may know as my Combusken, is currently my only partner. Since Hiro is working on a way to modify my equipment, maybe you can help me out with training Kai."

"Sure, no problem." Zinnia replied, already stretching out her arms. "What’d you have in mind?"

"Well, I thought that if Kai were a Blaziken and knew Mega Evolution, that he would be a good partner in the field. Of course, my Breezie companion Lumen is really good, but it’s good to have someone on your side that can fight."

"I heard that!!" Lumen shouted from atop BAYMAX’s head.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The Adept sighed. They heard BAYMAX analyse Lumen’s behaviour and hypothesize that the reason for her "mood swings" was because of puberty. This however, did nothing to solve the problem as Lumen just got more enraged. During this moment, Lance and Zinnia asked Hiro if there was a place that they could train without the craziness. He nodded, giving the two of them instructions to the Gym that was down the hall and to the left. Kai followed the two Displaced as they entered the room.

"Is… Is this a Pokemon Gym?" the woman asked, looking around in confusion. "How’d they manage that?"

"Yeah, I do see it’s similarities." Lance sighed. "Now, how should we get started, Ms. Zinnia?" The Adept thought that speaking to her politely would be the best for her in the long run since he did not know how she was like personality wise.

"First off," Zinnia began, holding up a finger. "Drop the Miss. Zinnia’s fine, or even Zoey, since that was my name before all this." She walked out into the centre of the battlefield, shrugging off her jacket and throwing it to the side lines. "Second, to answer your question, I’m gonna fight him. Best way to learn something is by doing it, after all." Zinnia rolled her shoulders, loosening up in preparation before she began punching at the air.

"You… fight Kai? Aren’t you going to get yourself hurt?"

"What, ‘cuz I’m a girl?" Zinnia crossed her arms, glaring at the Adept. "I’ll have you know I held my own against a genocidal lizard monster."

"O… kay, don’t say I didn’t warn you though." The Adept said as the Combusken looked at him. "Kai…… Sick ‘em."

The Combusken immediately nodded as it charged in, performing a Double Kick in order to catch Zinnia off guard. Zinnia, however, just smirked, crossing her arms in front of her, causing a green bubble of energy to expand, bouncing the Combusken back with her Protect. She followed this up by leaping forward, the barrier shattering before he as a purple energy surrounded her hand, forming a Dragon Claw hat she raked over the Pokémon's chest, knocking him back.

"Not bad." she commented, leaping back to her original spot. "Fast and powerful. But you need to work on technique. I saw you coming before you were coming. Observe."

Zinnia lunged forwards, going for a punch and causing the Combusken to step back. However, instead of following through, she fell forwards, using her momentum to roll forwards before kicking out, catching the Fire-Type in the abdomen. She flipped to her feet, cracking her knuckles as Kai pulled himself up before rushing at her, his body coated in swirling flames. The move he was pulling off was Flame Charge, a fire based attack that also increased the Pokémon's speed. Zinnia’s reflexes weren’t prepared for when the Pokemon used the attack to get behind her and strike her cloak using it’s third ability, Slash.

Zinnia wasn’t hurt, though. She’d just received a small tear in her clothes, but she didn’t let it slow her down. A few more quick strikes had Kai work on his speed as he dodged side to side, but a jab-kick to the chest sent him flying backwards a few feet as he was working to get up off the ground.

"This is getting boring. I'm starting to think fighting you would be better, Lancey-boy." Zinnia said, yawning slightly.

"I don’t think you would want to fight me, Zinnia." The Adept replied, sighing to himself.

"And why not, exactly?"

"I have more abilities than just my Septima or what you see as my lightning… Say… are you familiar with Dragon Ball Z?"

Zinnia was about to reply, but Lance cut her off by performing an Instant Transmission and showing up behind her, catching her by surprise. "Yeah, I know some Ki based abilities and have been practicing on some others. I even taught myself how to perform the Kamehameha."

"Care to demonstrate? Or is it a bit crowded in here?"

"Maybe later," Lance began, smirking as he looked over Zinnia's shoulder. "You're busy right now."

"I am?" Zinnia kicked out behind her, not even looking as she caught Kai across the beak. "I'm not really feeling challenged."

A frustrated growl came from behind the girl, who turned around, staring slack-jawed with Lance as Kai began glowing a bright white, blue energy swirling around him. His form grew taller, long hair flowing down his back and talon-like claws replacing his wing-hands. His feet flattened out, he fur extending to act as a pair of pseudo-trousers. The glow burst, leaving the scarlet chook stood there in all his Blaziken glory. Zinnia smirked, turning back to Kai as flames surrounded his legs. She braced herself as Kai rushed in, delivering a powerful Blaze Kick to her side and sending her flying back. Zinnia hit the wall, sliding to the floor.

"Zinnia!" Lance shouted, before rounding on Kai. "Kai, what were-" he stopped, a light chuckling filling the room. Lance and Kai turned to see Zinnia’s shoulders shaking, her head hanging limp until she glanced up at them, a deranged look in her eyes.

"Hehe… Hehe..." she growled, now looking like a battle crazed fighter. "Now this is more like it!!"

"Kai…… Are you sure you can handle this?"

The Blaziken turned to face Lance, only slightly nodding. He showed another motion, pointing at Lance’s Coat pocket and cuffing his wrist before turning to face Zinnia again, dodging the incoming Dragon Claws that surged from her hands. As the Adept moved out of the way, he felt something in the same coat pocket that Kai was pointing at moments ago. While Zinnia had her back turned and was dodging the series of attacks that was being thrown at her, the Azure Striker found a cobalt bracer that contained a glowing gem. Quickly and unknown to the Delta Guardian, he placed it on his wrist, but became concerned for his partner when Zinnia struck Kai across the chest with a Shadow Claw that knocked the Blaziken backwards. That concern faded away, however, when Kai hopped back on his feet and brushed the dust off of his shoulders.

"You can drop the tough guy act, you know," Zinnia stated, blocking one of Kai’s jabs and retaliating with a right hook to his beak. "You don’t have to impress me.

All the Blaziken did was smile, but as he opened his jaw, the Delta Guardian noticed something in his beak. A stone of sorts. In a moment of realization, she looked down at her Mega Anklet and then at Lance’s wrist, which now bore a Mega Bracer that matched his colour scheme.

"Oh, come on!"

"Let’s go, Kai!!" Lance said, placing his open palm on the Keystone embedded into his Bracer, pink energy swirling around the Blaziken in a sphere. After a moment, Kai burst out, now looking like he’d just stepped out of a side-scrolling beat-’em-up game. The twin horns atop his mask-like head had merged into a single horn, curved backwards in the centre of his forehead, framed on both sides by the cream fur that swept back like wings. More fur adorned his torso in what seemed to be a homage to a torn muscle shirt, charcoal-coloured feathers lying beneath the fur and down his thighs. Ribbons of flame danced from the Mega Blaziken’s wrists, and his powerful legs just looked all the more muscular as he fell into a ‘Crane Kick’ stance.

"Fine then, tough guy!" Zinnia growled, before Roaring at the Mega Blaziken with all of her might, the sheer power of her voice pushing him back. "Bring it! Mess me up! I bet you I couldn’t even trust you to tap me, let alone punch me!"

Kai took this as a challenge, stomping his foot on the ground and causing smoke to rise everywhere, obscuring Zinnia’s vision. In her confusion, Kai managed to get behind her and struck her in the back with a Sky Uppercut - this time actually hitting her, and hard. She gasped in pain and coughed up a little blood as she tried to regain her balance, dropping to her hands and knees. Lance, however, could see something else, and called out just as Kai began charging again.

"Kai, stop!!"

The Blaziken actually listened to its trainer this time, watching his opponent carefully as the smoke cleared. Zinnia just looked at the boy in confusion. "W-why did you stop?"

"Kai’s strike did more than hurt you I think…… You have wings now."

"I-I have what?" Zinnia asked, peering over her shoulder as she did so. Sure enough, two large, draconic wings had sprouted on her back, with black, bone-like armour along their spines. The leathery skin was a deep, royal purple, and it folded perfectly when she rested her wings against her back. "Well, this is… new," she said, unfolding and folding them to get used to her new limbs and muscles. She even practiced folding the wings in front of her like she was trying to defend herself. "Okay, I have to admit. This is pretty fucking cool! Now… to test them out…" She said with an evil grin, looking at Lance.

"Remember when you said that you would demonstrate your powers later, Sparky? Well, now is later." Lance was going to argue, but decided not too. He was working with just small portions of his Ki, so he had no intentions to harm her. Shrugging, he put both hands in front of him and then put them behind the Adept, charging up a sapphire like energy.

"Kame… Hame… HA!!"

The Small Ki Blast was powerful, but when Zinnia folded her wings, the outer surface caused the attack to reflect, bursting through a window. She staggered a bit due to the Electric tingle that she felt through her entire body because of the blast, but could tell that it wasn’t an attack at full power given how she was able to easily block it.

"Well… That’s quite interesting." Lance said as he straightened himself up.

"Y-yeah," Zinnia hissed, clenching her teeth. She could still feel the sparks dancing across her winds, surprised at how durable they were despite being so sensitive. "I guess I’m weak to Electric attacks…"

"Wait… did I hurt you?"

"A little, kinda like a pinch. Unpleasant, and it hurts at the moment, but overall harmless." The Azure Striker sighed a little, relieved as he soon noticed that Hiro was walking in.

"Hey, Lance. I was going to check on you and- HOLY-!!!" The teenager said in reaction to seeing Zinnia’s wings. "W-what the Heck is THAT!?!"

Zinnia looked around before turning back to Hiro and pointing to herself. When Hiro merely nodded, the Delta Guardian sighed, pulling herself to her feet and folding her wings.

"It’s me, jackass. Zinnia," she said, glaring at the young Sun Fransokyo native.

"Seriously!? You’re half dragon? That’s AWESOME!!!" Hiro said as BAYMAX soon came into the room, directing his gaze at Zinnia. "Hello, I am BAYMAX. Your personal healthcare companion… You seem to be in pain. Let me scan you now."

Zinnia was about to protest, but after a moment, she decided to just let BAYMAX do his thing. "Scan complete. Subject seems to be young for a dragon her age, but is in the first few stages of……" He spoke, raising a hoof upward. "Pregnancy."

That, caught Lance off guard. "What the F-? You’re Pregnant!?"

"Yeah, and?" Zinnia huffed, crossing her arms. "And I’m thirty years old, I can make decisions for myself."

"Well… I honestly didn’t know about either of those things." Lance replied. "Sorry for my outburst."

"It’s fine. I’d have probably done the same," Zinnia said, sighing. The Adept nodded, looking at Hiro. "So Hiro, care to explain the reason why you came here?"

"Well, I was going to tell you that I completed the changes you asked me to make and, with some field tests, your weapons are ready for action." The young boy replied, handing both weapons to him. They felt good in the Adept’s hands - comfortable, but not too heavy. Lance took a moment to switch the clips in both weapons to Dullahan and fired one shot from each of his guns, both of them striking the wall with a lot more power than before.

"Oh this feels good. Matter of fact, better than good. Thanks man!"

"No problem. Oh, and I found this in the stockroom. Not sure how it got there, but I thought that you would want to have a look at it." Hiro flipped a gold coin to Lance as both he and BAYMAX left the room. As the Adept looked at the coin, he noticed an Emblem in the shape of a monkey and a voice talking to him.

"What's up? I'm Sun Wukong, The Stray Faunus. Just simply shoot the coin to call upon me for anything you might need help with."

To Lance, the voice seemed… familiar. Like a family member he knew.

"What is it?" Zinnia asked, peering at the coin in Lance’s hands. "A token?"

"Yeah. For someone named Sun Wukong. However, that guys voice… somehow reminds me of my cousin Sean. Mind if I keep this, or do you think that there's a way where you can have-."

Before Lance could finish his sentence, another coin dropped from the ceiling and bounced off of Zinnia’s shoulder, falling to the ground with a soft *clink*

"-one."

"Huh," Zinnia said, bending down to grab the coin and hearing the message for herself. "Neat."

"Any idea who this Sun Wukong guy might be?" Lance asked.

"Isn’t he some kind of ancient Chinese story?"

"Maybe… But then again, one name can be multiple things. I know of Wukong, the champion in League of Legends. But something told me that this might be different." Lance explained. "After all, they said to shoot the coin, which means that this guy is probably familiar with firearms or something."

"It doesn’t have to be firearms though, you can shoot arrows from a bow." Zinnia reminded the Adept. "And you technically shoot magic attacks at people."

"Right… I’ll have to try it out when I have the time." Lance said. "So… anything else we need to do before I send you back?"

"Does Kai know Flamethrower yet? Because I think I can teach him." The Blaziken shook his head, pointing at the fire around one of his feet, his closed fist, and his claws. "Oh, so you know Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut and Slash?"

"Wait… You can talk to Pokemon?" The Adept asked, a little bit surprised.

"I can outright talk to Dragon Types, but most have a sort of sign language."

"I see." he replied. thinking to himself a little. "Hang on… a Fighting types weakness is Psychic right… and Blaziken can know Shadow Claw… Do you think you can teach him that so Kai can have a backup plan when he’s put up against his weakness?"

"Sure, no problem," Zinnia said, walking over to the Blaziken - who by now had reverted to his regular form. She held up her hand, curling it into a vaguely clawed shape. "Focus on your negative feelings. Command the shadows themselves to become your weapon." She paused, watching Kai do as instructed. His shadow twitched slightly, and Zinnia smirked at his quick progress. "Now, pull them into your hand. Wrap them around your claws. Sharpen them until they can slice through the air itself."

Lance watched in awe as Kai’s shadow was seemingly sucked into his feet before his talon was coated in darkness, a faint purple outline creating a black claw. He began to clap as he walked over. "Great job, Zinnia!"

"Thanks, it was nothing. I just told him what I do." Zinnia replied, rubbing the back of her head as a light blush coated her cheeks. "I gotta say, teaching’s actually kinda fun."

"Depends on who you are teaching." Lance sighed a little. "Or the teacher. Majin Buu taught me my Ki abilities."

"Majin Buu? There’s a Majin Buu?" Zinnia began vibrating with excitement. "Oh, I’ve gotta meet him! What’s hiss token? Does he even have a token? Did he come here or did you go to him? Wait, what’s he like? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Did he use the Chocolate Beam!?"

"He’s a good guy, but I don’t know all the details. His token looks like this." Lance told her, holding up an orb with the Majin M on it that almost resembled a jawbreaker. "Oh and apparently, he refers to himself as Gum that can destroy planets."

"Nice, I’ll have to keep an eye out for him."

"When you do see him, tell him I said Hi!" Lance said as Lumen flew over and landed on his shoulder. He handed her his token, a hairpin with a pair of open wings like the one he wore on the end of his braid. "Alright, Zinnia. Our contract is complete."

"Cool. See you around, dude!" She said, just before the spectral head of a Rayquaza shot out of the ground, closing its jaws around her before exploding in a shower of stardust.

Zinnia came out of the portal in the exact spot as where she left, freefalling for a moment before she spread her new wings, catching the air and beginning to glide. She saw Sonar in the distance and flew over to him, smirking at his reaction when he saw her new appendages. As they flew home, Zinnia filled the drake in with all that had happened, smiling wider with each of his reactions. After a time, Canterlot came into view, and Zinnia prepared to put on a boost of speed when a bout of dizziness overcame her. Sonar caught her before she could fall, holding her gently in his claws as she vomited. Sonar cringed, waiting for the woman to finish before moving to land in the same hangar he had arrived in.

As soon as he placed Zinnia down, she sprinted down the hallway, turning into the bathroom and dropping to her knees in front of the toilet. Whiplash rushed in, cringing when the sound hit her ears before kneeling beside Zinnia, running her hand up and down the woman’s back.

“You okay?” the Pegasus asked once Zinnia’s retching had died down. She smiled at Stryker, who had brought in a small glass of water for his mother, a worried look on his face.

“Y-yeah…” Zinnia shuddered, accepting the drink and gulping it down greedily. “Th-this is good.”

“How is being sick good?” Stryker asked, head tilted to the left in confusion.

“Oh, Stryker.” Zinnia smiled. “Sweet little Stryker.”

“You’re gonna be a brother.”

The Darkness Rises Again

For the next few weeks, Zinnia fell into a morning routine of wake up, run to the bathroom, and vomit . She tried to get out of the house as much as possible, going on daily trips into Canterlot with Stryker. Whenever the weather prevented this, she spent the day trying to teach her son how to speak English - or Equuish, as Whiplash insisted on calling it - so that he could speak to others without her. He seemed to struggle to form the words at first, but after a while he seemed to pick it up easily enough. By the fifth week, he could hold a conversation completely unassisted - to the extent of a child, anyway. When asked why Stryker was so smart despite being just over a month old, Sonar explained that all Pokemon’s brains become active a mere week after their egg is laid, and that a Bagon takes between three and five years to hatch. He then stated that the Bagon had actually hatched on what would have been his fourth birthday.

Today Zinnia, Whiplash and Stryker were in Canterlot, walking down the main street towards the castle. Zinnia wore simple grey jogging pants with a blue, loose-fitting tee shirt and matching trainers, her wings having been fed through a pair of holes she had cut in the back. Whiplash wore a sunset yellow button-down shirt under a purple vest, a purple skirt, black stockings and white slip-on shoes with little bows on the top. Stryker, having dressed himself, was wearing white jeans, a long-sleeved white shirt under a forest-green tunic, brown boots and a green cap. They had received a summons from the Princesses, delivered by a grey Pegasus post-mare with blonde hair and a wandering eye.

Zinnia looked up as the group passed under the main gate, following the path up to the main doors. Guards saluted as they passed, Stryker copying them so adorable that even the normally stoic centurions had to crack a smile. Whiplash led them through the halls with practiced ease, coming to a stop in front of a pair of doors carved with caricatures of the two princesses, Celestia holding the Sun itself above her head and Luna doing the same with the moon.

“Wait here,” Whiplash said, pushing one of the large doors and slipping through. “I’ll come and get you in a second.”

“Uh, okay?”

Whiplash then disappeared through the door, Zinnia waiting patiently where she was. Stryker had found a small stick somewhere and was now swinging it about like a sword, much to his mother’s delight. After a few moments Whiplash cam back out, a nervous smile on her face.

“Okay,” she said, stepping up beside Zinnia. “We go in on the signal.”

“Signal?” Zinnia shot the mare a suspicious glance. “What signal?”

“Oh, you’ll know it…”

Zinnia was about to retort when a great, booming voice rang out, the doors opening fully inwards, revealing what looked to be a Royal Court in full swing.

“Now announcing Lady Zinnia, her escort Madame Whiplash, and her son Sir Stryker!” a short, fat, bespectacled stallion with brown fur and a receding white mane called. Zinnia glared at Whiplash out of the corner of her eye before striding into the room, head held high. She could hear the nobles on either side of the room muttering about her in disgust, and she didn’t care. Who needed the approval of a bunch of snooty pricks with sticks so far up their own arses that you could practically see them sticking out of their throats?

“Who is that ruffian?”

“What a disgraceful girl, dressing like that!”

“She clearly has no shame.”

“Why do they have one of those disgusting things with them?”

Zinnia stopped mid-stride. Whiplash walked a couple more steps before noticing, turning back to ask what was wrong before she saw the fury in the woman’s eyes. Stryker, unfortunately, had heard every word, and was clearly fighting back tears, which just fed Zinnia’s anger more. Her head turned slowly towards the pony who had angered her, a stark white stallion with a perfectly styled blonde mane who looked even more uptight than the tightest pair of tighty whiteys worn by a virgin nun trapped in the most powerful clamp in existence at maximum tightness. They locked eyes, and Zinnia could practically feel the utter disgust this stallion felt towards anyone lower than his social standing as she stared into his sky-blue eyes.

’Hitler would’ve loved this guy.’ she thought, eyes narrowing even further. Some of the crowd backed off, but not him.

“Can I help you?” he asked, smirking smugly and wiping invisible dirt from the lapel of his pristine white suit.

“Apologise.” Zinnia growled, fists clenched as she tried to contain her Rage. She could tell her power was growing from her anger.

“Why, whatever for? I merely stated what was everypony’s mind - that freaks like you and your pet are not welcome here.”

Zinnia’s pupils turned to slits. The veins in her eyes pulsed, becoming more pronounced. Her vision went red. Everything faded but the stallion before her, who had the nerve to insult her family to her face! Faster than anyone could even begin to comprehend, Zinnia had the stallion pinned against the far wall, his hands clutching at the claw of shadows around his throat as flames licked at the woman’s lips, begging her to scorch him alive. She leaned in close to his face, relishing in the fear in his eyes as he eyed the fire, before letting out a Roar of pure rage.

“Apologise. Now!” she demanded, tightening her grip on his throat ever so slightly.

“N-never!” the stallion choked out before spitting in her face. “I-I am a - grk!” He was cut off as Zinnia tightened her grip a little more, crushing his windpipe and cutting off his air, before letting go and dropping him to the floor. She turned to walk away as the stallion struggled to his knees, glaring at her.

“That’s right, walk away!” he called after her. Many of the other nobles shook their heads, groaning at his stupidity. “Coward!” Before he could say ‘Meep!’, Zinnia had crossed the distance between with a single, powerful beat of her wings, delivering a Brick Break attack to his stomach that sent him flying through the wall that he was pinned against not one minute prior. Zinnia stood there, breathing heavily for a moment, before straightening out and walking calmly back to where Stryker had been sat, sniffling quietly to himself. She bent down and picked him up, the drake latching on to her neck as his tears flowed, sobbing.

The room was silent for the time it took for Stryker to calm down, no one wanting to incur the mother’s wrath. The stallion was carried to the infirmary by another white stallion, this one with a two-tone blue mane and wearing purple armour lined with gold.

“Mares and Gentlecolts,” Celestia called, causing Zinnia to jump. “I regret to inform you that court is cancelled for today. Guards, could you please vacate the throne room? I wish to speak with Zinnia,” she paused, turning to look Zinnia in the eye. “Alone.”

“With all due respect Princess,” Zinnia replied. “Stryker and Whiplash aren’t leaving my side.”

Celestia just nodded, waiting until the guards and nobles had left before speaking. “Firstly, I’d like to apologise for Blueblood. My nephew unfortunately views the world as his to rule.”

“That Hitler wannabe was your nephew!” Zinnia cried. She flinched at Celestia’s slight glare, mumbling an apology.

“I know not of this ‘Hitler’, but yes. Blueblood is my nephew.” She paused, standing from her golden throne that directly contrasted the empty obsidian one next to it and walking down the steps towards the group. “But that is not why I called you here today. Come, walk with me.”

Celestia lead them through a doorway hidden behind the platform that held the thrones, hidden from public view, revealing a dark stone stairwell. They followed the passage down, Celestia lighting torches held in sconces along the way. Zinnia remained silent the whole time, but Whiplash couldn’t help but question the solar diarch on her secrecy. Celestia just smiled sadly in response. Before long they came out into a large, circular chamber. A pedestal sat in the centre of the room, holding a large, leather-bound tome embroidered with a large blue swirl surrounded by silver stars. Celestia’s golden magic enveloped the tome, lifting it gently from its resting place and bringing it into her waiting hands, where she began to delicately flip through the pages.

“Princess, is that…” Whiplash whispered, staring at the book. Zinnia just looked on, confused.

“Yes,” the Princess replied, smiling fondly at the book. “Starswirl the Bearded’s ‘lost’ journal - except it was never lost. He asked my sister and I to hide it.”

“What’s so special about a dusty old diary?” Zinnia asked, receiving a punch to the arm from Whiplash. “What?!”

“If it were any of his other journals, Zinnia, nothing. But this one,” Celestia turned around, showing the woman the journal’s spine, which was marked with a small circular symbol - one half red, the other white. “This one Starswirl’s notes and findings from his research into the magnificent creatures that roam Equestria’s lands.”

“You mean Pokemon? Please, I bet he barely even scratched the surface.”

Zinnia took the slack-jawed expressions of both mares as her opportunity to grab the journal, flipping through the pages, giggling at random intervals.

“How long did this Starswirl guy study Pokemon? This looks like a five year old’s show-and-tell project, the amount he’s got wrong.” Zinnia paused, frowning at one of the pages. “This, though. This worries me a little.”

“What is it?” Celestia asked, peering at the page that had caught Zinnia’s attention. “Oh, yes. Starswirl’s dream log. Is something troubling you?”

“Yeah, a dream involving two of the fifty-four most powerful Pokemon in existence.”

“Oh?”

“Listen to this.”

Journal Entry: XX

Date: XX/XX/XXXX

‘Tis with a heavy heart that I hath awoken this day. In mine slumber, I hath witnessed the clash of two titanic powers, each seaming to cancel the other.

Of the two beings, the darker one most certainly appeared the most malicious force. His black, billowing, cloak-like body just exuded an air of ill intent.

The lighter being, however, doth remind mine eyes of mine fair Princess Celestia. Pastel colours coat it’s crescent-like body, from the baby blue body to the soft yellow head, accentuated by it’s pink crescent-shaped wings.

The battle I witnessed was of a magnitude much higher than those I hath previously observed in the creatures of Equestria’s wilds - much more coordinated, more desperate. The creatures clashed time and time again, body against body, mind against mind.

At the battle’s apex, the darker creature appeared to have either discovered mine observation or decided to acknowledge it, as it turned to me and spoke.

”Know this, Starswirl,” it spoke, voice ringing in mine mind despite it’s lack of any form of visible mouth. ”Your land will fall to my darkness. It may take one year, or it may take one thousand, but your world will fall.

It was at that moment that I awoke, scrambling to note the dream in this journal before the fleeting visions could fully flee. I only hope that it was a mere hallucination, otherwise…

I do not believe I shall tell the Princesses of this.

The room fell quiet when Zinnia finished, each party trying to process the information. Celestia seeming to take it the hardest. Zinnia turned the page, finding a crude sketch of the creatures spoken of in Starswirl’s passage.

“I see why this troubles you, Zinnia.” Celestia eventually spoke up, clearing her throat. “This dark creature sounds… determined, if nothing else. You say you know of it?”

“Yeah, I do.” Zinnia frowned at the sketch of the creature. “His name is Darkrai, often portrayed as one of the most evil minds in the Pokemon world. He has a history of using mind control and nightmares in order to try and plunge the world into an eternal darkness, due to the fact that he prefers to avoid the light.”

“I see. And the other one?”

“Cresselia, Darkrai’s complete opposite. She’s almost always the one that stops Darkrai when he hatches a new scheme, but sometimes she needs a bit of help. Her feathers are often used to ward off nightmares.”

“So if this Darkrai were to attempt to attack Equestria…”

“Cresselia would probably show up to stop him. Or die trying.”

At that moment, a massive explosion rang out from the castle above. Zinnia dropped the journal on its pedestal, following behind Celestia as she rushed back up the stairs. She flexed her wings and loosened her muscles, preparing for a fight. When they emerged into the throne room and rounded the corner, however, they were shocked at the sight.

Princess Luna was writhing on the ground, a black mist surrounding her, flowing into her eyes and nose. Following the mist’s path, the group found themselves staring at the exact creature they had just been discussing, floating just a few meters off the floor with a mutated Blueblood at his side. The stallion in question had been turned from his normal pristine white to a midnight blue, his blonde mane having turned completely black. The horn on his forehead had been tinted red, curving upwards, and his eyes had taken on a cyan glow.

“Luna!” Celestia screeched before a flash of golden light enveloped her. When the light faded, the solar princess stood in a set of heavy golden armour, a large, white, diamond-shaped shield with her Cutie Mark emblazoned on the front held aloft in her left hand as she raised a massive, golden, double-headed battleaxe normally reserved for two-handed combat in her right.

“Let her go, fiend!” the princess ordered, catching Darkrai’s attention. The Pitch-Black Pokemon chuckled at the display.

“Please,” he spoke, his voice deep and rumbling. “There is nothing you could do to harm me, Celestia.” He turned to the monster that was once Blueblood. “Deal with them, Bloodborne. I must finish with Luna.”

“Of course, Sire.” ‘Bloodborne’ replied, bowing before charging at the group. Celestia raised her shield as Bloodborne’s horn seemed to suck in the light around it, preparing to repel the dark magic. She was shocked, however, when Zinnia charged forwards, breathing purple flames at the stallion as she went. Bloodborne rolled to the right before firing his spell at the woman, who folded her wings around her completely, a green barrier erecting.

“Whiplash, take Stryker and run!” she shouted before dashing forwards, catching Bloodborne on the chin with a Dragon Claw. The stallion reeled back, black blood spilling from the wound before it closed itself. Zinnia frowned, charging in again. Bloodborne took the chance to fire a blast of dark magic at her, which Zinnia countered with a Flamethrower, the attacks struggling to overpower each other.

While this was going on, Celestia moved towards Darkrai, raising her shield to block his Dark Pulse. She grunted from the effort, sliding back slightly before pushing forward, the dark energy of the attack splitting and spraying around her. Darkrai frowned, dropping the attack in favour of opening a Dark Void in the ceiling, four mutated guards - a Unicorn, a Pegasus, and two Earth Ponies -  dropping into the room and forming a line between Celestia and their master. With his distraction sufficiently placed, Darkrai turned his attention back to the mare struggling against his corrupting cloud. Celestia grit her teeth, dismissing her shield in favour of better wielding her battle-axe as she swung, smashing the Unicorn guard away with the flat of the blade. The guard in question flew through the air, sailing through the hole made during my previous encounter with Blueblood. The Pegasus - whose wings had morphed into a leathery, bat-like variant - dive-bombed at the princess from behind, driving his fists into the small of her back, denting the armour and causing the mare to cry out in pain. The Earth Ponies took their chance, the stallion ripping the axe from Celestia’s hands as the mare punched her hard in the face. Celestia dropped to the ground, the guard’s strength having been enhanced by the Nightmare in their systems, and spat a small amount of blood, glaring at the living shadow as it’s cloud was absorbed into her sister.

{Inside Luna’s mind}

Luna stood in a field shrouded in black mist, a large silver-bladed scythe in her grip. Her eyes roamed the mist warily, knowing that her next assailant could emerge at any moment. Sure enough, a pack of purple and yellow leopards leapt out at her from all sides, their claws shrouded in darkness and their tails glowing the colour of steel as they attacked. The lunar princess managed to fend off the first two, but the beasts had the advantage of numbers, and soon she had been separated from her weapon and pinned beneath one of them, staring into its cyan eyes. Its form melted into a more humanoid shape, slowly becoming the one creature that she truly loathed.

“Release me, Darkrai!” she cried, struggling against the shadow’s hold. “I shan't fall under your power again!”

“Oh, but my dear little Luna…” Darkrai replied with a sinister chuckled, his wisping head curling around to stroke Luna’s cheek, much to her disgust. “Thanks to my lovely little Liepard, you’re already mine!”

With that, Darkrai and the Liepard exploded into more of the black mist, surrounding and entering Luna in each and every way they could. All the lunar princess could do was scream in protest as tears streamed down her face, the shadows slowly staining her coat a midnight-black as her mane took on a more gaseous, star-filled quality.

Celestia watched in horror as her sister screamed in agony, slowly becoming the monster she was once before. Her own tears fell in tandem with Luna’s before she bellowed her rage, slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice for the first time in centuries.

“LUNAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Celestia’s voice carried for hundreds and thousands of miles, reaching all the way from Canterlot to Cloudsdale to the Crystal Empire. All over Equestria, Ponies stopped, simultaneously turning towards their capital as a looming dread filled their hearts. The sky itself seemed to grieve for their loss, shimmering in a rainbow of colours for but a moment in tandem with the princess’s wail.

In the town of Ponyville, six mares grabbed their six powerful weapons before racing for the train station, demanding the conductor to take them straight to Canterlot.

In the Crystal Empire’s Palace, a bubblegum pink Alicorn stopped mid-speech as tears streamed down her face. Her husband swiftly banished everyone from the throne room before pulling his wife into his strong arms, holding her tightly.

In a dirty, run-down bar in lower Manehatten, twin mustard-yellow Unicorns and their mint-green Pegasus companion suddenly felt the need to help in any way they could. Across the street, a sky-blue unicorn felt the same need and promptly quit her job, leaving the strip club in naught but a set of purple lingerie hidden beneath her cloak. She ran into the three from the bar, and together they set out for Canterlot.

Zinnia stared in awe as Luna rose, changed. Her regularly dark blue coat had faded into a midnight-black, her mane becoming a mass on star-filled gasses. She had grown, now standing a good head taller than Celesta with her horn extending another five inches, ending in a sharp, deadly-looking point. Zinnia watched as Luna knelt before Darkrai, staring at the ground.

“I believe it is time to retreat.” Darkrai said, opening a series Dark Voids beneath the infected ponies, all of them ceasing movement as they sank into the shadow, Celestia watching in horror as her sister disappeared. “Until next time!” the shadow added, slipping into his own portal with a cackle.

Zinnia stood there, afraid to say anything as Celestia stood. She watched as the princess wiped her eyes, following behind her when she began walking out of the castle. Left and right, they saw guards either injured, unconscious or - much to Celestia’s horror - dead. Zinnia breathed a sigh of relief when they walked out the main door and saw Whiplash and Stryker safe, if a little shaken.

Celestia lead them all out of the city, more and more ponies following behind when they saw their normally-happy princess looking cold and distant. They eventually stopped on a small hill just off the road leading from Canterlot’s main gates, where Celestia finally broke down, dropping to her knees and bawling her eyes out. Zinnia frowned, her anger bubbling before she turned to the crowd.

“Hear me, Ponies of Equestria!” she bellowed, catching the attention of every spectator. “I hereby vow to bring back Princess Luna and put an end to the dark force that has taken her! I swear this on my honour as the Delta Guardian of Equestria!”

Interlude 2: Grabbing Trees

The gathered ponies milled about, the recent events making them especially wary of the shimmering lights that had danced across the sky. Nobody truly knew what they were, but Celestia had denied any knowledge of them, so they may have been dangerous… somehow. Zinnia herself merely stared at the skyline with an unhappy expression, arms crossed.

“Zinnia,” Celestia asked, walking up to the woman’s side and looking at the spot that Zinnia’s gaze appeared to be locked on. “Do you know what just happened?”

“No, Celestia,” Zinnia replied, sighing. “But I have a feeling that something will happen soon that will explain a lot.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

Not long after, Sonar arrived, a Tyrantrum following behind him. The Noivern landed behind Zinnia, and the Tyrantrum wisely skirted around the group of ponies watching his every move before sitting himself at the bottom of the hill Zinnia stood upon, his head coming level with her.

“Zinnia,” Sonar said, catching the woman’s attention. When she turned to him, he continued. “This is Bolan, one of the others that was coming to see Sky Slicer. I have informed him of what happened already.”

“Thanks Sonar,” Zinnia said, smiling softly at him before turning to the newcomer. “Hey Bolan, I’m Zinnia.”

“Hey,” the T-Rex said, his deep, gravelly voice carrying an unexpectedly soft edge. “Did you see that weird sky shining thing?”

“Yeah, I saw it.” Zinnia deadpanned.

“That was pretty.” Bolan’s goofy smile caused Zinnia to burst out laughing, losing her balance for a moment only for Bolan to catch her on his snout. She steadied herself, thanking the Tyrantrum, before her gaze drifted to a steadily growing pool of shadows.

“Everyone ready!” Zinnia shouted, and almost immediately the ponies were pointing a range of weaponry at the pool. Sonar took to the skies, circling the area and keeping his aim on the pool as Bolan stood up, lumbering behind the pool and preparing to Crunch whatever stepped out, even if he didn’t understand what was going on.

From out of the portal, emerged a tall, hooded figure. It looked around before its gaze locked on Zinnia. “Ah Zinnia dear!” the figured called, throwing its hood back to reveal the oddly coloured face of Hel, “Pleasant surprise to see you!”

“H-Hel!?” Zinnia exclaimed, her eyes widening when she saw Bolan leaning down. “Bolan, no!” she cried, causing the T-Rex to pause, eyeing Hel warily. Zinnia sighed, before turning to the ponies gathered. “It’s okay, everyone! She’s friendly!”

“Oh I highly doubt hey could harm me,” Hel laughed, “I mean really, I survived Ragnarok.”

“Half of you survived Ragnarok. I read the books.”

“What mortals think they know and what they actually know are two very different things, my dear,” Hel said, giving a smile.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Zinnia blushed for a moment before a light seemed to turn on in her head. Literally, thanks to Discord. “Wait, how are you here? I thought you were bound to Yggdrasil’s realms?”

“Well, you see my dear,” Hel started, clearing her throat, “As of... whenever that light show started, this universe is now the tenth realm of Yggdrasil.”

Zinnia’s face was set in a perfect line. “...What?” she asked, before holding her hands up. “You know what, never mind. I’mma just go with Yggdrasil was being grabby and accept it.”

“You know that's not that far off from the truth. Your universe just happened to float on by and the tree decided it wanted it.” Hel explained rather chipperly. “But, this also means I am now your goddess of death.”

At those words, reality itself seemed to ripple as a roar of pure, unadulterated rage filled the air. In the centre of a nearby lake, a whirlpool of ghostly energy opened, and from it flew a snake-like beast with six wings resembling a black ribcage. A golden mask wrapped from one side of it’s head to the other, meeting over it’s mouth to form a pointed beak.

“Pretender!” it cried, though only Zinnia, Hel and the Pokemon heard the words. All the ponies heard was a ghostly wail crossed with a draconic roar. “I rule the Underworld here! Leave now, and I may spare you the gruesome fate you so deserve!”

“I’m sorry,” Hel said, looking at it, narrowing her eyes, “But did you just threaten me?”

“Shit…” Zinnia whispered before whipping round, running like hell. “Everybody run for your lives! Two death gods are about to throw down!!” At her words, the assembled ponies scattered, some jumping onto Sonar and Bolan’s backs before the two Dragon-Types hauled ass out of there.

“That's not a very good idea,” Hel said, looking the dragon in the eyes, “It never ends well.”

“I was going to say the same thing, bitch” Giratina replied, opening his mask to reveal his smug grin.

Hel just stared at him as the world seemed to get colder. “You. Are. Dead.” she said simply, cracking her neck, never taking her eyes off him.

“Been there, done that.” The spectral drake’s wings flexed, a ball of shadows building in his open mask. “Why don’t you try it?!” he roared, firing the Shadow Ball attack at Hel’s face.

Hel just threw her fist out, causing it to dissipate. She leapt into the air, bringing her leg down on his head, sending him to the ground with a rather painful sounding thud. Giratina picked himself up, stabbing his wings into the earth. Large plumes of dirt and grass fired at the Norse Goddess, the Earth Power landing a direct hit and throwing her back. The Renegade followed up by charging forward, summoning the Griseous Orb to himself and holding it in his now fully-formed bat wing, growing six thick legs that tore up the ground as he ran. Hel threw out a powerful kick, Giratina sinking into a shadow on the ground to dodge.

“Oh no you don’t!” Hel shouted, reaching into the shadow and pulling the drake out by the tail, swinging him around her head before throwing him into the lake he had emerged from. “Seriously, you don’t want to piss me off. Just let it go.”

Giratina rose from the water, dismissing the Griseous Orb and returning to his Altered Form. “This is far from over, Usurper.” he growled, turning to disappear into the water again. As he did so, however, a cloud of black smoke enveloped his head, seeping into his eyes, nose and mouth. When the cloud had been completely absorbed, Giratina’s body turned pitch black, the reds and golds turning to blues and silvers. The changed drake turned back to Hel before a small, shadow-like creature appeared on it’s head.

”I must thank you, ma’am,” the shadow spoke, it’s voice sounding in Hel’s mind. ”Without your assistance, I may never have, ahem, convinced Giratina to join my cause. Without another word, the shadow disappeared with the changed Giratina into the swirling portal, laughing maniacally the whole time.

Zinnia touched down next to Hel, eyes wide and breath ragged. “What have you done…” she muttered, before rounding on the Goddess, using her wings to bring herself to level eye height. “WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE!!!!” she shrieked, now beginning to hyperventilate. “He got Giratina. It was bad enough he got Blueblood and Luna, but now he’s got Giratina.” Zinnia dropped to the ground, gripping her head tightly. “We’re fucked! We are well and truly fucked!”

“What are you talking about?” Hel asked, brushing some hair out of her face, “I highly doubt you're fucked.”

“Do you have any idea what just happened?!” Zinnia asked, rounding on Hel. “That shadow thing was Darkrai. Lord of Darkness and Nightmares. He wants to plunge the world into a stasis purely because he doesn’t like the light.” She paused, throwing her hands up. “And you practically just HANDED him this world’s equivalent of you!”

“He can try,” she said, looking down at Zinnia, “But you're not going to let that happen are you my dear?”

“Well of course not!!” Zinnia shouted, now pacing. “I can’t very well tell Jason about his daughter if I’m trapped in a planetary stasis, can I?”

“Oooh! You’re pregnant!” Hel clapped her hands together before scooping Zinnia up into a tight hug, “Welcome to our insane family!”

“C-can’t… b-breath!” Zinnia gasped, eyes rolling up into her head. Hel quickly released her, a manic grin spreading on her face.

“This is wonderful news!” she smiled, doing a rather amusing little dance, “I wonder what it’s going to look like?” she asked, stroking her chin.

“Dunno.” Zinnia said, a smile gracing her face for the first time in many, many hours. “I just hope she likes me.”

“She might have nine heads,” Hel added, “Or be a random animal, or just a completely normal person like Nari and Narfi.”

“Or she could end up like me, being half Pokemon.” Zinnia flapped her wings for emphasis. “Heck, she’ll probably train her own team!”

"Maybe, who knows. Jotun genetics are like Lego bricks.”

“Interesting analogy.” a purple Unicorn mare stated, having appeared in a purple flash. “Comparing your genetics to a children’s toy. How strange.”

“Hello Twilight Sparkle,” Hel said with a wave.

“Wait, you’re Twilight?” Zinnia looked over the mare, taking in her ‘Librarian Chic’ looks. White shirt, purple cardigan, purple skirt, black stockings and purple slip-ons met the woman’s eyes. “Huh. You don’t strike me as Knight material.” Twilight frowned before her horn flared, a lilac rapier appearing in her hand with a royal purple starburst gem embedded in the hilt. She ‘Harumph’ed before turning and striding away.

“She makes a better princess anyways,” Hel said, making sure she was loud enough for Twilight to hear. Zinnia laughed, watching the mare as she approached a group of five others. A moment later, the whole group was walking over, each one having some form of weapon strapped to their bodies. Zinnia gulped, looking to Hel.

The first of the group to arrive was an orange Earth Pony mare wearing a red flannel shirt and a pair of simple work jeans over a pair of worn brown boots. A stetson rested atop her blonde mane, tied back into a ponytail. A large Claymore was strapped to her back, an orange, apple-shaped gem fitted into the crossbar

“Howdy,” the mare said, holding out her hand with a cold look in her eyes. “Ah’m Applejack, Knight of the Realm and Element of Honesty. Ah’m also an apple farmer.”

After Applejack came a pristine white Unicorn mare with a perfectly curled purple mane wearing a purple ruffled blouse and a white skirt with a pair of white platform shoes, a longbow in her left hand with a deep purple, diamond-shaped gem just above the grip.

“Greetings,” she said. “My name is Lady Rarity, Knight of the Realm and Element of Generosity. I run Carousel Boutique.

A cyan Pegasus with a technicolour mane walked up next, wearing naught but a royal blue sports bra and a pair of bike shorts. A pair of running shoes adorned her feet. She had a katana attached to a belt around her waist, one hand on the grip, just below the red lightning bolt gem.

“Name’s Rainbow Dash,” she said, glaring openly at the woman. “Professional stunt flyer, Knight of the Realm, and Element of Loyalty.

A bright pink mare bounced over, leapfrogging Rainbow Dash and getting right in Zinnia’s face. She wore a bright yellow tee shirt under a set of short-legged denim dungarees, with rainbow coloured socks pulled all the way up her thighs and mismatched sneakers - one red, the other blue. She dragged a massive warhammer behind her, a sky blue balloon-shaped gem attached to the hilt.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m a baker! Ooh, and I’m the Element of Laughter and a Knight of the Realm, too!”

The final newcomer was a butter yellow pegasus with a long pink mane that covered half of her face. She wore a lime green sweater and a pair of black sweat pants, pink flats covering her feet. She held a large, circular shield with a pink butterfly gem embedded in the centre.

“U-um, I’m Fluttershy…” she whispered, trailing off before Dash placed a hand on her shoulder. The simple action seemed to give the shy mare a small boost of confidence. “I-I’m the Element of Kindness and a Knight of the Realm, and I also take care of all the little critters around my town.”

“And I,” Twilight said, stepping up and resting her rapier’s blade on her shoulder. “Am Twilight Sparkle, Knight of the Realm, Element of Magic, and librarian.”

Zinnia stared at the six mares for a moment before she spoke.

“So let me get this straight,” she begs placing her aching head in her hand. “Before I was knighted, the country was defended by you guys?”

The gathered mares chorused a series of “Yep”s and “Yeah”s, with a single “Why of course!” thrown in.

"They are a lot more effective than they look," Hel said, looking them over, "Rather weird seeing them upright."

“Really?” Zinnia asked, looking from the Goddess to the mares. Her eyes roamed over each of the mare’s forms, lingering in certain areas. “I think they’re kinda hot.” she added, causing each of the mares to suddenly sport raging blushes. Except Pinkie Pie, who merely winked. A passing noble stallion stopped, turning and looking down his nose at Zinnia.

“That’s because you, Madame,” he said in an extremely nasally voice. “Are a whooooooooooooooore.”

"That was harsh," Hel commented with a frown. "But, I must say, Twilight looks better with the wings."

“There it is again!” Twilight shrieked, glancing at her friends. “She keeps claiming to know me, but clearly she doesn’t! She said I was a Princess! That’s crazy!”

“No,” Zinnia said, pausing to breath a plume of purple flames into the air. “That is crazy. Darkrai being able to spread the Nightmare is crazy.” She gestured to Hel, then to herself. “This? This is probably the most normal thing in the Equestria cluster of the Multiverse.” She paused, tapping her chin. “Would that be it? Sounds kinda weird now that I’ve said it out loud.”

“Yeah, I think that about sums it up.” Hel said, nodding sagely.

“What are you talking about!” Both women turned to Twilight, shocked to see her mane frazzled to the point that she almost looked like a purple porcupine. ,, “Are you saying that Clover’s Multiverse theory was true!?”

“Oh, yeah,” Zinnia said, her face remaining completely straight as she spoke. “Me and Hel are actually from other universes ourselves - Hel’s from another Equestria, and I’m from an Earth.”

"No," Hel started, "I am from Neplfhiem, try not to confuse them."

“Right, but you’re connected to an Equestria.”

"More like Faust put an Equestria on Asgard."

“Eh, same thing.”

"I think we're confusing them." Hel pointed out.

“HEY!” Zinnia and Hel jumped, whipping around to see Twilight looking even more frazzled than before. “I don’t care where you’re from! Just stop talking!”

"Do not presume to command me girl," Hel snorted, glaring at her.

“Okay, everyone chill. Hel, I think Twilight’s just a little confused and frustrated that we’re too crazy for her to understand. She looks like an egghead, so that’s what I assume.”

“Hey!”

“Twilight, don’t shout at Hel. She can literally make you her bitch right down to the soul. She watches over the dead in Yggdrasil’s realms, which we are now a part of apparently.”

"That is correct," Hel nodded, "I am now your goddess of death. Nice to meet you all."

The gathered mares stared at the Goddess in horror. Rarity summoned a plush red couch before fainting. Fluttershy joined her, face-planting the Unicorn’s breasts. Applejack swallowed nervously, sweat pouring down her face. Twilight took a couple steps back, pure fear taking over her features. Pinkie stopped bouncing.

Dash pissed herself.

"Oh relax," Hel said, rolling her eyes, "I'm not going to do anything, my days usually consist of just sitting around reading....or spying on Jason."

“Speaking of, where is sugar daddy? I’d have thought he’d come see me if this happened!” Zinnia said with a playful pout.

"He doesn't know just yet, he's busy with the other realms at the moment."

“Ah, fair enough.” She paused, spotting Celestia waving her over. “Well, as much as it’s been fun to chat, we’ve unfortunately got some stuff to deal with. Later Hel!” And with that, Zinnia jogged over to Celestia’s position, leaving the Norse Goddess with the six mares.

"I shall take my leave as well girls," Hel said with a smile, "Til next time." She said, melting into the shadows.

The six mares looked between each other, shock, fear and confusion in their eyes. Their silence was broken by an elegent comment made by Rainbow Dash that summed up all of their feelings.

“The fuck was that!?”

Eventful Events, Summon The Light!

In the following days, Zinnia had gotten very little sleep. The stress and worry of Darkrai’s plans had kept her up late into the night, staring into the darkness of her room with a renowned fear she hadn’t felt since childhood combined with the terror of possibly losing her family - her son - to the Shadow.

She was currently on her way to the rural town of Appleloosa - with Whiplash staying home to watch Stryker - and was lounging in one of the plush cream seats in the train. Mirroring her was Rainbow Dash, dressed in a pair of black lycra shorts and a loose white muscle shirt, her katana resting against the wall.

“Remind me what it is we’re doing, Twi?” the prismatic Pegasus asked.

“You know full well what we’re doing, Rainbow,” the Unicorn sighed, smoothing out her khaki cargo shorts and white button-down shirt. “We’re responding to Braeburn’s letter.”

“Yeah Dashie!” Pinkie shouted, bouncing in her seat. She wore a blue tee shirt with yellow sleeves and a pink skirt over dark blue leggings. “We gotta make sure that meanie Dark-ray doesn’t hurt them!”

“Darkrai,” Zinnia said without opening her eyes. “It’s Darkrai, Pinkie. Get it right.”

“Oopsy! Sorry.”

“‘S fine, just feels better if it’s said right.” She paused, standing up and stretching her wings out before striding over to a window on the other side of the train car. “We have company,” she stated before opening the window and diving out. The three mares stared in awe before seeming to snap to their senses, Rainbow grabbing her katana and shooting out after the Draconid as she pulled the strap over her shoulder.

Rainbow pulled up alongside Zinnia, who was gliding at the side of the train and keeping perfect pace. She looked around, spotting a large dust cloud in the distance and giving a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine, Z,” she said, sheathing her blade. “That’s just the Buffalo tribe that lives around here. Their probably just on one of their stampedes.”

“Rainbow,” Zinnia said, her tone making the Pegasus doubt herself. “Those are Pokemon.”

As the dust cloud drew closer, the cause became easier to see. A large group of beige-coloured bulls with three tails,  steel-grey horns, and a mane of chocolate-brown fur. Rainbow tensed, gripping the handle of her katana.

“What’re they, Z?” she asked, keeping her eyes focused on the leader - identical in physique, but with an altered colour palette of lime and emerald greens.

“Tauros,” Zinnia replied, flexing her fingers. “Quick-tempered and incredibly powerful on their own, devastating in a herd. We gotta turn’em around.”

With that, Zinnia shot towards the Wild Bull herd, Rainbow right behind her. She paused roughly fifty yards away before taking a deep breath, using her Dragon Breath attack to erect a wall of purple flames in an attempt to scare the advancing Pokemon into turning. Rainbow landed right in front of the wall, drawing her blade and falling into a stance that vaguely reminded Zinnia of the Jedi in Star Wars.

Rainbow stayed perfectly still, even as the mis-coloured Tauros in the herd’s lead locked eyes with her. The beast snorted, putting on a burst of speed and lowering it’s head, pointing it’s horns at Rainbow’s exposed midsection. The Pegasus merely shifted her blade, aligning the blade horizontally in front of her face. A split second before it impaled her, Rainbow struck, slashing at the Tauros’s horns and forcing it to turn ever-so-slightly so that it ran into the wall of draconic flames behind her. As it passed through, the Wild Bull Pokemon flinched, purple sparks dancing over it’s fur as it’s legs seized. It tumbled to the ground, coming to rest at Zinnia’s feet, where she promptly punched it across the face with a glowing white fist. It glared up at her, clearly weakened as it attempted to stand, and she repeated the action three more times until she had knocked it out.

Zinnia looked up to see the remainder of the herd retreating, having been deterred by the combination of Rainbow’s blade and her flames - which were now dying out, allowing Rainbow to walk over to the fallen beast and poke it with her toe.

“So this is a Tauros?” the mare asked, crouching down beside the beast. “Braeburn told us about these, but I’ve never seen one before.”

“Yeah, a Normal Type Pokemon,” Zinnia replied, reaching into her bag and fishing out a white sphere with a red band around it. “I’m gonna have to get this replicated, but for now…” she added, tossing the sphere at the Pokemon. Rainbow watched in awe as the ball connected with the Tauros, seeming to turn it into a red light before absorbing it and falling to the ground, leaving a perfect afterimage of itself to return to Zinnia’s hand. “Huh, guess not,” the Draconid said, shocked. She placed the ball she held back into her bag before reaching down and grabbing the second one, pausing as it’s white surfaced slowly darkened into a pitch black.

“Well…” she muttered, frowning. “That isn't good…”

“Maybe that Darkrai guy got to the Tauros,” Rainbow said, straightening out. “And the ball’s trying to tell you to be careful.”

Zinnia stared Rainbow for a moment, making the mare feel uncomfortable.

“Uh… What?” she asked, cyan wings fluttering slightly.

“Nothing,” Zinnia sighed, shaking her head and grabbing the ball. “Just didn’t expect you to say that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow huffed indignantly, crossing her arms and taking to the air. Zinnia did the same, the two of them moving to catch up with the train.

“Just that you seem to be the ‘hit first, let someone else ask the questions’ type, that’s all.”

Rainbow huffed, remaining silent as they followed the train tracks, eventually catching the train as it pulled into a station. The two of them touched down just as the others stepped out, Twilight rushing over as soon as she spotted them.

“Zinnia! Rainbow Dash! What happened?” she asked, clearly concerned.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, Twi!” Rainbow bragged, puffing her chest out. “Just a herd of Tauros that I scared off.”

“We scared them off, you mean.” Zinnia corrected, watching as the other four mares of their group walked over. “I managed to catch their leader,” she added, pulling out the black Pokeball. “Dash thinks Darkrai might have gotten to him.”

“Wait, how’d ya know it’s a he?” Applejack asked, placing her hands on her hips and hooking her thumbs into the belt loops of her denim shorts, her green plaid shirt having been tied off to reveal her midriff.

“Tauros are a purely male species,” Zinnia explained, looking around the dusty area. “So where’s our informant?” she asked, squinting against the sunlight.

“That’d be mah brother, Big Macintosh,” AJ said as she copied Zinnia’s actions before pointing to a large, shirtless red stallion in a pair of brown chaps. “There ‘e is!” she shouted.

Zinnia stared for a moment before grinning, following after the group. They approached the Apple siblings just as they finished their conversation.

“So let me get this straight,” Applejack said, pushing her Stetson back slightly. “In th’ middle o’ th’ night, you saw Sheriff Silverstar arguin’ wit’ a cloaked person.”

“Eeyup.”

“Th’ sheriff was about to walk away when th’ varmint in th’ cloak started spewin’ a black mist.”

“Eeyup.”

“The mist took over the sheriff, turnin’ his fur and mane black.”

“Eeyup.”

“An’ then they just ran off?”

“Eeyup.”

“An’ ponies’ve been disappearin’ ev’ry night since?”

“Eeyup.”

“Braeburn too?”

“Nope.”

“Well thats good.”

Applejack turned back to her friends, sighing before she spoke.

“Well, Ah reckon ya’ll know what’s happened here.” she said.

“Darkrai,” Zinnia growled, clutching the blackened Pokeball. “He’s recruiting.”

“More like conscripting, to be honest.” Twilight corrected, earning her a glare from the Draconid.

“It don’t matter what it’s called, we just have ta get’im outta here!”

“Eeyup!”

“You’re right, Applejack,” Zinnia sighed, massaging her temple. “I propose we have everyone who’s left stay together, to keep an eye on them all.”

“Good idea,” Twilight agreed, summoning a piece of parchment and a quill. “I’ll handle that, though I might need help.”

“Ah’ve got yer back, Twi.” Applejack offered, placing her hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Me too, darling.” Rarity added, flipping her hair. “We must keep Darkrai’s clutches from these ponies.”

“Maybe someone should check on the Pokemon too…”

“What was that, Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie asked, leaning in closer to the shy mare, who whispered something in her ear. “Oh, sure! I can help you check the Pokemon around here!”

“Good idea, Fluttershy.” Zinnia said, nodding. “They’re a threat to safety if they’ve been turned, so it’d be best to see if they have so we can put up defences.”

“What about the buffalo!” Rainbow called, catching everyone’s attention. “They’re in danger too!”

“You said they were a roaming tribe, right?” Zinnia asked, waiting for Rainbow to nod before continuing. “Then I’ll go out and look for them, make sure they’re safe and that they know the dangers.”

“I’m going with you!” the Pegasus shouted.

“Didn’t doubt it, I’d need the help if things went south anyway.” The Draconid paused when she felt someone tapping her shoulder, turning to see Big Macintosh - then looking up to see his face. He jabbed his thumb into his chest, then pointed at her. “What, you wanna come with us?” she asked, smiling when he nodded. “Alright, the muscle might help out.”

“Alright, everyone knows what to do.” Zinnia said, turning to face the whole group. “Do what you can to keep the people - and yourselves - safe, and we’ll meet back up later.”

With that, the group split into three - Twilight, AJ and Rarity heading into town; Fluttershy and Pinkie heading towards what Zinnia assumed to be an orchard of some kind; and Zinnia, Rainbow and Big Mac heading into the Badlands.

After roughly three hours had passed, Zinnia’s group still hadn’t seen hide nor hare of the roaming tribe.

“Gah!” Rainbow cried out, throwing her arms up in the air. “Where are they!”

“I don’t know, Dash,” Zinnia sighed. “Any idea how far the tribe is, Mac?”

“Nnope.”

“Of course not…” the Draconid sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. She let out a yelp of surprise as a piece of paper blew into her face, staggering back before grabbing it and tearing it away. “What the hell!?”

The paper in Zinnia’s gripped seemed to shimmer slightly, the black characters on the golden surface blurring and rearranging until a message could clearly be read. “‘I am the Xiaolin Dragon of Light. If you fight for peace, than I am an amigo of yours. Evil better beware though, cause as long as I'm around I refuse to let the world fall to darkness.’” she read aloud, chuckling soon after. “Alright, I’ll bite. You’ll probably be a big help if Darkrai decides to ambush us.” She paused, clearing her throat as she held the paper up. “Xiaolin Dragon, I am the Delta Guardian! I call for your assistance!”

For a few seconds nothing happened, leaving an awkward silence between the three before a tear was cut in the air. A man in red robes dropped out of it, landing in front of them. “Gracias a dios, I finally managed to not land on my butt.” The golden claws he had strapped to his hand turned into light before disappearing into the scroll he kept on his back. He than turned to the three with a grin. “Hola, guess you’re the one who called?”

“Yep, that’d be me,” ZInnia chimed, holding a hand up. “I’m Zinnia, this is Rainbow Dash and Big Mac, and we’re in the middle of the Appleloosan Badlands with a possibly homicidal being of pure darkness sending his mind-controlled Pokemon minions after us. Think you could help us out?”

He glanced at the two ponies before scratching his head. “First a pony world where they walk on two legs, than a pokemon world, and now I get both. What are the odds?” He shook his head. “But ya, I can help. I owe you anyway for calling me out of what I was in the middle of. Name’s Allan, by the way.”

“Hold up!” Rainbow cried out suddenly, katana in hand. She pointed the blade at Allan, eyeing him warily. “Where’d you come from!? How do we know you’re not one of Darkrai’s minions!?”

“Dash, do me a favour and shut up,” Zinnia groaned, grabbing the pegasus by the tail and pulling her down sharply. “Allan here is a Displaced, like me. We can hop between alternate versions of Equestria if we’re called by another Displaced.”

“Or by anyone really. First other world I went to, their Twilight called me just because she got curious.” Allan shrugged. “And I don’t blame Rainbow for being careful. There aren’t exactly a lot of Displaced I would like to have around home.”

“I hope I’m one of the ones you would like,” Zinnia cooed, smirking. She started walking again, wrapping an arm around Allan’s shoulder. “Now come on, we’ve still got a lot of ground to cover. I have no idea where the Buffalo tribe is.” She chuckled, squeezing his shoulder slightly. “But don’t worry, we’ll find them. I’d be more concerned with the hordes of Pokemon infected with the Nightmare out here, each one waiting to tear me and anyone close to me limb from limb.”

Allan rose an eyebrow at Zinnia for a moment before smirking. “And here I was hoping for a nice break from mierda politics. Ah well, at least I can actually fight these things.”

“Yep!” Zinnia laughed. “By the way, what was with those claw things you had? And the massive scroll?”

“Oh. Well, where you got Pokemon on the wheel of ‘what random thing is in your pony world’, I got Xiaolin Showdown.” He held out a hand, golden light coming out of the scroll before forming a sword. “The scroll basically just holds a big pile of magical objects I’ve collected.”

“Huh,” the Draconid said, nodding. “Neat. I remember watching that when I was little.” She shrugged, smirking. “Hey, there isn’t any secret Shen Gong Wu they never showed on TV, is there?”

“Um…” Allan scratched his head. “I’m not sure. I can barely remember the show. I don’t remember this sword ever showing up.” He held the sword up. “It’s called the Komori Sword.”

“Sweet,” she said with a smile. Her wings shifted slightly, gaining Allan’s attention.

“Didn’t you say this was a Pokemon world? If so, what’s with the wings?” He poked one of them, as if still not convinced they were actually part of her back.

“Oh, I’m a Draconid,” Zinnia said with a smile. “I’m actually half Pokemon, giving me the wings, abilities and weaknesses of a Salamence.” She shrugged. “Not sure what else it does for me. Maybe I get a Mega Form, maybe I can be caught in a Pokeball, or maybe there isn’t anything else. But it’s still pretty damn cool.”

“Half Pokemon. Now that’s a new one.” He poked the wing again, causing it to twitch as he brushed a more sensitive spot.

“Ngh…” Zinnia groaned. “C-careful… They’re strong, but sensitive.” She shuddered. “And if someone pumped electricity through them…” She went quiet, eyes wide.

“Whoops!” Allan pulled his arm back quick. “Sorry.” He stepped out of Zinnia’s arm before looking around at the desert. “So you’re looking for buffalo. Do you have any plan other than just walking around for hours on end?”

“To be honest? We were just wandering.” The Draconid chuckled nervously, looking around briefly. “I’m not even sure where we are right now.”

“You what!?” Rainbow shrieked, throwing her arms up. “Great, we’re lost!”

“Well I should be able to help with that.” Allan’s sword disappeared, being replaced with something that looked like a monocle. “Falcon’s Eye!” He held it to his eye, looking around with the other one closed before stopping. “Uh…” He pulled off the Falcon’s Eye with a light blush. “There’s… ‘something’... over there.”

“What?” Zinnia asked, confused. She reached out, snatching the Wu from Allan’s hand. “Give me that… Falcon’s Eye!” she cried, and seconds later the landscape before her seemed to just fade away, letting her see what had Allan so flustered. “Oh, hey, it’s Patty!” she cried.

“Patty? You know her?”

“She’s the one who Displaced me!” Zinnia laughed. “What’s she doing here?” She paused, spreading her wings. “You wanna meet her?”

“I dunno.” Allan frowned a bit as he took back the Eye. “My only real experience with someone who makes Displaced is with my own… and he was a creepy old guy minding a stand.”

“Don’t worry, Patty’s a sweetheart,” Zinnia said, grabbing his wrist. “Come on, I’ll introduce you!”

Allan cried out as Zinnia shot off, climbing into the air and pulling him along behind her. “Woah! Slow down there chica!” As he said this, a dragon kite appeared on his back. “Longi Kite!” The wings of it spread out, letting him follow without being dragged as harshly. Zinnia still hung on though as she pulled him through the air.

        “Sorry,” she giggled. “I’m just excited. She…” She paused, falling into a fit of giggles before shaking herself out of it. “We got pretty intimate.”

“I… uh…” Allan’s blush returned before he shook the image from his head. “Well... she sounds nice.”

(just putting a marker for in case you wanna cut this next bit out)

Zinnia said nothing, veering towards the ground and touching down behind a tall, pink-haired woman in black thigh-high leather boots and matching elbow-length gloves. The woman turned, revealing her incredibly curvy hourglass figure, clad in a one-piece bodysuit that was essentially a strapless bra and thong connected down her stomach by a single strip of leather.

“Patty!” the Draconid cried out, holding her arms open wide.

“Zo- I mean, Zinnia!” Patty replied, smiling widely as she held her own arms open. They held each other tenderly, though Patty was so tall that Zinnia’s head rested on her bust. The amazonian woman chuckled before looking up, seeing Allan as he landed. “Oh, who’s this?”

Zinnia pulled away from the hug, smiling widely. “That’s Allan. I summoned him not long ago.”

“He’s cute!”

Allan scratched the back of his head at the compliment, smiling awkwardly. “Uh… thanks.”

“You’re welcome!” Patty cooed, smirking deviously. “Now, Zinnia… I have a few gifts for you.”

“You do?” Zinnia asked eagerly. “But… what about Allan?”

“Oh, he can join in if he wants later, but that’s not what I meant,” the larger woman tittered, holding a hand over her mouth. “No, I meant I brought you something.” Allan rose an eyebrow at “joining in” on whatever they were talking about, but stayed silent for the time.

“Really?” Zinnia asked eagerly. “What are they? Ooh, tell me tell me tell me!”

Allan chuckled. “You sound like my little hermana whenever someone was about to give her a present.”

“She is like a small child sometimes, isn’t she?” Patty giggled, shaking her head. “Oh well, these are certainly things to be excited about anyway.” She paused, reaching into her bountiful bosom and pulling out a small silver device, handing it to Zinnia. “This iPod comes with an unlimited, universal internet connection, allowing you to access music from across the multiverse. You’ll need it, trust me. Equestrian music is just so boring.”

“I’d have a hard time imagining anything in Equestria being boring.” Allan smirked.

“The only thing in this world that is truly boring is the music,” Patty sighed. “There is one mare - one - who knows of and makes more modern music, and she is widely viewed as strange purely because she prefers not to talk.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I give you this, Zinnia, with the hope that you can bring better music to the world.”

“Okay Patty,” Zinnia said, smiling. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask,” the taller woman smiled back. “The other present… may make present company blush,” she tittered.

“Que?” Allan cocked his head.

“You’ll understand in a minute,” Patty said, before conjuring a small boulder, sitting on it delicately before turning to Zinnia. “Zinnia, dear, I may not be able to get this one myself. Would you mind?” she asked, slowly spreading her legs. As predicted, Allan’s face immediately turned red and he started looking basically anywhere but at Patty.

“Of course,” Zinnia replied slyly, dropping to her knees before the woman reaching out and pushing the tight leather of her outfit to the side.

“I’m… just gonna go… over here… somewhere.” Allan stuttered before walking off in some direction.

“Sah-suit yourse-he-helf!” Patty moaned, head rolling back. Allan just kept walking until the sounds faded enough that he could relax.

“Por el amor de Dios, these worlds get weirder and weirder.”

“Hey, scroll-guy!?” a brash voice called out, and Allan turned to see Rainbow flying over, Big Mac jogging along below her. “Where’s Zinnia?”

“She’s… ‘entertaining’ a friend of hers.” He blushed slightly as he said this.

“Ah,” the pegasus mare nodded. “She’s got her tongue in some mare’s snatch, gotcha.”

“Uh… ya.” Allan scratched his head. “Anyway, any luck finding… what was it we were looking for again?”

“The buffalo,” Dash provided with a sigh.

“And?”

“Nnope.”

An ear-splitting scream of pure passion rang out, causing all three to blush heavily. Allan shook his head before turning to the two. “I’m guessing there’s no sign of that “being of pure darkness” Zinnia mentioned either?”

“Nnope.”

“Thank Celestia…” Dash muttered, before turning a critical gaze on him. “Hey, how in Luna’s name are you supposed to help us out when you’re so scrawny?” she asked. “And you don’t even have a weapon!”

Allan chuckled. “Well I don’t really need weapons. And I’m a lot less scrawny than when I first showed up in Equestria. My world is full of crazy villains I have to deal with.”

Rainbow glared at him, determination in her eyes. “Prove it,” she challenged, one hand on the hilt of her sword.

Allan saw this and sighed. “Does every Rainbow like fighting?” He then spread his feet apart, raising his hands in front of him.

Rainbow smirked, her wings spreading as she slowly drew the blade from its sheath. She crouched slightly, hunching over until the blade was parallel with the dirt beneath them.

“Loyalty Blade!” she cried suddenly, rocketing forward. The blade blurred from its sheath, and she skidded to a halt behind Allan, the flat of the blade against her palm. Allan meanwhile stood there, one of his hands outstretched and glowing white. He glanced back with a grin before turning to face her, a slight scratch on his cheek.

“Okay, you’re definitely less obvious than my Rainbow. I barely reacted in time.”

“I wouldn’t have killed you,” Rainbow said, suddenly incredibly serious as she straightened out, sweeping her sword out to her side. “You’re Zinnia’s friend.”

“Well now it’s my turn.” He dashed forward, his right palm held back behind him, prepared to strike. As Rainbow went to block the attack with her sword, Allan instead ducked down, sweeping his leg and pulling hers out from under her. Rainbow cried out, spreading her wings and catching herself before she hit the floor.

“You little…” she growled, shooting into the air before bringing the blade of her sword before her face, flipping over. She allowed gravity to take her, spinning herself into a corkscrew as she dived at him. “Take this!” Allan glanced up at her before grinning and leaping toward her, palms glowing white.

Little Strongheart hummed happily to herself as she placed some more mushrooms into her basket.

“That should be enough,” she said happily, standing and dusting herself off. She bent down, grabbing the basket before walking away, humming again. She wandered along, arms behind her back and a happy smile on her face, before the sounds of conflict reached her ears from across a ridge. “What the… did some of the warriors wander off?” she asked herself, slowly creeping closer to the ridge, peaking over.

What she saw made her both grin and frown, since she once more had the chance to see her old friend Rainbow Dash, but she also had to either wait or help her fight this strange, hairless Earth Pony in red robes with a big scroll on it's back. The two were clashing again and again, Rainbow with her sword while the other being seeming to only use his hands.

Little Strongheart watched on until Rainbow seemed to manage to get a hit in, sending the other flying. She cheered before quickly realizing that the red robed person was flying right at her. She dove to the ground as the man skidded along the dirt, only to quickly flip himself onto his feet again.

“Maldita sea, that was a good hit.” He muttered, holding his head as he straightened out. He froze when he saw Little Strongheart still picking herself up. “Uh oh. Rainbow! Hang on a moment!”

“Giving up?” Rainbow cried, dropping to the ground in front of him. “Didn’t take you for the quitting type, Allan!”

“More the type to keep innocents out of the crossfire.” He waved a hand in Little Strongheart’s direction, causing Rainbow to turn and see.

“Oh, hey!” Rainbow said, smiling brightly. “Little Strongheart, what’s up!?”

“Rainbow!” Strongheart replied, standing and smiling. “What are you doing out here? And who is this?”

“Oh, that’s Allan,” the pegasus said dismissively. “Zinnia called him in to help us out, and we were just sparring.”

“Hey there.” Allan waved. “Hope I didn’t scare you too badly when Rainbow smacked me across the ridge.”

“O-oh, no, not at all,” Strongheart replied bashfully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Allan.”

Allan nodded before suddenly seeming to realize something and glancing around. “Uh… I think we left Big Mac behind somewhere in all of that.”

“Nnope,” the red stallion said, stepping up to the group. Allan seemed about ready to question how he managed to keep up but shut himself up before he did.

“So… you think Zinnia’s done with… you know?”

“Done with what?” Zinnia asked from behind him suddenly.

“MIERDA!!” Allan jumped. “How did you- what- why-”

“What’s wrong Allan?” the Draconid asked innocently, wiping a clear liquid from her mouth and licking it off her hand. “Are you okay?”

Allan stood there for a few moments before shaking his head and letting out a breath. “Nothing. It’s nothing. We found a buffalo… I think?”

“Yes, I am one of the Buffalo tribe,” Strongheart nodded. “Why are you looking for us?”

“You’re in grave danger,” Zinnia answered, suddenly deadly serious. “We have reason to believe that Darkrai, King of Darkness, plans to attack your tribe and make you all his slaves.”

“I thought you said he had pokemon mind slaves, not people.” Allan rose an eyebrow.

“He has both,” Zinnia replied. “Ponies and Pokemon. He’s even got Luna, forced her back into being Nightmare Moon.”

Allan blinked for a moment before putting on a glare. “Oh this guy is getting a major butt kicking the moment I see him.”

“Get in line,” the Draconid growled, baring her teeth. “He’s mine, got it?”

“Ya, I get it.” Allan crossed his arms. “Still really want to kick him in the face but he is your villain.”

“You can have his corpse…” she grumbled, before turning to Strongheart. “Can you take us to the camp?”

“Of course,” the buffalo girl said, nodding quickly. She walked off, basket in hand, before turning back to them. “Follow me please.”

Little Strongheart turned, leading the group over yet another hill, a large, native-american-esque encampment greeting their view, a large number of tee-pee’s having been erecting in a seemingly circular pattern with small campfires burning at regular intervals.

“Been awhile since I’ve been camping.” Allan chuckled.

“Welcome to our camp,” Little Strongheart said with a smile, gesturing to the gathering of teepees. Tall, muscle-bound Buffaloes walked from tent to tent, some carrying large skins and bags and others wielding tomahawks, bows and knives. “Rainbow, I’m sure the Chief would be happy to see you again.”

“I’ll go say hi while you give these guys the tour,” Rainbow replied with a smile before flying off, arcing over the camp before landing and heading into the largest tent visible, easily thrice the size of the others.

“You should know,” Zinnia spoke up, suddenly serious. “We’re not here on a social calling.”

“Apparently there’s a bad dude looking to mess up things around here.” Allan nodded. “Though Zinnia knows more about it than I do. I’m just here to help kick butt.”

Strongheart was quiet for a moment before sighing, beginning to walk towards the camp. “Please follow me, we can talk once we are comfortable.”

Zinnia nodded understandably before looking up, frowning. She turned to Big Mac, a questioning look on her face. “Hey Mac, you ever had any combat experience? Like, at all?”

“Nope.”

The Draconid sighed, turning to Strongheart. “Any chance of getting him some training while we’re here? Or at least a few pointers?”

The Buffalo simply nodded, reaching out and stopping a gigantic Buffalo with stone-gray fur who was carrying a large stone hammer. “Crusher, would you mind taking this pony and teaching him basic battle?”

‘Crusher’ took one look at Big Mac and nodded, planting a gargantuan hand on his shoulder. “Crusher will teach. Pony can practice with Crusher.”

The trio watched them go for a moment before Zinnia spoke. “Is he…”

“Crusher’s hammer’s name is Crusher too,” Strongheart explained, shaking her head. She turned again, leading them to a small fire surrounded by small stools. “Please, sit.” They all took a seat, Allan opting to just sit on the ground in front of the stool cross-legged.

Zinnia sighed, leaning on her knees and she looked to Strongheart. “Look, this may sound crazy, but there’s this ancient creature made from the Shadow of a New Moon-”

“Darkrai, I know,” Strongheart cut in, smirking slightly at the Draconid’s shocked expression. “We too have ancient legends. And we remember them. Darkrai is described as ‘He Who Walks In Nightmares’, and is treated much like the epitome of all evil. Some believe he birthed Nightmare Moon himself.”

Allan sighed. “Guess every universe has to have one.”

“I suppose so…” Zinnia muttered in agreement before turning back to Strongheart. “So you know what he’s capable of? What he’s likely planning?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Strongheart replied sadly. “Any plans or actions of his are never mentioned, aside from when he openly attempted to wrench the Crystal Empire from King Sombra’s control in the time that Sombra cared for his kingdom.”

“I have no idea what the Crystal Empire is,” Zinnia said. “Or who Sombra was, but I get the feeling Darkrai failed and later Sombra turned evil. That means Darkrai won in the long run.”

Allan shrugged. “I haven’t heard of any of this. Certainly sounds like something that comes to bite someone in the butt though. At least, if the usual thousand year trend keeps up.”

Zinnia nodded, humming in agreement. “Well there’s an ability that Darkrai apparently has,” she continued, glancing to Little Strongheart. “He can force anyone to obey and serve him by infecting them with the Nightmare - the same thing that turned Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon.”

Strongheart was quiet for a moment before frowning. “So… he is a slaver? Like those that attempted to force my people to serve the Minotaurs long ago?”

“I guess you could call him that,” the Draconid said with a shrug. “Either way, Princess Celestia wanted me to come find your people to offer whatever protection she can against Darkrai, as well as ask for your help to fight Darkrai when the time comes.”

A low, gruff voice cut Little Strongheart off as she opened her mouth to answer, making Zinnia jump and spin around to find a burly-looking Buffalo in a large red-and-white headdress stood there. “If what you say is true, then you have our allegiance,” the buffalo spoke, a fierce expression on his face.

“Ch-Chief Thunderhooves!” Little Strongheart stammered. “I-I had hoped to bring them to your tent, please forgive me!”

“Relax, my child,” the Chief replied calmly. “It is quite alright, Miss Dash has already informed me of the situation.”

“Yo,” Rainbow said simply.

Allan stood up, stretching a bit. “Well, nice to see people are willing to work together in a crisis.”

“Well, it’s Equestria,” Zinnia shrugged. “Land of Friendship and Rainbows. That and Darkrai’s a threat to everyone, so…”

Allan shrugged in return. “Eh, maybe that’s just my Equestria then.”

Zinnia opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as a large Buffalo barreled past, club in hand. “What the hell is going on!?” she demanded.

“It seems the local wild Pokemon are attacking again,” Strongheart explained. “They’ve been doing so more often recently.”

Rainbow and Zinnia shared a quick, concerned glance. “Uh… were any of them a weird colour?” Rainbow asked, taking hold of her katana’s handle.

“Some were, yes,” the Buffalo replied, frowning in thought. “Why? Is that important?”

“The discolored ones work for Darkrai,” Zinnia sighed, standing. “Guess we’ve got some more fighting ahead of us. Figures, I had hoped to have a day off.”

“Day’s off don’t come easy in the hero business I guess.” Allan chuckled, a golden gauntlet appearing on his hand. “Anyway, we just need to beat on the dark ones to get the others to calm down, right?”

“That’s what I’ve been doing,” the Draconid shrugged. Flapping her wings, she began hovering off the ground. “You up for a Pokemon battle?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Allan punched the gauntlet into his open fist, immediately causing him to wince. “Okay, that was a bad idea.”

“Fist of Tebigong?” Zinnia asked with a laugh, shaking her head. “Ah well, come on. The Buffalo are heading for the south end of the village.”

“Which means we should head to the North,” Rainbow said before Zinnia could fly off. “That attack’s probably a distraction.”

Allan cocked his head. “They smart enough to do that?”

“Darkrai is,” Zinnia replied, looking to the north. “Okay then, while the tribe deals with the Pokemon to the south, we’ll head to the north to check things out. Just in case.”

“Sounds good to me.” Allan said, turning in said direction before running off. Zinnia rolled her eyes and flew after him, Rainbow Dash at her side, pulling up next to him after a moment.

“You don’t have to run off like that you know,” the Draconid said, smirking at him.

“Aren’t we trying to get to the action? Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone on the ground while you two take the skies.”

“That’s true,” Rainbow chimed, drawing her blade as the edge of the camp came into view. “Hey, uh, Zi? Mind telling us the hay those things are?”

Zinnia looked up, squinting to see in the harsh sunlight. It took her a second, but eventually she managed to find what the Pegasus was talking about. “Hmm… looks like a Nightmare Cacturne, Nightmare Sandslash, and Nightmare Darmanitan. Interesting.”

Allan took a glance at the advancing pokemon. “Maldita sea, Tom was right. I did miss a few generations of those games.” He scratched his head in confusion.

Zinnia smirked. “Sandslash is Ground, Cacturne is Grass and Dark, and Darmanitan is Fire that gains Psychic when damaged enough. Pick your poison.”

“Dibs on the walking cactus!” Rainbow cried, grinning madly before rocketing ahead. Allan looked between the two left before turning to the Darmanitan, a sash appearing around his waist that caught a blue orb like it was another hand.

“Guess I got this one.” He shook his head, muttering. “The designs for these things went crazy after awhile, didn’t they?”

“Be glad you’re not looking at the ice cream or the gears,” Zinnia groaned in response, dropping to the ground behind him and facing the Sandslash, smashing her fists together dramatically as they gained an orange-brown glow.. “They picked up a little in Gen 6, though we still have the keys and the swords. Literally.”

Allan took up a fighting stance with a smirk, the fist wound back and ready to swing as the sash held the orb in front of him. “Hey, as long as fire still means water hits hard, this shouldn’t be tough.”

The Draconid let out a laugh at that, lunging at the discolored Sandslash and throwing a heavy punch, which it barely dodged before retaliating with it’s claws. “Yeah man, you’re good there!” she called, sidestepping a downward slash before slamming her fist down on the Sandslash’s back. “Just watch out for the Fairies!”

Allan turned away confused. “Fairies?” As soon as he did though, the Darmanitan charged, nearly running him over before he jumped to the side. “Orb of Tornami!” Out from the orb attached to his sash came a geyser of water, blasting the Darmanitan. To his horror, however, the Blazing Pokemon continued on it’s course, only letting out a pained and angered howl at the high-pressure assault.

Zinnia shot in, knocking the Pokemon off-course before it could reach Allan. “Careful dude!” she cried, erecting a green Protect barrier to defend against a Poison Sting from the Sandslash. “They’re more powerful when Nightmared!”

“Of course.” Allan grumbled, facing the Darmanitan again and shooting more blasts of water. “Come on culo! I’m ready for you this time.” The pokemon charged again and though the water blasts did nothing to slow it down, Allan waited until it was just in front of him. “Fist of Tebigong!” He swung down, causing the ground beneath him to kick up and make a wall, which the pokemon slammed right into. “Don’t like ground much either, do ya?”

Growling in frustration, the Darmanitan reared back before shattering the wall, it’s Hammer Arm crashing down towards Allan before he narrowly dodged. He picked himself back up, brushing off the loose stone from the attack. “Okay… that didn’t do much either.”

Zinnia glanced back and rolled her eyes, grabbing the Sandslash’s tail as it lunged at her and throwing it into the Darmanitan. “Wanna try something new?” she asked, moving up to Allan’s side and bringing a set of Dragon Claw’s into her hands. “Maybe use a Wu with one of my moves?”

“Well I have this thing.” His sash held up the orb. “It’s basically infinite water, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much right now.”

“Hmm…” Zinnia hummed, frowning as she watched the two Pokemon struggle to disentangle themselves. “Well… what if we trapped them in a vortex or something?” she suggested. “I can fly up and use Twister, then you fill it with water. Should keep them both inside, and damage them enough to knock’em out.”

“Sounds good to me.” Allan turned toward the pokemon as they finally got back up. He waited for a second as Zinnia shot into the air, positioning herself above their foes and closing her eyes tightly. The winds began to pick up, tearing up the earth and stone around the two Pokemon and creating a Twister of energy and debris.

“Orb of Tornami!” The orb let out another gush of water as it was quickly picked up by the wind. As the tornado got stronger and stronger, he started to slide toward it. “Oh mierda. Fist of Tebigong!” He slammed the fist into the ground, burying it and mounting him as the orb continued to feed the storm.

Zinnia held the cyclone for a time, eyes closed tight in concentration, until eventually she threw her arms out and dispersed the attack. Allan let out a sigh of relief at this, pulling the Fist of Tebigong from the earth and straightening out. Both looked to the Darmanitan and the Sandslash, letting out a breath they didn’t realize they had been holding when they saw both Pokemon lay on the ground, out cold.

Dropping to the ground, Zinnia pulled a white ball with a red band from her bag, throwing the Premier Ball first at the Sandslash, watching as it duplicated itself before taking the copy and doing the same to the Darmanitan, taking both the copy of the Premier Ball and the two darkened balls and placing them back in her bag.

“Well, that’s two down,” the Draconid breathed, wiping some sweat from her brow. “What I wouldn’t do for an Ether or something… you see Dash anywhere?” she added, glancing at Allan.

He looked around. “No, but I’m sure she can take care of herself.”

As soon as he had said that, the discoloured Nightmare Cacturne that Rainbow Dash had taken on flew through the air, skidding to a halt between them at their feet. Cuts covered its body and clear blue blood stained it’s pale brown skin.

“Huh,” Zinnia mused, once again throwing her Premier Ball at the unconscious Pokemon and collecting both the copy and the Nightmare Ball. “Guess you were right.”

“Damn straight!” Rainbow called cockily, smirking as she landed next to them, a small bundle in her arms. “But I found this guy out there, didn’t seem to be Nightmared.”

Holding her arms out, Rainbow revealed that the bundle in her arms was in fact a vibrant green Cacnea, looking both hurt and terrified.

“Poor little guy.” Allan said, putting his Wu away as he looked the pokemon over.

Frowning, Zinnia pulled one of the Nightmare Balls out again and stared at it for a time. “...This Cacturne was his mother…” she muttered, trembling slightly as tears ran down her cheeks. “I-I… I just… I took a mother away from her child…”

“Zinnia!” Allan snapped his fingers in front of her. “Don’t start thinking like that chica. It wasn’t you, it was that dark culo you mentioned. If you hadn’t put the pokemon in the ball, it likely would have hurt the little guy along with everyone around here.”

“Yeah… I guess…” Zinnia mumbled, rubbing her arm unsurely. “Still though… he’s all alone now…” As she said that, a small hole opened up in the dirt, an orange ant-like creature with a giant bulbous head crawling out, looking around almost desperately for a moment before collapsing and bursting out in tears. Zinnia quickly stooped down, scooping the Trapinch into her arms and cradling it gently. “Another broken family, no doubt…” she growled.

Allan pat the pokemon on the head. “No one ever said fighting evil was easy.” He sighed.

Zinnia nodded sadly, taking a seat on a nearby boulder and cradling the Trapinch close. They remained there for a time before Little Strongheart came over, looking relieved.

“It seemed that the attack to the south was just grunts,” the Buffalo said, rolling her shoulder. “Easily dispatched. As soon as the discoloured Scrafty was dealt with, the other, younger Pokemon fled.”

“So we were right then,” Zinnia muttered.

“A lot less destruction happened because you thought of that.” Allan nodded.

“And yet we couldn’t prevent the damage to these children’s minds…” the Draconid shot back quietly, refusing to look up. “To deal with this when still so young…”

Strongheart looked between the Displaced almost nervously before her eyes settled on Rainbow and, more specifically, the bundle in her arms. Both Equestrians began talking about the child, almost absently turning and walking back into the camp.

“Huh…” Zinnia muttered, watching them go. “I have an idea of how to help the Cacnea now… but what about this guy?” She looked down to the Trapinch in her arms, the child having calmed down considerably. It was now watching Allan intently.

Allan saw this and kneeled down, patting the the Trapinch on the head. “I’m sorry little guy, but there aren’t any pokemon where I’m from. You’d probably get pretty lonely there.”

“Pinch~” the Trapinch whined, collapsing slightly in disappointment. Zinnia sighed and placed it down, allowing it to plod off dejectedly, before turning to Allan.

“That was harsh,” she said, holding her hand up before he could say anything. “But fair. Thanks for that.”

Allan shrugged. “Hey, I know I still feel kind of out of place in Equestria. He’d feel pretty similar if he followed me there.” He held his hand out, summoning a set of golden claws. “Anyway, I’m glad I could help. If you ever find that bastardo that did this, don’t hesitate to call me to help kick his butt.”

“Heh, will do dude,” Zinnia chuckled, rushing over and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you. You’ve been a big help.”

“I try to be.” He pat Zinnia on the back. “You wouldn’t believe the fight I got into with another displaced.” He paused as the Draconid began to whisper in his ear, a blush growing steadily across his face. He lightly pushed Zinnia back by her shoulders, looking in another direction. “I uh… should probably go. Luna’s probably freaking out right now.” He held the claws back and yelled “Golden Tiger Claws!” before cutting a tear open in the air.

Reaching out and grabbing his wrist, Zinnia shot him a soft smile. “I didn’t mean now. Just… some time, maybe? And I understand you’re involved with Luna, but…” She paused, glancing away for a second as though searching for the words. “A lot of Luna's would… be okay with a third partner, let’s put it that way.” Letting him go, she smiled again, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Just… think about it, okay?”

Allan stood there for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ll think about it.” He then turned back to the portal and jumped in, the tear slowly beginning to close itself.

“Traa!” Zinnia heard, her eyes widening as the Trapinch from before charged forwards. “PINCH!!!” it cried, leaping for the rift just as it closed.

“Oh…” Zinnia muttered, staring at the spot for a moment. “Crap…”

Later that day, Zinnia sat watching Little Strongheart and the Cacnea from the desert playing, bonding, thinking about the day.

“So much happened today…” she muttered, managing a small smile as Strongheart yelped, narrowly dodging a playful Pin Missile from the Cacnea. “But I guess there’s some good in all of this.”

My Sister, the Grandmother

{Max's PoV}

“Oh, this looks nice,” I said as I pulled a small, spiralling anklet of a blue dragon with a small stone imbedded in the head out of my bag. As I did I heard a voice say, “For those of you in need, whether it’s in a fight or you just need some advice, I am here. Merely hold this trinket and call my name and I will be there. I am Zinnia. I am a Draconid. I am the Delta Guardian!”

“Delta... Guardian? Eh whatever, need a bodyguard anyways,” I said before I stood in front of the mirror. I was wearing a knee length, black, sleeveless dress and black highheels. “If only this wasn’t my reflection~.”

“You’re sure you want both of us to stay here?” Sol asked.

“Yes. I still don’t trust the guard enough yet. Besides,” I turned and waved the token at her. “I can summon a bodyguard whenever I want.”

“We would feel safer knowing who it is that will protect you in our stead.”

“Fine,” I groaned. “Hey Delta Guardian, You wanna party?”

A portal opened in the ceiling, spitting out a black-haired woman in a large, beige cloak. The woman rolled along the floor for a moment before coming to a stop, though she didn’t move. After a moment, loud snoring filled the room, and the woman rolled over to reveal that she was, in fact, asleep.

“Well, isn’t she just the picture of professionalism.” Mun stated, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Guess I called her at a bad time,” I said as I walked over to the woman laying across my bed.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mun and Sol said at the same time.

I reached out and poked her cheek saying, “Hey, uh... Zinnia?”

“Wha…” Zinnia mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. They widened as she realised where she was - or, rather, wasn’t - and she immediately shot up, scrambling back. “What the hell!? W-where am I!?”

I chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry about that. I accidentally summoned you at the wrong time apparently.”

“Summon… oh, right! You must be a Displaced! Sorry, my name’s Zinnia.” She extended a hand, which I shook. “Don’t worry about it, it was the middle of the day. I’ve just been going through a lot, so I welcome a break. What’s up?”

“I’m Max and I need a bodyguard, but Sol and Mun there have to stay here and watch my fillies, so I decided why not summon someone?” I said, walking towards the door. “Wanna meet them real quick?”

“Babies! Yay! I need to learn how to take care of a child, for when mine comes.”

“You’re pregnant right now?” I turned back to her and shook my head. “Nope, sorry but-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Zinnia said, cutting me off. “I’m half Pokemon, so my body’s built to fight no matter what. My uterus is like a frickin’ bomb shelter.”

“If you say so,” I said skeptically before opening the door and getting swamped by four fillies.

“And my heart just skipped a beat from the adorableness.”

“MAX, GET YOUR FOALS OFF OF ME!” Shadow yelled.

“Aw, look at that. They’re attracted to your fluffiness,” I cooed as I pulled Golden Spark off. “This is Golden Spark, one of my twins.”

“She’s so cute!” Zinnia cried, before pausing. “Wait… where’s her leg?”

“I demoted the previous guard captain and sentenced his parents to twenty years of hard work because they left two of their foals on the streets. Because of that, he decided to try to kill all three of my foals.” I paused as a low growling filled the room.

“Is. He. Dead?”

“He threw himself on his cursed sword when I left the room. Golden’s hoof had to be amputated because the sword’s curse necrotized the wounds it inflicts.”

Zinnia cursed, turning and punching a large dent into the wall next to her. When she pulled her hand away, I was shocked to see that there was no blood whatsoever.

“.... Okay then.” I handed Golden to Sol and pulled Rainbow off of the smothered Shadow and said, “This is Rainbow Dash. I adopted her after I found her in a cave surrounded by dead foals.”

“Oh my god!” Zinnia cried, hands covering her mouth as tears poured from her eyes.

“Yeah.... You don’t want to know what was done to them. Suffice it to say that the two responsible for that are long dead and buried in a grave of ants.”

“Who dis?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head as she stared at Zinnia.

Zinnia smiled, leaning down to Rainbow’s level. “My name’s Zinnia, little one.”

“Zim!” Rainbow held out her forehooves to Zinnia.

Zinnia squeed, taking Rainbow into her arms and snuggling her cheek. “Oh my god, you’re so cute!”

“And she knows it. You should’ve seen her when I took them to meet the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” I chuckled as I picked up Light. “This is Light Sweet.”

Zinnia stared at the third foal for a moment. “...It’s official. Cuteness causes heart attacks.” she said before stumbling back into the wall, Rainbow held firmly in her arms.

I giggled and gave Light to Mun. “And that ball of fluff still on the floor is Shadow. She’s a burglar that I hired along with her sister.”

“For the last time, I’m not fluffy!”

Zinnia’s mouth grew into a grin that the Cheshire Cat would be proud of as she handed Rainbow back to me. She then moved over to Shadow and knelt down, holding up her hand in the vague shape of a claw.

“Do me a favour, Shadow.” she said before her hand erupted in flowing shadows, forming a perfect construct of a three-clawed dragon’s hand. “Admit that you’re the fluffiest thing on this planet, and I won’t use this on you.”

Shadow stood her ground, glaring at her. “I’m calling your bluff.” she said, causing Zinnia to smirk.

“You asked for it.” she said simply before reaching forward, using the claw to scratch behind her ear. Shadow’s eyes rolled back, her left rear leg kicking out as she groaned a little.

“I-I’m the fluffiest thing on the planet! My god, don’t stop!”

Zinnia carried on for a moment before she cracked, bursting out laughing. She sat back, clutching her stomach as her laughter rang out.

“I can’t believe that worked!” she hollered. “Oh, that’s hilarious!”

“You should’ve seen how Kat made her stop cursing!” I said between laughs. Once we calmed down somewhat I continued, “I found out later that it was because of how good she was with her fingers.”

“I’m not too bad myself.” Zinnia said, staring at me with bedroom eyes. “Care to try ’em out?”

“Wait until the party!” I said with a blush. “It’s the reason I’m leaving my fillies here.”

“Oh, yeah. The party. What’s that all about then?”

“Apparently Applejack’s throwing a bachelorette’s party since she’s going to get married in three nights and I was invited to go.”

“Wait,” Zinnia paused, looking out the window. “It’s nearly midnight out there!”

“Yeah. Since Celestia was the one that got banished ponies switched to being nocturnal. Made the Pegasi break away and the Thestrals took their place,” I explained as I handed Rainbow to Sol and walked towards the door.

“What do you mean ‘the one who got banished’? Was someone else supposed to be?”

“I’m guessing you haven’t heard of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, then,” I said as I opened the door again.

“Some of the guys at the asylum watched it, but I wasn’t really interested.”

“Ah, well, in the show Luna is the one that gets banished and.... Well, it would take too long to explain the pilot episode for season one.” I gestured out the door. “Shall we?”

“Wait, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the Nightmare, would it?” she asked me, her fists clenching as she followed me out the door.

“Yeah. Anyways, I got turned to stone because I used twenty bottles of Celestia’s shampoo and then a few days later Luna banished her to the sun.”

“... I can understand the thing with the shampoo. I mean seriously, how’d you use twenty bottles?”

“Three words. Penis shaped sponge.”

“And now I’m on your side of the argument. I also want to see if I can get myself one of those back home…”

“Eh.... Getting stoned wasn’t all that bad. Discord became my friend while I was stone and the same day he freed me, Celestia and I more than made up for that misunderstanding,” I said, opening a door and then closing it. “Dang it, I still get lost in here.”

“Hold on, I’ve got an idea.” she said as she shed her cloak, revealing her lavender draconic wings. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as a white outline appeared around her. “Double Team!”

Before my eyes, Zinnia split into hundreds of copies, all of which spread their wings and shot off down the halls. After a few moments the white outline faded and she opened her eyes again, breathing heavily. “Thought that might work. This way.” She said before walking off, leading us down a few hallways and out the main doors, where a silvery chariot awaited us. She pulled the door open, standing to the side and bowing slightly.

“.... You sure you’ve never caught a glimpse of this universe?” I asked, shaking my head as I walked through the doorway.

“I think I got a picture of you, guessing that’s your token. Otherwise, nope!”

“Yeah, right now I’m the ruler of Equestria. Don’t worry, you don’t have to treat me any differently than you have.”

I sighed as I stepped into the chariot and said, “Celestia and Luna passed me all their power and magic and crowned me as their successor.”

“Wait, why? Where are they?” Silence filled the air for a moment, and she seemed to get the idea. “Oh… Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

“And Celestia only caught a glimpse of her foals,” I whispered.

We sat in silence for the rest of the journey, Zinnia opting to stare out the window. Before long, we touched down just outside of Sweet Apple Acres, where the party was just starting if the music was anything to go by. Zinnia seemed to liven up a little as she stepped out.

“Wow, Equestrian music isn’t half bad!” she said, nodding her head slightly.

“Wait. I know that style...” I pushed the doors to the barn open and was greeted by a bass drop. I looked over at the turntables in the corner and waved to Vinyl. “Yep, they hired the same DJ from Cadence’s wedding.”

“I’ve gotta look her up when I get back.” Zinnia said, before pulling something out of her pocket. “Mind if I give her some tunes from home?” she asked, holding up an iPod.

“Go ahead, I’m gonna go see if Big Mac is here.” I turned to where the stallions were just standing around and called, “Hey guys! You do know this is a party, right?"

“Go easy on ‘em Max, there’s plenty to go ‘round,” Applejack said as she handed me some cider. “Ah know yer still nursin’ your young'uns, so Ah’m keepin’ the hard stuff fer the rest of us..”

Just as I was about to reply, the song came to a close, and my eyes drifted over to where Zinnia was plugging her iPod into Vinyl’s system, the unicorn looking really excited. A second later and tribal drums could be heard, building up until they were interrupted by the sounds of a chimp. Then the bass dropped. Zinnia and Vinyl began dancing like mad women - which, arguably, they were.

“Who’s ‘at?” Applejack asked, following my gaze.

“Zinnia, she’s from a different universe. Like Kat and Typhon,” I explained. “I’m glad you picked a justice of the peace instead of me, you know.”

“T’wouldn’t been right fer ya to do a weddin’ this soon.” She looked away and motioned for Spike to come over.

“So how’s Twilight? Still freaking out over a missed letter?” I joked.

Spike never got a chance to reply, as before he could Zinnia popped up, wrapping her arm around Max’s neck.

“Whoo!” she said, wiping some sweat from her brow. “That Vinyl chick knows how to party!”

“That she does, Zinnia.” I said, before gesturing to the mare and the drake. “This is Applejack and Spike, by the way.”

“Oh hey!” Zinnia quickly transferred herself from my shoulder to Applejack’s withers, dropping into a crouch to do so. “Congrats on getting hitched!”

“Well thank ya kindly,” Applejack said with a nod of her head.

“So, where’s the hard cider?”

“Red cooler. next to the table with the punch bowl,” Spike said.

“My thighs....” I groaned, rolling over and snuggling against a warm body. One that didn’t have fur.

“Hey candy vag,” the body whispered, causing my eyes to fly open. Zinnia lay beside me, an ice pack held against her forehead and chest proudly on display. “You remember last night?”

“The party’s a blur, but I know you got up on a table, stripped, laid down and told Soarin to paint you white,” I replied.

“Really? I remember eating out Vinyl in a hay bale. Also, who’s Soarin?”

I thought a little, vaguely remembering that part. “That was... after Twilight tried to mount Fluttershy, I think. Soarin’s one of those Shadowbolt things that Luna formed.”

“Bookworm mounted the busty vet? Aww, wish I remembered that part.”

“She fainted before she could get hard enough. I do remember coming here with you, though.”

“Wait… Is Twi a dude here?”

I shook my head. “She used a spell and gave herself a dick. That’s how me and Celestia had twins.”

“Hot.” Zinnia’s eyes drifted towards the sheets, where a tent had pitched over my crotch. She smirked at the sight. “Guess you used that last night, too.”

“Yeah.”

A knock came from the door and I looked up. We were in one of the guest rooms of the palace somewhere near my room, if I went by the decorations. Another knock came from the door and I called, “Come in.”

Quill Weave entered with a clipboard in front of her snout and said, “Good evening, Grandmother, there’s only three petitioners tonight so-....” She paused when she looked at me and Zinnia in bed. Her face colored when she noticed the tent in the sheets. Zinnia grinned and pulled the sheets off, revealing the nine inch wonder in all it’s glory before she leaned down, giving the flat head a lick. I stifled a moan as Zinnia pulled the head into her mouth, bobbing away.

“Zinnia, I have a country to run,” I said, trying to focus on Quill.

“O-oh, N-no, grandmother. I-I can just... just reschedule tonight to tomorrow,” Quill said as she slowly backed out.

“Oh no.” Zinnia said, stroking the cock’s full length. “Maxy has to learn to rule while under pressure. Come back in, have your little meeting, and if she does good she gets a reward.” WIth that, she returned to sucking on the meat rod. I curled the fingers on my right hand and stuck out my thumb and ring finger, silently telling Quill to empty my schedule for the night. She nodded and left, her eyes still focussed on my dick.

“I think I have one last round in me,” I said as I placed my hand on the back of Zinnia’s head. Zinnia hummed, sending a jolt of pleasure up my spine, before forcing the entire length into her mouth, swallowing when the tip hit the back of her throat. She grinned up at me for a second before her mouth started to heat up, and I felt the tip of my cock flare with the new sensation. She began swallowing, not moving at all as her tongue danced over the length. She looked up at me, her crimson eyes full of lust, and lightly grazed her teeth over the base, pushing me over the edge. Zinnia moaned in delight as the cum shot down her throat in thick strands, gulping it down with gusto.

“N-not exactly what I meant,” I said once my dick stopped twitching. I pulled her up and slipped my tongue into her mouth, lightly massaging her breasts with one hand as I pulled her onto me. Zinnia ground her hips, pressing her folds against my length and letting out a moan. Our tongues wrestled for dominance until I felt Zinnia try to push me onto my back but I rolled to the side, trapping her under me and said, “Ah ah ah. You were on top for most of the day, now it’s my turn~.”

I laid a trail of kisses down her body as I slid between her legs, stopping just above her winking opening. I looked up for a moment to see Zinnia biting her lower lip in anticipation before diving in, lapping up her sweet nectar and eliciting a moan. Zinnia placed her hand on the back of my head, pushing lightly as her fingers curled in my hair, forcing my tongue deeper into her folds. I giggled, lightly grazing her clit with my teeth as my tongue wiggled around inside of her, causing her juices to start flowing into my mouth. The taste of strawberries filled my mouth as I swallowed her nectar and dove in for more, barely noticing the guards outside the door asking if they should close the door. I pause for a moment and look at them, just adding my thoughts.

“Either come in or leave,” I said, returning to my ministrations. I heard them enter and close the door, then their armour hit the floor and I heard their muffled moans. “Kinkyness increase. Cannot brain.” Zinnia said, eyes glazing over as she watched.

I giggled and slipped two fingers in her love tunnel as I used my tongue to play with her clit. That seemed to bring her back as she gasped, curling her legs around my head and arching her back, causing her breasts to bounce slightly. I smiled and slowly pulled my fingers out drawing a groan from the Draconid before slamming them back in, my thumb mashing into her clit, causing her to scream in both pleasure and pain and pushing her to the brink, if her ragged breathing was anything to go by.

Zinnia surprised me then by grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling me up, roughly shoving her tongue down my throat as she came, spraying her juices all over my crotch. I heard the guards get up from where they were. I broke our kiss and looked at them, recognizing the stallion.

“Ah, Nightwing, I didn’t recognize you-” The Thestral silenced me with his mouth and rolled me onto my back, the other guard taking my place on top of Zinnia. Zinnia grinned, grabbing the mare and flipping her over before diving in for a kiss, their tongues wrestling for dominance - that the mare gladly relinquished. Looking at them, I now see two entrances soaked with drops of cum as I look at Nightwing.

“Hey, Night. Why don’t you take the mare and I’ll take Zinnia?”

“Only if you get me prepared first.” He smiled. I gladly nodded, using my hands to stroke his equipment as he moaned. I smirked, rolling back over and sliding down him. I gazed into his eyes with a smouldering look as I slowly licked the tip of his dick, humming in delight at the taste of his pre. I began to hear Zinnia almost scream in delight despite the sound of it being muffled as I saw both the mare and her eating each other out like animals. Then, I felt Night’s shaft stiffen as I removed my tongue from it a few moments later.

“There we are. All set. Now then…” I sneered, crawling over to Zinnia as she was finished with the female guard. “Time for the real fun to begin.”

“Ooh, what’re you gonna do to me?” Zinnia asked, putting her arms behind her head and pushing her chest out. “Are you gonna ravage my body, Grandmother?”

“Heh… I’m going to do more than just that… and you will definitely enjoy it.” I pushed the mare back away from Zinnia’s crotch and lined up as Night did the same to the mare above Zinnia’s head. Things were a little bit slow, but it was Night that made the first move as he pinned the other guard to the ground and started fucking her doggy style. I smirked at the sight and pressed my tip against Zinnia before thrusting in completely, making her scream in delight. She was silenced when the mare guard twisted and locked lips with her. She moaned into the kiss, jolting as I began thrusting, building power with each stroke.

I could see Night enjoying himself, thrashing and thrusting into the mare as she begged for more, drunk off of the pleasure. But I decided to focus less on him and more on my own pleasure as I heard a muffled murmur come from the dragon girl below me. I believe she was asking for me to go faster. I complied and quickened the pace, using my hips to hump Zinnia in and out faster than before. Zinnia let out a stifled moan, reaching up and fondling my breasts, giving one of the nipples a sharp tug that sent a jolt of excitement down my spine and milk running down her fingers. I moaned and thrust into her harder, leaning forwards and locking my own lips on Night’s as he hilted in the mare and filled her with his cum. I was getting close, and judging by the way Zinnia was milking me, she was too. The woman beneath me disconnected from the mare guard, allowing her moans to fill the room as she latched onto my left nipple, gulping down my milk eagerly. The feeling of her mouth closing and pulling eagerly sent me over the edge and I gave a few more thrusts, breaking my kiss with Night to say, “I-I’m about to-”

“M-me too! Finish inside!”

I let out one final grunt as I bottomed out inside of her, watching as she breathed a plume of purple fire into the air above us, scorching the ceiling slightly. Her walls convulsed, milking my cock for every drop as I came.

I collapsed onto her, panting as my dick slowed and eventually stopped. Once I caught my breath I chuckled and said, “It’s a good thing you’re already pregnant, I wouldn’t want to try to come up with a way to tell Lance I got another woman knocked up.”

“Heh, yeah…” Zinnia mumbled, staring at a spot on the ceiling. “Sorry about the fire,” she added, frowning at the scorch marks. “It’s kind of a reflex.”

I started to respond when I realized what I said. Why did I think of Lance first? I only met him once.

“Hey, you okay there?” Zinnia asked, concern in her eyes. “I’m sure Sparky’d be fine with this, you know. Are you two dating or something?”

“No, I just met him about a week ago and... well, I was his first time. I’m just a bit shocked that I thought of him.”

“Girl, you’re crushin’ on him so hard it’s funny.”

“Well he is- wait.... Sparky?” I pushed myself up onto my elbows.

“Yeah, that’s just what I call the little plug socket. Not very original, I know, but still.” She paused, grinning at me. “Don’t get so jealous, we didn’t do it. He summoned me, and I helped train his Blaziken.”

I huffed and rolled off, moving to the edge of the bed to stand up. “Please, there’s no way I’ll be jealous. Even if you said you jerked him off while he slept I wouldn’t be jealous. Just don’t go calling him Sparky-Sparky-Boom-Man.”

“Two things.” Zinnia said, holding up two fingers. “One, I feel like there was a reference there, but I have no idea what it might have been. And two, you certainly sound jealous. Are you starting to get clingy already?”

I paused for a moment at that. “I’m just a bit shaken is all,” I said, standing up fully. “Celestia’s barely in the ground for a month and I jump on the first human-like guy I see?”

“Woah, hold up!” Zinnia leaned up, grabbing me by the shoulders as I ended up in her lap… somehow. “Different people deal with things in different ways. She was killed, right?”

“Y-yeah…” I stammered, shocked at how serious she was all of a sudden. “The guy who did it is dead now, though.”

“Well there you go. You got your justice. Now you’re ready to move on, even if you don’t realise it.”

I looked down, trying to think of what Celestia would say. “‘Don’t worry about me being jealous. I’m just glad to be loved....’” I whispered.

Zinnia stared at me for a moment, a sad look on her face, before looking around. Upon spotting her shorts, she leaned over the edge of the bed and fished through the pockets, once more bringing out her iPod.

“I’m gonna put a song on,” she said, fiddling with the device. “It’s my favourite song, one that I lived my life by as much as I could.” With a final tap of the screen, a male voice sounded out, backed by a soft piano. “I know it’s not the original version, but the message still hits home.”

As the song played I felt tears sting at my eyes even as my heart soared. It hurt to listen to, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to turn it off.

“T-thank you,” I said once the song ended.

“You’re welcome, Max.” She paused, thinking for a moment before smiling. “You know what? I want you to add my token to your regalia,” she said, smiling gently. “Just so you can call me whenever you need me. I’ll always be there for you, Max. No one should go through this alone, especially not my friends.” I nodded and hugged her tightly.

“Look,” Zinnia said after a minute, smiling sadly. “I’ve gotta get home, my son’s probably worried sick. But call me if you need anything.”

“I will,” I said as I let go of her and stood up, releasing the spell. “Don’t forget to call me if you need more time to do something.”

“Oh, ha ha Miss Rewind Button.” Zinnia chuckled, standing and pulling her clothes on. She slipped the iPod back into her pocket and pulled Max into one last hug. “Seriously though, I’mma be your sister now.”

“Then you should know I’m not just a rewind button. I’m a whole universal remote!” I said with a grin.

“You certainly turned them on.” she replied, gesturing to the two guards who were still going at it. “Don’t have too much fun with them.”

“With how sore I still am from last day and just now?” I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ll leave them to wind down on their own. Seeya later, Dragonator.”

With that, a black, spectral dragon’s head dotted with stars shot up from the ground, swallowing Zinnia whole before exploding into a cloud of pink stardust.

A New Pair of Trainers

“So this is the place huh?” Zinnia asked, eyeing the cave warily. Behind her, Little Strongheart shivered as a wave of cold air waved over them.

“Y-yes... “ She replied, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Th-this is where I saw Silverstar.”

“Welp,” Zinnia shouted suddenly, clasping her hands together and striding past the cave’s mouth. The tiny cactus followed behind her, a huge grin on it’s prickly face. “We’re not gonna find him standing around, are we!? Let’s go.”

“O-oh! Alright…”

The three of them ventured into the darkness of the cave in their own way. Zinnia strode ahead, determination in her eyes. Cacnea plodded along happily, not a care in the world. Little Strongheart kept as alert as she could, looking this way and that as she walked along, ready to fight. Before long the darkness surrounded them, completely obscuring their vision and making them feel along the walls to get by.

“Wait…” Zinnia said after a while, smacking her palm against her forehead. “I can breath fire!” With that, she brought a purple flame into her mouth, holding it there with her jaw hanging and revealing the abyss they were about to fall into. “Weh… ha wa wuchy…” she mumbled around the flames, staring over the edge at the darkness below.

Zinnia’s eyes widened when a loud rumbling echoed throughout the cave, the sound of a hundred hooves pounding on the ground above them. The earth beneath their feet shifted, coming loose and crumbling, sending them plummeting into the shadows.  Zinnia tried to spread her wings, but a searing pain rocketed through her body, pinning the damaged limbs to her back as she cursed.

"Goooooood daaaaaaaaamn iiiiiiiiit!!!!”

The bell rang, signaling the ending of another school day for our heroes at Canterlot High. Trixie raced through the halls as fast as she possibly could - without getting a detention, of course. She gracefully weaved through the crowd of other students, looking for her targets. Finally passing the art section and into the main lobby, she spotted her two new friends exiting out of the school. With a smile, Trixie ran out after them.

“Serena! Sunset Shimmer! Trixie requires your attention!” she exclaimed catching up to the two Pokémon trainers.

“Oh hey there, Trixie,” Serena greeted in return. “Sunset and I were gonna head to the creek for training.”

“That is precisely what Trixie needed to speak with you about. She has been thinking more on what you said for her Gible’s growth. As such, Trixie wishes to join you for this ‘training’ you keep mentioning.”

Sunset didn’t look too sure about the idea, though. “Are you sure, Trix? Pokémon training is a really difficult study. It requires strategy, trust, and skill to be able to accomplish.”

“Ha!” Trixie scoffed at that remark. “Trixie is capable of all that and more!”

Sunset pulled Serena aside, whispering into the other girl’s ear. “Are you sure about this? Should we really involve Trixie of all people in Pokémon training?”

“She already has a Pokémon of her own,” Serena argued back. “Without proper training, who knows what trouble those two could get into. It’s better to get her involved like this than when the sirens make their move.”

“Well… you make a good point there,” Sunset admitted. She released Serena and they both looked back to Trixie. “Alright, Trix, we’ll teach you the art of Pokémon training. But that means your oath of secrecy is extended to this as well.”

“Of course, Trixie is a woman of her word, after all.” Trixie reached into her bag and pulled out Gible’s pokéball. “Let’s get going, already! Trixie has chemisty homework to accomplish as well.”

As such, our heroes made their way to the secret training ground they created in the creek bed. But little did they know of what would be waiting there for them.

Zinnia groaned, pulling herself to her knees as she woke. The grass beneath her bare legs felt amazingly soft, and the cool breeze through her hair was so much nicer than the normal heat of the desert air. She opened her eyes when a soft whimper reached her ears, turning to see Little Strongheart pulling herself up too, though something seemed different about her appearance. The Draconid shrugged it off, instead opting to move to the nearby river and inspect her reflection in the water’s surface. Cacnea burst out of the water when she reached the river’s edge, eliciting a small giggle at his antics as he splashed about. Zinnia knelt down, scooping up a bit of the water to wipe away some dirt on her cheek. She then sat back, making sure there was no damage to her slightly swollen stomach, before leaning back on her hands and staring at the sky.

Then it clicked in her. This wasn’t where they were supposed to be! Not that she was complaining, she’d rather not be stuck at the bottom of a huge abyss in a cave no one knew about, but still. She looked back to Strongheart, who was now making her way to the Draconid’s side, watching her for the first signs of panic.

“We’re not in the Badlands anymore, are we?” the young Buffalo asked, dusting off her tunic.

“No, we’re not,” Zinnia replied, slightly shocked. “How come you’re not freaking out?” she asked.

Strongheart let out a small chuckle, smiling. “I guess any of the other Buffalo would be,” she said, running a hand through her golden locks. “But I’ve heard the legends of the ‘Nowhere Caves’. Always thought to myself, ‘Well, they have to go somewhere’.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Zinnia muttered, pausing as the sounds of voices danced over her ears. “Someone’s coming.” she said, pulling off her cloak and scooping up Cacnea in it.

The two women sat silently, waiting for the source of the voices to either arrive or pass. And it was fate that decided that they would come into the creekbed.

“...and that’s how contests got started back home,” a long, brown hair girl said as she walked into Zinnia’s view. She was accompanied by a yellow and red haired girl and another with silver hair. All three immediately spotted Zinnia and Strongheart. “Uh oh. Uh… hi there! What uh, what are you two doing here?”

“No idea,” Zinnia replied, recognising the brown-haired girl before her. “Wait… cool! Another Gen Six fan!” she shouted, causing confusion to wash over the features of everyone present. She frowned for a second, suddenly doubting herself. “Uh… Pokémon?”

“You know about Pokémon?!” all three asked in unison.

“Are you from Equestria?” Sunset asked, fully curious.

“I’m from a different Equestria,” Zinnia said, pulling the cloak off of Cacnea and tying it around her neck again. “But no, I’m originally from… a version of Earth that may or may not be the same as yours, Serena.”

“A Displaced!” Serena gasped.

“You mean those people that weird doctor guy warned you about?” Sunset looked over Zinnia and Strongheart with a scrutinizing eye. “I’ll be honest, was expecting something a little… more.”

“Displaced? What is this ‘displaced’? Trixie was not informed of this! Is this supposed to be a part of her training?”

“Okay, one,” Zinnia cut in, holding up a finger. “No matter what this ‘Doctor’ said, not all Displaced are bad. Most of the one’s I’ve met actually went out of their way to save people, especially Jason. Two,” she raised another finger. “Watch it, ketchup head. I’m half Dragon-Type and can burn you alive with my breath. And three,” another finger raised. “I assume you mean Pokémon Training, so I want in. This little guy’s fairly new and I want him to be able to handle himself.” She gestured to the cacnea in her lap, which began tittering when the others looked at it.

“Oh, and I’m not a Displaced,” Strongheart spoke up. “I’m a Buffalo. I actually am from Equestria.”

“Please tell me you’re from my Equestria,” Serena practically pleaded. “Does the name ‘Ash’ sound familiar at all?”

“There’s a stallion in Appleoosa named Ash Gray, but otherwise no.” Strongheart replied flinching when Serena seemed to wilt in on herself. “W-why? W-what’s the matter?”

Sunset stepped forward, putting her hand on Serena’s shoulder. “Serena’s been trapped on this world for over a thousand years running from monsters. It was only when Twilight Sparkle came here from Equestria a month ago that any sign of hope had come her way.”

“Ash… he’s the one I care about more than anything. We’re supposed to be together forever, but the sirens just got in the way of that. I was just hoping I finally had hope that there was a faster way home.”

“Well apparently the base Equestria, the one that doesn't have any Displaced at all, is a TV show back home,” Zinnia said, standing and stretching her back. “I never watched it personally, but I caught snippets when the others at the asylum watched. And I recognise ketchup head, I just don’t remember what her name is. She’s from the movie.”

“It’s Sunset Shimmer,” ‘ketchup head’ corrected.

“And I know about MLP,” Serena informed. “Ash and I used to watch it, but got bored with it during season three. So, we never watched the movie.” She took in a deep breath, composing herself. “Well, the emotional rollercoaster and disappointment aside, would you two like to join us for today? The Doctor may have said the Displaced could be distracting, but a little help in getting Trixie started could help. Plus, you sound like you have experience with dragon types. That’ll come in handy considering no such thing exists where we come from.”

“Girl, my son is a dragon type. Name’s Zinnia, you may recognise me from such games as ‘Pokémon Omega Ruby’ and ‘Pokémon  Alpha Sapphire’.” She paused, pushing her cloak back to reveal the purple wings on her back. “I’m not the same one, mind you. This is Little Strongheart, or just Strongheart, heir to the Buffalo tribe.”

“H-hi.”

“So who’s got the Dragon, eh? Sunny or Trix?”

“Trixie is the dragon trainer here,” the blue-skinned girl boasted. She pulled out a pokéball and tossed it up. “Gible, come on out!” A blue-white light erupted from the ball, the landshark Pokémon appearing in front of her.

“Gible!” it said somewhat dopely.

“A gible, huh? Those are pretty hard to train.” Zinnia smirked, pulling off her cloak and dropping it to the floor. She strode forward, the smirk never leaving her face. “Well let’s see what I’m working with. Hit me with your best shot!”

“Pardon Trixie? You… you want Trixie to make her little Gible hit you? Are you mental?!”

“...She’s gonna be a coordinator, isn’t she?” Zinnia’s face fell, shoulders slumping as her energy left her. “Aww, man! Wasted potential!”

“More like she doesn’t have any experience,” Serena corrected. “Trixie here is the first one to ever even find a Pokémon on this world.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Some of Zinnia’s energy returned, and she pulled her shoulders back. “Listen, Trixie, Pokémon grow by fighting. That’s their nature. If they don’t fight, they won’t grow. They won’t learn anything. And Gible can grow into an incredibly powerful Pokémon if you train it right, loyal to a fault.” She paused, glowering at the girl. “But it won’t be easy. No matter how good you think you are, you’re not good enough. The greatest Pokémon Trainer alive would have difficulty with gibles.”

“Are you doubting Trixie’s potential?” Trixie asked with a bit of disgust. “Trixie will be able to teach Gible to be the greatest gible in all existence! So says the great and powerful Trixie!”

Zinnia sighed. “First off, to be the best it can be, Gible won’t be a gible any more. It’ll go through two changes, first into a gabite, and then into a garchomp. And garchomp are incredibly vicious if you don’t train it right when it’s young. It won’t hurt you, but it’ll hurt those around you, and that can be so much worse.”

“Second,” she added, cutting Trixie off before her mouth was even fully open. “You’re confident, and that’s good. But you’re too confident, and that can end in disaster. Either learn some humility yourself or get it beaten into you when your enemies come knocking, but learn it either way.” She stalked over to the awestruck girl, jabbing her finger at her. “You’re not great. And you’re not powerful. But you can be, if you listen.”

Trixie was completely stunned by Zinnia’s little speech, unable to reply at all. Gible, though, felt the need to… by biting Zinnia’s leg for insulting his trainer. “Gible!” he said as he bit down. Zinnia just laughed, reaching down and grabbing Gible by his head fin and lifting him up.

“The same goes for you, little one. You think you’re the strongest there is, and you can be, but right now you’re not.” She placed him on the ground by Trixie’s foot, eyes roaming over both of them. “Right now, neither of you are strong enough to fight me. I’m still a relatively low level, but you’re even lower. You’ll be training against Strongheart and Cacnea.”

“Wait, what!?” Strongheart cried, having been playing with Cacnea. “B-but I haven’t had any training either! I-I’m not strong enough!”

“Which is why you’re training with Trixie. You’re both beginners, and you both have Pokémon that are hard to raise. Gible because he’s a dragon, and Cacnea because it takes a lot of thinking. You’re perfect partners.”

“I think I have an idea,” Serena interjected. “Why don’t the two of us have a battle for the newbies? Ash always said the easiest way to get someone interested in Pokémon was to show them a proper battle.”

“Well I don’t have any of my team with me, but I can fight myself.” Zinnia replied, demonstrating by forming a Shadow Claw in her right hand. “Powers and resilience of a Salamence. Is that okay with you?”

“I suppose that could work. And, since you’re a dragon, that gives me an excuse to pull out this Pokémon.” Serena pulled out a Heal Ball and tossed it up. “Gardevoir, I choose you!” From out of the special pokéball came a white bipedal Pokémon with a lower body resembling a slim gown with a green underside. It had long, slender, white legs underneath the gown, and green hair that curled down the sides of its head. There were spikes on the side of its face, resembling a masquerade mask. It had green arms and long, slender fingers that resemble gloves. A red fin-like horn extended from its chest, and a shorter, more rounded horn extended from the back. A band of green on its chest extended to the centermost horn and connected to its sleeve-like arms. Lastly, a bright red choker with a small rounded gem was around its neck.

“Gardevoir,” the new arrival said melodiously.

“What do you think of my Gardevoir?” Serena asked. “The two of us have been together for a long time and I’ve been eager to use her in battle again.”

“She’s beautiful, I can tell you trained her well.” Zinnia replied, cracking her neck. “This should be fun. I need to prepare for anything with Darkrai running about. Who’s gonna ref?”

“I can do it,” Sunset offered. “I took some referee courses when I was still Celestia’s student.”

“Cool. First to ten strikes?” The Draconid paused, patting her swollen stomach. “I’d rather not be knocked out, if that’s okay.”

“Does that work for you, girl?”

“Gar,” she replied, getting into a fighting mood.

“Sounds like she’s ready for a fight,” Serena smirked. “Now pay attention, Trixie. This is how we do a proper Pokémon battle.”

“You too, Strongheart. It’s not conventional, but it’ll do for your first lesson. Count us in, Sunset."

“Three.” Both combatants dropped into their preferred stances.

“Two.” Zinnia tensed. Gardevoir raised a hand to her chest.

“One.” Zinnia’s fingers flexed.

“Begin!”

Zinnia shot forwards, propelling herself with her wings as shadows wrapped around her left hand. “Shadow Claw!” she called, raking the clawed construct along Gardevoir’s side as she shot past, angling herself so that she skidded to a stop facing the fairy.

“Remember to play to your opponent’s weaknesses!” she shouted, keeping her eyes fixed on her opponent. “Never let them out of your sight!”

“Don’t back down, Gardevoir! Strike back with Moonblast!” Serena commanded.

“Gar!” she exclaimed, building up energy from the moon. Zinnia’s eyes widened, but she was too late to do anything as Gardevoir released the energy, sending it slamming into her and flinging her backwards.

“...Ow.” She said simply before hopping back to her feet. “Good hit.”

Zinnia shot forward without warning, he wings glowing silver as she charged. “Steel Wing!” she cried, aiming for Gardevoir’s abdomen. The Embrace Pokémon dodged at the last second, and Zinnia pulled to the left, narrowly avoiding a large rock.

“Nice dodge, Gardevoir!” Serena commended. “Now get her with an Ice Punch!”

“It won’t be that easy,” Zinnia said with a smirk as a white aura surrounded her. “Double Team!” she cried, creating multiple copies of herself and surrounding Gardevoir with them.

“Let’s see how you deal with this!” the clones spoke in unison, before taking deep breaths. “Flamethrower!” they added, each one spitting a stream of fire that combined in the centre, completely engulfing Gardevoir as a pillar of fire sprung to life.

“Wow,” one of the Zinnia’s breathed, watching the pillar in awe. “Gonna have to name that.” She turned to the girls watching. “How does ‘Chamber of Flame’ sound?”

Serena smirked at the Draconid. “Oh, so you do have some skills. That’s good for me as I can do this once again!” She put two fingers on the multicolored gem in her necklace. “Recognize one of these bad boys?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Zinnia replied, her own smirk gracing her lips. She raised her leg, bending it at the knee. “I have one of my own,” she said, gesturing to her anklet and the keystone embedded in the dragon’s head.

“Then you know what happens when it activates with a gardevoir who carries her Mega Stone.” Serena pressed down on the gem, causing it to glow brightly. Within the column of flame, a similar glow appeared before a large purple orb broke through the twister. The orb shattered, leaving a new Pokémon in Gardevoir’s place. The humanoid creature was almost completely  white, save for the green hair on its head. Its gown was longer and wider than Gardevoir’s, resembling a bridal gown. The forearms were slightly thicker with a pointed extension above the elbow, almost like a pair of gloves. Its facial spikes were larger and now curled upwards. In contrast, its hair was now shorter and more tightly curled. There were also now two horns in the center of its chest, extending to either side. “Welcome to the stage, Mega Gardevoir!”

“Sweet mane of Arceus…” Zinnia breathed, eyes wide before she dropped back into her stance. “Bring it!”

“I can’t believe it,” Sunset gasped from the sidelines. “An actual mega evolution. I thought they were just legend.”

“Then just watch as two legends show you how it’s done!” Serena proclaimed. “Mega Gardevoir, capture Zinnia with a Psychic attack!”

“Gar!” the Pokémon replied as her eyes glowed blue, the same color energy wrapping around Zinnia. The Draconid struggled uselessly in Gardevoir’s telekinetic grip, thrashing around.

“Let me go, dammit!” she cried, before she suddenly stopped. A grin slowly formed on her lips, and she turned herself in the air so that she was facing Gardevoir. “So you wanna fight dirty, huh?” she asked, a deep rumbling accompanying her voice. “Then take this!”

With that, she let loose with a mighty Roar, forcing everyone to cover their ears. This broke Gardevoir’s concentration, dropping Zinnia to the ground with a grunt.

Serena looked at Mega Gardevoir, who nodded, making the trainer smile. “Alright Zinnia, you asked for the big show! Gardevoir, use Ice Punch on the ground!”

“Gar!” she shouted, ice energy filling her fist before shouting, “Devoir!” as she slammed it to the ground. The spot she hit froze instantly, but to Zinnia’s surprise, a line of ice shout out from the spot and encompassed her feet. She tried flapping her wings to get free, but nothing happened.

“Never challenge a coordinator!” Serena declared. “Finish this with your Energy Ball Barrage!”

Mega Gardevoir let out a small song as several glowing, green, energy balls appearing around Zinnia. They circled slowly around the Draconid as they began to multiply and completely surround her. Zinnia sighed, a small grin forming as the attack began to converge on her.

“Nice match,” she said, right before the Energy Balls impacted, creating a small cloud of dust. When it cleared, Zinnia was revealed, no worse for wear and her feet now free.

“And that, children,” she said, turning to Strongheart and Trixie. “Is why you don’t get too overconfident. You underestimate your enemy, and then you end up losing.”

“Oh my gosh!” Sunset exclaimed, letting out a fan-girl squee. “That was so freaking awesome! Zinna was like ‘whoosh’ with that Steel Wing and she was all like ‘nyaroom’ an-an-and then Gardevoir was all ‘bwoom’ ‘bam’ ‘pow’! It was so…” she slowly stopped, seeing everyone either smiling knowingly at her or stifling their giggling. “Uh… I mean,” she folded her arms, looking away as if she didn’t care about anything, “It was okay, I guess.”

Zinnia stared at her blankly for a moment before turning to Serena, saying just two words.

“She’s tsundere.”

“Am not!” Sunset defended, her cheeks completely red.

Serena giggled a little. “Don’t mind her. That was a fun match, Zinnia. I haven’t had a proper battle in a long time, much less a chance to show off my old contest moves.”

“Fun for me, too.” Zinnia said, a warm smile on her face. “It was nice to take my mind off of Darkrai for a while.”

“Darkrai?” Sunset and Serena asked at the same time.

“I don’t think Equestria’s ever once had a recorded darkrai encounter. One of the few legendaries unaccounted for,” Serena said.

“Well have you ever heard of Nightmare Moon?” Zinnia asked, taking a seat on a large, flat rock.

“You mean the legend of ‘The Mare in the Moon’?” Sunset asked. “What about that old fairy tale?”

“A clefairy has a fairy tail, Sunset.” Zinnia deadpanned, causing the girl to recoil slightly. “The ‘Mare in the Moon’, as you call her, was Princess Celestia’s sister, Luna, having succumbed to her loneliness and jealousy to become Nightmare Moon.” She paused, looking down at her feet in sorrow.  “My Darkrai can ‘bless’ ponies and Pokémon with the Nightmare, turning them into what Nightmare Moon is - a creature that feeds on its host’s negative emotions, thriving in the shadows and shying away from light. Darkrai managed to force Luna into becoming Nightmare Moon again, taking a few guards and Prince Blueblood at the same time.”

“Now.” She paused as her body shook, her barely suppressed sobs breaking through. “Now he’s trying to take over Equestria, converting as many ponies and Pokémon as he can. He even managed to get Giratina."

“Giratina?” Sunset asked.

Serena looked to Zinnia. “I know what that is, but Sunset and especially not Trixie would know. Equestria has no dragon types, including the legendaries.”

Zinnia sighed. “Giratina is… was my Equestria’s Lord of the Underworld.” She held up her hand, silencing any questions. “I say ‘was’ because my universe was inducted into a small group of universes held together by Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Because of that, the Norse Goddess of Death took over his role.” She chuckled slightly. “She’s actually technically my Grandmother, since I welcomed myself into her grandson’s family.”

Serena took a look at the Draconid’s belly with a smile. “I can see you made yourself quite at home,” she quipped.

“Technically, I’m a surrogate. Jason’s married to his versions of Rarity and Queen Chrysalis, but he can’t have any kids to carry on his race with them.” She chuckled slightly, shaking her head. “It was Hel’s idea to bring me in. Not that I was complaining or anything.”

“Huh,” the coordinator said simply, rubbing her own arms with a sorrowful expression. “Kids, eh? We never even got to that point.” Serena leaned against a nearby tree with a sigh. Sunset and Trixie walked over to her and put their hands on her shoulders, letting her know she wasn’t alone.

Zinnia sat there for a moment, just watching, before something pushed at her shoulder. She turned to see Strongheart stood there, a light glare on her face as she motioned towards the downcast coordinator. Zinnia sighed, standing and moving over to Serena.

“Listen, Serena…” she began, scratching at the back of her neck. “I… I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through, ‘cause I don’t. But I’m sure you’ll get a chance to see Ash again soon.” She paused, a small smile forming. “And if you ever get, y’know… lonely... you can always give me a call. Hold on a sec.”

Zinnia quickly used Double Team again, only creating one clone this time. The clone quickly bent down and removed it’s anklet, handing it to Serena before vanishing, leaving the copy of the trinket behind.

“That’s my calling card,” she said with a warm smile. “Just hold it and call me if you need anything, alright?”

She looked it over in her hand, eyeing the anklet closely. “So this is a token. I’ve never seen one befo… wait a second! How were there two of you here just a second ago?!”

“Double Team,” the Draconid replied simply. “No idea how that worked, though. Also, everyone’s token is different. They tend to choose something that represents them. You should make one too, even if you just give it to me. At least then I can keep in touch, make sure you’re okay and all that.”

“Oh, well I do like to keep in touch with friends… despite the little tidbit you through in your proposition earlier. Now let’s see…” Serena looked in her bag, feeling deeper and deeper. “Come on, I know I have something in here I could use.” She ruffled a few moments longer before going, “Aha!” She took her hand out of her bag, holding a bright orange ribbon with a golden pokéball symbol in the middle. “This should do, right?”

“Yep,” Zinnia said, nodding. “You just need to put a message in it if you’re gonna send it out.”

“Send it out? But I’d rather just only you have it. The Doctor warned me if I keep in contact with Displaced too much, I’ll lose sight of my goal and… well, the rest of it seemed rather overdramatic, but you get the idea.”

“That’s not a problem either,” Zinnia said, smiling. “Now, to make it a token, you just need to focus some of your energy into it. Just picture it like a river taking a different path when you open a dam, but close it before too much gets through.”

Serena nodded, clasping her hands around the ribbon. She closed her eyes, looking deep into herself. Within, she could feel a pool of energy that she was unfamiliar with; it was both frightening, yet oddly compelling. She tried pushing it towards the ribbon in her hands, smiling as she felt the energy pour into the forming token. When Serena felt enough had been used, she stopped the flow and opened her eyes, seeing a slight new glow to the ribbon.

“Wow,” she awed, before her legs nearly buckled.

“Oh oh!” Trixie exclaimed before catching her friend. “Do not worry, Trixie has you.”

“Are you alright, Serena?” Sunset asked with a hint of worry.

“Y-yeah,” Serena replied, trying to stay standing. “Just feeling exhausted is all.”

“Huh,” Zinnia stated. “That’s new. Maybe since you don’t actually have any powers of your own, it drained you more?” She placed a hand to her chin, the other grabbing her elbow. “Or maybe it just affects different people differently. I’ll have to ask Jason when I next see him…”

“Anyway!” she suddenly exclaimed. “You should feel better in a moment, but just in case, lie down on your front over there.” She pointed to the rock she had been sat on moments before, rolling her eyes at the incredulous looks she was getting. “I’m just gonna give you a massage, okay? Dragonfire loosens up your muscles like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Well…” Serena bit her lip, knowing a massage would definitely feel nice. “I suppose a massage would be nice. Ash used to give me one before contests to keep me refreshed. But no funny business, I don’t plan on cheating on my husband.”

“I wouldn’t dream of forcing anyone,” Zinnia said, holding her hands up in defense. “You may have to lift your shirt though. I do need skin contact for this to work.” she added before breathing purple flames onto her hands.

Serena sighed as she layed on the rocks. “Alright,” she said, lifing up the back of her shirt.

“Wait, you’re not wearing--” Zinnia started before Serena interrupted.

“I don’t have a lot of money, okay?”

“I’m not judging,” the Draconid insisted, following the girl to the rock. “I’m not wearing one either,” she added, straddling Serena from behind and placing her warmed hands on her shoulders. “I don’t like feeling restricted. I have them, but they’re mainly for when I wanna look sexy.”

“T.M.I.” Sunset gagged, not needing to know about Zinnia’s personal tastes.

“Trixie never took you for a prude, Sunset Shimmer,” the magician snarked.

“Oh shut up! I lived in the freaking castle! You don’t talk about that kind of stuff in high society!”

“My Celestia disagrees~” Zinnia sang, giggling as Serena let out a small moan. “That okay?” she asked, moving to between the girl’s shoulder blades and refreshing the flames.

“I feel centuries falling away,” Serena sighed contently. “It feels amazing to just relax instead of running for my life.”

Zinnia frowned. “Who’s after your life?” she asked, adding a Focus Energy as she worked on the small of Serena’s back. She made sure to stay above the waistline of her skirt.

“The Sirens,” Sunset informed Zinnia. “They dragged Serena here when they were banished from Equestria over a thousand years ago. They’ve been hunting her down ever since until Serena lost them in the Nevada Desert.”

“Wow, sounds rough.” Zinnia moved her hands to each of Serena’s sides, forming small Dragon Claws and making their talons dance across the girl’s skin. “Don’t be afraid to give me a call if you need help with them again, alright?”

Serena laughed a little. “I might call just to get another massage.”

Zinnia smiled. “Any time,” she said, before climbing off. “Welp, that’s everything I’m allowed to do without overstepping my boundaries.”

“Thank you for respecting them,” Serena said as she pulled her shirt back down before getting up. “It was some brilliant work. Now back to the original plan, though. We still have another battle to have.” She eyed Strongheart and Trixie, who both gulped.

“Oh yeah, our little students,” Zinnia tittered, walking over to Strongheart. “What do you think, have them battle on their own or coach them as they go?”

“I prefer the coaching method. This is their first battle, after all, so let’s keep the training wheels on for now.”

“Okay then. Strongheart, Trixie, to your positions.”

Strongheart and Trixie moved to where their respective teachers had stood at the start of their battle, both with their Pokémon at their feet. Gible and Cacnea then walked into the field between them, meeting in the middle and - surprisingly - shaking hands before backing off slightly.

“Huh,” Zinnia said, staring in shock. “Seems these two are going with the honourable approach.”

“Pokémon are quite the amazing creatures,” Serena nodded. “Sunset?”

“Right,” she said, taking her place as judge. “Are both trainers ready?”

“Trixie is always ready!”

“I’m ready too, I guess.”

“Good enough,” Sunset muttered. “Let the battle begin!”

“Cacnea, Needle Arm!” Strongheart shouted, and Cacnea rushed forward, clubbing Gible with his arm, which had gained a faint green glow.

“Hey! Trixie wasn’t ready!” Trixie cried, before glowering and gritting her teeth. “Gible, use Dig!”

“Gible!” the dragon replied before burrowing into the ground, avoiding Cacnea’s attack.

“Gible certainly has some speed to him,” Serena remarked to Zinnia.

“Yes, and Cacnea seems to have quite a bit of power.” Zinnia replied. “I guarantee she has Cacnea use Ingrain to sense movements in the ground.”

“Cacnea, use Ingrain to sense its movements!” Strongheart called out.

“Called it.” Zinnia watched as Cacnea planted it’s stubby feet in the ground and closed it’s eyes. She moved over to Strongheart just as Cacnea seemed to start panicking.

“Cacnea, what’s wrong?!” Strongheart asked.

“You had a good idea, using Ingrain like that,” Zinnia said, gaining Strongheart’s attention. “But you forgot that Ingrain stops Cacnea from being able to move, leaving him wide open to attack.”

As if to illustrate her point, Gible chose that moment to strike, popping out of the ground behind Cacnea and clamping down on his back.

“Ha ha! Trixie has you now! Now my little dragon, use your Dragon Rage!”

As Gible kept his maw clamped, a blue fire raged out and blasted Cacnea point-blank, uprooting him and sending him tumbling over the battlefield.

“Cacnea!” Strongheart screeched, sighing in relief when the living cactus pushed itself to it’s feet.

“Have him use Spikes,” Zinnia whispered, and Strongheart relayed the order, covering the battlefield in large needles, causing Gible pain whenever he stepped on one. “Now Growth while you have the chance.” Again, the order was relayed, Cacnea growing slightly stronger.

Trixie looked to Serena, who was calmly standing a good ways behind her. “Trixie could use some encouragement or advice here!”

“You’re doing fine, Trixie,” Serena said with a smile. “Just trust your instincts. You don’t need me to tell you how to put on a show.”

Trixie’s eyes widened when she heard that line. She looked out to the field. “A show, huh?” she said with a small smile forming. “Trixie has this battle in the bag. And now, the Grrreat and Powerful Trixie shall astound and amaze as she claims victory! Gible, back into the ground!”

“Gible!” he shouted, backflipping into his dig hole.

“Trixie is going to have to remember to give him a treat for that,” she muttered, smiling that Gible quickly got into the act. “Gible, poke as many holes into the ground as you possibly can!”

The ground below Cacnea shook a little as Gible burrowed faster and faster, popping up at random points all over the field, always shouting out “Gible” before retreating back in.

Zinnia frowned. “Smart,” she remarked, patting Strongheart’s shoulder. “But you can get past this. Think. What can Cacnea do to take advantage of all these holes?”

Strongheart stared at the holes for a moment befroe her eyes widened slightly, a smile creeping onto her face. “Seeds…” she muttered, before calling out to Cacnea again. “Cacnea, use Leech Seed on the holes, then use Sunny Day!”

Cacnea did as instructed, firing hundreds of tiny seeds into the air where they all separated, falling into each of Gible’s tunnels. He then released a small ball of energy into the air from the tiny crown on his head, causing the sunlight to intensify and the seeds to quickly grow into a multitude of vines, blocking the tunnels and covering the battlefield.

“Yes!” Strongheart exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. “I knew it! Because Cacnea’s Leech Seed attack uses cactus seeds, they don’t need much water to grow, so the moisture in the ground was just enough! Add in the extra sunlight, and boom! No more tunnels.”

“Hmm,” Serena mused to herself. “So they come from a world where Pokémon aren’t restricted to four techniques. Curious, but now let’s see how Trixie gets herself out of this one.” She smiled and shouted out, “If only we had a weed trimmer, eh?”

“Weed trimmer?” Trixie repeated to herself before gasping as an idea formed in her head. “Of course! Gible, show these two we’re not out of this just yet! Combine your Dragon Claw with you Slash attacks! Show them we cannot be stopped!”

“Cacnea, wait for your chance!” Strongheart retaliated, remaining vague.

'Hmm…’ Zinnia thought, watching curiously. ‘What is she planning?’

Gible shot out of one of the tunnels, chunks of vine being flung to all sides as he charged at Cacnea, one claw coated in a blue energy and the other white.

“Now, Cacnea!” Strongheart shouted. “Combine Sand Attack, Leech Seed and Needle Arm”

Cacnea’s arm glowed greed as it swung, brushing the ground and creating a cloud of sand and dust, making it harder for Gible to see. When the Needle Arm attack landed, striking Gible across the back,  Zinnia noted that it left two small black seeds on the dragon’s back. Seeds that quickly grew into vines, entangling the drake and sapping his energy, sending it straight back to Cacnea.

“Gible!” Trixie screamed, fear filling her for her Pokémon.

“You have to keep calm!” Serena scolded. “You have to keep yourself in check or your Pokémon will panic as well.”

“R-right,” Trixie said to herself, recomposing after a moment. “Gible, claw those vines off and get back at that walking plant!”

“Gib!” Gible roared as his claws brightened with energy again, slicing off the vines and charging at Cacnea. But as Gible approached, a strange blue energy began to surround the dragon. The energy took the form of a larger draconic beast.

“What is that?!” Trixie exclaimed.

“That’s Dragon Rush,” Serena said in awe. “That’s one of the dragon types strongest moves.”

“I’m kinda jealous, to be honest,” Zinnia remarked. “I haven't figured that one out yet.”

When Gible’s new attack landed, it sent Cacnea flying into the air, spinning uncontrollably. The cactus kept going until he reached a point where he perfectly blocked view of the sun from everyone present, and then the unexpected happened.

Cacnea’s body began glowing stark white, his form shifting to be taller, more sleek. His tiny crown morphed and extended into a large, triangular hat, and his rounded arms became much more cylindrical. His legs did the same, stretching and lengthening as they took on a new shape.

The new Pokémon shot to the ground, landing in a crouch. He stood slowly, bright yellow eyes peering out from below the brim of his hat.

“What was that?!” Trixie exclaimed, staring in awe at the grass type’s new appearance.

“That,” Zinnia stated, placing her hand proudly on Stongheart’s shoulder. “Was Cacnea evolving. The Pokémon before you now is a Cacturne.”

Serena pulled her pokédex and scanned the newly evolved Pokåmon. “Cacturne, the scarecrow Pokémon. During the daytime, Cacturne remains unmoving so that it does not lose any moisture to the harsh desert sun. This Pokémon becomes active at night when the temperature drops.”

“I haven’t seen an evolution in so long,” Serena awed. “It’s always so beautiful.”

“That it is, Serena.” Zinnia agreed, sighing happily. “I can’t wait until my son evolves. Oh, he’ll be so happy!”

“No fair!” Trixie cried, stamping her foot. “How come Trixie’s little dragon didn’t evolve?!”

“Gible will evolve when he’s ready, Trixie,” Serena said, trying to reassure the showgirl. “For now, focus on the battle. Strongheart has a bit of an edge now.”

“Right,” Trixie muttered, nodding as she turned around. “Trixie will still crush you!”

“You ready Nocturne?” Strongheart asked, earning a questioning glance from Zinnia. “I, uh… I decided on a name?” she chuckled nervously.

Zinnia held her gaze for a moment before smiling warmly. “I like it.”

Strongheart smiled widely, turning back to the fight with renewed vigour. “Alright Nocturne, use Ingrain to gain back some of your health!”

Nocturne quickly stamped both of his feet, embedding them in the ground where they immediately began absorbing the nutrients in the ground, using them to heal himself.

“Really?” Trixie sneered, crossing her arms. “You’ve made the mistake of locking yourself in again, and Trixie plans to use it to her advantage. Gible, use Dragon Rush!”

Gible rushed forward, the blue aura surrounding him and forming the beast once more. Strongheart watched silently for a moment before smirking, a small giggle escaping her lips.

“I’m not that stupid,” she said, before pointing at the approaching dragon. “Nocturne, combine Spiky Shield and Payback!” she shouted, and Nocturne responded by erecting a large dome of green energy, large spikes soon erupting from its surface. Gible, unfortunately, already had too much momentum behind his attack and thus couldn’t stop in time to avoid smashing into the barrier, the spikes causing his a small amount of damage. Before he could recover, Nocturne dropped the barrier and swung, catching Gible in the stomach with a hand imbued with dark energy, returning the damage that he would have taken twofold.

Gible tumbled backwards, stopping at Trixie’s feet. Nocturne pulled his feet from the ground as the blue girl knelt down to check on her Pokémon. She recoiled, however, when a familiar blue-white energy enveloped the dragon, his form growing and stretching much like Nocturne’s had. His legs became longer, moving to the sides of his body rather than the sides. His arms became more elongated, hands morphing into single claws as fins stretched from his forearms. His head fin dropped to his back as his neck stretched, head shrinking to give the drake a more streamlined design. His tail also stretched a little, remaining quite thick but looking much more powerful.

“Gabite!” the newly evolved Gabite proclaimed, standing tall in front of his trainer, despite being over a foot shorter than her.

“Gible… you evolved,” Trixie breathed in awe. “That’s, that’s amazing!”

“Huh, what are the chances they’d both evolve in the same battle?” Zinnia asked no one in particular, scratching her head in astonishment.

“The same chances you two would pop out of a ‘magic’ stream,” Sunset quipped.

“We didn’t. We fell into a crevice in… what was it Strongheart?”

“The Cave to Nowhere.” the buffalo girl provided, eyes glued to the gabite across the field from her.

“Ah, right. We actually have no idea how we ended up here.”

Serena took this chance to scan Gabite into her pokédex. “Gabite, the Cave Pokémon. Gabite loves sparkly things. It seeks treasures in caves and hoards the loot in its nest.”

“Looks like the show’s not over yet, eh Trixie?” she said with a smirk.

Trixie formed a smirk of her own. “No, no it is not. Are you ready Gabite?”

“Gabite!”

“That’s the spirit! Now get that overgrown weed with Slash!” Gabite took off with a new burst of speed, slashing his glowing white claw across the cacturne’s chest.

“Payback!” Strongheart retaliated, watching with a smirk as Nocturne countered with twice Gabite’s power. “Now, Sand Attack!” He followed through by kicking sand and dirt up, getting some of it in Gabite’s eyes.

“Bad idea~,” Serena sing-songed.

Gabites eyes burned red, only for them to return to normal a moment later and strike Cacturne with slash once again.

“Gabite’s ability is Sand Veil,” Trixie smirked. “Sure it’s full power is only revealed in a sandstorm, but no tiny bit of sand is going to make him any less effective. Dragon Claw!”

“Ga...bite!” the dragon type shouted out as it struck Cacturne’s face with his blue tipped claws.

“Let’s end this.” Strongheart growled, grinning madly with her eyes narrowed.

“Trixie agrees,” the showmare replied, mirroring Strongheart. “This needs to be finished.”

“Dragon Rush!”

“Sucker Punch!”

Both Pokémon charged forward, attacks primed before meeting in the middle. The full force of their attacks caused an explosion of dust and sand, obscuring the combatants from view.

Trixie was the first to see the results, gasping when she was greeted by the sight of Gabite laying on the ground, out cold.

“Yes!” Strongheart cried, pumping her fist in victory. “I won! C’mon, Nocturne, we wo-” she stopped when the rest of the dust cleared, revealing the cacturne in much the same condition as the gabite, lay on his face in the dirt.

Both trainers rushed to their Pokémon’s aide while the others stood, shocked.

Sunset was the first to break from her stupor. “Both Pokémon are unable to battle. It’s a draw! Both sides did very well.”

“That they did,” Serena said as she stepped over to Trixie and offered her a small golden gem. “Use this; it’s a revive, and it will bring Gabite back to half strength.”

Trixie nodded and took the gem, crushing it over Gabite. The dragon was covered in a golden aura that faded after a moment, Gabite coming back to consciousness with a small groan. “You did excellent, Gabite. Trixie is very proud of you.”

Strongheart watched as Nocturne’s feet subconsciously dug themselves into the dirt, the cacturne slowly regaining strength as it absorbed the nutrients in the ground.

“You did great too, Nocturne.” she said, gently stroking his arm. “I’ll make sure you get a reward when we get home.”

“Speaking of which,” Trixie said as she looked at the orange sky above. “Trixie’s mother will be wondering where she is soon. Trixie needs to be getting home. Gabite, return.” Trixie pointed the pokéball at Gabite, a red beam enveloping the dragon before being sucked in.

“Thanks for the battle, Trixie,” Strongheart said, standing and walking over to the showgirl. She held her hand out, a friendly smile on her face. “I’d love to do it again some time.”

“Trixie would love that too,” Trixie replied, before a smug smirk crept onto her face. “But Trixie will win next time.”

“Oh, really?”

“Uh oh,” Zinnia whispered, leaning in to Serena. “I think we may have sparked a rivalry by mistake.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Serena said with a smile. “Nothing helps motivate like a friendly competition. Brings out the best in us, I say. Pokémon does that to people; I’m sure you’ve seen it before.”

“No, actually. Strongheart’s the first in my Equestria, besides me, to have a Pokémon partner of her own. I’m hoping to get everyone to have at least one.”

“Uh, Zinnia?” Strongheart interrupted, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry, but… shouldn’t we get home too?”

“Oh, right! Of course,” she turned to Serena. “It was nice to meet you guys, but we should get going. You just need to say ‘Zinnia, our contract is complete’. That should work.”

“Alright, I suppose. It’s been nice getting to know a proper trainer again. And good luck with your world and…” she nodded at Zinnia’s stomach. “Your future, eh. Zinnia, our contract has been completed.”

“Thanks Serena. Hope you find Ash soon.”

With that, a large black dragon’s head burst from the ground at Zinnia and Little Strongheart’s feet, stars twinkling in it’s scales as it swallowed them both whole before bursting into a shimmering pink powder.

The three girls stared at the spot for a moment before Serena bent down and ran the dust through her fingers. “Stardust, amazing. I haven’t seen this stuff in ages.”

“Stardust? What is that?” Trixie asked.

“A very rare substance,” Sunset said as she started to pour the dust into a plastic baggie. “And might just be enough to bargain for next month’s rent with.”

“Score!” Serena cheered. “We got rent money, woo hoo!”

Trixie and Sunset laughed at Serena’s cheerfulness, all three of them laughing to themselves as they walked home. Little did they know that this wouldn’t be the most exciting thing to happen in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to find out.

We Saved the Crystal Gems!

Night had fallen by the time Zinnia and Strongheart returned to the Buffalo camp, nodding to the warriors standing guard outside Chief Thunderhooves’ tent. They visibly tensed when they saw the Cacturne following them, but after a brief explanation they allowed him through too.

They found the Chief, as well as Big Mac and Rainbow, sat on small boxes around a tall tree stump, using it as a makeshift table for their card game. Before either of them could say anything, Rainbow slammed her cards down on the table with a triumphant grin.

“Read’em and weep, boys!” the prismatic mare declared, pointing at her cards. “Two aces!” Zinnia moved closer, seeing that Rainbow did, indeed, have a pair of two’s.

“Hah!” the Chief barked, slamming his own cards down and revealing his hand. “Don’t be so cocky, Rainbow Dash! Straight!”

“Aww, damnit!” Rainbow slumped back onto her box-chair before turning to face Big Mac, who just sat there with a blank face. “What about you, Mac? You out?”

“Nope,” the red stallion said simply, placing his cards on the table before leaning back. Rainbow and the Chief stared in shock at Mac’s hand, a royal flush of Diamonds. The stallion smiled before leaning forward, gathering the small pile of bits in the centre of the table.

“Having fun everyone?” Zinnia asked, gaining their attention. “We didn’t find any trace of Silverstar, but we did find out where one of the Caves to Nowhere led.”

“WHAAAT!?”

Zinnia spent the next hour or so explaining what she and Little Strongheart had been up to. Chief Thunderhooves, while proud of his daughter’s achievement, was still upset at the fact that they had so carelessly wandered into a cave that was known for making the curious disappear.

Eventually, the Draconid decided that it was time for bed, excusing herself and heading to her tent. Once inside she stripped down to her underwear, folding the clothes up and leaving them at the head of her bedroll before lying down. She lay there for a while, slowly letting herself fall into sleep’s sweet embrace, until a voice rang out in her head.

”Help us… please…”

“Gah!” Zinnia cried, quickly reaching out to grab the pile of her clothes. “Can’t I just have a five minute nap!? I swear, sometimes it’s like there’s some guy deciding when I get summoned.”

With that said, Zinnia crossed her arms, scowling as she sank into the black portal that opened below her.

Peridot was waiting at the top of the stairs; she looked around to see if anyone was coming when she heard footsteps. She turned and saw Pearl standing at the door. She readied her blaster while Pearl just stood there. Her opponent's gem lit up as Peridot was blinded by the light.

When it died down, the green gem was completely surrounded by dozens upon dozens of hologram Pearls. They all immediately charged at her as she fired smaller shots. However, many dodged and she was forced on the defensive as she tried to dodge many of their attacks. She was cut numerous times as well as bruised and bumped. Her attacks only got a few as they all kept dodging and then relentlessly slashing at her with their spears. This went on for ages as began to get sluggish. She was backed up against a window she panted, one of the hologram Pearls shot a blast from their spear blowing her out of the window where she fell to the ground.

She landed on her back so as to not crack her gem but it still took everything she had to keep her physical form intact. She rolled onto her front just in time to see Malachite disappear back into Lapis and Jasper while Sugilite released a monstrous cackle. She was surrounded by crystal debris and cracks in the path. She saw two small items in front of her that the found herself drawn to. She dragged herself towards them with her arms to get a closer look. One was a corkscrew-shaped draconic trinket made of a blue metal, an odd gemstone embedded in the dragon’s head, and the other was a small, sky blue pendant shaped like a small oval, wrapped in a silver band. The pendant seemed to have an inscribing on the back, and Peridot took a moment to scan the words.

“I raise my blade in honour of you, the Displaced of the Multiverse. Place this amulet around your neck and call for Ace, and my blade will pierce the hearts of your foes!”

She held it in her hand, she would’ve dismissed it as some family heirloom that some crystal pony had lost while they were running away but she could feel a certain energy radiating off of it. The other trinket seemed to somehow speak directly into her mind when she grabbed it, the voice sounding distinctly female.

“For those of you in need, whether it’s in a fight or you just need some advice, I am here. Merely hold this trinket and call my name and I will be there. I am Zinnia. I am a Draconid. I am the Delta Guardian!”

She was still struggling to keep her form together; she didn’t have time to question what was going on.

“Help us… please…”

Two portals opened in the air in front of the wounded Gem, completely black save for the small stars she could see within. From these portals, two people appeared - a man and a woman.

The man fell from his portal as though hopping off a ledge, dropping to one knee when he landed with a short sword strapped to his belt. Snow clung to his simple crimson chestpiece, the only armour he wore, as well as his simple, dark blue jeans and black hiking boots. He glanced up for a moment before pulling out a golden visor, placing it on his face to protect his slate-grey eyes from the powerful winds that caused his shoulder-length black hair to whip about chaotically, three vertical white streaks still clear.

The woman, on the other hand, fell out of the portal as though she had just pulled herself out of bed, shown by the fact that she wore nothing but a silken purple bra with dark blue lace and matching panties. She flopped to the snow-covered floor, not even bothering to stand up as she began to pull the rest of her clothes on - a pair of black hot pants and a red sleeveless shirt with black markings forming a large, hollow triangle, with a smaller, solid triangle splitting the larger one’s base, both pointing upwards. A pair of red sneakers was pulled on after simple white socks, and a beige-coloured cloak covered everything else once pinned around her neck. She too had black hair, though hers had no highlights and was cut shorter, reaching just past her ears. Crimson eyes found Peridot’s prone form, their owner quickly rushing over with the aid of her purple wings to check on the Gem.

“Oh my God, are you okay!?” the woman cried, gaining the man’s attention. He promptly rushed to Peridot’s other side, searching the surrounding area for her attacker.

“I’m fi- argh!” She found that her right leg didn’t seem to be working properly. “I have.. to get… back up there.” She looked up at the window she had fallen from high up from the castle. She also noticed Sombra-Sugilite getting closer to said castle.

“Oh, no,” the man snapped, glaring down at Peridot. “You’re not going back into a fight when you've been hurt this bad. Hold on.” He closed his eyes for a moment, one hand on his sword, before a golden light encompassed the blade, transforming it into a pair of fingerless white gloves with golden lines running over them, meeting in a small circle on each palm.

“There’s no time, dammit!” She protested. “The condition of my physical form is irrelevant right now. He’s already getting closer to the tower!”

“Hold still,” the man ordered, placing his palms on either side of Peridot’s head. The golden light appeared in both of his hands before seeming to flow over the Gem, her eyes going wide as she felt her injuries healing themselves, if only a little bit.

“Whoa,” the woman breathed, staring wide-eyed at the man. “That was pretty cool.” She paused, squinting at him slightly. “Y’know, you look familiar…” She was interrupted from her thoughts as the huge footsteps got closer. Looking up, her face paled as she caught first sight of the mace-wielding behemoth moving towards them. “What the hell is that!?”

“It’s Sugilite!” Peridot glared at the giant. “And if either of you have anything that can defeat her that’d be great since our last defence just split back into two!”

“I need weaknesses, now!” the man barked, eyes fixed on Sugilite. “What’s she from, how did they stop her before, that sort of thing!”

“Well I’d say try to get both of her halves out of sync, but they’re currently both being controlled.”

“Wait, controlled?” the woman asked, gritting her teeth as Peridot nodded. “Damnit, more mind control! I’ll tear the bastard out myself!” she added, flaring her wings and rocketing off towards Sugilite.

“Damn,” the man muttered, looking up and seeing a hologram Pearl stood in the opening she had blasted Peridot through. “Friend of yours?” he asked, helping the green gem to her feet.

“She’s just one of them.” Peridot sighed. She activated her helicopter fingers and flew up. The man held his hands together, a sky blue light covering his gloves, pulling them together and lengthening them to form a katana, following after her by simply walking up what appeared to be an invisible staircase, sweeping the air in front of him as he went.

“I’m Ace by the way.”

“My name is Peridot.”

“What can we expect from her?” He pointed at the holo-Pearl.

“You can expect more of her; lots more.” As they reached the top of the window, they saw fifty or so more with their spears pointed out the shattered window.

“Unregistered combatant detected.” The one in front of the window said.

“Looks like fun,” the man said with a grin, lifting his sword. “Right buddy?”

“Right, Ace. We shall bring them a swift end!” a voice cried, echoing in Peridot’s ears.

“Who said that?” Peridot looked around.

“Oh, right. Peridot, meet my sword of multiple names. Right now, he’s Kaze no Ran’na. There’s a spirit bound to it.”

“... Not even gonna ask.” She rubbed her temple with her floating fingers. “You wanted weaknesses? Fine, these holograms are fragile as hell but very agile and expert sword fighters.” They jumped through the window and hit the Pearl in front, knocking her down. She nearly faded away, and was about to get up when Ace impaled her with his sword, quickly spinning around and flinging her into the remaining holograms, sending a small cyclone after her. The rest rushed the two. One jumped off of the wall and tried to get Ace from above, but he merely ducked, swinging his sword up and behind and slicing the hologram’s head off, causing it to disappear.

“That’s just creepy,” he said, turning to the remaining copies. “How many did you say there were?”

“Around fifty.”

“Fantastic.”

Zinnia slowed to a stop as she approached the massive, red and grey fusion above.She glared at it for a moment before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Okay,” she muttered. “Need to be careful. She’s probably a Displaced of some kind, so I can’t hurt her too much.” Zinnia sighed, bringing her hands together. “Focus Energy.”

“And who might you be? I’ve never seen anything quite like you before.” She could hear a deep male voice, but also hints of a female one that sounded oddly like Nicki Minaj. Zinnia looked up, recoiling when she saw the massive grey face of the possessed Sugilite.

“Oh, I’m just a visitor,” she replied calmly, going so far as to yawn. “Gotta say, it’s been pretty boring so far.”

“Well, if you don’t move out of my way I can make things… exciting. Although, I don’t think you want the type of exciting that I possess.”

“Well that depends,” Zinnia flew a little closer, looking the Sombra-Gem in the eye with a lidded gaze. “Are you talking about the type of exciting that happens in the bedroom? ‘Cuz I wouldn’t mind exploring all of you.” She paused, flying back a bit. “Then again, you’ve been destroying this pretty little place, and I don’t think that’s very nice.” She smirked at the monolith, crossing her arms. “So no, I won’t move. Instead, I’ll do this. Dragon Wall!!!!”

With that, Zinnia created hundreds of clones using Double Team before having them all use Dragon Breath at once, the wall of draconic flames engulfing Sugilite in a cloud of purple fury. The fusion didn’t even have time to block as she was bombarded with nothing but pure destructive energy. She stumbled back a considerable distance before regaining her composure.

“Do you really think that will stop me?!” She roared, with the female voice sounding slightly louder than before. “Nothing can! Not Lapis or Jasper and certainly not you!” She gestured towards the two gems lying on the ground behind her. Her one visible eye lit up, causing Zinnia to become trapped in a levitation spell. She was thrown into a building, which Sugilite then brought her fist down on.

“Ha! Nopony can stand against me now!” the Gem bellowed, beginning to walk away while laughing.

Zinnia crouched down, having brought up a Protect just before Sugilite had collapsed the building on her.

“Okay, gotta stay positive…” she muttered, even as she ground her teeth together. “He thinks I’m out now, so I’ve got some surprise.... dammit!” She cried, punching the nearest piece of debris, which shattered instantly. “Well, may as well get back out there.” Zinnia shot out of what remained of the building’s ceiling before calling out to Sugilite.

“Hey ugly!” she cried, reaching into her pocket with one hand. When Sugilite turned around, staring at her in shock, she smirked and pulled out her iPod. “Get a load ‘a my Swagger!” With a tap of the screen, electronic music started playing, with a man simply stating how frequently he shuffled. Zinnia began to walk in place to the music, sometimes moonwalking, sometimes full-on breakdancing.

“... What are you doing?” Sombra- Sugilite asked as the music continued while Zinnia kept dancing. “... Stop it.” She ignored the giant and kept dancing. “Is that music? It annoys me, stop that infernal device!” Once again, the gem was ignored. “I said STOP IT!” The Nicki Minaj voice roared, while the male voice went quieter. She stomped on the ground in anger and annoyance before aimlessly walking around with no clear intent of where she was going. “Where the hell am I?! Where’s that piece of shit Sombra?! What’s all this junk?!”

“Sugilite!” Zinnia cried, gaining the gem’s attention. “I don’t know how long we’ve got, but Sombra’s in your head! You need to fight him!” She flew closer to Sugilite’s face, her hand glowing orange. “I’m sorry about this!” she yelled before swinging her fist round, punching Sugilite in the nose and knocking her over.

“What, you want some? Sombra can wait, I’ll destroy you, ya little brat!” She bellowed as she got up.

Lapis and Jasper woke up, clenching their heads as they tried to remember what had just happened.

“Sombra… Sugilite… The Heart!!” Jasper’s eyes widened. They saw Sugilite in the distance, she appeared to be yelling at someone. They quickly rushed towards the scene and got a full view of what was happening. Sugilite was advancing over what appeared to be… a human! They went faster and Lapis grabbed her, saving her from the impending fist that slammed into the ground where she once stood.

“Y- You’re a human!” Lapis gasped.

“How are you here? How is this even possible?” Jasper was just a confused as Lapis.

“Not now!” Zinnia cried, quickly erecting a Protect as Sugilite threw another punch at them. “Peridot said something about splitting Sugilite up, How do we do that!?”

“We need to get Her two halves to disagree about something, and it needs to be something big enough to make Sugilite come undone.” They looked back at her, she was about to swing her mace but she threw her head back and cringed, Sombra’s voice was becoming more present once again.

“Whatever you did, it’s wearing off!” Jasper warned.

“Look, I can get Sombra to back down for a bit,” Zinnia said, flaring her wings. “But you two need to figure out how to get her split! And don’t watch!” With that, Zinnia shot into the air, gaining Sugilite’s attention as she played another song, dancing erratically along to it. Sombra-Sugilite stared at her for a moment before roaring in confused rage.

“Stop playing those dumb songs before I smash you into pieces!” She ran towards Zinnia.

“... So, you got anything?” Jasper asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” Lapis tapped her chin.

“... Wait.” Jasper got an idea. “What was strong enough to poof Sugilite in the show?”

“What?”

“Her own mace!” Jasper pointed to the object the burgundy gem was pulling towards Zinnia. Lapis grabbed the mace while Jasper ran in front of Sugilite below Zinnia.

“Sugilite!” The gem looked down.

“What?”

“Uuh, let’s think.” Jasper tapped her chin like Lapis did before getting an idea. “I’ve got it! What’s your favourite hobby?”

“Seriously!?” Zinnia cried. “This is your plan!? You’re hitting on her!?”

“That’s a dumb question, it’s obviously relaxing/ fighting monsters.” Two more voices spoke. “I mean, uh, it’s…” Sugilite began to shudder. Soon, a giant water hand made from the snow emerged from the snow behind her holding the mace and slammed it on her head. She erupted into smoke and disappeared, two other gems in her place were falling to the ground.

Ace grunted, pushing back against a strike from a holo-Pearl with his katana. He quickly dropped to his knees, slashing through the hologram’s abdomen and watching it dissolve. The final three ran towards them, but Peridot let out a large blast catching one while Ace slashed the other two. There were no more holograms left. They panted as they were alone in the room.

“... Twilight!” Peridot gasped. “The original has to be with Twilight! She’s down those stairs!” She pointed at the stairs in the centre of the room.

“Right!” Ace replied, racing for the stairs as his sword glowed green, morphing into a forest green whip with red thorns. He flicked his wrist, causing the whip to wrap around a rail in the lowering stairwell, which he then used to swing all the way down.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike were at the top of the castle. They backed away from the real Pearl who was towering over them. There were also four lasers pointed at her while Pearl advanced. Twilight backed away, her hooves touching the area around the Heart which she tried to grab. Pearl stopped for a moment as she gasped. Her colour scheme changed like Sugilite’s had done so her skin was now shades of grey with black hair along with red clothes. Sombra had lost Sugilite, he couldn’t lose Pearl. He had to grab the Crystal Heart and go.

“The Heart, now!” Sombra- Pearl snapped.

When Twilight failed to comply, Sombra-Pearl growled in annoyance, raising her spear to strike the mare down. When she tried to do so, however, she found her spear torn from her grip, turning to find it clatter to the ground at Ace’s feet.

“I don’t think so, missy,” the man said, placing his foot on the blade of the spear. With a powerful yank, the spear’s handle split in two.

“There’s plenty more where that came from.” She pulled out another spear from her gem as she dashed towards Twilight, but was smacked away quickly by Ace. She growled as Ace stood between her and the Heart.

“The other one already did enough, I’m not going to let you ruin all of my hard work!” She yelled as she ran up to Ace, attempting to slash at him. Ace grabbed further down his whip with the other hand, raising it and pulling it tight to block the attack before wrapping what he could around Sombra-Pearl’s wrist and leaping away. The gem just stared at her wrist for a moment before crying out, Ace having swung her into the nearest pillar. She emerged with a jump attack, throwing Ace on the defensive as he dodged a flurry of strikes. However, one of them got him as the spear made its mark on his stomach. He jumped back and didn’t notice the shadow engulf him before it was too late. Sombra- Pearl went to deliver the final blow but found herself immobilized.

“I got you!” Peridot grinned as she held the gem in her tractor beam.

“Keep her there!” Ace cried, abandoning the whip for the gloves, using their golden light to free himself from the shadows ensnaring him. When he saw the shadows retreat as though afraid of the light, a hopeful smile rose on his face. “I have an idea!”

“Well do it quick!” Peridot grunted, straining against Sombra-Pearl’s attempts to free herself.

Ace moved towards the trapped gem, golden light shining from his gloves, growing brighter and brighter as he approached before, eventually, he reached out, placing a hand on the back of Pearl’s head and the other over her gem, keeping her still. The light seemed to spread through her body as she let out an agonised scream, shining from her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and causing her skin to brighten once more, her clothes returning to their normal colours.

Sombra emerged, but Spike had the heart and he was escaping. Peridot was frozen in fear as she was in the presence of the king once again. He glared back at her as he summoned a bunch of black crystals to follow. Shining Armour and Cadence noticed Spike and Shining through Cadence to catch him. Spike landed safely on the floor while Cadence guided the Crystal Heart back to its original place.

“It’s over, Sombra!” Ace shouted, taking the shadow king’s attention away from Peridot. “The Heart is in place, and soon enough you’ll be ejected from the empire, probably destroyed by the goodness within.” It was true, the Crystal Ponies were getting happier at the return of the true Crystal Heart.

“I won’t go, not now, not ever!” He growled. He tried to lash out at the two, but found cracks on his body.

“I told you. The Heart’s powering up, and you’re right in the epicentre of the blast.”

"Grrr." He turned his attention back to Peridot.

"I'll you soon, Peri." His body finally broke into pieces, leaving only a mist that dissolved in the air. The crystal ponies down below were happier than they had been in years. They didn't care about the broken buildings right now, they were just happy that they no longer had to deal with Sombra. Peridot sank to her knees as she took a deep breath and laughed. She was free, Lapis was free, Jasper was free, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were free. Speaking of which, Pearl was currently groaning on the floor. Peridot and Ace picked her up.

"We should probably regroup with our friends."

"Yeah." Ace replied. “Say, who was that other girl you summoned?”

“I don’t know.” Peridot shrugged. “She looked like Zinnia from the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire remakes. Why do you ask?”

“She just…” he paused, running a hand through his hair. “She seemed… familiar.”

“Well we can get back and ask them.”

Lapis, Jasper and Zinnia were resting under a crashed building while the rest of the crystal ponies were admiring the heart. Ruby, Sapphire and Amethyst were placed carefully on the ground while the three displaced waited for either the remaining gems to wake up or for Ace and Peridot to return.

“So…” Lapis began. “Uuh, how did you get here?”

Zinnia looked up from the slice of Crystal Berry Pie she had somehow gotten her hands on, the juices staining her mouth blue. “Green dorito head summoned me. She was dying, or something, and asked for help.”

“You mean Peridot?” Jasper asked. “Wait, dying? Was her gem cracked?!”

“Gem?” She paused, shoving what remained of her pie in her mouth before swallowing. “What gem?”

“Like this.” Jasper pointed to her crystalline nose while Lapis turned around and showed her back. “Gems are the core of our beings, they allow us to shape our physical form, which is our bodies. They’re like holograms… with mass.”

“And what a mass it is…” the woman muttered, her eyes roaming over both Jasper and Lapis before she realised something. “Wait, was hers in her forehead?”

“Yeah, it was.” Lapis piped up. “If our gems are broken, then we’ll die. It’s pretty much the only thing that can kill us, though I think we can still be poisoned, I can’t remember the details. If our physical forms are damaged, they revert back into our gems and it can take weeks to properly reform. We’re completely vulnerable when that happens. If we wanted to keep our form together when it was damaged, it’d take a huge effort.”

“That’d explain why she seemed so tired…” Zinnia frowned, staring at the cave wall in thought. “I’m… pretty sure her gem was okay. Seemed smooth enough.”

“That’s a huge relief.” Jasper sighed. “Considering we don’t exactly have any healing tears or spit with us.”

“I’m… not going to ask… but she did summon another guy. He had some kind of shape-changing sword that he used to heal her, so… yeah.”

“He sounds like a nice guy, I’d love to meet him.” Lapis commented as she looked up into the sky. The blizzards were no more and were instead replaced with lush grass as well as a shining sun. “This’ll take a lot of effort to rebuild.” She sighed. “Which means we’ll probably be here longer, which is annoying since the crystal ponies can’t stand us… not that I blame them.”

“Hey, far as I can tell you guys are sorry for whatever you did. And with how scared you seemed to be of that Sombra guy - yeah, I noticed that,” she added, eyeing Jasper as she fidgeted. “I’d wager he used his mind control on you at one point or another. Just apologise and take it slow, I’m sure they’ll warm up to you.”

“He had seemed so kind when we first met him.” Lapis let out another sigh. “He took us in when no one else would, he even gave us jobs. We were ‘protecting’ the Empire. Soon, we began to see through it. That’s when he used full- on manipulation. I don’t know what we did at that time, but we’re grateful for these guys saving us from it.” She looked down at the three gems.

“Yeah, about that…” Zinnia glanced at each of the gemstones that had been placed around the area. “This whole thing seems familiar, so I need to ask. Does the name ‘Steven’ mean anything to you?”

“Yeah, it’s the name of the show our forms are based off of; ‘Steven Universe’.” Jasper explained.

“Well, where I came from, I was in a mental asylum - don’t ask,” she said quickly, holding up a hand to stop any questions. “One of the others was this tubby guy who was thrown in because… well, he thought his mom and sisters were sentient gemstones from space.” She gave the two gems a pointed look, leaning forward.

“I bet his name was Ronaldo.” Jasper snickered under her breath before clearing her throat. “Well, ‘sentient gemstones from space’ does sum up the main cast of that show. It was about a little kid who was a half- human and half ‘sentient gemstone’. We somehow got turned into the villains from that show. And then there are these guys.” She gestured to the gems on the ground “They became the heroes from the show. I’m pretty sure they all used to be human like us as well.”

“Well, long story short, you’re Displaced.” All three turned to see Peridot and Ace walking up to them. “You probably bought something from some shady guy, or were gifted something bought from a shady guy, or something like that, and were sent to Equestria.”

“Well, Jasper got her gem as a present from her parents, Peri got hers for her mum’s birthday and I bought mine on a bad day.” Lapis gave a brief description of how they got their items. “Something just made us drawn to the items he was selling.”

“Yeah… Mine was different.” Everyone turned to see Zinnia staring into space with a dopey grin on her face.

“Not… going to ask,” Ace sighed. “Look, I know this’ll seem weird, but you seem really familiar.” He held out a hand, and Zinnia took it hers, shaking. “I’m Ace, have we met before?”

Zinnia stared at him for a moment, awestruck. “...Ace?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes. “Ace… it’s me… Zoey…”

They stood there, staring at each other for a time, before Ace pulled Zinnia in a tight hug, knocking his visor off as tears streamed down his face.

“Quick question…” Peridot walked up in front of them. “What’s going on? Do you two know each other, or something?”

Ace looked up at the green gem, a massive smile on his face. “Peridot,” he said before turning to the other two. “Other… people, this,” he grasped Zinnia’s shoulder, giving it a little shake, making her giggle. “This is my sister.”

“And he,” Zinnia added, giving Ace a playful punch. “Is the reason I was in the asylum I told you about.”

“Wait, you two are siblings?” Lapis asked and the two nodded happily. “Oh my god, I’m so happy for you two! Get closer together right now!” She pushed them closer together with her wings.

“You might want to let go of them, Lapis.” Peridot said with concern in her voice.

“Right, sorry.” She smiled it off as she let the two go, allowing them to catch their breath.

“Not…” Zinnia wheezed, a hand on her chest. “Not a problem.”

“Wait,” Ace shouted suddenly, causing the others to jump. “We live in different universes now!” He added, starting to panic. “And what are the chances that we get each other’s tokens! Oh, sweet Luna! I can’t lose you again!”

“I can actually fix that,” the woman said with a smirk, turning to the Gems. “Who has our tokens? The anklet and… what was yours?”

“An amulet.”

“You mean these?” Peridot asked, holding the two trinkets up. Zinnia thanked the gem, taking them and standing in the centre of their little camp.

“Now, don’t freak out,” she said before closing her eyes, a white glow enveloping her. “Double Team!”

At her words, Zinnia created a single copy of herself, the copy walking calmly walking over to Ace and handing him the two token copies before fading away. The original Zinnia then swapped then took the copy of Ace’s token, handing the originals back to Peridot.

“...Well,” Ace breathed, a small smile on his face. “That’s certainly something for the reunions.”

“Tokens?” Peridot cocked her head at the man holding the ankle bracelet.

“Oh, right!” Zinnia gasped, placing Ace’s token around her neck. “A token is something that other Displaced can use to call you if they need help.”

“It’s something that’s unique to you,” Ace added, holding Zinnia’s anklet up. “A lot of them have a message of some kind. I carved mine into the back, and Zinnia recorded a voice message.”

Zinnia picked it up once more. “You send it out into the Void, and some special energy makes an infinite number of copies and throws them randomly across the Displaced section of the Multiverse.”

“Okay.” Peridot, Lapis and Jasper gathered around. They each poured their energy into one spot and created their token. It resembled the triforce, but the triangles were light green, tangerine and indigo. There was also a yellow triangle placed in the middle of the other three. It was the same size as Peridot’s wrist (if she had one, that is).

“To those who fight for power!

For knowledge!

For freedom!

The Homeworld Gems will come to your aid! Call upon us so we can fight or we can chat, it’s up to you.”

The symbol shot off into the multiverse, two of them landing in the hands of Zinnia and Ace.

“Wow, so… What now?” Peridot asked, before the gems behind them began to glow, Pearl groaning from her position on the floor.

“Wha… where are we?” She looked around, seeing Zinnia, Ace and the Homeworld gems. Behind her, there were two gasps as Ruby and Sapphire saw that they were exactly that; Ruby and Sapphire. They calmed down when they saw each other on opposite ends of the room. Jasper snickered once again as they ran towards each other. Sapphire running reminded them about a song about another small blue character going fast.

“Huh,” Zinnia stated, watching as the tiny red and blue gems smashed into each other, performing a rushed dance before turning into a white light and merging together, becoming a single, much taller gem with deep burgundy skin and a large, boxed afro wearing a red-and-black jumpsuit. “Neat.”

“Yeah.” The box- head replied. “Get up, Amethyst.”

“Ugh, do we have to? She’s probably listening to that dumb music again.”

“Would you have preferred Nicki Minaj?”

“If we were fused, I might say yes.”

“Uh, sorry about all that back there,” Zinnia said, slightly ashamed. “I was trying to use a Pokemon move, Swagger, and that’s just how my instincts told me to.” She paused, fishing the iPod out of her pocket. “I can access anything that’s on YouTube, though. I could give you something else to say sorry.”

“Wait, how can you get YouTube?” Ace asked.

“Interdimensional Wi-Fi, a gift from... “ Zinnia paused, blushing furiously. “A friend…”

Meanwhile, Peridot was letting the word ‘Wi-Fi’ sink in as she stood completely still for a few moments. “...Wi-Fi.” At that moment, she could only think of three words to describe how she currently felt. “Gimme, gimme, gimme!” She lunged for the device.

“Whoa there!” Zinnia cried, leaping away. “What’s up with her?” she asked, looking to Jasper and Lapis for answer as she took to the air.

“Peri used to love going on the internet…” Lapis paused for a moment. “And she hasn’t been near it for over 1,000 years.”

“To be honest,” Ace said with a sigh. “I’d probably be the same way.”

“You’re not helping, y’know!” Zinnia shrieked as she dodged Peridot’s now-airborne attempts to grab the device in her hand. “How do I get her to stop!?”

“We’ll tell you once we have an answer.” Jasper rubbed the back of her head sheepishly while Lapis averted her eyes snickering.

“You won’t escape me, floating iPod!”

Zinnia growled in frustration, narrowing her eyes at the green gem. “Enough!” she Roared, throwing the gem back with her voice. “Look! Do you have any kind of computer, and I will give you the God damn password!!!”

“Yeah, couldn’t you do that one thing with your fingers?” Jasper questioned, having had her fun watching Peridot’s struggle, but decided to elaborate when Zinnia eyed her curiously. “Yeah, you could make a screen with your fingers or something. There were lots of things that Peridot could do with her fingers.” She inwardly slapped herself at the wording of the last part of the sentence.

“Amazingly,” Zinnia deadpanned. “I’m too upset to make a dirty joke. Hodgepodge is probably slapping himself stupid right now.” She sighed, bringing the iPod up and swiping the screen repeatedly. “Just do the finger thing and I’ll find the password for you. It should work for you.”

While Jasper sighed in relief, Peridot, having composed herself, made a screen with four of the fingers on her left hand while the remaining finger was used to operate the screen. She looked up as Zinnia snorted, seeing the Draconid with a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

“Okay,” she wheezed, hunching over. “Okay, that cheered me up.” At the confused looks she received, she chuckled again, putting the device in her pocket. “The person who gave me the iPod set the password herself,” she giggled before leaning closer to Peridot, whispering in her ear. After a moment, Peridot’s mint-green cheeks turned a bright crimson, and she quickly tapped the password into her screen.

“Well I guess it doesn’t matter.” Peridot cleared her throat and tried to clear her mind. “She’s getting one hell of an internet bill. Even more so now for that password.”

“She told me I could share if I wanted,” Zinnia said with a smile. “So it shouldn’t be too big of a deal. I mean, she’s an inter-dimensional being with God-like powers, so she probably has, like, unlimited free Wi-Fi or something.”

“Well, let it be known that I tried,” the gem declared before opening a bunch of tabs, “How does this work anyway? What’s the internet like 1,000 years into the future? I wonder what YouTube’s design is like… Oh God no.” She closed the tab quickly.

“What’s up?” Ace asked, raising a brow at the gem’s reaction.

“What has been seen cannot be unseen.” Peridot whispered.

“The hell did you open?” Zinnia muttered, leaning round to try and see the screen. “Some kind of super kinky porn?”

“She probably just saw YouTube with a new design or some crap like that.” Jasper rolled her eyes. “Whatever it is, I bet it’s not that…” Moments later, Jasper was repeatedly banging her head on a wall nearby.

“Dammit, you’re gonna have to get used to it sooner or later!” Zinnia shouted, Ace just stood shaking his head at the gems.

“I know YouTube changed a lot,” Ace said. “And it was annoying for a while, but it’s not that bad.”

“You don’t understand!” Peridot grabbed him by the shirt and shook him with her one free hand. “Right now, I’m just glad that gems don’t need to sleep!”

“I agree with Ace; it can’t be that bad.” Pearl spoke behind them. She had been up for a while and was just watching them bicker. “I’ll even take a look myself, I’m sure you two are just…” She stood there, her eyes were locked on the screen for a while, with no movement.

She poofed.

Her gem fell to the ground before Lapis picked it up and stared at the screen.

“Wait no!” Jasper warned. “Don’t look at it dire-”

“Neat.” Lapis shrugged and sat down.

“Finally! “ Zinnia sighed. “Someone who’s not afraid of a new design!” She pointed at the pearl in Lapis’ hands. “And she is a wuss.”

“Who’s in charge of YouTube now?” Jasper stopped banging her head to ask a question.

“Google, I think,” Ace said, placing a hand on his chin in thought. “They ripped off Facebook, too.”

“Whatever you do,” Zinnia chimed in, looking Jasper directly in the eye. “Don’t let Peridot go on Google Plus.”

“You will all submit to your new God!” A voice from the screen roared.

“Uuh, who’s in charge of Google at his point?”

“I never really cared enough to find out,” Ace said.

“Me neither,” Zinnia agreed, nodding sagely. “But now to the matter at hand, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?!?!”

“I’m guessing that’s who’s in charge of Google now.” Lapis speculated. “If not, I have no idea.”

Zinnia stared at the floating, green-tinted screen. “That’s never happened to mine...”

“You will all rue the day you defied Goo-” The voice was cut off as Peridot fooled around with the coding.

“Well I shouldn’t be hearing that voice anymore.” Peridot sighed happily.

“And with that,” Ace said, stretching. “Is there anything else you guys need any help with? I wouldn’t mind a little more time away from home. I’m dealing with both Rarity and Twilight trying to make me some armour.” He paused, knocking on the breastplate he wore. “It took three days to design this thing, then another week to make it. Not to mention the enchantments!”

“I’d be okay with staying too, but not for too long,” Zinnia agreed. “I was in the middle of something when you summoned me and I’d very much like to get back to it.”

“Uuh, I don’t think so. Unless you want to help clear everything up.” Peridot reasoned.

“Although.” Garnet appeared behind them. “Perhaps you could tell us a bit about ‘displaced’.”

20 minutes later, Garnet, Amethyst and the forcibly reformed Pearl were in the process of making their token. They made a white star with gems on all points except the top.

“We are the Crystal Gems. We’ll always save the day, so call upon us to fight beside you!” With that, their token shot off into the multiverse.

“I think that’s about it.” Lapis shrugged, as she finished moving the piece of debris out of the street. “So how do we make you two go back to your own universes?”

“You just need to say ‘our contract is complete’,” Zinnia said, bending down and grabbing the copies of the Crystal Gem’s that had fallen in front of her and handing one to Ace. “That’s what’s worked for me so far.”

“Me too,” Ace added. “We’ll have to keep in touch, I’d love to get to know you guys more.”

“Yeah,” Zinnia sighed, “These weren't exactly the best conditions to meet. And I’d love to find out what else Peri’s fingers can do…” She looked to the green gem with half-lidded eyes, waggling her eyebrows at her and causing her to blush.

“Theeere it is.” Jasper commented.

“Well, I do hope that we meet again.” Lapis added. “And… I’m glad that you found your brother.” She smiled sadly.

“Yeah…” Zinnia replied as Ace wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Me too.”

“Okay, here we go…” Peridot took a deep breath. ”Thank you so much for everything you two have done and our contract is complete.”

Ace and Zinnia turned to each other, smiling sadly. Below Zinnia, a black dragon head rose, stars dotting it’s scales as it closed its jaws around her before bursting into a pile of pink stardust. Ace, however, seemed to collapse in on himself, the air around him distorting as he condensed into a multi-hued light that then shot skywards, disappearing into the atmosphere.

Now, it was just the Crystal Gems and the Homeworld Gems. They stood together in the still very wrecked city. They had won, Sombra had lost, and they had a lot of catching up to do… After they met up with Princess Cadence and helped clean up, of course. With that, they left for the castle.

"Finally," Zinnia sighed, collapsing on her bedroll. "Some sleep." With that, the Draconid woman quickly fell asleep.

When she woke the next morning, it was to the sounds of pure chaos. She stuck her head out of her tent to see Bloodborne and another Nightmare-infected stallion, this one an Earth Pony wearing a blue denim vest, dirty brown jeans and a red ascot. A black cowboy hat sat on his head, remaining firmly in place even as he spun around, throwing sharpened metal stars at the panicking Buffalo tribesmen.

"One day," Zinnia groaned. "Just one fucking day without any drama, please world? Can ya give me that?" She sighed, marching out of her tent and gaining the attention of both Nightmare stallions.

"Well howdy there, lil' lady!" the newcomer drawled. "Wha's a pretty young thang lahk you doin' out here? Hoo, boy! Ye'd make a nace sleeve for mah naht-time endeavors an' what-not!"

Zinnia stared at the stallion for a moment before turning to Bloodborne. "Really?" she asked, looking between the two stallions. "Really?"

Enter the Overlady

Zinnia sighed, holding her hand out, palm up.

"If my luck stays the way it's been going," she said, glaring at the stallion in front of her. "Then a token's gonna land right in my hand any second now." A pause. "Right about now." Another pause, and Zinnia threw her hands up in exasperation. "Whelp, looks like I'm alone!"

A small, raindrop-shaped talisman made of raw iron fell, its leather string falling perfectly around her neck. She sighed, lifting the talisman and eyeing the etching of a horned helmet as a woman's voice rang out in her head.

To you, who hold this trinket. No matter if you wish to conquer or to protect. No matter if you wish to destroy or to create. I do not care if your Intents are black, white or any shade of grey, call my name and I will come. But be prepared for the judge of our actions will be Time alone.

I am Umbra, the Overlady.

The Mistress of Minions.

And this is my token.  

"Yes! Look, Umbra, Overlady, whatever, I need your help here!”

Taking another swing at the practice dummy with Mayhem, I fought down the urge to cackle like a madwoman. Gnarl had been right about that I might be able to become somewhat resistant against my new blades side effect.

I wiped my forehead as I suddenly heard another woman's voice ring out //Yes! Look, Umbra, Overlady, whatever, I need your help here!//

"Da fuq?" I wondered, only to feel a slightly familiar pull at my very core "Oh, oh damn, oh damn..." I cursed as I ran over to where I had deposited my helmet during my training. Just as I reached it and managed to put it on, blue light erupted from underneath my feet and once again, I was whisked away.  

As soon as the light faded and the minimal nausea faded, I looked around to see where I had ended up this time.

Zinnia ducked under another attack from Bloodborne, smirking when a bright blue light flashed behind the possessed stallion. When the light faded, a tall figure appeared, dressed head to toe in black armour, a crimson tunic over its breastplate. A silver, skull-like pauldron covered her left shoulder, with a brown, fingerless leather glove.

"Yo!" Zinnia called, gaining the figure's attention just as a floating white creature fire a beam at her. She dodged, the ground where she had previously stood freezing over.

Gah, a fight! I was summoned straight into a god damn fight. Now I know how Wade must have felt like at our first meeting.  

"Yo!" I heard the same voice from my summon calling. Turning my head I saw a young woman (somewhere around my age I ventured a guess) with black hair and an somewhat familiar outfit evade some kind of magical blast that instantly covered the ground where she had stood in a thick layer of ice. I even managed to locate her attacker, a weird, white floating creature. Also there was a... a stallion, a damn anthro stallion present.  

Once again I felt royally fucked. There where Anthro-Verses out there and I of course got a NormPony-Verse. Fun-fucking-tastic!

Drawing Mayhem, I closed the distance to the raven haired woman with a few leaps, listening to the voice of instinct and taking a position that allowed me to cover her right side. Right this moment I was internally thankful for Gnarl for sicking my lazy ass through all kinds of training regimes to increase my overall fitness and my reflexes. Not that I ever would tell him so.  

"So, you called for my services yes?" I asked her in a chit-chat tone, searching our surroundings to try and find a nice spot of ley-line to summon my Minions.  

"Yeah," the woman replied, flying over to my side. It was then that I noticed the large purple wings on her back, black bone-like scales running along their spines. "Kinda being attacked by Nightmare-infected ponies and Pokemon, so anything you could do to- get down!" She tackled me to the ground right before I saw a ball of swirling purple energy sail past where my head had once been. "God damn Froslass..." she growled, springing back up and breathing a stream of fucking fire at it.

>>Wait, what? Pokemon? Nightmare infected? Where the freaking fuck << My mind was tossed a nice curve ball, quite literal in form of a purple energy ball that missed my head just because I was tackled to the ground by my summoner. Sadly I had no chance to enjoy that because she jumped up again and blew a god damn stream of fire at a white, floating Pokemon. Talk about hot hm?  

Well, at least that gave me a nice opportunity to inspect raven-hairs backside. Juicy, juicy. :3  

It was then when I again felt the by now familiar presence in my mind, the thrum of power. Getting back at my own feet, I noticed that the little bastard that tried to blast my head of was just evading the swath of flame unleashed on it. I knew that this was an opportunity to even the score with Floaty. Reaching into my Mana, I recalled my training sessions and hurled my own  fiery projectile at the little bastard. I felt the corner of my lips tuck up in grim satisfaction as the Fireball hit it dead on and sent it on the ground in a miserable, screeching heap. A well-deserved fate for anyone foolish enough that would try to attack me. After being sure that my victim would not get up again, I looked around to get an idea of how many more victims were waiting for me.

"Dude," the girl breathed, clearly out of breath from her attack. "That was brutal." She turned to where the stallion attacker once was, letting out a cry of surprise when a beam of black magic slammed into her. Thankfully, she managed to bring her wings around her just before it hit, and a slight white glow coated her body when she did.

"He's the main target!" she cried, slowly getting pushed back by the stallion's continuous attack. "Try to take him alive, he's being controlled by the Nightmare!" With that, she rolled to the side, managing to disrupt the stallion's concentration enough that his attack flickered out, but he soon replaced it with another, which the girl took full-force to the back, crying out in pain.

Hmm, from the looks of it the guy that was firing a black beam of death at my summoner seemed pretty powerful, I had to hand the stallion that. I could practically feel the dark magic ooze out of him, something the faint voice in my mind had taught me. This feeling was... strangely exhilarating, to say at least. That guy was someone worth of my attention and boy, was he going to get it.  

My musings were broken by the pained cry of raven hair as she took a new dark beam to her back. Time to take action and show this amateur how to really make use of dark magic!

After I finally found a sufficient ley line, I reached out with my mind and the boiling well of dark magic deep within my soul. A portal popped out of the ground, yellow fog wafting out of it.

"Alright fucker, playtime’s over!" I roared, the battle starting to affect me more noticeably as adrenalin poured into my system. The moment I finished my sentence, I send out the mental call and thirty five Brown Minions erupted out of their portal, clad in black cuirasses and sleek helmet that hid their faces, brandishing curved swords, axes and spears.  

Pointing at the dark mage wannabe, I growled out "Minions, sick!" and with joyful battle cries my little warriors surged forward like a brown wave. He growled, sweeping his head round, the black beam following the motion of his horn.

"Fool!" he cried. "Insolent cur! You cannot defeat the power of Lord Darkrai! His shadow shall eclipse Equus, and all shall bow down to his glory!"

"There is only one shadow here and that is me!" I yelled and rushed towards the stallion together with my Minions, some of them getting caught in the dark laser and ending up as brownish skull clouds. "And I bow to no fucking one!" Punctuating my statement I let my left hand snap out and unleashed a Corruption Burst at the ass that somehow became more and more familiar to me. The magical lightning did what I wanted it, acting as a flashy distraction for my target.                                                                

He was knocked to the side by a purple blur, disrupting his beam and allowing my minions to swarm him.

"Got  ya now!" I smirked maliciously as I watched my Minions starting to pommel the stallion with the butts of their weapons or their fists.  

Closing the distance to my prey, I grabbed his horn and yanked hard at it. "Now fuzzy, I am curious. Tell me, do you know what they call a unicorn without a horn?" I asked, casually raising my sword.                                

For a moment, his cyan eyes flickered, losing their glow as fear took over.

"Umbra, no!" I turned to see my summoner, a look of horror on her face. "He's under Darkrai's mind it's not his fault!"

"That’s why I am  just going to cap his antenna." I deadpanned, tightening my grip on the stallion’s horn. "No more antenna, no more connection right?"

"No!" the stallion pleaded. "A unicorn's horn is everything! Even the tiniest missing part cuts off all connection to their magic resources!"

"Wait a minute..." My summoner came closer, kneeling down and staring into the stallion's eyes. "Who am I talking to right now?"

The stallion stared at her for a moment before sneering, trying to move away. "Ugh," he spat. "You again. What do you want, you disgusting creature? Come to assault me again?"

And like that, I socked him right in the face and brought the edge of Mayhem closer to his horn afterwards. "I would be careful buddy. You have two dangerous woman and a bunch of violence happy kobolds just waiting to shred you." I told him in a happy voice.    

"As surprising as it may be," the woman chuckled, standing up and pushing her hands against the small of her back, bending over them slightly.  "I'm glad he said that. Disgust, in this case, is better that death threats, because that means that Blueblood is somehow in control again."

Now it clicked as I heard the name. A slightly insane chuckle escaped my throat as I brought my face closer to Bluebloods. "Oh Bluey, it’s you? Why didn't you say so old chap? I would have snapped your horn right from the start. And maybe forced you to eat your weight in apple fritters."

"He couldn't have," my summoner stated. "Because when we were fighting, he wasn't Blueblood then. He was Bloodborne, his Nightmare version." She paused, crossing her arms and glaring at the stallion. "Don't know how he's himself right now, even if it is only in his head. Oh!" She turned to me, holding her hand out. "I'm Zinnia, by the way. Didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier."

Giving my Minions the mental command to keep Blueblood on the ground with a side order to slice his horn of should he try anything funny, I let go of his horn and stood up. Finally I got an opportunity to take my summoner Zinnia in for the first time. She was defs a right hottie, with her firm legs, the bountiful bust and  her still gorgeous raven hair. I did the one thing another part of my mind told me to, I took my helmet off, gently took her hand and gave her my best smile. "Enchanté Zinnia." I said before kissing her hand. "Umbra, at our service."                                                                              

Zinnia giggled at my actions, taking her hand back and shooting me a lidded gaze. "Trust me," she said. "You don't need to act all romantic with me. I flirt with everyone, and many of them join me in the bedroom soon after. And I must say, I wouldn't mind a look under the rest of your armour. Especially if you're that cute everywhere else."

>>Ohohoo, score!<< I cheered internally as I took in what she just said. >>Okay, play it cool now girl!<<  

"My, my, Zinnia. Well, I said I was at your service and I would be happy to oblige." I smiled before I glanced at old Blueballs that was still pinned under my Minions. "But before that, I think we should find a safe cell or something for Bluey here. And maybe you could give me a rough summary of what is going on here? Pokemon in an Anthro-Verse, that’s a new one to me."  

"We're gonna need something to supress his magic, too. If he loses control again, I don't want him getting away." She paused, looking around for a moment. "Dammit!" she shouted. "Bandito's gone, and so are Dash and Mac!"

"Bandito? Who´s that?"  

"Sheriff Silverstar got 'Nightmared' by Darkrai, Bandito's his Nightmare name."

I resisted the urge to facepalm. "Ah, okay, makes sense I guess." Seriously, what the ever loving fuck was going on here? I didn't know much about Darkrai except that it was some kind of shadow-emo-sigh Pokemon so why had Celestia not simply unleashed a Solar Flare upon him and... oh wait, nearly forgot that most Celestia’s were chronically incompetent when dealing with threats. "So, that guy went and nabbed Skittles and Big Red?"

Zinnia sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "It's probably more like he went after the Buffalo trying to escape and Dash went after him. Mac probably followed to make sure Dash didn't do anything..." she paused, and we both looked to the sky as a massive 'boom' resounded, seeing a circle of rainbow light spreading across the sky. "Stupid... Dammit, Dash! Please tell me you have a magic suppressor or something, we need to go after them."

I enjoyed the light show with a big, fan girl smile before Zinnia broke me out of it. "Yes, I have an or something." With that, I shooed my Minions off Blueblood, pulled the surprised stallion up and delivered a solid punch to his stomach that made his eyes bulge out of his skull before he went down with a satisfying whimper, out like a light. "You four," I addressed four Browns "stay here and guard him." The kobolds saluted and I turned to Zinnia. "Ready to go when you are."

"How fast can you run?" Zinnia asked, spreading her wings and hovering off the ground. "Or can you fly?"

"No flight here and I can run in a decent pace. Compared to a pony, I am still slow I guess but I have stamina to make up for that." I conceded. Again, it seemed like Gnarls insistence to make me run laps like I got paid for it would turn out as a justified precaution. Damn walnut!

"Give me your hand, then." Zinnia said, a white glow appearing around her. When I did as asked, she hauled me up, carrying me bridal style as she shot off towards where the Rainboom had occurred. She glanced down at me with a smirk.

Hell! Zinnia was stronger than she looked, even though it might be some kind of magic if the glow around her was any indication. I had not seen any Mana vapours so I could not be sure. As she carried me through the air (and gave me plenty of opportunities to ogle her muffins from the corners of my eyes) I scanned the land under us. It sure looked like the prairies of the Mild West, endless planes of yellowish grass galore and I think I spied a railroad track somewhere.  

"Say Zinnia, what do we have to except from Bandito? He's a good shot or something?" Gah, that name tasted almost as bad as Bloodborne.

"To be honest?" Zinnia replied, giving a sheepish grin. "No idea. We actually came here to investigate reports of ponies disappearing, so... yeah." She paused for a moment before looking down, catching me in the act of one of the (many) titty-glances I had been helping myself to, giving a sultry grin. "You know you only have to ask, right?" With that, she moved one of her arms from under my legs, somehow keeping a decent grip as she reached for the hem of her shirt, lifting it up and showing me her unrestrained breasts.

Ever sat in the subway and suddenly had that cute girl from the opposite seat flash you? That was how I felt right now. Every coherent thought crashed and I think a blood  vessel in my nose popped as I was suddenly facing Zinnias unobstructed fun pillows! I felt myself blushing with a vengeance (or in my case, the areas of my face darkening like the light was absorbed as I had found out some morning after Onyx had surprised me in the shower). "W-well, yes, I wanted to save that for later, y´see..." My mouth began to water and I had to fight the urge not to attach myself to the delicious mammaries in front of me.    

"Touch them..." she whispered.

My hand was already halfway to Zinnias right breast as I finally regained a smidgen of self-control. "I always wanted to join the Mile High Club, you know?" With that, I gently cupped the delectable bosom of the raven haired beauty, carefully fondling it. Last thing I wanted was to cause Zinnia a wingboner mid-flight.        

"Well, I wouldn’t mind going that far later." She patted my hand, moving it away and pulling her shirt down, much to my dismay. "But for now, we're here."

I turned my head, seeing a massive crater in the ground, where a massive shroud of dark smog cut off any vision of what was happening within.

"Oh, shit..." Zinnia muttered, dropping quickly to the ground and placing me back on my feet. "Oh no!" She turned to me, desperation in her eyes. "We need to get in there! Nightmare Ponies can spread the Nightmare!"

Uh huh, shit had hit the fan pretty hard hm? "So, that stuff is basically Corruption slash pure Evil yes?" I asked, a whisper echoing in my mind, formulating a plan that resonated with the darker parts of my soul. "Because if so, I might be able to do something about it."

"I don't know what it is, but if it's Darkrai's thing, it might be weaponized nightmares."

"Okay, here's the plan. You make a fly by and drop me smack-dab in the centre of that cloud. If this stuff is anything close to what I think it is, I can deal with it while you take care of the ponies. If the stuff is NOT what I think it is, than I can at least act as a decoy while you do your thing." I explained before grinning as I remembered a certain fact about Minions "And if everything goes to hell in a flaming hand basket, I still have my Minions."

Zinnia nodded, grabbing me and flying up above the cloud before spinning around, throwing me full-power at the centre of the cloud, where I impacted heavily. Instantly, pain shot through my bones and tears shot in my eyes as I fought the urge to jump around in a vain attempt to soothe the pain. Instead I allowed my instinct to take over, brandishing my falchion and letting my Corruption spell came to life in my left hand, both to illuminate my surroundings and to appear intimidating. Dark glee spread through my veins as I tasted the foul magic in the air. Oh yes, I should be able to use this.

"Olly, olly oxen free. Ready or not, here I come~" I singsonged into the fumes, listening for steps. A wing beat sounded behind me, and I side-stepped just as a dark grey blur shot past, disappearing into the fog once more.

>>A flier eh?<< I thought as slowly stepped forward, my head panning around, searching for any evidence that could give away a target. Two targets, the corrupted Sherriff and now this flier too.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~" I sang out, feeling the anticipation of combat and violence make my blood stir again. I did not have to wait long.

With enough force to shatter the bones of an ordinary mortal, something impacted heavily with the armour on my back, causing me to stumble. In retaliation, I twirled around and let go of the Corruption spell I had been holding the whole time, lifting the darkness for a brief moment before it settled back in. From somewhere in the fog, I could hear raspy laughter.      

"You're too slow!" the voice taunted, before the blur zipped past again.

Trying to pinpoint the voice, I reigned in the urge to fire a few Fireballs just for the heck of it. Switching for my ley sight for a second I noticed a good spot for a portal. Turning my back to the spot, I ignited another spell in my palm, this time a Fireball. "And you hit like a grandmother with rheumatism. Come on, I am sure you can do better than that... Dashie." I ventured a guess after the voice and the comment on my speed. I felt the hair on my neck stand on end and readied myself to open the portal and call my Minions in a moment’s notice.

"That's not my name!" the voice cried out before a grey-scale version of Rainbow Dash with glowing cyan eyes landed in front of me. She held her arms out to her sides, a cocky smirk on her face. "I'm Shadow Blur now."

>>Gotcha!<< I smirked toothy as the corrupted Pegasus stood before me. "Well, at least your name is halfway decent, it doesn't make me wanna puke my guts out on the spot. Now Dashie, tell me, a Pegasus can handle clouds and lightning but how about some fire?" Immediately after finishing my  sentence I hurled my spell. Much as I predicted, Shadow evaded the attack by flying back up, which sprung my trap. The Minion portal opened up and a geyser of Brown Minions shot in the air, intercepting the Pegasus' flight path.

"Gah!" she cried as they swarmed her before dropping like a stone. "Get off me!"

Chuckling sinisterly, I approached the fallen pony. "Sorry babe, you’re not my type. Hold her down boys, I think I'm gonna clip that birdies wings. Wouldn’t want her to cause us more trouble hm?" To underline my intentions, I swung my blade, relishing in the sound of the blade cutting through the air.

Shadow Blur's eyes bugged out before she threw her wings out beneath her, the force snapping the legs of the minions holding her arms down with an audible *crunch* and sending them crashing to the floor. She then shot up, bringing the feathered appendages round and slamming them against the sides of the last two's heads, knocking them out, before taking to the air again.

"Hell no!" she shouted, backing away. "You ain't stopping this flight any time soon! I'm outta here!"

With that, the greyed-out Pegasus turned tail and rocketed away. I stood there for a moment, just staring at the spot she'd been in moments ago, before a soft groaning filled my ears and I turned to see Big Macintosh lying prone, black mist flowing into his mouth and nose.

"Aw shit, not good." I muttered at both, seeing RD get away and the Fog seeping into Big Mac. I sheathed my blade and trudged over to the burly hunk of a stallion and kneeled down at his side. "Alright, let´s show this fog who's boss!"

With that, I reached out with both hands and concentrated on the fumes surrounding me and flowing into Macintosh. Remembering how I absorbed the evil that once resided in Steel Fang, I reached out. I dug in the depths of my memories, recalling the manipulation in my Mana flow and how the condensed evil had permeated the flow that rushed back into me. Immediately I felt a hot sting that travelled from my palm through my arms and into my chest.

"AaaArrGHhh!" I howled through clenched teeth as the fog spiralled into my palms. I felt a dark presence mingling with my own and a new voice whispering in my ears, thin and sharp like a storm made of razor blades.

Zinnia flew circles around the mist dome, scanning the surface for any signs of Umbra. After a while, a grey blur shot past her close enough that she was knocked off course, spiralling to the ground. She watched the blur for a moment in shocked awe before snapping out of her stupor, growling in annoyance.

"First Luna, then Rainbow Dash?!" Her hand glowed orange for a moment, where she balled it into a fist and slammed it into the ground, creating a smaller crater. "Dammit Darkrai!!"

She turned back to the mist cloud, eyes widening as she saw it begin to shrink. The Draconid watched in awe until the cloud was small enough to reveal two figures - a prone Big Mac and a kneeling Umbra, the latter screaming bloody murder. Zinnia shot to her side, grabbing the woman by the shoulders and shaking her frantically.

"Umbra!" she shouted, staring into the dark-skinned woman's fear-filled eyes. "Umbra, snap out of it!"

-Umbra's Mind-

Alone.

I was alone and yet I was not alone. I was surrounded by darkness, but in this darkness there where figures, persons.  

"Mom... Dad..." I croaked out miserably, reaching out for the figures of my mother and my father, but my hand passed right through the torturing close hand of my mother.  

I had no substance. I was a shadow.                                                                              

Stumbling I got up on my feet, trying to follow my parents but they zoomed away only to be replaced by another loved face.  

Vivianne stood before me, her face adorned with the same stupid grin that a good workout gave her all the time.  

"Vivi? Kitten? Hey... hey, it's me, Sara! I'm here!" I yelled, trying to grab her shoulders but again I met nothing as my roommate passed right through me. I whirled around and saw her standing with her boyfriend Phil.  

"Phil, buddy! Am I glad to see you. Please Hoshi, tell me that you can hear me... please..." I started begging as I hurried over to them, seeing their lips moving as they talked without a single sound, looking happy and content before they too, vanished.

I felt tears starting to pour down my cheeks.

I turned to the next person. "Hey Kim... Kimmie..." I pleaded but the mechanic ignored me, tinkering with some electronics before vanishing.

"Jan..."  

He vanished.                                  

"Dominik? Ester?"

Gone. They were all gone.

All but one.  

Leo stood right before me. Desperately, I crawled on all fours towards my little brother, bawling like a toddler.

"Leo... please *hick*... stay with me... please... *hick* don’t leave sis alone! Please... don’t leave me!" I babbled as my little brother just looked down to me. A small glimmer of hope sprung to life inside of me, but it didn't last long before the figure of Leo crushed it.

"I don't have a sister."

Those five words were enough to shatter my soul to pieces. Clutching my head with both hands, I let loose a primal cry of anguish, curling up into a foetal position.

I cried and screamed into the darkness. Then, suddenly I felt another presence.  

It was unlike the spectres of my loved ones. This presence was old and it oozed distain for everything beside itself.

I felt the proximity of something near my ear and a powerful, yet deadly quiet voice whispered "Useless."

My head snapped up but I saw no one.

"Look at you." the voice said "What a pathetic waste of meat you are. You are gifted with powers most mortals have sold their souls to the devil for and yet here you are, reduced to a babbling heap of self-pity, and by what? A mere speck of the true dark, a miniscule shred of the very power that you are supposed to be. Truly, I have chosen poorly."                                                                

"Who...?" I croaked out.

A hollow chuckle could be heard. "You don’t even recognize me? You really deserve this, all of it." And with that, the presence was gone. Now I was truly alone.

"Umbra!"

"Whu~?" Another voice? There was another voice? Umbra... who was that? The name... it sounded... familiar... Umbra...

"Hey demonette? Are you alright?" a black dragoness asked me worried. Onyx.

"Umbra! Snap out of it!"

"Yes, yes. That’s it Milady. Just like that!" Gnarl cheered as I managed my Fireball spell.

Zinnia!

My reddened eyes snapped open. Yes. Zinnia was calling me.  

"Umbra... my name is... Umbra..." I muttered. "Onyx... Gnarl... Norbert... Wade... Zinnia..." I recalled the names as they sprung back into my mind, filling me with a new way of dark. A warm, soothing dark that slowly chased away the fog that obstructed my mind.

A smile grew on my face as I exhaled, all the remaining cold and loneliness melting away.  

"I am not alone."

And with that, there was light again. Light that chased away the fog until only a tiny pocket remained, which quickly pulled together until in vaguely resembled a humanoid figure wearing a flaring cloak. It soon solidified, revealing a black creature that looked like a large cloak with a red, tooth-like collar and billowing white hair. I glared at her with it's single cyan eye, visibly shaking in anger.

"No!" he screeched, floating towards me. "No, you will not defeat me! You are pathetic, you are nothing!" He paused, getting right up in my face until all I could see was his furious blue eye. "And above all else, you! Are! ALONE!!!!"

Softly shaking my head, all I did was smile as the furious Pokemon screamed at me. "Maybe," I said "Maybe I am pathetic, but think about it. I managed to break out of your funk, effectively defeating your little mindfuck, so does this not makesyou even more pathetic? I mean, I am a cowardly bitch that relies on cheap shots, Minion rushes and backstabbing, but you? You're even lower, you need to use someone's primal fears to break them and that, buddy," I stared right back at Darkrai. "You dared to disgrace the memories of my loved ones and with that, you just made it on top of my shit list!" I took a step forward. "And buddy, I am the fricken Overlady, the Ruler of the Netherworld, so here's a little appetizer for what's coming for you!" I struck out my right hand, grabbing his weird scarf thing and, fuelled by the renewed flame roaring in my breast, buried my left fist right into the Pokémon’s glowing eye, releasing a literal thunderstorm of magical lightning.

Darkrai exploded into a cloud of black mist, moving back before reforming again. I glared at him for a moment before I felt something. I wasn't sure what it was for a moment, but it soon became clear as an image of Zinnia faded in and placed it's hand on my cheek, slowly pulling me into a kiss. A wave of energy burst from the two of us, barrelling into Darkrai and forcing him from my mind. The last thing I heard from him was, of course, the obligatory bad guy outro.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

My eyes slowly opened, seeing Zinnia's face incredibly close to mine, and a familiar feeling on my lips.  

For a moment, I simply relished in the feeling of soft lips on my own, the warmth radiating from them before I gave Zinnias lower lip a playful nip. She gasped, pulling away with a lusty smile before shaking her head with a laugh.

"I know I said later," she chuckled, caressing my cheek. "But you'll have to wait a little longer, we've gotta get Mac to a doctor."

Giving her a pouty face, I admitted "Fair enough." and after a moment I added "You know, the always say that you can break the princess free from her curse with a kiss on the lips, but I always suspected they didn't necessarily mean the pair on the face."  

"Well..." Zinnia said, moving over to the red stallion and gaining a brief white glow before picking him up, placing him on her back and being sure to keep her wings free. "I didn't really get to try the other way..."

I purred audibly at that before standing up. "Let´s get tall, red and hunky there to the Whitecoats. If I ever see a bit of prairie in the next few centuries, it’ll be early."  

Zinnia smirked, winking at me as she held her arm out. "You want another lift?" she asked, bringing her hand to her breast and giving it a brief squeeze. Her shirt gained a small wet spot. "There's in-flight drinks~"

Wat? I starred for a good second, steam wafting from my ears as I processed what I just saw. Zinnia was lactating which meant she was preggers and that meant... "Kinky. How could I say no to such an offer?" I smiled and walked over to her, feeling warmth flowing to a certain part of my anatomy.

"Alright," she said with a smile, lifting the hem of her shirt up again. "Stand there for a second, I'm gonna need to do something to make this work with Mac on my back." With that, she bit down on the shirt before taking off, banking round and coming at me with both arms outstretched, Mac balancing on her back. I lined myself up, falling into her waiting arms just as she reached me.

"I'mma need you to hold on to Mac for me!" she yelled over the winds, letting her shirt fall over my head, and I just gave a thumbs up, having already latched on to one of leaking nipples that was swinging in front of my face. I reached around her back and found a grip on Mac before giving a playful nibble, causing Zinnia to let out a sharp gasp. "H-hey!"

"Sorry," I mumbled, careful not to completely let go of the sensitive flesh. "Couldn't help myself." Basking in the warmth under the shirt and Zinnias mommy juice dribbling in my mouth, this moment I decided that life was good for a chance.  

I didn't catch much of the flight back, seeing as I was occupied. It as the moment we touched solid ground again and I was forced to part from Zinnia for the moment being that I realized how damn fast she must have flown. Supporting the still unconscious Macintosh, I looked around. We stood in Appleoosa, as sure as I still had mother milk staining the corners of my mouth.  

"Right Zi, where's the hospital-slash-horse doctor? Big Red is starting to get heavy." No red cross in sight.

"Everyone should be in Town Hall, so that's where we'll start," She replied before giving her chest a quick shake, making the milk factories jiggle. "Now keep suckling, I'll deal with Mac."

"Yes ma´am." Obediently, I latched myself back onto Zinnia's enchanting breast and suckled away. Gods above, this stuff was addictive!                                                

I saw Zinnia push through a set of saloon doors out of the corner of my eye, then heard her talking to someone, the angle I was at letting me see up a dark purple skirt, white fur and black, lacy panties greeting my view. A tug at Mac's body told me to let go, and I shifted my grip to Zinnia's shoulders as he was taken away. A moment later we were outside again, and when I looked around, I noticed that we were climbing into the sky.

"Sweet merciful Mother Mary!" I mumbled, feeling exhilaration and a bit of dread "Please tell me you don’t get wingboners Zinnia."

"Nope," she breathed, and a second later I felt my eyes bug out as a perfect copy of the woman appeared opposite her, meaning she was behind me. "Pegasi only," they added, speaking in unison even as the copy began to work on removing my armour.

>>This is so fucking hot! Now I can remove three things from my bucket list at once. Maybe even four!<< I thought as I felt slim hands removing my gear, feeling my own stiffening nipples rubbing against the cloth of my tunic. Now I was actually glad that the constant lack of lingerie made me go commando, as it added only to the thrill. At the peripheral edge of my vision I noticed one of the Zinnias stash my chest plate away in a way to small bag but that thought was immediately drowned by the feeling of smooth fingers sliding under my shirt and greeting my perky B-Cups, eliciting a throaty moan from me.

The Zinnia holding me - the original - shifted her hold on me, bringing a hand under my ass and wrapping my legs around her mid-section before pulling me into a passionate kiss. Another double appeared behind her, somehow removing her clothes in a way that not only didn't disrupt us, but also didn't damage the clothes at all - as far as I can tell, that is. Now, Zinnia's ample D-cup breasts were rubbing against my own, a pair of hands separating them, but still allowing the nipples to slip between their fingers, letting them rub against each other in an amazing way.

I poured my pent up lust and passion into the kiss I shared with original Zinnia, hungrily nipping at her lower lip before releasing it. "You are so god damn hot Zi." I managed to breath out between gasps for air as I suddenly felt a draft and realized that I was now only wearing an extremely horny smile, miles above Terra Firma and surrounded by an incredibly hot, pregnant MILF and her copies, which only added fuel to the fire that was burning in my nethers. I let out a mix of a purr and a growl and pushed my tongue between Zinnia's lips, testing the water for a more passionate (and my favourite) way of kissing.      

Zinnia hummed in delight, smiling around my lips as she leaned back, resting my weight on herself and freeing her hands to start exploring my body. She ran her hands up my arms, squeezing my shoulders for a moment before moving down my front, pressing against my abs before wrapping back around my waist. I let out a slight chuckle as she sunk her fingers into my firm ass cheeks, kneading the flesh and letting out a happy moan. She shifted again, rolling us over in the air, and I panicked slightly until I felt myself being lain on the soft, naked flesh of one of Zinnia's copies, my head resting between her breasts as she brought her hands around to fondle my chest. The original grinned at me before sinking below my line of sight, two more taking her place and moving up until they had latched onto a nipple each, nipping and sucking on them.

Shuddering in delight, I let out a soft coo. I always had loved it to have my breasts and my nipples played with. That coupled with the fact that I was serviced by several smoking hot woman at once nearly brought me to climax already but I managed to hold up.  

The Zinnia I was lying on began nibbling on my earlobe, making me moan out loudly. I swear I could feel all of the Zinnias smirking like Cheshire Cats but I was far too drunk on the amazing experience to care about that. My hands wandered over the heads of the Zinnias playing with my nipples, gently roaming through their silky, black hair, down their necks to finally rest on their subtle butt-cheeks, which I immediately began to grope and fondle with as much dedication as I could muster.

Really, it was harder than it might seem not to turn the switch into selfish-mode when you are sandwiched between beautiful, horny woman.

The Zinnia nibbling my earlobe now began to work on my neck, alternating between peppering it with Butterfly kisses and biting me. I especially leaned into the bites and moaned my consent. "More... please... " I managed to beg huskily, feeling all three of the clones servicing me chuckle briefly, sending and electric pleasure up my spine at the sensation.

The two Zinnia's sucking my breasts shifted, moving away from my lower body and leaving it open. I looked down, seeing the original Zinnia rising from below my nethers like some heavenly god of sex. In her hand, she held what appeared to be a long, purple dildo, long and thick, covered in veins. She smirked at me, lining it up with herself and sliding it in with a moan. I watched in awe as a purple light shone from the dildo, blinding me for a moment, and when I could see again I felt my eyes bug out. Again.

There, hanging below Zinnia's thick thighs, was a massive, throbbing dick. A glob of pre dripped from the tip, dropping to the earth below.

"Whad'ya think?" Zinnia asked, reaching down and stroking her new member lovingly. "Gift from a friend. A magic dildo, tuned to my body, which turns into a real dick when I want it to. I can adjust the length, too, so if this isn't enough for you..."

Staring transfixed on the length of pulsating meat protruding from Zinnias crotch, I all but managed to whimper in anticipation. "Ruin me..."

"Whatever you say~" she sang, lining herself up before pushing the tip in slowly, stretching me out. I groaned at the feeling, leaning my head back into the Zinnia below me before turning and kissing her breast. Zinnia stayed there for a moment, letting me adjust, before slamming the rest of her length into me, making my eyes roll back and my tongue loll out of my mouth. This was absolute heaven!

Another Zinnia appeared above my vision, staring down at me with a grin and stroking another throbbing meat pole, though hers was slightly shorter. "Wanna taste?" she asked, lining the tip up with my mouth.  

"Yes, please...." I breathed before wrapping my lips around her tip, gently swirling my tongue around and over the sensitive meat.

"Oooh, yeeaah…" Zinnia, both of them, groaned.

Wow, I really missed that. I hadn't realized just how needy I had been as I felt Zinnia stretch my inner wall with her throbbing meat stick while I applied any little trick I had learned to the Zinnia I was servicing with my mouth. Stretching my neck a bit, I practically begged her to stick her hot meat into my throat already and thankfully, after teasing me for a while, she complied and slowly slid the whole length of hers into my waiting mouth, giving me enough time to adjust.

After I got used to the hot meat filling my mouth, I got to work. I began bobbing my head, letting my tongue wander all over the dicks surface, exploring every vein and every millimetre of skin. After a while, I decided to up my game and began to push Zinnias dick deeper into my throat, matching the rhythm of Zinnia pounding my eager love tunnel with her impressive tool.  

It felt so divine, being stretched in two places at the same time.

"Oh, sweet Arceus!" the Zinnia in my  mouth cried out, and I felt her cock shudder and swell as her thrusts became more erratic. "I-I'm gonna cum!"

>>Already?<< I fastened my pace in hopes to signal the Zinnia in my mouth that she could let go, to fill my stomach with warm, gooey goodness.

"I know what you're thinking," the original grunted, and when I managed to catch a glimpse of her, I had to do a double-take. There were three more clones flying around her, two of which were sporting large, throbbing cocks. One was behind her, ploughing her in the ass, and another was floating by her face, saliva and cum dripping from her cock. The third was underneath the Zinnia suckling on my left nipple. eating her out while the original fingered her! The original called my attention back to her, cum dripping down her chin. "But the clones only have a quarter of my stamina, so expect a lot of cream fillings."

All I managed was a happy moan, sending vibrations through the cock that was busy stuffing my throat. That sent its owner over the edge, and soon after, a series of large, powerful pulses sent load after load of sweet, delicious cum down my throat.

My eyes rolled back in my head as I felt the hot spurts down my throat and a faint smile stole itself onto my lips as I felt the warmth pool in my stomach. I swallowed each and every single one and as soon as the clone Zinnia was finished, I diligently licked her still pretty hard dick clean of every last bit of the delicious mix that was my saliva and her cum. Surprisingly, the clone - who's cock was still deep in my throat - flickered out of existence shortly after, though her cum stayed in my belly, warming me from within.

Licking my lips, I managed to turn my hazy eyes at the original Zinnia "Been too damn long... give it to me, all of it." I brought out, mesmerized from the show I was getting. The bouncing of Zinnias breasts, the synchronized pants and moans from all of her doubles and the smell of sweat and other bodily fluids.                                                      

"You want it all?" I nodded at her, and she gained a massive, lust-filled grin. "Then take it all!"

Before my eyes, five more Zinnia clones appeared, each one with a massive, throbbing dick. One moved to my mouth, taking the place of the previous clone and roughly hilting herself in my throat. Another straddled my chest, the two clones still suckling on my nipples shifting to press the modest mounds around the shaft as much as possible before she started thrusting. Two more moved to either side of me, guiding my hands onto their shafts before I starting stroking them. And the final, glorious clone flew underneath me, lining up with my back door before slowly, purposefully sliding herself in.

I groaned loudly around the cock in my throat, tightening my grip on the shafts in my hands and speeding up. The girl on my chest chuckled, pushing herself further into my cleavage and groaning. The one in my ass began to pull out, stopping when only her tip was still inside before slamming powerfully back in, timing herself with the original so that when one pulled out, the other thrusted in.

That was it, I could feel myself reach my peak as I was pounded from three different (okay, four if one would count the titty-fuck) directions. Frantically I pumped the Zinnias dicks I were giving hand jobs, feeling my love tunnel tighten up in an attempt to finally get all the cum out of the dick stretching me to my limits. I groaned, moaned and with utmost guaranty made a many other noises more befitting an animal in heat but I didn't care. I could end up stark white for all I cared. The only thing (or things) that mattered now was Zinnia and her relentless pounding that turned me into mush.  

"Dammit, how long have you been dry?" Zinnia asked, panting slightly. "You're tighter than Blueblood's wallet down here!"

"Huhn hear (one year)..." I managed to garble out with a mouth full of thick meat, being flooded and splattered with cum from five angles not long after. The clones faded away, leaving their mark and freeing up space for another five to take their places.

God’s almighty, this was almost like making up for all that time on a dry spell all at once. Not that I complained. Zinnia knew exactly how to hit all the sweet spots, plus this whole scenario managed to satisfy more than one of my more unusual kinks so win-win.

I let out a loud groan as the Zinnia going to town on my ass thrust into me with more vigour than before.  

I felt my mind swimming away in an ocean of sweat, pussy juice and cum and I would not send out the coast guard. A girl could get used to this, even though I was so walking funny after this for a while. But that was totally worth it.  

A lone voice in my head was wondering about birth control pills and if they were available in colourful horsey land but that voice was collectively moaned into submission.

Once again, cum filled my throat and ass, more of Zinnia's sweet clone sauce splattering on my chin and chest, splashing on the nipple-sucking clone's faces. By now, you could barely see any skin in those areas,  and when the clones faded away I took the opportunity to scoop some into my mouth, spreading the rest across my skin.

"I-I'm starting to get close, Umbra!" Original Zinnia stammered, sweat pouring down her face and milk leaking freely from her nipples.

"Z-Zi..." I muttered, reaching out and taking some milk onto my finger before sucking it off. "W-what about... can I..."

"Get pregnant?" I nodded, reaching out for the most recent clone-dicks and taking another into my mouth again. "No, magic cum. You'll only get pregnant if both of us want it, and I'm already expecting baby number 2."  

My eyes widened at that. Already baby number two? Dayum gurl, and your bod is still smokin´!

"I know what you're thinking," she chuckled. "Stryker, my son, is actually adopted."

Ho~kay, that explained th... this moment my train of thought derailed as my whole body began to tense up in preparation for the mother of all orgasms, leaving me in quite a frenzy of sucking, stroking and bucking my hips. Sitting was going to hurt for weeks, in all the right ways!  Each of the shafts pleasuring me and that I was pleasuring began throbbing even more, every Zinnia speeding up, getting more desperate in their thrusts. The two on my nipples bit down, pulling back and stretching my breasts out in the best way, while the one I lay on reach around, pinching and rubbing at my clit.

"C-cummiiiiiiiiiiing!" the Zinnias cried out in unison, and I spasmed with each and every spurt of the white gold that filled or covered my body.

By the beards of every divine being in existence, never in my whole life until now had I felt like this. Full to the brim, warm, satisfied beyond every scale, stretched out and not to mention the several dozen little tingles all over my body where knowing hands and mouths had worked their magic.

As I finally managed to gather enough energy again, I leaned up to Zinnia, put my arms around her shoulders, my somehow numb legs around her hips and gave her a sloppy, long kiss.  

"Wow Zi... just... wow..." I breathed into her ear "now that.... is what I call the Mile High Club."

"Y-yeah..." she replied, before her eyes widened suddenly.  "Wait... I'm... not flapping my wings..."

"Oh crud..." How could she have missed that?!?

Without warning, Zinnia lurched forward, wrapping her arms and wings around me (and shifting her cock around too, but that's not important right now) before a green bubble of energy erupted from her core. Flames built up around our shell, and it was only now that I realised that Zinnia's continuous, lust-fuelled wing beats had carried us almost into the atmosphere.

We slammed into the ground roughly a mile from Appleoosa's border, the impact leaving a huge crater and kicking up an even bigger cloud of dust. Amazingly, the bubble didn't even crack - it just rippled slightly.

The moment I got my feelings reigned back in from the shock of plummeting through a planet’s atmosphere again I immediately sprung to my feet and checked up on Zinnia, suppressing the urge to bitch slap her for endangering her unborn child.  

"Zi, are you ok?"    

"Umbra, honey, I'm fine," she assured me, waving off my concerns. "Trust me, I can take more than that. I'm half-Pokemon, after all. Taking beatings is what we do, and our wombs are built like bomb shelters."

"Ah, that would explain the wings." I said more to myself before flicking Zinnias nose with my index finger "Still doesn't mean you should, especially while you are caring a passenger!" I pointed at her belly. "I swear, if you weren´t so damn hot, I would spank you right now for being so careless!"

"One: you know you wanna do it anyway," she said, grinning at me. "And two: the father is a Jotun, from Norse myth. I've been hammered off my tits since getting pregnant with the knowledge that the majority of what his kind drinks is alcoholic."

"Ehrm, well, sure but... Wait, the dads a freaking ice giant? Oh please tell me it's not Loki! Even worse, his dad what's-his-face."

"Nope, a Displaced named Jason Hughs." She sighed happily, patting her stomach. "And he certainly is giant."

Sighing, I sat down next to Zinnia and did what I always did after ruining the sheets - I cuddled with my partner. "He sounds like a great guy, 'specially if he is okay with his girl sleeping with others. I mean, open relationships can bite you in the ass pretty hard."                                                                  

"Oh, I'm not his girl," Zinnia chuckled. "He's happily married to his world's versions of Rarity and Chrysalis. His grandma, Hel, said he'd need to pork someone other than them, though, otherwise the Jotuns would go extinct, and I just happened to be present." She gained a goofy grin, lying back in the crater and wrapping an arm around my back, giving my breast a squeeze. "Let me tell you, horns? Not just good for magic."

"He he, and here I thought I would only meet the crazy people," I snickered. "I can hardly imagine what a family meeting with this guy must be like."    

"I've only met his wives and grandma so far, but I do look forward to the next reunion." She paused, staring into the distance for a moment. "Y'know, I'm sure he said something about the Apples inviting themselves into his family after his Omnitrix took a scan of them. Come to think of it, that's how our first meeting went. Huh."

"Omnitrix? Like, in Ben Ten? That Omnitrix?" I asked curiously.  

"Yep. He wasn't displaced as a Jotun, he actually is one."

"Wow, either the Merchant is a bigger wankwipe than I thought or... I dunno... he he, wow... the whole fact that Jotun are real still baffles me."

"Multiverse, my dear. Everything's real." She smiled down at me, pulling my head across to rest on her breast. "And I've never met the Merchant, I was displaced by a sexy philipino girl that I ate out the night before."

"I know about the Multiverse theory, I just sometimes forget about all the possibilities." I said, eying the inviting breast in front of me "And again, dayum gurl, you sure know how to get lucky. I prefer Asian girls though."

"Sex drive of Dibella herself."

"Better than that of Liondrielle, that one caused the split-up and all-out war between Morai, Arborim and Sidhe."

"Y'know, there's a Max from Life is Strange too," Zinnia mused.

"Isn't that the thing with the photos?"

"Yep, she can turn back time a limited amount. And she has a spell that gives her a horsecock." A glob of clear liquid flicked onto her cheek. "Huh, all this talk of sexcapades has made me hard again."

"Oh my." I gave my best George Takei. "You are really blessed or cursed by a sex goddess hm?"

"Blessed." She nodded, looking thoughtful. "Definitely blessed."

I gave a thoughtful hum and traced circles around Zinnias belly button with my index finger. "Wee~ell, looks like I'm here for a while, so how about we get us a nice bed in town, all the kinky props we can get our hands on and then we remedy that big problem of yours?" I offered, licking my lips.  

"Why wait? I don’t plan to get dressed anyway."

Giving that statement a moment of thought, I simply shrugged, straddled Zinnia so that her throbbing erection sat snuggly between my butt-cheeks and grabbed both of her breasts, kneading them. "Solid argumentation my dear Zi." and latched onto her right nipple, starting to suckle her milk again. I did not know for how long I would still be in this Verse but Hell and back again, I was planning to use it to the fullest!

"Ooh, why does that feel so good?

"Because yer a damn perv Zi." I chuckled between deep sips from her fun bags.  

Yep, life was defs good for a chance!

Big Slabs of Meat

Zinnia had quickly turned the tables - and by that I mean me - on our fun, and now she had me on my hands and knees, face in the dirt as she fucked my ass.

"Girl, I'mma have to start calling you the Underlady if this keeps up," she grunted, and I let out a yelp when she brought her hand down hard on my left ass cheek. "And with how cute you are, it will."

"Only if you put a collar on me too," I gasped out as my new sexy friend ploughed me into the ground almost literally. Hehe, wow, it had been ages that someone had brought out my submissive side that quickly but there was something about Zinnia that did the job with flying colours. I could not point my finger at it, maybe it was related to her wings in some way...  

"HAHH!" I yelped loudly as I felt my ass being smacked just how I liked it. Turning my head a bit so that Zinnia could see a part of my face (and the raging negative-blush I was sporting now), I whimpered "P-please... do that again..." Zinnia raised her hand painfully slowly, staring into my eyes the whole time.

"I'll do you one better," she whispered, and a purple energy exploded around her hand, quickly reforming into a claw-like shape. "Dragon Claw," she added, bringing her hand down hard.

I came. Yep, like that. Don´t judge me, I´m into spanking. Zinnias augmented hand delivered the blow and my body spasmed as my orgasm rocked me. I somewhat managed to collapse while keeping my butt upright, heavily panting in the dust. "Oh god, yessss~…" I mumbled hazy minded. It wasn't long after that Zinnia blasted her load in me, groaning loudly.

"Ahem."

I paled (as much as one could with skin as dark as mine), turning slowly towards the voice to see five familiar mares stood at the edge of our little crater of coitus. There stood (in that order) Twilight "OCD" Sparkle, wearing the mother of all unamused expression, though I could swear there was a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Next was Rarity. Much to my surprise the drama queen was not fainting, witnessing such raw and primitive acts but was fanning herself with a smile on her ivory muzzle that send a miniscule cold chill down my spine. Applejack was standing next to Rara but was hiding her face suspiciously behind the brim of her well-worn cowboy hat, her impressive thighs squirming against each other traitorously. The next was a very giddy and very naked Pinkie Pie (which, for some reason did not surprise me at all) showcasing her rubenesque figure with cake fed hips, a squishy rump and a pair of breasts that rivalled honey melons and bounced up and down with her. I somehow dreaded looking for the last party member because the Pegasister deep inside me dreaded what this lovely little scene here could have done to Fluttershy but the timid mare did not stood by her friends. I was about to thank every cosmic power for that when I realized a third heavy breathing right beside Zinnia and me!  

Zinnia used the moment I used to try and sink into the ground to vacate my premises only to be replaced by something equally warm, wet AND squirming.

>>IS THAT A TONGUE?!?<<    

Fighting down a heart attack, I managed to look behind me and there was Fluttershy! The Pegasus was going at it with a downright predatory glint in her eyes, her tongue twirling around inside of me, lapping Zinnias magical spooge out of every crevice it could reach while her soft, fuzzy hands sneaked along my sides towards my breasts, only to grope and fondle them in ways I would never have suspected the "scaredy cat" of the Mane Six to know and...

"Fuuuuu~"

Yep, I went over the edge again, this time thanks to Flutters and her heavenly rim-job.

I was so making sure to NEVER tell anyone about that!

Once again I felt the warmth of another move away from my nethers, and when I looked back, the sight of Fluttershy laying on her back greeted me, a dreamy, far-off gaze and a heavy helping of both my juices and Zinnia's all over her face. Her sundress had been pulled down, allowing her ma-hoo-sive jugs to hang free. heaving with every breath.

Aaaa~aand another thing I would never tell another living soul!

With an internal sigh, I willed my legs to support my weight and stood up, not even bothering to hide anything since the damage was already done.

"Ah... hi?" I waved with a cum-caked smile.          

"Fluttershy!?" Twilight’s voice shrieked.

"D-darling..." Rarity breathed.

"Woohoo! Go 'Shy! Me next!" And Pinkie Pie the Party Queen. Guess that translates to every kind of party.

Showcasing a poker face worth of its own legend I turned to Zinnia and asked "Hey Zi, where did you put my clothes again?" The girl looked at me for a moment before letting out a little giggle, a malicious-looking smile on her face.

"Oh Umbra my dear," she said. "You're not getting them back until I want you dressed. And you just look too good without them to let that happen."

"Zinnia, I swear by Cthulhu...." I hissed, trying in vain to keep the blush down and the returning heat away from my nether region.    

"Yay! Nudy party!" Dammit Pinkie...

"Hey, if you wanna join in then I'm not gonna stop you," Zinnia said, standing up. She reached down, grabbing her member again as it gained its purple glow, pulling the massive purple dildo out with a groan. "I'mma take Umbra to my pla-HELLO!" Fluttershy had invited herself for a taste of Zinnia too, apparently, causing the girl to cry out in shock. "YEP! YOU CAN COME TOO!"

I took that opportunity to drag my palm over my face. "It´s not heat-season by any chance, is it?"

"Not for Pegasi or Earth Ponies, it isn't," Twilight provided, turning around and walking away. "Pinkie just likes to make people smile in any way she can and..." she paused, glancing back at Fluttershy, who now had Zinnia eating her out in return. "I'm not sure what's up with Fluttershy. She normally wouldn't do this."

"Darling," Rarity giggled. "You have no idea what she keeps under her mattress. And our weekly spa day?" She visibly shuddered, a sultry grin on her face. "Let's just say Aloe and Lotus do, in fact, offer the 'Happy Ending' treatment."

Oh gods above, TMI!!!

I mean, I wasn't above "clopping" to sexy MLP fan art but seeing and hearing it the flesh... nope, just nope!

"Hey, there isn't by any chance a guy name Donkey Kong running around here, spewing obscene amounts of whipped cream out of a crystal coconut?" I asked, pointedly avoiding looking at Zinnia and Flutters going at it or at Rarity, who was right now filling a big chunk of my mind with lots of sexy thoughts starring her, Fluttershy and the Spa Twins.

"…" Twilight just stared at me like I had grown a second, third, fourth and fifth head, each one a different colour. "I'm... Not even going to ask. But no."

"Just making sure." I said, holding up my hands in the universal gesture of 'oh god, please don’t kill me, no please don’t rip my leg out and beat me to death with or read Vogon poetry to me!'

"...Right." Twilight once more turned around, but didn't start walking away for a minute. "Well, could you maybe get those two to stop? We've managed to convince the Buffalo and the Appleoosans to join up with the Equestrian military, and Zinnia's got to head back to Canterlot to give Celestia the report. Me and Applejack are going to stay behind and help organize everything."

"I´ll try my best." I said and turned to the taco eating contest between Zinnia and Fluttershy. Slowly I bend down do Zinnias ear and whispered in a husky voice "Hey Zi, tell you what. Pause your taco munching contest with Flutters here so we can back to Canterlot and I promise you a ten course 'all you can kink' buffet with me as the main dish."

That got her.

"Wait, what!?" she cried, shooting upright. Fluttershy whimpered at the loss of her pleasure before she seemed to realise what she was doing.

"O-oh my!" the Pegasus stammered, fixing her dress and attempting to shrink in on herself. "I-I'm so s-sorry, I-I just... A-and you were... I-I thought..."

Aaa~and there is sweet doormat Fluttershy again.

"Whoa, relax." Zinnia reached down and pulled Fluttershy to her feet, pressing the mare's face into her (still very naked) bosom. "I was going just as hard as you." She paused, looking to me. "But on another note, what's up Candy Ass?"

"Sparkles and AJ are staying here to help organize the Buffalo/Appleoosans and Equestrian Army thing, we are supposed to head back to Canterlot to give Celestia a report." I gave a quick rundown.  

"Oh, well alright then. C'mon Fluttershy." With that, the naked woman and the blushing mare clambered out of the cater, cum clambered out of the cater, cum on both of their chins. I watched them go for a moment.

"Hey!" Pinkie shouted from right behind me, making me jump. "Let's go, slowpoke!" Then she reached down and grabbed my ass, giving it a hearty squeeze. "Ooh, squishy!"

>>GAAHH! Be strong my heart and keep beating for fucks sake!<<  

I turned to the Pink Menace, smiling a bit strained "Why, thank you, I´ve put some hard work into it. Now, I don´t think I can ask you for a napkin of sorts? It seems that I still have some cum on my... everything."

At that Pinkie gave me a weird smile that was on par with Rarity earlier and before I could say anything, the pink mare’s mouth opened and suddenly there was a cartoonish long tongue all over me, leaving my body squeaky clean after five seconds. I didn’t know whether  to feel molested or turned on.

"Hmmm~." Pinkie hummed delighted and patted her pudgy belly "No need to waste perfectly fine frosting don´t cha think?" she asked me with a saucy wink before she pranced out of the crater, the deposits of fat on her ass jiggling with the jump.

With a defeated sigh, I followed suit. On the bright side, at least it was a warm, sunny day.

[One nude train ride later]

Wow. Just... wow. Well... Zinnia got us a private car... with Pinkie... and Fluttershy...

Now, WE didn't do anything, but Flutters was still all worked up and Pinkie... was Pinkie. So we were serviced completely by two horny - and skilled, might I add - mares. Respect where it was due.

I knew I should have felt conflicted but I was too busy trying not to crush Fluttershy's head with my legs and screaming my bliss (silently) to the high heavens.

There must be something in the air here. Or in the water. Yes, that must be it!

Now, Zinnia was taking the lead, dressed in a black string bikini with red curls cupping around her breasts that she had pulled from her bag along with a pair of thigh-high heeled boots and matching elbow-length gloves. She gave a sharp tug on the leashes in her hand, making me lurch forward slightly, Fluttershy and Pinkie doing the same on either side.

Somehow, the (sexily) deranged woman had managed to talk us into this little stunt, dressing us up in skin-tight, white latex corsets that had no breast cover, crimson thongs with large zippers over our slits, crimson nipple pasties in the shape of hollow triangle with a smaller triangle sticking out of the bottom, red fuzzy handcuffs holding our arms behind our backs, red stockings and white sandals. Purple ring gags kept our mouth wide open, drool leaking down our chins. And finally, we all had customized collars around our necks, mine being stark white with purple spikes. Guess she was trying to appeal to my 'evil' look or something.

Trying to catch up with a few steps, I kept my gaze glued between Zinnias shoulders, feeling each and every single pony's gaze hot upon my skin as we were paraded towards Canterlot Castle. Needless to say, I was positively leaking.

The guards at the gate took one look at us, their eyes following our leashes until they saw the woman leading us, and promptly dropped to their knees, mouths wide open in shock. A quick  glance at the thin cloth covering their crotches told me they liked what they saw, and I smiled a little around my gag.

"Boys, please," Zinnia - no Mistress Zinnia - cooed, tucking our leashes into her waistband and running her hand under their chins. She closed their mouths with and audible *oomph* from both men. "You're on duty, control yourselves."

She strode past them with a chuckle, taking the leashed in hand once more. "Come along, pets!" she called. "We have a princess to see!"

'Oh joy!' was what I wanted to think but instead all I managed was a submissive whimper as I felt the guard's eyes follow us as long as they could. I wondered when they would notice the little puddle I had left at the gate.

"Pinkie, I know you're trailing behind," Mistress suddenly said. "You'd better not be cleaning up anyone's mess!"

Sure enough, when I turned back to look, Pinkie was walking along with her cheek pressed against the marble floor, sticking her tongue out to lick up anything me or Fluttershy left behind.

"Buh ish sho 'ooh!" she replied, struggling to speak around her gag. I eyed the pink fuzzy collar around her neck, wondering idly when Mistress had gotten them.

"Are you disobeying me?" Mistress asked, stopping and turning to us. Pinkie shot to her feet, giving the guards a nice show as her boobs wobbled around, smacking against each other. "Good girl."

Argh, she nailed the Dominatrix tone to a tee! Just plough me already!

After reining my thoughts back in with the promise of a lot of kinky fun times later, I wondered how good old Sunbutt would react to our little show. I could tell that every single male guard - and a few females too! -  was eating us up with their eyes (a few that thought themselves especially stealthy, jacking off behind their shields which they positioned in front of them. That didn't dampen the noises, you bunch a amateurs!)  together with a handful of maids that seemed in a hurry to get to the next broom closet, slamming the doors behind them. I yelped when one of the more daring ones decided to try his luck, pinching my butt. Mistress whipped around at the noise, glaring daggers at the guard.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice carrying an icy undertone. "I have no problem with sharing my pets, sir. But only if you ask." With that, she smacked the guard with an orange-glowing backhand, sending him flying into the wall, before resuming our trip. We reached a large set of double doors before too long, one depicting Celestia holding up the sun and the other Luna doing the same with the moon.

"Okay pets," Mistress cooed, turning to the three of us. "I want you on your sexiest behaviour for the princess, understood? That means you need to be pressing against each other, sucking tits and kissing ass."

My eyes widened, saying 'Are you fricken serious?!?' for me. Pet play was one thing, making all the castle personal horny as hell another but putting on a show for the very Princess that held power of a giant-ass ball of flaming plasma? That was calling for all kinds of totally not good pain!    

"Yes, Umbra. I am serious." She levelled a sultry gaze at me, making me slightly nervous. "And if you refuse then your punishment will be three hours of sexual torture with no release while you watch me make Pinkie and Fluttershy cum again." She moved closer, looking straight into my eyes as her voice quietened. "And again." Closer, quieter. "And again."

"´ot hamm´it, a ho hit, a ho hit!" I garbled out around my gag, pressing my thighs together as my pulse hitched. Zinnia would do that, I could see it in her eyes, she would god damn do it!

"Good girl. Now," She spun around, placing her hands on the doors. "Prepare for our grand entrance."

She pushed the doors open, sashaying into the throne room.

"Oh, Tia! I'm ho~ome!"

I walked in after her before turning to Fluttershy, bowing down to pull her nipple into my mouth. Pinkie did the same, except she dropped onto her back and slid herself underneath me, licking at the surface of my thong. Damn this incredibly thin piece of cloth!

"What the hell!? Who're you!?"

That... that wasn't Celestia.

Instead there on the throne sat a Alicorn mare in a lighter shade of pink, with a delicate crown on her head instead of Tia´s trident thing. A lovely yet simple dress hugged her god fucking damn hour glass figure while leaving an generous window for her delectable bust that did not needed to fear competition from Pinks, Flutters of Zinnia.                                                                                                            

At her side stood a Unicorn stallion, stark white with an electric blue mane. He wore some kind of gala-ish uniform with a red jacket, white trousers and a horribly clashing purple chest plate. His sleeves were decorated with a lot of golden badges.

There, in front of us where this Verses Cadence and motherfucking Shining Armour!

>>Someone kill me now!<< was my only thought as the gruesome truth crystalized out in my mind.

Cadence stared openly at our little display, seemingly admiring us, while Shining looked everywhere but.

"Who am I?" Mistress demanded, holding her hand to her chest in shock. "Who are you!? Where's Celestia?"

>>The god damn Princess of Love who could probably kill your libido with but a thought you moron!<< I thought, trying to guess if I could break the cuffs and make a run for it with Flutters and Pinks.

"I am Princess Cadence," the pink Alicorn said, walking down the steps towards us. "Ruler of the Crystal Empire and Princess of Love. This is my husband, Prince Shining Armour."

I let out a hitched yelp as I felt Pinkies tongue wiggle its way into my folds. I had been so absorbed in panicking that I totally forgot that I was supposed to put on a show!

Pinkie, obviously not.

Well, if I was going to kiss my libido goodbye, why not make good use of it one last time? With that decision out of the way, I began to run my own tongue over Flutter's collar bone and her neck. Going by her delighted whimpers, she thought something similar.

{3rd Person POV}

Zinnia stared at the princess for a moment before the sounds of her pets reached her ears, a small smile finding its way to her lips.

>>Well, at least they're still following orders,<< she thought before snapping her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Nice to meet you, Princess," she said, holding her hand out. She tucked the ends of her pet's leashes into the hem of her thong as Cadence took the offered hand, shaking it. "Now, as I asked before, where’s Celestia?"

"Why do you care?" Shining Armour snorted, arms crossed.

"I'm the newest Knight of the Realm, that's why!" Zinnia crossed her arms too, glaring at the stallion. "Zinnia's the name, and I was supposed to report back to Celestia about my mission to Appleoosa."

"Dressed like that!?"

"Yeah, what of it!?!"

"You look like a two-bit whore!!!"

"Shining Armour!"

Shining flinched, wilting back at the sound of his wife's disappointed tone.

"Shining, you know very well that Celestia has a 'free choice of uniform' policy. Now apologize."

"…'mm sorry..." the stallion muttered, glaring at the ground.

"'S fine," Zinnia replied.

"Besides Shining," Cadence continued, moving behind Zinnia and placing her hands on the Draconid's shoulders. "Prostitutes are a well-paid and respected union in Equestria."

"Hey, I'm no-" Zinnia cut herself off, eyes wide. "Wait, they are? Ooh, I know how I'm gonna spend my first pay check!"

The sound of loud, muffled groaning reached all three's ears, and they turned to see Umbra lay on top of Fluttershy, face buried between the mare's breasts and Pinkie Pie lapped up a puddle of clear liquid from below her legs.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot," Zinnia said, walking over and patting Pinkie's hair. The pink mare let out a happy-sounding squeal, brushing up against Zinnia's leg. "You probably already know Pinks and Shy, but the girl in the valley is Umbra. She's visiting from another universe." Umbra raised her head enough to look at the married couple, smiling dopily around her ring-gag. "They're being my pets for a while. Can I speak to Celestia now?"

"Princess Celestia is mourning the fact that she lost her a sister to Darkrai," Shining stated. "But I would be happy to take your report on her behalf."

"Sure, whatever. Got a room where we can talk in private?"

Shining nodded, leading Zinnia through a side-door. Cadence watched them go before turning to the three on the ground, Umbra still panting heavily as Pinkie lapped away at Fluttershy's folds, the butter-yellow mare writhing and groaning from beneath the cross-dimensional visitor.

"So," the princess said, gaining their attention. Her magic flared for a moment, slamming the throne room doors and sealing them shut. Three pairs of eyes widened as the princess reached for the straps holding her dress up, dropping the gown around her ankles and revealing a set of red, heart-themed lingerie, the thin strings of her bra barely holding her gargantuan breasts in.

"How good are you?"

{Umbra’s POV}

Good merciful [insert name of every god and goddess of love and sex since the beginning of history], I must have died and now I'm trapped in limbo. A limbo filled with incredibly horny, incredibly skilled and insatiable demons disguised as anthropomorphic ponies! Oh and of course Zinnia. Can´t forget the head succubus.

And I was strangely okay with it!

In one moment, I was panting and drooling into Fluttershy’s cleavage (HA! eat your hearts out, all you filthy, neck-bearded casuals, I´m banging your waifu! Or at least someone resembling her) while a pink furred succubus was trying to give my womb a spring cleaning with her tongue, right in front of a royal couple and my sexy, sexy Mistress (note to self, should I ever be able to break out of this little "hell", take Zinnia with me as Mistress for my tower) and now I was alone with my two co-pets, wrecked by an intensive, pent up orgasm and now Cadence was about to take us out for a test drive?

If that was limbo, I couldn't wait for Hell itself!

So, as the Princess shed her dress, standing there before us in all her glory (Princess of Love, my ass, that mare was built like a damn Goddess of Sex!) and asked us 'how good we were', all I could do was give my best 'come hither and find out' look, as the gag still disabled my speech.

Cadence swaggered over, standing over us as she ran her hands down her sides, stopping at the loosely-tied knots on her huge, perfect-for-child-bearing hips, the only things holding that tiny heart-shaped thong on. With a sultry grin, she pulled the knots free, letting what I then found out was satin onto my face, the scent of the Princess's lust filling my nose. She then lowered herself onto Fluttershy' face (lucky little...), leaning back and letting the Pegasus service her ass with her tongue before she placed her hand on the top of my head. She shot me a grin before pushing me into her slit.

The smell that hit me was intoxicating in its own right, the scent of strawberry meringue filling my nose and immediately taking the express elevator to my brain where it proceeded to usurp the control of any motoric and mental process. Well, it was not really usurping, seeing as my brain opened all doors, put down all weapons and put out the 'we welcome our new hormonal overlords' banners.

Cadence's flower was one of the most well cared for I ever had the delight to taste. It was one of those experience's that normally paved the way to either total transcendence or total corruption. She had a cute little crop of tri-coloured pubic hair just above her slit, shaped into a gold, pink and purple heart. Her lower lips were just the right amount of puffy, not too much, not too little, just about right.

"Well, don´t let me wait~" the light pink succubus cooed and I heard a tingle, seeing the end of Pinkie's leash light up and, moments later, I felt Pinkie's face making contact with my own crotch, where the slightly chubby mare began to  apply her breath-taking skills again as Cadence pulled her leash.

Sticking out my tongue, I traced the outer lines of her honey pot, working my way up to her little button. Oh it looked so perfectly suckable, damned be this gag as hot as it may be.  

I made the best out of my situation and flicked her royal Heartbutt´s love button with my tongue.

That had the desired effect as the pink Alicorn threw her head back with a lusty moan, pulling Pinkies leash, which then pushed my face deeper between Cadence´s leg. Taking that as my hint, I circled the little nub of bubble-gum pink flesh with my tongue before lapping at it like a cat would lap milk.

"Nngh, yeah," she grunted, a manner that was most unbecoming of a woman of her position, but oh well. "I can see why Zinnia likes you." I grazed her clit with my teeth, and when she looked down, I gave her my most pathetic looking sub look. Something along the lines of 'Please take the gag off Mistress'. Cadence giggled a little before her horn flared to life again, and I felt the gag unbuckle before it floated out of my mouth in a light blue glow. Before I could say anything, though, she pushed me roughly into her crotch again.

"Now suck, whore," the mare ordered, and I felt myself tingle slightly at her tone before I latched onto her nub, suckling and flicking my tongue against it, causing her to moan. "There's a good little slut..."

"Cadence!?"

"Hey, those are my pets! You could at least ask!"

Whu~? Since when was Mistress standing there... looking pretty miffed? 'I'm sorry Mistress!' was what I wanted to say, but all I managed where muffled sounds since I was still snuggly entrenched between Cadence´s thighs, my attempt to speak instead sending vibrations straight into one of the most sensitive parts of the female anatomy.                                  

"Shiny, you've got to try this girl!" Cadence cried, shameless in her face-riding. "If she eats this good, imagine how she sucks!"

"Amazingly," Zinnia provided, and I felt something stroking my backside. "And her pussy is like a velveteen vice. But I would appreciate it if you asked before using my toys." She removed her hand for a moment only to slap in across my left cheek, making me scream into Cadence, which in turn made her groan in appreciation. "The last person who didn't is probably still removing himself from the wall. I'll let you finish, but if Shining wants anything it'll have to be me."

Since Mistress now officially had given her consent that she was not angry (which made my heart flutter for different reasons) I proceeded in munching the royal carpet and now that my mouth was free, I could do it so much better. At first I brushed my lips along Cadence´s slit before I slowly opened my mouth, making sure never to lose contact until I more or less sealed the royal cunny with my mouth, allowing me to use almost my whole tongue to go pussy spelunking.

From behind me, Pinkie was going at it with growing fervour, alternatively attacking my slit and my rosebud, causing me to shiver and moan into Cadence. From underneath me, I felt Fluttershy's pillows press against me, her nipples hard enough to cut glass. Her breath was hitched to, guess she was into face-sitting. Always the quiet ones.                  

I caressed the silky depths of Cadence´s love tunnel with all the diligence I could muster, switching between rotating my tongue, lapping and the classic of course, drawing the ABC. From the amounts of sweet, fragrant juices that I earned, I would have guessed I did a good job.

"Uuh yessss~," Cadence moaned in a voice that could probably melt solid steel on the spot "That’s it, little slut, service your Princess!" while her hips began to buck forward in her craving for sweet, sweet release.

Was it wrong that her demeaning talking alone almost made my dam burst?

From under her plush rear, Fluttershy whimpered, muffled by the royal booty but sounding like she was in total bliss while Pinkie was focusing her tongues attention completely on my ass now. Strangely enough, it felt nearly better than having her plunder my love grotto even though I never considered myself much of an 'ass-girl'.

Again, Fluttershy whimpered, and this time I could feel her own hips starting to buck forwards. Her own honey pot was probably screaming for some attention. Pausing in my ministrations to Cadence for a moment, I looked up, never removing my mouth though, and my wispy eyes met Cadence´s violet orbs. Lust was sparkling in them. For a moment we just looked at each other, she questioningly, I submissively, until once again, Fluttershy made herself noticeable, this time with Pinkie joining shortly after.

Cadence´s features softened a bit as she finally noticed her toy's distress. "Well, this won´t do. You diligent little sluts are serving me so well, I think you have earned yourself a little something." she said, the dominant and demeaning tone returning.  

Her horn lit up and I felt Pinkie gasp into me (nearly did it for me) and Fluttershy suddenly going stiff as a board only to nearly melt under me like putty, mewling happily into Cadence´s ass.  

"Just a little spell for lonely nights." the Princess of Love Goddess of Sex explained she once again, pushed me into her crotch "Now finish me whore and maybe I allow you to lick me clean afterwards!"

>>Hasbro so gave you the wrong field of work!<< I thought and moaned into Cadence, which in turn caused her to arch back, adding more pressure on Fluttershy (not that she seemed to mind) and pulling Pinkie with her leash more into me.

"Oh Faust above, I´m close! Don´t you dare stop now sluts!" Cadence rasped out with a voice that would have made every professional seductress green with envy.

I took that as my hint to all-out attack her love tunnel, arching my tongue upwards in search for the mystical little spot that was the bane and the blessing of every lover in history. I did not know if I had been plain lucky, if it had been my experience and years of searching for myself of if it was the fact that I was servicing the incarnation of love herself but my tongues tip found a slightly rough bump in the otherwise smooth walls of Cadence´s pussy and immediately I knew I had hit gold!

As soon as I pushed into her G-Spot, I heard a loud 'phoopmf' and a few light pink feathers floated all around us as the Alicorn wings sprung open in a display of pure sexual bliss.

"Ohhhh yeeeessss~," Cadence half yelled, half moaned out "Watch me Shiny, watch me cum, being eaten out by these dirty, little whores!"

Wow lady, deep waters hm?

That was all the warning I ever got because right after that, I was nearly drowned in Cadence´s fragrant juices. I took all of the strawberry flavoured liquid into my mouth I could manage, swallowing without being able to relish in the flavour for longer than a second in order not to drown, seeing as Cadence pressed me against her cooch, all but gluing me into place.  

Now, if some women were squirters, Cadence was a flooder. I rarely use biblical stuff but I think I got a wee little glimpse on how all the people must have felt who didn’t get a ticket to Noah´s private little fun cruise.

Behind me and under me, I felt Pinkie and Flutters tense up too, just in time as my own orgasm kicked in. In the blink of an eye, we turned from four individuals into a single screaming, moaning and writing heap of endorphin saturated flesh.

We rode out our orgasm, grinding, hip bucking and in my case nearly drowning until we all collapsed, with exception of Fluttershy who was on the ground since the beginning.  

Afterwards, Cadence carefully climbed of Fluttershy, the yellow mares face nearly as drenched as mine, the dopiest smile gracing her muzzle. A light blue aura enveloped all three of us and neatly arranged us on and around a positively glowing Cadence, Fluttershy in the Alicorn’s left arm and her head snuggly on Cadence left breast, Pinkie in her right, occupying Cadence´s right fun pillow and I myself was laid onto Cadence´s smooth stomach.

"Oh that was wonderful," the Princess purred out, while some random flecks of magic danced along her horn "Thank you girls, I really needed that release. Taking care of auntie Celestia´s daily regime can be taxing, especially now, with those attacks." She said, her voice now sweet and gentle while the petted a gently snoring Fluttershy’s mane.

"…" I was about to say 'you’re welcome' as suddenly the trice damned ring-gag flew back into my mouth and the latch clicked behind my head.

"Ah, nah, nah," the pink she-devil tutted, wagging a finger at me "We do not want your Mistress to get angry again, do we?" she asked with a smile so sweet and perverse, I suddenly asked myself how Cadence here would look in my armor?                                                                                                            

{Zinnia's POV}

"Well, Shiny?" I asked, stepping around the pile of writhing, sex-crazed bodies. I need Cadence's contact info. "Whad'ya say? Want me to help you with your friend?"

The stallion just stood there, staring dumbly at his wife and my pets. I sighed, moving behind him unnoticed, and wrapped my arms around his middle, breasts pressed against back. I giggled at his reaction, going rigid, and I slid my hand slowly down his body before grabbing the bulge in his pants.

"C'mon Shiny," I whispered, stroking him through the fabric. "Why should they have all the fun?"

"B-but..." he stammered, staring at the head between Cadence's legs. "I-I'm married..."

"So?" My thumbs hooked into his waistband. "She clearly doesn’t mind."

With that, I tugged his pants down, underwear quickly following suit and allowing an impressive six-and-a-half inched horsecock to spring up. I licked my lips, wrapping my fingers around his length and stroking it lightly, eliciting a light groan as a tiny blob of precum leaked out. I giggled, moving around so that I was kneeling in front of the stallion.

"Why Shining, how long has she been keeping you like this?"  I asked, running my tongue across his tip. He visibly shuddered, as I asked, running my tongue across his tip. He visibly shuddered, hands resting themselves on my head and gripping my hair. "Wow, sensitive?""

"Sh-shut up..." the stallion whispered. I was about to speak again, but the moment my mouth opened he shoved himself into my mouth, tip pushing against the back of my throat. "Shut up and blow  me, you bucking whore!"

Wow, talk about changing your mind. I didn't mind, though, swallowing the cock hungrily and just letting the stallion face-fuck me. As much as I like to assert my dominance over my partners, it was nice to just lay back and let someone else ravage you every now and then. I stayed there for a time, savouring Shining's blueberry taste, before the need for oxygen made me tap on his thigh. He let me go, and I took deep, greedy breaths of air before something pushed me to the ground.

"Hey!" I cried, turning back only for Shining to push my face to the floor again. The fuck?

"I said shut up!" the stallion roared, using his other hand to pull my thong down to my ankles before pushing against my folds. I grinned against the polished marble.

"Oh, are you doing something back there?" I asked. This'll feel so much better if he's angry. He'll pound me that much harder! "I didn't notice."

That did it.

"Oh, you little." He rammed into me, causing me to cry out in both pain and pleasure. "Bucking." He pulled back, thrusting again twice as hard. "Bitch!" He started thrusting harder, faster, deeper, with me crying out every time. Tears ran down my face from the feeling of six and a half inches of angry stallion meat ravaging my walls, throbbing with his heartbeat, his balls slapping my clit. He grunted, grabbing my hair and pulling me up.

It was then that I noticed how much taller than me he was.

Now, I'm not that tall to begin with, roughly five foot even. So I reasoned that Shining Armour, purely from the fact that he I wasn’t touching the floor when at the base of his dick, was easily six feet tall, at least.

Shining wrapped his free arm around my mid-section, moving the other to grip my left breast, the roughness causing my milk to squirt out. He then turned us around, slamming into me as we watched Umbra, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie servicing his wife.

"Watch me Shiny, watch me cum, being eaten out by these dirty, little whores!"

Wow, Cadence was a kinky little slut, wasn't she?

"Oh, sweet Celestia, that's hot." Shining muttered in my ear. I smiled, reaching back and caressing his head.

"You like watching your wife banging someone else, huh?" I asked, and Shining responded by fucking me a little harder. "Ah, yes! Get mad, you glorious bastard! My pets just made your wife cum! It's my fault! I brought them here!" With every sentence, he fucked me harder, gripping my hips and slamming me down on his shaft. "My pets, Shining! My sexy little pets!" He roared in anger, throwing me to the floor and repositioning himself when he slipped out. When I felt him press against my ass, a shiver went up my spine, and soon after he slammed through any resistance and hilted himself.

"My, my, Shiny," a soft, seductive voice rang out, and I managed to look up enough to see Cadence stood there, completely nude, with three leashes in her hand. I looked down and say my pets around her feet. I met Umbra's eyes, her expression a mix of post coital bliss, mild annoyance and a glimmer that you would normally only find in the eyes of a eager puppy when it had done something  right and was waiting for praise. "You'll need to treat me to some of that later tonight."

That seemed to push the stallion over the edge, and I must admit, it did the same for me. I felt my walls shudder, clamping down on Shining Armour as he released his load deep inside of me. We stayed there for a moment, frozen in pleasure, my mouth open wide in a silent scream.

{Umbra's POV}

After Cadence had decided that we'd had enough snuggle time, she stood up, waking Fluttershy in the process. She then took all our leashes and gave a little tug, accompanied by a small smirk as she walked us over to where Zinnia and Shining were going at it.                                                          

I just caught how the Unicorn was ploughing into Zinnia not unlike a jackhammer, which made me slightly wince.  

Cadence on the other hand seemed delighted at least as she said "My, my Shiny. You´ll need to treat me to some of that later tonight."

While she said that my eyes met Zinnias and I could not help it but the feel my expression shift to one of... want for the lack of better words. Want for... praise. For being a good little pet.

Shining Armour and Zinnia my Mistress came just seconds later, Mistress´ face a mask of bliss with her mouth open in a voiceless scream, sweat glistening on her face like little pearls.  

That face, her face, it was nearly enough to make me tug at my leash so I could reach her and lick the sweat off of her smooth skin, to mash my lips against hers, to taste her.

In short, she was driving me wild!                                                          

Pinkie, it seemed, was enjoying the show too, because I noticed her wide, sparkling eyes and her slight up and down bobbing which made her knockers bounce almost hypnotically.

Fluttershy for her part, seemed content with simply  brushing herself against Cadence´s leg, imitating a cat. She even did the little mewls, for Dark's sake! Mistress collapsed not long later, tongue hanging out with a look of bliss on her face. She reached her hand out towards me, beckoning me close, and I felt Cadence drop my leash before I crawled over.

"You..." Mistress breathed, cupping my face. "You're... a good... pet..." With that, she pulled me down, pushing her lips against mine.

Those four words made my heart flutter, no, fuck that, they turned it into the lovechild of Mothra and Godzilla. And then Mistress kissed me!

I met her lips hungrily, leaning in and savouring every little bit of it, burning the taste into my mind.

I felt so happy... so warm... and safe...

Mistress pulled away after a while, and I let out a whine of disappointment. She grinned at me, caressing my cheek again.

"Not to worry, my pet," she cooed, pulling herself to her feet. Cum dribbled down her leg, and I leaned in and licked it off without thinking. "We'll have plenty more fun later." She turned to Shining with a smile. "You feel better?"

"Y-yeah..."

I couldn't help but to growl a tiny bit at Shining Armour.

"Good. Remember that report, okay?" Mistress took my leash, helping me to stand with a chuckle. "Come along now pets, I'm taking you home."

At that, I visibly perked up. I even gave the possibility a thought to use an Illusion spell to gain a tail to wag with, but decided against. For now.  When I turned to my fellow pets, however, I saw hesitant looks on their faces. Mistress seemed to see this too, removing their gags so they could speak (even mine).

"A-actually, err, Mistress," Fluttershy stuttered, "W-we..."

"We need to get home," Pinkie finished with a sad tone. "It's been fun, but..."

"No, no," Mistress said with a smile. "You've got your own lives. Just do one more thing for me?" She paused, waiting for them to nod before continuing. "Wear your outfits under your clothes, then show Twilight when you see her. Take a picture of her face."

Mistress removed their handcuffs when they agreed, placing them in her bag and returning their clothes to them.

After they had put them back on, I used the opportunity to give each of them a hug (as much as I could with my arms cuffed behind my back, that is) and a peck on the cheek. "It was really nice to have met you girls," I gave Fluttershy an extra side glance combined with a smile so that she'd not shrivel up like an unwatered flower "I hope we see each other again."  

Then I bowed to the royal couple, just a little bit. "It was an honour and a pleasure, Princess Mi Amore, Sir Shining."

"The pleasure was all mine," Cadence replied, pulling her dress back on. "I do so hope your Mistress allows me to use you again in the future."

With a little pride welling up in my chest, I allowed myself to shoot Shining a smirk. Mistress saw, though, and before I could saw anything she'd strapped the gag on again.

Well, back to drooling on my own titties.

"Now now, pet," Mistress said, tutting. She patted my ass slightly. "No antagonizing the Prince, he might be using you too." She then grabbed my leash, turning to the door. Fluttershy and Pinkie had already left. "Now, to my home!"

"Uh, Zinnia?" Cadence said, gaining Mistress's attention. "Not that the view isn't nice, but you've still got your panties around your ankle."

"Oh, I do? Oops." Quickly pulling the panties up, making sure to pull them so that they slipped right up in her ass, she turned back to the door. "Thanks honey. Later!"

Again, I was paraded through the castle and Canterlot, this time reeking of sex, causing even more excitement dripping down my legs. Mistress lead me to a large, public park, walking along the most populated paths. She brought me in front of her, reaching around and pinching my nipples the entire time, and whenever someone asked she allowed them to cop a feel. If they didn't... well, the park had lakes.

Before long we'd reached a cave opening in the mountainside, hidden from view by a line of hedges. A small wooden door was fitted into the stone, the same symbol as my nipple pasties etched into its surface.

"Welcome to my humble abode, pet," Mistress said, pushing the door open. She stopped me as I went to walk in, though, covering me with the cloak she had been wearing when she first summoned me over my shoulders, pulling it closed. She then pulled the gag from my mouth, tucking it back into her bag.

"Why've you covered me, Mistress?" I asked.

"Because unlike the public, I care about what the people in there think. And I don't want my son asking why it's okay for a lady to walk around with her ta-ta’s out when I don't want him getting the wrong idea."

Nodding, I gave a smile after working a kink out of my jaw. "I understand Mistress, I´ll be on my best behaviour. My best family behaviour. I’m good with children."  

Hmm, the smell of Mistress' cloak...

"Good girl. Now," she stepped through the door, still gripping my leash. "Time to meet to family! Be warned, there is a very large Noivern upstairs. And he can turn into a Noibat to move about, so..."

Mistress lead me through a sloped hallway, climbing up the mountain before we came into a slightly wider, carpeted hall with a series of doors on either side.

"Here we have the shoe cupboard, coat closet, cleaning closet, and a few empty rooms," Mistress said, gesturing to each room as we went. I slipped my sandals off, and Mistress placed them in the shoe cupboard for me. She then lead me through a door at the end of the corridor, and we came out into a large, hangar-like chamber with what looked like a large metal door over what was once an opening. "This is Hangar Two, otherwise known as the lounge." I noticed a large couch in the centre of the room, though there was no TV on the coffee table in front of it. "Yeah, I don't spend a lot of time in here"

A green-coated Pegasus with dark red hair walked in, jumping when she saw us.

"Oh, Zinnia!" she cried, and for some reason I felt a pang of jealousy. "When did you get back? I just put Stryker to bed."

"Oh, good, that means my pet can stop hiding her beautiful self." She reached out and ripped the cloak from my body, revealing my sex-ready body to the mare. "This is Umbra, a Displaced I summoned. She's amazing at sex."

And cue the negative-blush again. "Th-thank you Mistress. I´m glad I can satisfy you." I gave my best Fluttershy.

"Oh, and I got back to Canterlot earlier today. We've been at the castle for a while."

>>Fucking the day away.<<, I mentally added.

"Oh, okay," the Pegasus muttered, a huge blush on her face. She seemed fascinated with my outfit, which I smiled at. "I-I just started making myself some dinner. You guys want anything?"

"Want something other than tacos, Umbra?" Mistress asked.

My stomach decided that moment that he couldn't wait any longer, and now that the adrenaline from our little 'session' had faded I actually felt pretty starved. For real food!  

"Yes please, Mistress. Maybe something more meatier? And creamier?" I could not help myself. That taco joke just screamed for that response.

"Oh, how nasty of me! I didn't even think to offer you any sausage!"

"Uh..." the mare just stared at us, clearly understanding our little banter if her full-mast wings were any indication. "I'll uh... put some more..."  

"Chicken would be fine, that is, if you have some. I simply love poultry." I said, seeing the unsureness in the mare eyes, making sure to extra pronounce the word love, liking my lips. I even went as far as conjuring a set of cat ears on top of my head with an simple illusion to match my statement.

"Eep!"

And like that, the mare was gone, supposedly to the kitchen.

"That was Whiplash," Zinnia said with a chuckle. "Celestia assigned her as my personal assistant, but she's a great friend too. Great with Stryker when I have to go out fighting something."

"Oh," I dismissed the illusion spell "Did I go too far with her Mistress? She seemed interested though..."

"Oh no, I've been meaning to screw her at some point anyway, and I tease her all the time."

"Ah." I nodded as a thought occurred to me "Does this mean she is a future pet of Mistress? Maybe I can push her in the right direction? W-with your consent of course, Mistress!"

"No, she's not a pet," Mistress chuckled. "And you can drop that for now, okay? Right now you're a friend who came over for dinner."

"As you command... Mistress." I smirked only to be swatted with one of Zinnias wings over the head. "Totally worth it!"

"Feel free to try getting her to join us, though," she continued, leading me the way Whiplash had disappeared to. "She's shy with sex, though."

A small, purple and black bat-like creature fluttered in from the other direction, pausing when he saw me.

"Hey Sonar," Zinnia said with a small wave. "Don't mind Umbra, she's joining us for dinner." She paused, nodding slightly. "Yeah, we will be having desert after. How could you tell?" Another pause. "Yeah, I guess the outfit is a bit of a giveaway."

"Not to mention the smell Zi." I tapped my nose for emphasis. "Come to think, I guess we fumed in half of Canterlot with Eaú de Cadence and Shining on our way to your house. Also, you never told me you had Pokemon telepathy. Does this work the same way as with me and my Minions?"

"Oh, no no no!" Zinnia said, laughing slightly. "It's not telepathy. I'm a Draconid, I can talk to Dragon-Types as though they were speaking English." She paused, wiping a tear from her eye. "I've been teaching Stryker to speak English, though, so I don't have to translate all his life."

"Wait, what? And there goes my theory that you are a smokin´ hot succubus. Well, at least the succubus part." I chuckled. "That is actually pretty thoughtful of you. You are a really great mom Zi."

"What told you anything else?" She paused, sniffing the air. I did the same, the smell of chicken, beef and... something else filling my nose. "Whelp, food smells ready!"

"That was quick," I said, confused.

"Dragonfire oven. Makes food taste better and cooks it faster."

"Dragonfire oven eh? I must remember to ask Onyx to assist Wiener in the kitchen if it makes cooking that quick." At the questioning stare Zinnia gave me I explained. "Onyx is a black dragoness I saved form a crazy Nazi Unicorn and his Griffin goons and Wiener is my personal Minion Cook. Don't ask how he got that name. I don't know."

"I was wondering why your cook was named after our mutually favourite toy, but since you told me not to ask, I'll go with the new thing you brought up. You had a Nazi Pony experience too? Mine was Blueblood making a Hitler speech against Pokemon while my son was in the room."

"My head-Smith is called Welder and the fricken brood-master who also acts as the Minion Reaper is named Norbert." I deadpanned. "Yes, first contact with a pony and he wanted to dissect me to achieve Unicorn Supremacy like in the time of the three tribes , or so he told me. Then I kicked his head in."

"Good girl, stomp that shit out before it gets too bad. What was his name?"

"Crystal Flask, head of the CC-something, something with research. Also, I met this guy named Wade, a shape-shifter. Swell guy, funny to tease. I suspect he is repressing his sexuality. Ah, I learned from his Twilight that Flask had an assistant named Dawn Delight, who he killed and faked a suicide notice for her parents because she dared to say her piece about dissecting living dragons for shit and giggles. So with killing him, I actually saved my version of Dawn Delight."

"I'll bring it up with Celestia when I see her. For now," she paused, pushing the kitchen door open. "For now, it's dinner time."

"Goody, I am starving." I took the kitchen in and located Whiplash standing on front of a steaming pot. "Well, that looks pretty good so far."

"Honey," Zinnia said, sounding amused. "Turn your head."

Sure enough, when I looked around, I saw a huge stone table covered in so much food. Roast chicken, steak, gammon, pork chops, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, Yorkshire puddings, a massive slab of meat I can't tell what it is right now, and a huge gravy boat in the centre. Whiplash then placed a loaf of fresh-looking bread and a slab of butter in the centre, then four bowls on four plates, filling them with what looked like chili.

"Wow, that’s more hot meat on that table than in a whole locker room after a football match." I stated, a bit of drool glistening in the corner of my mouth.

"Yeah, Whiplash has been trying as much as she can since she had her first taste of meat," Zinnia said, taking her place at the table. I quickly took the seat closest to her. "And me and Sonar need a lot more anyway because we're dragons."

"Oh? So you corrupted the poor dear?" I said with played  horror only to fall in a predatory mile, showing all my pearly whites. "I wonder how much more we could corrupt her together."    

"A-actually," Whiplash stammered, eyeing my still-exposed breasts. "I-I tried some jerky she got from a guy called Jason and started eating meat in secret. Zinnia caught me one day, and I broke down in tears because meat isn't allowed in Pony culture." I gave her a look, and she quickly spouted out an explanation. "N-no, it's not illegal. Just frowned upon."

"I told her I was fine with it," Zinnia said around a mouth full of chili. "And since then this has been lunch."

"Ah, I see." I nodded and leaned a bit forward, giving Whiplash another good eye-full. "It always starts like this, a little something in secret. And then another thing, because it´s just a little thing and it wouldn't hurt anyone right?" I leaned back, to put some chicken on my plate "And before you know what's happened to you my dear, you're dancing naked under the full moon to the fast beat of drums in the fire light in front of some weird idol at a heathen ceremony." I hummed as if reminiscing "Oh how I miss these little ceremonies. All those delectable, young, girls."  

Whiplash sputtered something incomprehensible and blushed fiercely, even with her green coat. Her wings on the other hand, well, that girl got some wingspan, hoo-whee.

"Sounds like fun," Zinnia said, taking a bite out of the mysterious meat. "Invite me to the next one?"

"Sure Zi. Same goes for you Whip, new flavours are always welcome." That said, I took a hearty bite from my chicken (okay, maybe I did it a tad more ferocious than I strictly needed to, but the wing-throb it earned was worth it).    

"Hey, you ever tried manticore?" Zinnia asked, holding out a piece. "Here, have some."

"Sounds interesting." I leaned over and opened my mouth "Ahh~"

Zinnia took one look at me and grinned, biting into the meat herself and leaning over to pull me into a kiss, pushing it into my mouth and licking my lips on the way back.

I hummed into the kiss and accepted Zinnias little present. After she had pulled back, I carefully began to chew. It was interesting, definitely of the chewy sort, with an odd, wild-ish flavour. After I had made a little extra show out of swallowing, I licked my lips. "Not bad, not bad. Reminds me a bit of kangaroo."

"Never had it myself, but I'll take your word for it." She glanced to Whiplash, and I followed her gaze to find the mare frantically trying to push her wings down. "Oh dear, look what you've done! You'll need to fix that."

"Who, mói?" I pointed at myself before I 'saw' what I had done. A smile showed up on my lips. "Oh dear, I am ever so sorry Whiplash." I stood up and walked over to the mare, sitting down slightly behind her "You look so awfully tense. Here, let me help you with that." I leaned against her back, sure that she was able to feel my rock hard nipples even through her clothes and fur before I carefully applied both of my hand to the base where her wings grew out of her back, starting a light massage on the feathery appendances while breathing into her adorably twitching ear. "Soon all this nasty tension will be forgotten, I promise."  

"A-aaaaaaaaahhhh!"

I leapt away from the mare, eyes wide. "What the hell!? What'd I do!?"

Zinnia looked from Whiplash's face to me, a smirk on her face. "You made her cum."

"What?... But I barely touched her... let alone... that doesn't even...!"

"P-Pegasi wings..." Whiplash breathed, one hand on her chest. She looked around at me, and I swear I saw tiny hearts in her yellow eyes. "Pegasi wings are really sensitive, especially at the base. Unicorn horns are the same."

"Good to know," Zinnia said.

Suddenly something dawned on me, something that made me cringe. "Oh god and I touched Blueblood’s! Eeeewwwww!"

"He... didn't seem to react," Zinnia muttered around a mouthful of potatoes. "Like, at all."

"Some unicorns wear a thin cover that prevents any feeling in their horns," Whiplash explained. "Doesn't affect their magic, but it means nopony can beat them by grabbing their horn."

"Ah, so I won by threatening to cut it off then." I concluded. "Good to know that I don´t need to put my hand into scalding water now. On a lighter note, are you feeling a little bit better now Whip?"

"Y-yeah... can we just eat now?"

"Whiplash, honey, there's always gonna be sex stuff in your life as long as you live with me." Zinnia paused to eat a some chicken. "May as well get used to it now."

I went back to my seat, but on the way I carefully brushed my fingers along one of Whiplash's ears. It twitched just like a dog´s or a cat´s. After sitting down again, I ate for a while in silence only to smile at the still blushing Whiplash again. "You know Whip, if you're interested I can always give you a proper massage later on. I can tell that you're at least interested in my outfit. I could wear it while I give you the massage." The whole while I brushed my foot along one of the mare’s legs under the table.    

"Leave the poor dear alone, Umbra," Zinnia said. When she looked up and saw Whiplash's madly blushing face, telling her that I was still doing it, she sighed. "Pet, I asked you to stop."

Hearing Zinnia calling me Pet again, I retracted my foot post-haste. "I-I’m sorry, I won´t do it again." I rushed out, lowering my head a bit "P-please forgive me Whiplash, Zinnia."

Damn that Dom tone, making me putty in Zinnias smooth hands!

"Good girl," she said, not looking up from her food. "You'll get a reward later. After punishment, of course."

"Y-yes, I understand." I meeped out, internally giddy.

"Wait, I'm confused," Whiplash said. "What’s going on?"

"Kinky bedroom dominatrix shit, Whip. You want in?"

"I w-would be happy to make up for my transgressions to you Whiplash." I offered meekly "That is, if you would let me."

Whiplash just sat there for a minute, staring slack-jawed.

"Close it or I use it, Whiplash," Zinnia said, pulling out a familiar little toy. "Your choice."

At the sight of the toy, I felt my loins heaten up again and I had to audibly swallow in order not to drool.

"U-uuh..."

{Twenty minutes later, Zinnia's bedroom}

I was sat at the end of Mistress's bed, the purple satin sheets feeling incredibly soft against my skin. Mistress had taken Whiplash into her en-suite, ordering me to prepare myself while she got the mare ready. I'd been soaked all day, though, so outside of just taking my thong off there wasn't much to prepare.

Mistress appeared in the doorway a moment later, wearing nothing but a pair of purple stockings, a matching garter belt, and purple latex gloves. Milk was already leaking from her nipples, and I drooled at the thought of tasting her sweet mama juice again.

"May I introduce," Mistress started, moving to the side of the door and holding her arm out. "In her debut to the Zinnia Sex Scene, Mistress Whiplash!"

Hearing that, I straightened myself, trying to look more presentable for my new Mistress. Even though Zinnia would always be my true Mistress, I had promised to make up for my bad behaviour and Hell, I would. Even for a night.                                                                                                

Whiplash stepped around the door, and I swear I dislocated my jaw. The shy, drawn-in mare from the dinner table was gone. In her place stood a Pegasus dressed in an incredibly short black skirt, see-through white stockings, black high heels, a white shirt that looked three sizes too small with the top three buttons undone and a purple vest. A pair of glasses sat on her nose, her mane tied back in a ponytail. A large wooden meter-rule was tucked under her arm.

"You've been a bad girl," she moaned, and I almost lost it then. "So now, you've got detention."

Holy almighty tits of Dibella, she's a sexy teacher Dom! I´ve seen enough porn to know where this was going and I felt myself already quiver in anticipation. But for now, I had to play my part to the script. So I sat there, after re-hinging my jaw and simply looked guilty instead of hopelessly turned on.

"You're not even wearing your uniform!" Miss Whiplash cried, before reaching back into the bathroom and throwing a pile of clothes at me. "Get in there and change, young lady!"

"Yes ma´am!" I blurted out, the picture book example of a distressed school girl, took the pile of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Once in there, I took a good look at my new outfit. A tiny grey skirt that, when I pulled it on, barely covered half of my ass, leaving my slit fully exposed. A pair of white panties was provided, though, with light blue horizontal stripes... wait a minute, these are mine! I shrugged, pulling them on under the skirt and making sure I had a bit of camel toe. Next came the bra, the pattern matching my panties but the coverage barely even existent. It was literally a set of strings, with tiny little triangles clearly meant to cover my nipples and nothing else. I pulled the shirt on soon after, the fabric very light, and very see-through. It was even tight, exposing my rock-hard nipples. And finally, the bow.

God dammit there's a bow.

Well, it's more a piece of purple ribbon, but it's clearly meant to be a bow. So I tied my hair into a side-ponytail, leaving plenty of ribbon hanging free.

When I opened the door again, Zinnia had changed clothes again, this time wearing identical clothes to me but with a little purple tie around her neck. And she only had the bottom three buttons of her shirt done up, giving her a look not unlike Rangiku Matsumoto used to wear hers in Bleach.

"Oh, that's much better, don't you think Zinnia?" Miss Whip cooed, and I immediately tensed up when I realized she was behind me.

"Yes, Miss Whip," Zinnia replied, sashaying over to me. She flipped my skirt up and sneered, not unlike a typical high... school... bully...

Oh shit, it's that kinda role-play?

"What ridiculous panties," Zinnia said, sneering again. She then turned around, bending over and pulling her skirt up, revealing her purple, semi-see through thong. And was that a dick? "These are the panties you wear when you wanna be popular!"

"B-but I think i-it´s cute..." I meeped out, gasping when I felt something tapping the inside of my leg.

"Cuteness doesn't factor in at our school, Umbra," Miss Whip said, sliding her ruler up my thigh until it just barely brushed my lips. "Guys only like the girls who put out, my dear."

"B-but i-if  a b-boy only... l-likes me when I.... No. T-that is lewd!" I played surprise and appalled, squirming at bit on the spot. "He-he w-wouldn´t like me... only my... b-body..."                

"You see," Miss Whip sighed. "That's why you're so unpopular! Instead of fucking, you're thinking!" I felt something warm poke my thigh.

"Just give in," Zinnia said, grabbing the sides of my head kissing me, tongue and all. I just stood there, acting shocked. "Lie on your back and let someone fuck some sense out of you!"

I actually felt compelled to just do that, but that would be breaking character, so instead I brought my hand up to my mouth, eyes wide with played horror and let out a lout "Kyaaa~", while trying to get away from Zinnia and Miss Whip, only to stumble and land on all fours which left my ass up in the air and on display.

"You cannot leave until your detention is over!" Miss Whip bellowed, and a moment later something hard hit me on the ass, causing me to let off another "Kyaa!"

"Oh, can I use her Miss Whip?" Zinnia asked. "Can I?"

"But of course, my dear!" Miss Whip replied, and a moment later Zinnia's legs appeared in front of me. I felt my hair being pulled lightly and pushed myself to my hands, coming face-to-cock with Zinnia's crotch. "She needs to learn her lesson, after all."

"Wha-what is this?..." I stammered out, managing to even choke out some fake tears. "W-what do you me-guhrk!"

Zinnia had taken her chance to ram her cock in my mouth, straight down my throat, choking me slightly.

"What Miss Whip means," she said, pulling out enough to let me get some air. "Is that we're gonna teach you how to be popular!" She then rammed back in, once more cutting off my air.

"Today's lesson is an Oral assessment," the mare provided, and from what little I could see with Zinnia blocking my view, Miss Whip was stood gently stroking a massive green horsecock.

That moment, I was really a wee bit scared. Whip was sporting a true monster! So I went and tried to struggle a bit against Zinnias grip. Not much, just to stay in character.

"Enough!" Miss whip barked, bringing her ruler down hard on my pussy. I shrieked at the feeling, and I heard Zinnia groan at the vibrations I sent through her.

"Do that again Miss!" Zinnia cried, throwing her head back. No, don't! "I think she liked it!"

I tried to shake my head but to no avail. Zinnias hands and her throbbing erection in my throat kept me firmly in place. The ruler came down again without warning, and once again I screamed into the throat-stuffer that was Zinnia's cock. This time, my eyes rolled back a little and I felt the unmistakable trickle of arousal running down my legs. She started thrusting, and I felt Miss Whip's soft fingers running up my thigh, collecting my juice.

"So you are a slut," she said, and I looked up when Zinnia moaned to see Miss Whip's fingers in her mouth, presumably feeding her my fluids. "There's hope for you yet."

I willed a few more tears out of my eyes, pleased that I managed to actually produce a halfway steady flow while I tried to convey how much "horror" and "disgust" I was feeling with my eyes.

"MPH!" I cried, and Zinnia groaned again. "MPH MMMM!"

"That's it, dear!" Miss Whip said, joy in her voice. "Speak with your mouth full! The boys love that!"

I pinched my eyes closed, trying to avert my face, to protect it from being raped. "HHmmhPH!"

"Oooh, God!" Zinnia moaned. "Miss, I-I'm Cumming!"

"Remember the lesson plan, Zinnia!" Miss Whip replied, and soon Zinnia had pulled herself out of my throat, leaving me coughing and spluttering and she jerked herself. I felt my hair being grabbed as Miss Whip forcefully moved my face up, right into Zinnia's line of fire.

"We heard you like to go to the spa," Miss said, before running her tongue up my cheek. "So we thought we'd give you a facial!"

With that, Zinnia let loose, stream after stream of her thick, stringy cum splattering on my face, covering my eye and going up my nose. Miss grabbed my jaw, forcing it open for Zinnia to fire a load into, the salty taste covering my tongue.

"N-no... p-please..." I whimpered as Zinnias seed splattered against my face.

"What's that?" Miss asked, leaning in and licking a string of cum from my face. She hummed at the taste. "I must say, Zinnia has a wonderful blend, don't you think?"

My answer was a chocked sob.

"Now don't be that way," Miss tutted, and I suddenly felt her ruler pressing into my pussy again, though this time slowly, and with more force. "You'll hurt poor Zinnia's feelings. And we don't want to do that, do we?"

I gasped sharply as I felt the ruler sink into my wet folds. "M-miss... p-please... pl-please no...." I stammered but my mind was singing a totally different song, something like 'Put that huge meat pole of yours into me already and spit-roast me!'  

"I think you're ready for your final exam," Miss said, standing and moving in front of me. That monstrous, throbbing shaft of hers stood proud, the flared tip pushing at my lips. I tried to keep them closed, keeping up character, but eventually I had to cave and just opened as wide as I could, allowing Miss to shove her length into my maw. She was so much bigger than Zinnia though, and she reached the back of my throat before I even reached her medial ring!

Oh god, this was going to break me! I of course knew that all I had to do was give the signal, saying 'Mayday' or in case my mouth was occupied, tap my partners hip three times, so there was at least that safety net.

"Swallow, Umbra," Miss cooed, and I did my best to bring the monster further in, reaching just past her medial ring before I had to stop. Miss saw this and tutted. "Now this won't do at all, my dear. If you can't take the whole thing, I'm afraid you get an 'F'."

"You'll have to keep taking the test until you pass," Zinnia whispered in my ear, leaning over my back, and I shuddered when her member slipped between my legs, brushing against my nethers. Her breasts pressed against my back, and I felt a small wet patch growing.

"Perhaps a better angle is needed," Miss muttered, and before I knew it she had pulled out of my mouth,  and Zinnia had thrown me on the bed on my back with my head hanging off the edge. Miss Whip wasted no time in forcing herself back down my throat, and I swallowed on instinct as soon as she reached the back, allowing her to push further in. The new angle, of course, meant that there was no curve in my throat, allowing Miss Whip to hilt herself on the first thrust.

"Ooooh, yeeeeeeeeeessss~" she moaned, her dick throbbing. "This is much better, Umbra. You may even get an A!"

"Mii~iss!" I heard Zinnia moan. "I wanna use her too! I'm still so ha~ard!"

Wow was all I could think, for several reasons. One, I managed to totally suppress my gag reflex. Two, I dared to say that this was by far the biggest thing I ever had thrust into me (horsecock, duh!) and three, great god, this was hot!

I felt Miss Whip's hot meat pulsating with her heartbeat, filling my mouth and throat, expanding it to almost painful degrees and after a few seconds torturous she pulled back far enough to allow me greedily take in as much air as I could.

"Be patient, Zinnia," Miss Whip groaned, sliding back in a little faster than last time. "She must pass her test first, you know that."

"But Mi~iss!" Dammit woman, just let her fuck me! I don´t care for an 'A', right now, I want the 'D'!

"Well," Miss cooed. I could almost hear the smirk on her voice. "There's always me."

My eyes went wide as I heard that and I almost, almost broke character to scream my objection, to scream my claim on that glorious piece of meat, maybe even use a little spell. Nothing lethal, just hella painful. It wouldn’t have needed much. But in my head, there was this little voice which represented my unconditional submissive side, that reminded me that I had promised not only Whiplash but first and foremost Mistress to make up for my behaviour during dinner and another voice, who was just a tiny bit louder because she dwelled in one of the farthest parts of my sub-consciousness and I had not heard her in years, told me that I simply didn't want to disappoint Zinnia.  

Not Mistress, but Zinnia.

God damnit woman, what have you done to me?

"Miss Whip!" Zinnia cried in fake-shock before I saw her saunter past out of the corner of my eye. Lithe fingers appeared just above the base of Miss's throbbing, me-covered shaft. "It'd be my..." She paused, and a moment later I felt Miss lurch forward in my throat, bringing slight, real, tears to my eyes. "Pleasure."

"HHHMMPFFFF!" I yelped around the massive piece of meat that filled my whole throat (well, at least it felt like that), my hands gripping the bed sheets and my body arched upwards on its own for a second, causing the cock in my throat to slightly bend with it before I was able to level myself again.

Through a veil of tears, I could see Zinnias legs behind Miss Whip´s.

"Ooh, Zinnia!" Miss moaned, and I felt a pang of... something in my chest before Miss Whip thrusted into me again.

God, what was that irritating feeling? Whatever it was, I didn´t like it, so I decided to drown it in hormonal ecstasy a.k.a, orgasms.              

Still somewhat keeping to my role, I began hesitantly to lick along Miss´s shaft, careful not to come off as too enthusiastic which, curiously, was in that moment no problem at all.

"Oh, I see you're learning," Miss said, thrusting faster and faster as she spoke. "Umph, Zinnia! Harder, girl, or I'll fail you!"

"Yes Miss!" Zinnia grunted, and again Miss started lurching, even during her thrusts.

I felt extremely conflicted in this moment. My need for air and the vague assumption that I might need my throat and everything connected to it later in my life versus the growing want for a belly full of warm, gooey spunk. Oh yeah and somewhere in between was a malicious little voice suggesting to "accidentally" bite down as hard as I could. Totally accidentally, in the throes of passion or in fear of suffocation, whatever sounded better.

The second party finally won the struggle under heavy use of weapon grade arguments like "Horsecock!", "Hottest thing happening to us in years!" and "Buckets of cum!", just barley before the third. The first party collectively went into the next closet to cry. I began tentatively to move my head and licked a bit more courageous, partly because of my role, partly because I was still pretty intimidated from the sheer scale of Miss Whips member.  

Miss Whip let out a moan and I felt her whole body shudder. "Oouuuh~ yes, looks like we might still be able to make a popular student out of you Umbra. Keep that up, you hear?" she moaned out, tightening her grip on my head. "The same goes for you Zinnia, if you don´t give your all, you might end up like Umbra here. An uninteresting. Unattractive. Naïve. Unfucked! Wallflower!" Miss punctuated each word with a strong thrust down my throat, causing tears to flow freely over my face from the sheer sensation.

"Yes Miss, I´ll give my best!" Zinnia panted and resumed her own thrusting with new vigour, practically doubling the force of Miss´s own thrusts.

My mind was becoming hazy as the world seemingly shrunk to the size of the bedroom and the only constants where thrusting, moaning and violating my throat. This went on for what felt like hours, with Miss occasionally praising me of telling Zinnia to go faster/harder/deeper/etc. After a while, though, I felt Miss begin to slow down, eventually pulling out altogether, standing over me and stroking her massive shaft.

"It's time for the final part of your lesson, Umbra," Miss said, and Zinnia soon appeared at her side, also stroking herself. "Every slut needs a good facial, after all!"

With a weirdly groggy and/or tipsy feeling (I blame the lack of oxygen and maybe a slight concussion), I managed to turn myself around and climb off the bed on all fours, coming to a stop on my knees in front of Miss Whip and Zinnia, both now feverishly stroking their members. Silently and with half lidded eyes, I opened my mouth, letting my tongue lolling out slightly.        

"Fffuuuuck!" Miss Whip groaned, and a moment later her thick, musky seed shot out, splattering against my face and tongue, the slight taste of kiwi greeting me. Another strand covered my right eye, forcing it closed just as Zinnia joined in. She blasted her seed right up my nose, the second shot staining my hair.

This carried on for a whole minute, the magically created cocks covering me with spurt after spurt of seed, before both women reached out, grabbing my head with one hand each. My eyes widened as much as they could with their cum coating as they pressed their still-shooting shafts together, trying to force as much of them into my mouth at the same time, making my cheeks bulge with the instant torrent of magic dragon-mare cum mix, my lips stretching in a way I never thought possible. I swallowed as much as I could, but the sheer volume caused some of it to shoot up and out of my nose and back out around their cocks, staining all three of us further. My eyes rolled up at the feeling, and I got the strange feeling I looked like I'd come straight out of a hentai flick.

"Oooh, sweet Celestia," Miss groaned, and I felt the streams slow down slightly. "That was the best orgasm ever!"

Oh god was I full, I think the last time I felt like this I drank a one and a half litre bottle coke in one go.  

My mind was a hazy blur, my cheeks stung from being bloated with unholy amounts of sweet seed and I would probably sprinkle white flecks the next days whenever I sneezed but worst of all, my pussy was demanding attention like no tomorrow, my panties drenched with my juices.

"`it h... `ho ht?" I managed to 'ask' through my mouthful of meat, looking up at Miss Whip hopefully.

"Hmm?" Miss Whip pulled out of my mouth, her cock hanging limply by her leg. Zinnia soon followed suite, allowing me to more easily swallow what was left in my mouth before hungrily sucking in air. "What was that dear?"

"Did I do good Miss Whip?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Miss said with a playful tone, a hand on her chin. "What do you think, Zinnia? What grade does Umbra deserve?"

"I'm not sure you should ask me, Miss," Zinnia replied, running a finger along her still-hard shaft. Damn, that girl was insatiable! "I desperately want to give her a 'D'!" She popped the finger into her mouth, sucking it dry.

"A... a 'D'?" I stuttered "But... I... please... anything, let me..." Harder to think clear when you just want to jump the bone in front of you, let me tell you.

"Oh, Zinnia," Miss sighed with a smile. "Such a whore. Don't worry, I believe you deserve at least a 'B', my dear. And that is a passing grade."

My mouth felt oddly dry despite the earlier flooding as both of my hands developed a mind of their own and sneaked between my legs. As soon as my fingertips as much as grazed the sopping fabric, a needy whimper escaped my lips, my gaze transfixed on Zinnia's throbbing meat.

"I think that's enough punishment, then," Zinnia said, shedding her uniform. "I'm taking back control here, and now I have two pets!"

I watched as Zinnia reached over, gripping Whiplash's shaft before it gained a purple glow, slipping out of her pussy as the purple dildo.

"Now pets," Zi-… Mistress said as Whiplash knelt beside me, removing her clothes. I did the same, and soon we were both wearing nothing but our panties. "I'll need to name you so that I can tell you apart." She paused before smiling and placing a hand on my head. "You, pet, will be Slut." She looked to Whiplash. "And you'll be Whore."

"Yes, Mistress," Whore and I said.

"Now," Mistress cooed, caressing my cum-soaked face. "Since Slut here has endured so much, I believe she deserves a reward. Don't you, Whore?"

"Yes Mistress," Whore replied. "Might I suggest fucking her while I service her with my mouth, Mistress?"

"Good idea, Whore," Mistress said, pulling me up to my feet. "Would you like that, Slut?"

I nodded eagerly "Yes please, Mistress. Please use me." Lust and longing filed my voice. A bit of desperation too.  

Whore lay down on the bed, opening her mouth wide and sticking her tongue out.

"Position yourself, Slut," Mistress said, and when I moved towards Whore, she smacked my ass, making me yelp. "Don't let her start, though."

I nodded, clambering over Whore until my nethers were directly over her face. I felt the bed shift slightly and Mistress's hands on my hips before my panties were pushed to the side. Mistress patted my ass lightly.

"Are you ready, Slut?" she asked, and I felt a prodding on my ass.

"Yes Mistress." I breathed, pushing myself slightly towards my Mistress´ alluring tip. "Please take me now."

"Well..." Mistress paused, pushing her tip in. "Since you asked so nicely..." She placed her hands on the small of my back. "Are you ready, Whore?"

"Yes, Mistress." Whore replied.

"Well okay then."

With that, Mistress pounded into my ass hard, pushing down and making my legs buckle so that I landed on Whore's face, her tongue slipping into my folds.

I threw my head back, mouth wide open and my own tongue lolling out of as my poor, tortured pussy finally got the attention she was craving, together with the heavenly fullness in my ass that was Mistress's glorious, throbbing cock.

"Oh sweet Darkness, yes!" I all but howled out as Mistress and Whore both at the same time hit one of my sweet spots, avoiding a crashing orgasm just by a hairs wide.

"Oh my," Mistress purred, pulling out to the tip. "We did get you worked up, didn't we Slut?" She slammed back in, the sound of our flesh smacking together ringing gloriously in my ears. Whore wrapped her arms around my legs, digging her fingers into my ass as she pushed her tongue deeper into me.

At this point any ability for coherent speech from my side took its hat, stamped it´s card and left the building. I gave mewls not unlike the sounds Fluttershy had produced as her face had served as the pillow for Cadence´s royal rump. Drool began to drip from my tongue and in combination with my panting and frantic hip movements, one could have come to the conclusion that somewhere far, faaaaar back in my family tree an Australopithecus had held an unholy matrimony with some kind of prehistoric dog.    

Mistress leaned forwards, pressing her breasts against my back and pushing into me even deeper.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Slut?" she asked, and I just nodded in response. "But poor Whore is just lying there, left wanting." My eyes drifted down, spotting the glistening, green-furred lips just below me. "Shouldn't you thank her, Slut? Don’t you think Whore deserves some thanks?"

I nodded dumbly, lowering my tongue to lap at Whore, who let out a sharp gasp before shoving her face deep between my thighs. That and Mistress's pounding, combined with the taste of kiwi from Whore's pussy, pushing me over the edge. I came, hard and fast, feeling my muscles tighten around Mistress's cock and Whore's tongue. Mistress groaned loudly, and a moment later large, powerful shots of her cum were filling my ass once again, all while Whore took the opportunity to lightly graze her teeth over my clit, sending me into another plain of pleasure entirely!

I froze in place as waves of pleasure wracked my entire body, divine sensations attacking my poor nervous system like rapid fire, threatening to fry my brain and turning it into literal mush.  

As the spurts of Mistress inside my ass finally had ebbed away and the last wave of pleasure run out, my muscles softened up again and I felt suddenly so incredible sleepy.  

Strong but gentle hands caught me before I could unceremoniously drop like a wet potato bag and guided me towards the waiting mattress, laying me down in a comfortable way.

As my eyelids began to drop and Morpheus, one of my oldest and dearest friends hit me dead on with a can of sleepy time, I heard someone mumble four little words.

"I love you Zi..."

Funny that it sounded almost like my own voice, but all musings were cut of as sweet, sweet slumber encompassed me.

SS Delta Overlady

When I woke up, I felt a lot of different things.

I felt sticky.

Strangely at peace.          

Content.

But most of all, sore in all the right ways.

Lifting my head just a bit, I tried and looked around, still a bit sleep drunken. I was still in Zinnias bedroom, curled up on her smooth bed sheets. The door was open by a crack, allowing light to flow in and illuminate the room that smelt like a, well, harbour brothel at the evening when all the sailors got their money. I took a deep breath and smiled.  

A soft snoring caught my attention and I discovered Whiplash. The Pegasus was laying an arm’s length away from me on her stomach, her head slightly turned towards me. An ear-to-ear smile was etched into her muzzle (which was flaky looking thanks to the bodily fluids of certain persons), her wings and tail slightly twitching now and then.  

I smiled myself and carefully, not the wake sleeping beauty, shimmied out of the bed and made my way over to the bathroom. As much I as loved the feeling of getting a face full, the morning after it began to itch like hell. Besides I didn't want Zinnia´s son having to ask why the strange lady had funny smelling, white stuff plastered all over her.

Slowly, I closed the door behind me and striped out of my panty. The garment was in as much a dire need of cleansing as me. After a short search for a towel, I stepped into the shower. It was a nice, old fashioned thing not unlike something you sometimes would find in your Granny´s bath. After another while, I had figured the perfect water temperature out and let the soothing liquid pour down upon me, soaking me completely.

"Hmhmhm, the devil had invented schnapps. So what? So what?" I began singing softly as I scrubbed the remains of last night's session of my skin.

"Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, the devil can´t get all of us. Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, we drink until our final day!"

I couldn't help it but sing, the warm feeling in my chest making it all but impossible not to. I helped myself with a small amount of hair shampoo, which smelled a lot like Zinnia or better Zinnia smelled a lot like it. Spicy, with a hint of smoke. Well, the smoke part came from herself, I suspected, being a half dragon, Draconid, whatever. She had wings and could breathe fire!  

"Last night I felt so heroic. So what? So what? Now all I can is ask who is that woman in the mirror and why does she look so sick?"              

I rinsed my hair, turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Reaching for the towel I hummed the refrain again, starting to dry myself as I stepped in front of the washing basin and took a look into the mirror. I was greeted by a broadly smiling, almost glowing me. My wet hair hung into my face not unlike leafless willow twigs but the pools of light that were my eyes alight like headlights despite the early (I suspected) morning hours.

"Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, we´re swigging and we are still here. Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, we´re swigging and we are still here." I sang, my voice slowly rising as the warmth in my chest began to feel more intense. For whatever reason, I felt like hugging the world.

"The devil had invented schnapps. So what? So what? Who was is that has brought me here? So what? So what? My head will never fit back through the door, so what? So what? Who for Pete´s sake is that woman at whose boobs I am starring at? "

My voice rose another pitch as my mouth morphed into a gleeful smile, a different kind of warmth flooding my whole system as the songs positive vibe was beginning to affect me more and more.    

"Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, the devil can´t get all of us. Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, we drink until our final day!"

I began reminiscing, thinking about all the things I had done since Zinnia summoned me into her Verse. We had fought a corrupted Blueblood, I had grilled a Froslass (which I totally felt no remorse for), then my first flight with Air Zinnia and the short brush with the corrupted RD, who now called herself Shadow Blur.

My attempt at absorbing Darkrai’s cloud thing and my encounter with that asswipe Pokemon.

How Zinnia had kissed me to break me out.

"The devil had invented schnapps. So what? So what? Oh how I have laughed yesterday. So what? So what? Today I swear of booze forevermore, until the next long night when the Devil will wait for me and laugh! Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, the devil can´t get all of us. Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, we drink until our final day!"

At this point I was singing almost at the top of my voice, unable to reign myself in. I shimmied on the spot and swayed my butt to the rhythm in my head.

The amazing Mile High Club sex with Zinnia and her clones, kilometres above the surface of Equus.

I remembered the meeting with Zinnias Mane Six minus One and their reactions to me and Zi going at it in a crater like animals in heat. Hard to forget suddenly feeling a tongue in your ass from someone you would have never suspected it from.  

Our little stunt at Canterlot and the encounter with Cadence and Shining. I halfway hoped the maids had yet not cleaned the floor so that all the nobles would speculate about the new odour of the throne room.

How Zinnia had taken the role of the sexy Mistress and how good it had felt to submit myself to her because I somehow knew I could completely trust her.

The strange feeling that had grown since we first had met, how it had made me feel jealous, had made me cocky and turned me into putty in the raven haired beauty's hands.

The session last night, which was one of the most glorious things in my life.

"Hip hip hurray, come raise your glass, the devil can´t get all of us. Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, we drink until our final day!" I sang out with broad smile, recalling Zinnias face and the countless looks she had given me. How she seemed to glow with an inner radiance, the kind yet oh so sexily deranged twinkle in her eyes whenever she was Mistress, how she made my heart swell.

The gentle way I was laid to rest last night and the four little words that I had heard before I had drifted off into sleep, spoken in my voice.

I love you Zi...

Looking in the mirror, it hit me with the force of a pissed-off Bio-Titan.

"I´m... I´m in love..." I muttered, my hands planted firmly onto the porcelain of the basin. A bucket worth of cold dread splashed into the warmth I was feeling only to dissolve as fast as it appeared.

My broad, stupid grin returned ten-fold. If I was not the densest creature in this part of the Multi-Verse, than I would eat a broom complete with the maid. Well, maybe just the maid.

My cheeks began to absorb the light again as a negative-blush began to grow as I whispered to myself in an almost inaudible voice "I´m in love. I love Zinnia." over and over again.

Whiplash stepped away from the bathroom door, making sure she wouldn't be seen before hurrying off to her own room. A small smile adorned her face, and she couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Good for her," the Pegasus said as she stepped into her bedroom, the simple sky-blue sheets of her bed greeting her. She moved to her own bathroom, taking a moment to grab some clothes from her wardrobe. "I just hope it doesn't turn into one of those romantic drama novels where the characters can't just admit their feelings. That'd be stupid."

Zinnia danced merrily around the kitchen, dressed in a purple satin robe with her iPod sat on the countertop blasting a vaguely electronic tune with a woman's voice singing. She sang along happily, bouncing from one foot to another as she rolled some sausages around in a frying pan.

"Just the two of us..." Zinnia muttered, a smile on her face. She bent pulled a plate from an over-hanging cupboard, spinning so that the toast that popped out of her toaster landed right in the centre before placing it on the table next to a stick of butter. Turning back to a stove, she took the pan of sausages and its neighbour, a pan of scrambled eggs, spreading their contents evenly between three plates already on the table. She then placed a smaller plate on the table, giving that a smaller helping of the same.

"Umbra, Stryker, Whiplash!" Zinnia shouted, turning off the stove and placing the pans in the sink to be washed later. "Breakfast!"

She hadn’t waited for long until she heard two sets of bare feet and a set of smaller steps, made by clawed feet.

The first in to appear was Stryker, the young Pokemon greeting his mother enthusiastically, wearing a long-sleeved red shirt, blue shorts and red socks, w small black spider emblazoned on his chest. Next came Whiplash, dressed in a simple shirt and shorts combo and last but not least, Umbra appeared. The dark skinned woman was only clad in a stark pink towel that contrasted vehemently with her black skin.

"Good morning." Whiplash greeted and took a seat, a thin smile grazing her muzzle as she gave side-glances to Umbra.  

Umbra herself was wearing a broader and much more obvious smile that was somewhat on the dopey side as she sat down, careful to keep herself covered. "Guten Morgen," she yawned and smacked her lips a few times, showing the entire world that she was not really a morning person. A familiar fragrance wafted over to Zinnia from her, which she recognized as her own shampoo.

"Who you?" the young Dragon-Type asked, staring at Umbra with wide, curious eyes.

Zinnia chuckled slightly, sitting down across from her visitor. "This is Umbra, Stryker," she said with a smile, reaching over to carefully cut the boy's sausages up for him. "She's a visitor from a faraway place."

"Like Uncle Jay?"

"Yes Stryker, just like Uncle Jay."

Umbra smiled at the young Pokemon, seemingly more awake now as the smell of food permeated the kitchens air and waved at Stryker "Hello sweetie, nice to meet you."

Stryker seemed to stare her down for a moment before a massive grin split his face. "You smell like Mama!"

"What!" Zinnia spluttered, choking on her drink.

"That is because," Umbra, seemingly not affected, took a sip from her own coffee. "Because I borrowed some of your Mamas shampoo and she had let me sleep in her bed."  

"Oh." Stryker just nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Did you have fun?"

At that, Umbra smiled again, this time a bit more malicious "Yes sweetie, a lot of it."

"Umbra!" Zinnia cried. "Girl, I love you and all, but shut up!"

Now it was Umbra´s turn to choke on her coffee, nearly spraying it over the whole table. Whiplash watched with mild glee, happily munching on some eggs.

"Wh-what?" the midnight-skinned woman asked, glowing eyes wide.

"You need to keep our fun on the down-low when in front of Stryker, please!"

Umbra's shoulders sagged visibly as her hands tightened around her mug. "Oh... that. Ok..."

Whiplash groaned, dragging her hand down her muzzle.

"What's up, hon?" Zinnia asked.

Fidgeting with her cup, Umbra let go of a long sigh "It´s, ehrm..." she paused, seemingly in an internal struggle for a few seconds before she continued "I... can I tell you after breakfast? Between four eyes?"

"S-sure..." Zinnia sat back, silently eating the rest of her food, stealing the occasional glance at Umbra, who seemed to be doing the same. Whiplash groaned audibly, quickly finishing her food.

"Hey, Stryker," the mare said, standing and taking her dishes to the sink. "How would you like to go for a ride on Sonar's back?"

"Yay!" the excited drake exclaimed, wolfing down what little was left of his food before rushing out of the room, Whiplash close behind. The mare paused in the door, though, glaring at the two women slightly.

"You two," she said, jabbing her finger at them. "Talk. Now."

As soon as the mare had left, Umbra gave Zinnia a slightly confused look "Geez, what kind of bug's bitten Whip this morning?"

"No idea," Zinnia shrugged. "But she's got a point. Only four eyes now."

"Right," Umbra nodded "Weeell, here goes..."

{Umbra’s POV}

Well, there we were. Just Zinnia and lil´ ol´ me. Only the two of us. No one else since Whip and Stryker went out for a fly. Nope, no sirree bob, not another living... GRAAAH!!!

What in the in name of Nurgle´s rancid nut-cup was wrong with me?!?

>>You wanted to talk under four eyes, well, there you go,<< the voice from yesterday shouted at me and by her tone she was this close to pop a vessel >>Now stop acting like a god damn school girl  with her first crush and fess up or sooo help me!!!<<  

>>Wow, I think I really need to see a shrink in the closer future cause I´m sure having your own inner voice threaten is not normal.<<

>>Bitch, please! You are the incarnation of dark and evil in a land of anthro ponies and you are discussing confessing to your first real love in what, five years, with the manifestation of your amorous needs. YOU ARE NOT NORMAL!!!<<<      

"Umbra?" Zinnia's voice called, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You okay? You don't have to tell me if you don’t want to."

"NO!" I yelled and shot up, nearly losing my towel in the process. As soon as I realized my outburst, I giggled sheepishly and sat back down. "I mean, no, I want to tell you. I just had... another discussion, let´s call it that."

"Oh, voices in your head? Trust me, they're nothing to worry about. Keep'em happy as long as they're not sociopathic murderers and you'll be fine."

"Heh, I wish," I chuckled lamely before taking a deep breath, preparing for the dive. "Okay, let´s do this, like ripping duct tape off. Zinnia," I looked into her eyes "We've only know each other for the better part of two days... we fought so some wanna-be baddies, we saved Thunder... Applejacks brother and you saved me, we ended up pissing off the guy that wants to destroy your Equestria and we had insane sex worth its own ballad. We pulled some awesome stuff with our little pet show in Canterlot after we found out that your Fluttershy is obviously a kinky closet case and that Pinkie is seemingly the Queen of every kind of party. We managed to literally screw the living incarnation of love and her hubby in the very throne room of Celestia and Luna. Afterwards you were kind enough not to only let me stay for the night and fed me, no, we went and had even insane-er sex with your roommate, including giant-ass magical horsedongs and your own of course and all the while, you see, I had this strange feeling growing in me. I noticed first at Canterlot when Shining was ploughing you and afterwards whenever someone else got your attention but me. Also, every time when we Pet and Mistress, every time you praised me, told me I´ve done good, my heart jumped. I knew I could feel safe with you, that you´d be there for me and that I always wanted to be there for you and I think I had some kind of epiphany this morning in the shower because sometimes I am denser than a black hole and then you said you loved me and all but you meant not what I meant but not to talk in innuendo before Stryker and then I asked you for a heart to heart and now I am babbling like some hopelessly crushing school girl, I am babbling aren´t I?"

I forced my mouth shout for a moment, closed my eyes and only concentrated at reigning in my raging pulse, holding up a single finger to signal Zinnia that I was not finished yet. Then I opened my eyes again and locking my gaze on Zinnia, giving a long exhale.

"Zinnia, I´m in love with you."

{Zinnia's POV}

Wow.

Just... wow.

…

"Thank fucking God!" I cried, slamming my hands down on the table. I caught Umbra's startle expression and couldn't help myself - I started laughing. The mad, desperate kind of laugh you get when something you really want is right in front of you.

"Wait, what!?" Umbra asked, eyes wide. "W-why are you laughing!?"

"Because I love you too, ya evil bitch!"

That moment, everything fell out of Umbra´s face as she owlishly stared at me, her mouth opening and closing oh so cutely. Finally, she managed to find her voice again after staring at me like a Magikarp on dry land for minutes.

"Whu~?"

Okay, too much praise.

"I said I love you too, Umbra!" I shouted again, moving around the table and taking her hands. "Now come here and kiss me you idiot."

Without giving her any time to react, I pressed my lips to hers, and a feeling of warm, happy, fullness crashed through me. This was different to whenever anyone else had kissed me, this was filled with love. No passion, no need, just... love.

{Umbra’s POV}

Conflicted. Yes, that was a pretty good word to describe my state of emotion that moment.

I was so incredibly happy that I felt like I could sing praise to any deity that had ever been worshipped but that would have meant that I would had to separate my lips from Zinnia´s.

I wanted to climb on top of Mount Canter and carve a ridiculously big heart with Z + U 4 ever in it into the very stone but that would have meant to let go of Zinnia.

I felt like I could walk right up to Celestia and just 'yoink' her crown right off her head without needing to fear the retaliation.

In the end, I settled with simply melting into the kiss, gently brushing my lips against Zinnias and wrapped my arms around her hips.

Zinnia moaned slightly, pulling me closer, her tongue brushing against my lips. I answered in kind, parting my lips and wrapping my tongue around hers. The towel fell away, leaving me completely open, but I could care less right now.

Zinnia pulled away after a moment, and despite giving a slight whimper of disappointment, I admit I needed some air too.

"Umbra," the woman before me whispered, and my spine tingled at how she said my name. "I honestly love you. So, so much."

I nearly lost it. Nearly. Mustering all the dark willpower bestowed upon me, I instead (mentally) slammed a sock into my "amorous needs" metaphorical mouth because she would not shut up about ravaging Zinnia on the dinner table which, frankly, would have totally ruined the mood and threw the lusty figment of my psyche into her little padded cell, slamming the door shut.  

After that, I took Zinnias hand with my own, placing them on my chest, right above my heart. "Zinnia," a smiled tenderly at the raven haired beauty before me "Would you please become the head Mistress of my Tower... and my heart?"                          

"I thought I already was your Mistress?" Zinnia asked.

"No, yes, I mean, of course you are but it’s a bit more complex." I stumbled a bit over my words "You see, me, the Overlord or in my case, the Overlady... argh, let´s just say a dark Ruler, which I am by the way, is bound by tradition to not only amass countless treasures and build a giant domain but also bring the most beautiful females under the sky as their partners. That the traditional term is Mistress is just fluke on cosmic scales."        

"So..." Zinnia paused, brushing what I assume to be a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'd be like the Alpha Bitch?"

At now my mind was flooded with hundreds of pictures and scenarios, all staring Zinnia, wearing nothing but plush dog ears, a cute spiked collar, gloves to make her hands look like paws and a short, fake tail connected to a butt plug.

I licked a bit of drool from my lips. "Well, should I ever find more candidates, then of course. If not, you would be still Alpha but my only one and mostly in the bedroom. I have to keep up at least some appearances to keep my Minions in line." I explained. "Just out of curiosity, the whole 'dark Ruler' stuff didn't faze you? Like, at all?"                  

"Nah," she dismissed, waving my concern off. "I've seen the real you. And I vaguely know what the Overlord series was, I recognized you straight away." She paused, waggling her eyebrows at me. "Even if you are infinitely sexier."  

"Not half as sexy as you are Zi." I smiled and planted another kiss on her lips before parting on my own this time. "Good that you know some of the lore, my Equestria stands no chance then. I think I already know the colour of the new carpets for the Canterlot throne room." I said in a half serious tone. "Oh ho, Gnarl will so bust a nut or maybe even two when I introduce you to him."

"Should I dress up?" She looked down at herself, pulling her robe open to reveal her... nakedness. Dammit woman! "Or am I good like this? Ooh, I have the Slave Leia bikini!"

My eyes widened at this. "Did I ever mention that my love for you burns so bright, Celestia's sun looks like the arctic on a cold day compared to it?"

"Nope, but now I know!" She gave me a peck on the lips before slipping away, almost gliding out of the kitchen. "I'm gonna go get dressed, come and get your armour! We'll leave Whiplash a note and then hop over to your world to make this official."  

I simply nodded and followed Zinnia's amazing booty. I could not really recall much of the dressing up process, mainly because it still baffled me just how many kinky props my... girlfriend... yes, my girlfriend had.  

Halfway in the process, I was already in trousers, boots and tunic while Zinnia was only in some sort of ballerinas and the bottom part of her costume, I snuck up to her and tapped her shoulder. The moment she turned around, I latched myself on one of her proudly on attention standing nipples and helped me to a few quick sips of that god damn addictive milk of hers, causing Zinnia to moan in surprise. After I had satisfied this need and only got lightly swatted for it, we finished dressing up and wandered into a second large, hangar-like room, this one floored with the kind of rough wood you might find in a barn with a massive pile of hay in the corner. The metal door was wide open, a pleasant breeze flowing in.

"Hangar Two," Zinnia said, answering my unasked question. "Sonar's room. I'll leave the note on the wall."

With that, Zinnia pulled a piece of paper and a pen from who-knows-where (seriously, I must have her bag!) and quickly scrawled something down, sticking the paper to the wall opposite the open door.

"Alright, let's go."

"Okay, give me your token then. I'll go over and call you." I held my hand out.

"Honey, it's already on your leg," Zinnia said with a smile. Huh, guess I slipped it on without noticing. "But I have another idea. Come here." She held her arms out, beckoning me in.

Curious what she had in mind, I followed her request. Zinnia snuggled up to me, being sure to make me look like the dominant one (she's fantastic, really), and sighed.

"Umbra, our contract is complete."

A flash of blue light appeared, and a stomach lurching moment later I was back in my training room, inside my tower.  

In an instant, nausea washed over me as my connection to the tower was restored back from a faint buzz to full brunt transmission, making me stumble. Zinnia caught me, her idea clearly having worked, and for a moment she just held me steady.

>>…o Welder, I still have no idea where Her Ladyship is. No you cannot try and make the dragoness into a new armour for Milady... what do you mean Rufus? Her smell? Where?<< I heard Gnarls voice scrape in my ears.

"You okay?" Zinnia asked. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "My dark Lady."

Hearing Zinnia call me that brought a smile to my face and I straightened myself. "Yes, yes. Only a moment of disorientation after the teleport." I reassured her.

>>Hey! Gnarl and anyone else in the channel, guess who´s back?<< I clinked myself back into the Minion mind link in the tower.

I got no response, instead the training rooms reinforced oaken doors were flung open and Gnarl, Rufus, Welder, Wiener, Onyx and even Norbert barged into the room.

"Milady, you are back!" Gnarl exclaimed, heavily leaning on his walking stick as he waddled over to us. It was then that he noticed Zinnia, my arm still around her, in her Slave Leia outfit which caused the old Minion to showcase his broadest (and most lecherous) smile. "And you finally found a Mistress for the tower." He waddled around us, giving Zinnia a praising nod "And what a beauty she is. These wings, is she a succubus?"

"He has no idea," the girl muttered before clearing her throat. "No sir, I'm actually a Draconid. We're a half-Dragon species with certain special abilities."

"My, my, how... exotic." Gnarl rubbed his hands while ogling Zinnias bountiful breasts "Say Miss..."

"Zinnia, this is Zinnia Gnarl." I chipped in.

"Oooh, what a beautiful name. Fitting for its owner. Now Miss Zinnia, how do you feel about feeding grapes to a hard-working, old Minion after a long day of work?"

"Yeah... that ain't gonna happen," Zinnia said with a frown, hugging my arm tightly. "I am purely for my Overlady's use, no outsiders unless she commands it." She stuck her tongue out at the shocked Minion Master before reaching up and squeezing her breast. "Sucks to be you. I'm milky."

I barely managed to suppress a roaring fit of laughter as Zinnia gave Gnarl a pass. He made a like a fish on dry land, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

The other Minions though, they were laughing their collective asses of.

Wiener had pulled his chef hat over his face and was rolling on the floor, Welder lay on his stomach, pounding at the stone with his fists as hysteric giggles wracked him, and Rufus was holding his stomach with one hand and slapping his leg with the other. Even Norbert, ever the embodiment of tranquillity, was snickering into his hood, propped up on his scythe.  

And then there was Onyx. The black dragoness had been suspiciously staring at Zinnia the whole time from above but as soon as Zinnia had cracked the verbal whip at Gnarl, her scowl turned into a full fanged grin and then into raging laughter that shook her mercilessly.

"Damn Gnarl, you just got burned, better go and apply some salve!" the She-Dragon hollered, her tail whipping around behind her like possessed whip. Then she walked up to us and gave Zinnia a wide grin with slightly flared wings and a half cocked head. "Girl, I think we will get along swimmingly." Then she addressed me without looking at me "Bout time you found me another dragon to hang around with demonette. Even if she is kinda squishy."    

"I take it you're Onyx," Zinnia said with a grin. "Girl, I'm squishy 'cuz there's a baby in my belly. But I can still kick ass."

"I can attest to that." I supplied.

"Oh? You've heard of me?" Onyx now looked at me "Told her some stories about me, did ya?"

"How we met." I answered.

Suddenly Onyx wings snapped shut. "Damn, you had to tell that one of all stories?" the dragoness whined, rubbing one of her ram horns.

"Hey, we don't have that many stories together flamethrower, suck it up like a big girl." I chuckled. "Hmm, I think you broke Gnarl my dearest Zinnia." I stated as I pointed at the still fish imitating Gnarl.

"Oh, did I do bad my dark Lady?" Zinnia asked, dropping to her knees with an almost invisible smirk. Almost. "Maybe you should punish me?"

And there was the reason why I loved that woman so damn much. A smirk rivalling Zinnia's appeared on my face as I rubbed my chin as though in thought. "Yes, indeed you did, slave." I growled out, tasting the word slave on my tongue like an exquisite sweet. It was almost as intoxicating, as acts of dominance flashed through my mind, ways how I could make Zinnia submit to me. "Some disciplinary measures are in order." I looked down at her and ordered "Up!"

"Y-yes, my Lady!" Zinnia cried, scrambling to her feet. She stood there, hands behind her back and chest pushed forward slightly.

God she was so damn hot like this.

"Well then, what should I do with you hm?" I held my growling tone as I cupped her chin with my hand, looking into her eyes. They twinkled with anticipation. "Collar and chain slave, putt them on. I know you have them with you."

I was highly aware that the Minions and Onyx were watching, slack-jawed.

"Y-yes, my lady, right away. M-might I have my bag?" She held her hand out hesitantly, eyes down.

I gave her the item.

"Th-thank you," she muttered, digging through the bag before pulling out a small, golden collar and snapping it around her neck. Next, she pulled out a long, simple chain, attaching one end to her collar before presenting the other end to me. "F-for my lady, do with it as you please."

"Oh, I shall slave." I smirked as I took the chain and gave it a small tug, testing if it was properly attached. "Very good. Now, follow me. You are always to walk one step behind me. No dilly-dallying." I ordered. Before we left the room, I gave my Minions a glare before turning to Onyx. "Onyx, please burn every Minion who tries to take a peek into my chambers."

Onyx gave me a thumbs-up and a wicked smile. "Got'cha."

With that taken care of, I tugged at the chain and strode forward, towards my chambers. The walk was only one flight of stairs and soon we stood in my bedroom, the greatly ornamented iron doors falling into the lock with a loud 'bang'.

"Oh thank God!" Zinnia  groaned, slumping down. "I don't know how much longer I could have held that act, Umbra. I swear, I wanted to punch myself!"

I took my helmet of and sat it on its stand before guiding Zinnia to sit down on my own bed, the silken sheets shimmering in the darkest red in the sun than came through my big balcony door.

"Aww, but you were so incredibly sexy when you pulled that little act. Wanted me to spank and eat you out right there on the spot." I said in a slightly husky voice, giving her a kiss on the earlobe.

Zinnia giggled a little before a smirk found its way onto her face. "Oh, but remember that you're my pet, Umbra," she replied, running a hand along one of the unprotected parts of my armour. "I'm Big Bitch, okay? I have the magic cock."

"Valid argumentation but my statement still stands." A shudder ran down my spine as her fingertips danced over my exposed skin. "On a totally different note, I think you've won over Onyx, Welder, Rufus, Wiener and Norbert with flying colours. Also, the way you burned the old walnut," I leaned in and breathed into Zinnias ear "Was a total turn on. All that sass." I gave her ear a slight lick.

"O-oh, Umbra!" Zinnia moaned, before reaching into her bag, once again pulling the dildo out. "I wonder what yours would look like..." she muttered, waving it at me.

I gave the sexy magical doohickey a short look before my smile returned with a vengeance. "Only one way to find out, isn`t there Zi?" I wiggled my eyebrows. "Help me undress?"

"But of course, my dark lady." Oh great darkness there it is.

Zinnia slipped off the bed, moving below me and slowly sliding her hands up my legs, undoing the clasps of my boots and in a heartbeat they were off. Next, Zinnia's hand slithered up and began to undo my belt buckle, pulling my belt and the protective armour and my weapon attached to it off me, depositing it on the growing pile on the ground.  

All while giving me smouldering glances from below that made my blood run hot and a tingle run down between my thighs.

Before I knew what was happening, Zinnia had straddled my lap and began taking of my gauntlets. Doing that, she let her nails slightly graze my skin whenever she could, the faint touch driving me visibly wild as I yearned for a more substantial touch and by the cattish smile that adorned Zinnias face by now, she knew it.        

"Am I doing good, my lady?" Zinnia breathed into my ear as she leaned forward to undo my upper body armour, using her wing-tips to tickle my shoulders as it fell away.

My mouth instantly went dry at the smouldering sexiness carried in her words before I reigned myself back in and answered "Yes. Keep going."

"Of course," she said, rubbing at my breasts through the thin tunic. "Shall I insert my lady's cock?"

My trousers and my tunic flew away in a manner that would have made Lupine the 3rd proud, revealing my body in all its naked glory once again, my nipples standing at attention and a unmistakable glistening coating the inside of my thighs. My face flushed and my heart hammering in my chest, I gave both Zinnia and the toy a gaze of want. "Do it!"

"As you command," Zinnia whispered, grasping the toy and placing it just at my opening. "Prepare to feel what a man does when he uses me."

With that, she shoved the plastic in, making me let out a gasp of delight. A familiar purple glow overtook the toy, and an electric tingling erupted from my loins, my mind flooding with all new sensations as the glow faded, revealing a long, thick, charcoal-skinned cock, veins throbbing along it's edges in time with my heartbeat. It had to be roughly twenty centimetres long, at least, and another three and a half thick!

"Oh my..." Zinnia muttered, sounding an awful lot like a flustered Fluttershy. "I didn't expect this on a human. Whiplash I understood, because... Well, because horsecock, but this..."

I starred at the monster protruding from my crotch, feeling new urges racing through my system, the most prominent to bury the black beast in Zinnias hot, wet throat.

"Oh... good... and here I thought I was the only one, hnng, surprised..." I panted and my new appendance twitched, sending a weird jolt through me. "Darkness... is it normal that it seems to have a mind of its own, trying to remote control me?"

"Oh that's just the  testosterone rushing to your brain," Zinnia said with a wave and a smile. "What, you expect to grow a magic dick and not have male urges rush through your head?"

"Hah... okay... so that´s why... stop twitching dammit... why I feel the urge to fuck your face like no tomorrow until your belly is bloated with my cum..."

"Hey, let me get in position then you can go right ahead!" To punctuate her point, Zinnia crawled onto the bed, laying on her back with her mouth wide open. That gesture alone nearly made me blow my load into her face here and there. That was a strange thought let me tell ya!

Nervously biting my lip, I lined myself up with Zinnias waiting mouth, one hand on Zinnias head, the other guiding my newly acquired cock. Zinnias hot breath washed over my new meat and made me moan slightly. "Alright, I´ll put it in..." I muttered and, unsure how to go on, tried to slide carefully but my head was not even inside as my new 'instincts' took over, fed up with waiting and hilting myself until I felt resistance.

"Hee' hoi'!" Zinnia shouted, her words sending vibrations up my shaft before her throat seemed to constrict slightly, then open up, almost pulling me further in. "Ah ha' 'ake ih!"

That was the straw that cleaved the camel in two. I gripped Zinnias head with both hands and in one movement, hilted myself.

It was incredible. Zinnias hot throat felt divine as is constricted and relaxed around my shaft. "Now I can understand why guys love this so much..." I gasped out, nearly yelping as I felt something slithering over the surface of my meat stick. Zinnia was using her tongue! "O-oh sweet darkness!!!"  

My first instinct was to press even deeper but somehow I managed to recall my own experiences with Zinnias and Whips magical cocks and the fact that living beings needed oxygen to survive, pulling out halfway to allow Zinnia to breath.

"Wow... that... what a rush and that was just putting it in your mouth once..." I gasped "And I nearly lost... it... are you okay Zi?"                                                                                                                  

Zinnia was lay there, openly glaring at me from below. She just pointed to the half of me that wasn't currently lodged within her before wrapping her hand around the base and jerking me.

"OH BLOODY HELL!" I yelled out as my brain was drowned in pleasure. " I GET IT, I GET IT! I... just stop.. I caHAn go on my oOOwn!"

That seemed to satisfy Zinnia as she let go of me. As soon as she let go, I hilted myself into her throat again and held that position for a few heartbeats, trying to recall how Zinnia had used my mouth and every guy I ever blown. Hearing a growl from below, I began to thrust in a slow rhythm, still unaccustomed to the new piece of my physique. At the same time, I felt pressure building up in me.

I heard Zinnia let out a lust-filled groan, sending shivers up my spine even as she slathered my meat with her tongue, taking her time to run over each and every vein. She dragged her teeth lightly over the sensitive flesh. The pressure at the base of my member began to grow, building up until it was almost unbearable.

"Zi-Zinnia!" I shouted, pushing in until her nose was pressed against my thigh. "C-c-cu-cummiiing!!"

My legs nearly gave out on me as my first... well, male orgasm crashed down on me. The pressure popped like a cork on a violently shaken bottle of champagne, shooting out of me and into Zinnia's waiting throat as I felt my member twitch and swell and spurt. I pressed myself firmly into Zinnia, my head rolling back as my mind blanked and I stared at the ceiling of my chambers for a while until I noticed  tapping at my hip and a part in the lust addled mush that was my mind realized that it was Zinnia, signalling to let her breath. With a grunt and an audible 'pop', I pulled out of the incredible cocksleeve that was my girlfriends throat, my dick trailing strings of saliva and cum behind, spurting one last string of cum over Zinnia's face.

"Un-unholy... ev-every-thing..." I gasped out, feeling slightly tipsy.

Zinnia panted for a second before running her hand across her face, gathering the last of my cum and letting it dribble into her mouth.

"Tastes like..." she said, a smile on her face. "Darkness. And love."

"Really?" I snorted, unable to stop myself from laughing at her. "You really went there?"

"What, I'm not allowed to comment on my girlfriend's taste?"

"Not if you’re gonna be all cheesy about it!"

"Fine! You taste like black forest gateau!"

"Gesundheit."

We shared a laugh for a moment, just basking in the afterglow, before Zinnia frowned at something.

"Uh, Umbra?" she asked, glaring at the ceiling. "You know how you told Onyx to burn peepers alive?"

"Yes?"

"Can I do it too?" She pointed at the ceiling, and I turned my gaze to see a single Brown Minion hanging from the ceiling, eyes wide.

My face fell into a deadpan as the Brown hastily tried to vanish back into whatever hole he crawled out of. "Knock yourself out Zi." I said in an even monotone, stepping back to clear the line of fire.  

Zinnia spread her wings, shooting to the ceiling and gripping the Brown by the scruff of his neck, yanking him down. He fell to the ground with a crash, and I stood over him, glaring angrily. I heard Zinnia's wingbeats behind me before she stepped up, purple-blue flames licking at her lips.

"I'm not normally this ruthless," she said, a bit of flame falling and burning the Brown's skin, making him yelp in pain. "But you disobeyed my Dark Lady, so now you die."

"Don't worry, he´ll probably get off on it and we can always have Norbert revive him later. Fire at will love."

"Not with what I'm gonna do..." Zi growled. "You remember I said my kid's dad was an ice giant from Norse myth? Well his grandma's Hel. As in Death. I'm sure I could call in a favour for a few weeks of unending, agonizing torture with no chance of pleasure or the release of death."

A malicious smile grew on my lips. "Well, ya hear? Ya done goofed now buddy." I addressed the now visibly shaking Minion before turning to my fuming girlfriend "Cry havoc and unleash unending torment on this disobedient little fucker, my love."                  

"Thanks, but I'm not going home yet." She turned to me, flashing a genuine, dopey grin. "We had fun in my world, but I need a vacation!"

"I´m sure Norbert can pull some strings, being a Death himself." I supplied helpfully.

"Good, good..." Wow, Palpatine much? "These guys got balls? 'Cuz if they do, well... This dragon's got claws." To illustrate her point, two claws of energy burst from her hands, one made of purple-blue flames and the other seemingly made of her own shadow.

"Let´s find out."

Down in the Brood-Pits, the tortured screams of a Minion echoed around the caves. Even if none knew what caused it, each and every Minion subconsciously crossed their legs at the sound, and even Norbert seemed slightly unnerved. He turned to the river of souls flowing not far from him, spotting a fragment of a Minion's soul floating there, shivering.

"What happened to you?" the old Blue asked himself, stroking his beard with a shudder.

Zinnia stood up, flicking a spot of blood off of her hands and onto the Brown's face. She held up a small pot, within which was two shrivelled up pieces of flesh.

"You see these?" the Draconid asked, growling when the Minion didn't reply. "Do you see these!?"

The minion let out a guttural, squawking noise, nodding desperately.

"You get these back in a month. After MY Death Patron deals with you. Now go cower in some corner until I call for you."

I had watched the whole impromptu OP with unabashed, morbid curiosity and maybe I was slowly starting to become a really sick and twisted bitch, maybe it was some raw, primitive part of my psyche or whatever but I suddenly realized that I was throbbing hard again. Painfully so.

"You know Zi," I put my hands on Zinnia's shoulders from behind her and stepped close, feeling my hard meat rub against Zinnia's ass cheeks, sliding up between them. "It might me totally wrong to be absolutely turned on by you mutilating that Minion but if so, I never want to be right again." I purred, nuzzling her neck.      

"Y'know what?" Zinnia replied, pressing back into me. I felt my tip slip in slightly and we both groaned at the sensation. "I never was entirely right in the first place."

"Amen!" I breathed into Zinnias ear before I remembered something. "Hey love, I want to try something. You in?"

"Only if you’re in me."

"That´s a given."

"Then go right ahead, my Dark Liege!"

"Alright, here we go." My hands snaked from behind between Zinnias legs "Now, try to relax, this should be a bit tricky. Oh and turn around. I wanna suck yer tits dry while I fuck your brains out." I added huskily.  

"Umbra, you dirty bitch!" Zi cried, turning around with a smirk. "Do it!"

"Hello pot, I am kettle." I smirked before I grabbed the insides of Zinnias thighs, bent my knees and with a swift motion (now the muscle training Gnarl had me do really paid off as I was able to lift Zinnia with almost no problems), spread her legs in the process and slammed her down on my waiting shaft. In hindsight a total Jackass move but in that moment all I wanted was returning the favour to my hot, slightly deranged, hot and did I mention HOT girlfriend and fuck her senseless with my new appendance. That she was not wearing any panties, only this loincloth thing should also much later come to my mind.

"A-ah!" Zi cried, arching her back and making her delicious tits bounce in front of my face. I reached out, grabbing the thin material and weak metals that formed her bikini top before ripping them off, pulling a nipple roughly into my waiting mouth. I grabbed the other one, too, squeezing and kneading it until her milk squirted out, running down my fingers and covering my cheek.

"F-fuck me, Umbra!" she cried, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Fuck me good! I'm your Mistress now, Umbra! Use me! Use me like I used you!"

"Gladly." I growled around her squirting nipple, lifting Zinnia until only my tip remained inside and that just barley. Then, without any warning, I slammed her down onto me, at the same time biting her nipple and earning me a mouthful of fresh, warm milk.

"SWEET CHRIST ON A MOTHERFUCKING BIKE NEVER STOP!!!"

Zinnia's voice was so incredibly loud, I'm almost positive they heard her in the Brood-Pits. Good, let them hear. Let it be known that I can pleasure a woman!

Lifting Zinnia back up and slamming her down again I proceeded to milk her for a good while she screamed and moaned like the unholy spawn of a Cat and a Banshee, clawing at my back and swearing that it would have made hardened sailors blush deep crimson.  

That woman was absolutely amazing and she was mine!  

Greedily sucking at her other breast, a smile formed on my lips, latched around Zinnias nipple as a hot and kinky idea formed in my lust addled mind. I filled my mouth with Zinnias milk but kept it there and as I slammed her down again, I pressed my lips against her own, feeding her her own milk.    

"MMMPH!!!!" She tried to cry out. "MMM!! Mmmph!! Mmm! Mm." With each passing moment, the shock seemed to ebb away, until eventually I felt her tongue start playing with mine as she gulped her own milk down with a satisfied "Mmmm~"

I pulled away, quickly latching on to her nipple again. Zinnia watched me for a moment before smirking, batting my hand away from her other tit and bringing the nipple to her mouth, suckling away with a happy grin.

"You..." I breathed, grinning as I pounded into her again, causing her to moan into her own tit. "Are so... Damn... Hot..."

My mind was by now a single foggy mess and my body was nearly working on its own, because apparently my new appendance came with an already installed auto-pilot. My hips were bucking upwards, working hard to slam myself even deeper into Zinnias quivering love tunnel.  

Sweat ran over my brows as both Zinnia´s and my own movements became more and more frantic. At some point, we had both abandoned suckling and instead latched onto each other’s mouths, engaging in a passionate French kiss even as Zinnia's milk covered our chests. Our tongues wrestled each other for dominance, allowing us to taste each other at the same time.  

I hungrily moaned into the kiss, again feeling the pressure building up. "Zi... I think... close...." I brought out between kissing my love, nipping at her lower lip and frantically thrusting into her.    

"M-me too!" she replied, a low, rumbling growl of passion lining her voice. "I-inside! Together!"

I just gave a nod, redoubling my efforts to push the hot woman impaled on my throbbing meat spire over the edge. Zinnia leaned forward, her head falling past mine, and a minute later I felt her teeth grazing my shoulder.

"O-oh God..." I heard her mutter, as though holding something back. "I-I've just g-gotta... Crunch..."

A split second after the last word, I felt Zinnia clamp down in my shoulder and her teeth sink into my skin, making me cry out in shock, surprise and just a little pleasure.

Okay, she pushed me over the edge. I let gravity aid me as I slammed Zinnia down onto me, burying myself on her. Stars danced all over my field of vision as I felt myself unload spurt after spurt of my own warm goo into the depths of Zinnias womb and was really happy that she was preggers that moment because a low yet very haunting voice was whispering to me to impregnate Zinnia, to make her belly swell with my own dark child, making my claim to power over her undeniable and secure my own bloodline. I was not ready for that kind of freaky magic shit yet!

"MMMMMPH!" Zinnia cried around my shoulder, before releasing me. "Oh sweet, merciful Arceus!"

A whole new wave crashed down as Zinnia's orgasm wrecked her body, making her walls clench down on me, milking me for all that I had. She leaned back, hanging by her legs and my hands as she just dangled there, being pumped full. I swear I saw a little bulge in her stomach where my tip should be and the whole damn tower trembled violently!

As the last waves of our orgasms began to subside, I somehow managed to move both of us onto my bed where we sunk into the soft sheets with Zinnia half draped over me, her head snuggly resting on my humble B-Cups.

She was laying limply, one of her wings more or less closed while the other was wide open. With some effort I managed to drape her arms in a fashion that they would not feel uncomfortable for her and after that, simply contended myself with watching her dopey smile that seemed etched onto her lips.

"Wow... you´re a real lucky bag full of surprises hm Zi?" I asked softly while running my fingers through her hair, not sure if she had passed out or just kept quiet. Either way I enjoyed snuggling with her immensely. Even though she was a head short than me, she had a much more, well, meatier figure, absolutely perfect for snuggles.  

My gaze wandered over Zinnias still body and I could not help but to compare us. She had at least twice as much boobage as me, maybe even thrice (even though that might just have been the pregnancy), her waist was a tad slimmer and her booty a good tad more inviting for a quick grope.

I let out a slight sigh. >>Nope girl, we have that road behind us. Remember, we are beautiful in our own right. The smokin´ hot girlfriend of yours can attest to that!<< A smile crept back on my lips as these thoughts that Zinnia was indeed my girlfriend now, brought the nice warmth back into my chest. >>Atta girl, show 'em that smile.<<

"You're much cuter when you smile, y'know," Zinnia said, giggling when I jumped. "No idea why you wouldn't smile all the time."

"Don´t scare me like that, I might bleach out from shock." I said, taking care to smile extra wide "And to answer your other question, it´s simply a matter of appearances, y´know, me being evil incarnated, all super edgy and stuff, rah rah! As much as I want, I can't be all smiles, sunshine and rainbows when around the Minions. Onyx, maybe but the Minions need another approach. They would probably try a mutiny if I let their leashes too loose or my defences too open."  I took the opportunity to peck Zinnia on the forehead, the movement causing a burning sensation where she had bitten me earlier. I gingerly touched the spot. "Ouch. Dayum gurl, I´m all about rough play but you seemed to try and take my whole arm off."    

"Sorry about that," she winced. "Don't know what came over me. It was... well, like a little voice, telling me to claim you." She ran her tongue over her teeth. "Never used Crunch before though."

"Really now? Funny, a little voice told me the same about you, just in a different way."

"Maybe it's just our natures now? You're in the body of an evil warlord bent on claiming the world, and I'm a half-Dragon, one of the most territorial species in any fiction."

"No shit!" I let out a chuckle "You should see how Onyx defends her bed in my treasure chamber, hell, the whole treasure chamber itself, even if my Minions just want to add some to it. Also, that was some pretty deep shit Zi."

"T-treasure... ch-chamber?" She licked her lips, and when I looked into her eyes, her pupils seemed to be... well, fluctuating, between regular shape and the slitted kind Dragons sometimes have. That was making me slightly... nervous.

"Zinna, love," I spoke in an even, warm voice. "Look at me and tell me how you’re feeling right now."

"I-I feel..." She paused, and her eyes went full-slit. "Need... I-I need... gems..."

>>Shit!<< That was probably not good. I've never seen her in this state, slitted eyes and her greedy, Smaug-esque tone indicated that Zinnia was somehow clearly besides herself at the moment. If she went full berserk, I doubted my tower and, more importantly, my person would come out with just a minor scratch. So I did the first and the stupidest/cheesiest thing I could think of. I cupped Zinnias face with both hands and pulled her into a kiss, not unlike how she had done to break me out of Darkrai's funk, praying to the Multi-Verse that the same trick could work twice.

Zinnia went rigid for a moment before relaxing, kissing me back. When I pulled away, her eyes were back to their normal, human-like selves, and she seemed much calmer.

"U-Umbra?" she stammered, and fear slowly took over her features. "W-what's going on?"

"Shub Niggurath be thanked, I was almost expecting this to blow up into my face." I exhaled a long sigh before I gently pulled the fearful looking woman in an embrace.

"Never hurt Mate," she growled, letting out a sob moments later. "Umbra, I-I'm starting to get scared."

Ho~kay, that was getting stranger and stranger. Aww, shit and Zinnia suddenly looked like she was on the verge of crying.  

"Shhh, all is good love, all is good." I cooed, caressing Zinnia's back in a soothing manner. "Although I might have a theory about what just happened."

Zinnia stiffened again, her wings snapping to attention. "Smell 'nother Dragon!"

"Yes love, that’s Onyx. Remember her? Onyx. Big, black scales and most important, your friend Zinnia. Onyx is a friend. A member of the flock. Family." I said softly, continuing to caress Zinnia's back while I did my damndest to not freak out about Zinnias sudden change in attitude.

"F-friend..." She muttered, shuddering. "O-Onyx... Friend..."

"Yes love." I lovingly run my finger through Zinnia's hair.

She sniffed again, taking a long drag of the air. "Smell... more..." she said, shooting upright. "Intruders! Defend mate!"

Before I could say anything, Zinnia had shot out of my embrace, grabbing her bag and pulling a pair of shorts and a bra out, pulling them on as fast as possible. Guess whatever mind changing hocus pocus she was experiencing still had left a shred of female dignity in her. After that, she shot out of my chamber door, pushing the heavy doors open like they were cheap compressed wood.                                            

I for my part jumped out of the bed too, pulling my tunic over to halfway cover me, slipped into my boots and Gauntlet of Dominance, grabbed Mayhem from the floor and followed Zinnia, half curious and half afraid who these intruders might turn out to be.

Sounds of fighting echoed through the halls as I raced after Zinnia, sounding like they were coming from the throne room. I changed course, heading down a nearby stairwell, before rounding a corner and sliding to a stop.

Two chimeras, TWO DAMN CHIMERAS, stood proud in the centre of the room, with a few minions lay unconscious before them. The male - I could tell from the fact that it had a Lion's Head and a big, bushy mane - had a Brown in his paw, holding him up and staring at it with all six eyes - two in a ram's head, and two in a cobra's.

"What odd little creatures," the male's lion head said. Somehow his voice reminded me of Scar. He prodded to unconscious minion with a paw.

"What the bloody, ever-loving FUCK?!?" I burst out, seeing those two towering beasts casually standing in the centre of my tower.

"Oh, dear," the female - female lion's body and head, a sheep head and maybe a python? - said, casually inspecting her claws.

"It ssseemsss there are more vermin than we thought," the female's snake head added.

"We'll just have to remove them." the sheep head finished.

"Remove me? Anything else? This is MY fricken tower you Frankenstein side-show!" I yelled angrily. Why was it that everyone wanted my god damn tower? I mean, the next mall was hundreds of kilometres away, no satellite connection and nothing but rocks all around. There were better properties literally everywhere!

"Oh, is it?" the male's ram head asked sarcastically. He shared a glance with... himself... that's freaky.

"Think of it thissss way," the cobra head hissed. "Thisss tower isss under new management."

"And we're having dark meat for lunch," his lion head growled, and they started stalking forward.

Yikes!

I involuntarily made a step back, I mean, who wouldn´t? Both chimeras were easily towering over my by half a meter. It was then that I remembered every documentary I ever saw, who had hammered into my brain that running from a lion, or in this case a lion mishmash beastie, was the first step to becoming dinner.  

"F-funny, I was thinking the same." I said, trying to sound defiant before yelling "Catch pussycat!" and hurling a Fireball spell towards the centre between the two front heads. The chimera dodged with contemptuous ease, all heads licking their chops.

>>GNARL! Where the fuck are you?<< I yelled at the same time over my mind link.        

>>I am attempting to restrain your new Mistress, Milady!<< the old minion shot back. >>She is going crazy!<<

>>What? Never mind! Tell her Umbra is in danger, in the throne room. TELL HER DAMMIT! There are two chimeras in here, big as mini vans and they are hungry! Send Minions while you’re at it!<<

Not two seconds later, a roar of pure, unbridled fury shook the tower. The chimeras winced slightly, backing away and searching the room.

"What wasss that!?"

"That?" I replied with a smirk. "That was my girlfriend. You're fucked, by the way."

The male snorted, glaring at me.

"If you think some hussy who can shout is going to kick us out..." his lion head growled.

Hello face, meet lightning covered fist. The male chimera hadn't even finished as I buried a left straight worthy of the Klitschko twins in his snout in a similar manner like I had done with Darkrai.  

The beast roared in pain, rearing back to glare down at me, blood staining the lion heads muzzle.  

"What did you just say? Care to repeat?"  I hissed in an icy, cutting voice, my fist still out stretched and dripping with dark crimson blood. Deep inside me I felt the surge of power bubbling up, allowing me to move faster and hit harder as my mind slowly became consumed by the urge to kill, mutilate and cause pain. The Darkness knocked on my door and I opened it wide.

The female let out a low, rumbling growl, glaring at me before pouncing. Before she could even reach me, though, a stream of crimson flames spewed from a corridor, completely engulfing the chimera before a glowing white blur followed, slamming into her and throwing her across the room.

"No hurt mate!" Zinnia shouted as the glow faded. "MINE!!!" she added with a roar.

"Hello love," I smiled under my helmet. Just now, seeing the woman I loved in this ferocious state somehow even added to her beauty. "You're just in time. How about we show this insignificant Sideshow monsters who the true master of this tower is and why?" Cold contempt oozed out of my words as I locked gazes with the male chimera again, electricity growing a new in my palm while the eyes in Mayhems handguard began to flicker.  

Zinnia responded with an ear-splitting roar, draconic flames erupting from her mouth and claws of shadow forming in her hands.

"To blood. And death!" I roared myself, starting a sprint towards my chosen target, my blood boiling from the thrill of battle and the prospect of violent death.

[Zinnia's POV]

Red.

Everything was tinted red.

My fury bubbled away inside of me, the smell of my mate's attacker burning in my nose.

The faint part of me that was still me decided that yes, this would happen. And yes, this bitch would die.

My mate's words sounded so very, very far away when they reached my ears. But she was here, and she was safe. I roared in reply, letting loose a Dragon Breath to show my power.

The chimera groaned, pulling herself to her feet and glaring at me.

"Coward," the snake head spat. The first to be ripped from her flesh.[/colour] "You attack me from behind, like a coward. What claim do you have to thisss tower?"

"Mate's Den!" I  roared back without thinking, dropping to the ground. Shadow Claws covered my hands, and I felt energy fill my wings. "You no hurt Mate!"

The energy in my wings cried out to be release, and I complied. Shooting forward with my claws outstretched, I began spinning, a small whirlwind forming behind me.

"Shadow Whirlwind!"

A cone of shadow-infused wind appeared before me, tearing into the chimera even as I closed my claws around her lion neck. The sheep head cried out, shadow-air slicing into her skin, and the snake lashed out, the only one unaffected.

[color=#9426af ]Perfect

"Crunch!"

"AAAARRGH!"

The snake hissed in pain, it's body writhing as my teeth sank in. I grinned around her flesh, her movements making this all the more sweet. With a powerful beat of my wings, I pulled away from the Chimera, her snake head still in my teeth. With a satisfying tear, the head came away, leaving a writhing snake body spurting blood over the floors. I stared into the four remaining eyes, full of shock, and let the flames build in my mouth, incinerating the snake.

Spitting the ashes out, I glared at the remainder of my prey.

I grinned at them, revelling in their fear.

"No hurt Mate," I growled. "No take Mate's Den."

"You..." the sheep gaped. "You..."

"You bitch!" the Lion roared. "I'll tear you to shreds!"

The chimera pounced, and I brought up a Protect, which she landed on top of, trying to break through. A grin formed and I brought a Brick Break into my hand.

"Guerrilla Shards!"

I punched the barrier, sending glowing green shards flying into the chimera even as she fell onto me. Bloodied cuts covered her body even as her fangs bared down on me.

"I'm going to enjoy this," she growled, and the sheep head looked down with sick delight. "I'm going to be tearing you to shreds, after all."

"Oh no you're not!"

A black shape tackled the chimera from on top of me, rolling away in a flurry of colours.

Onyx.

The dragoness rolled to her feet, glaring at the chimera. "You ain't touching her!"

"What do you care, Dragon?" the chimera shot back. "This is not your den! You have no hoard here! It is owned!"

She insults Mate's flock! A little voice shouted. She must be destroyed! Frustration! Rage! Outrage!

"Final Fury!!!"

Onyx and the chimera turned to me, their expressions changing from confusion to fear when they saw the burning blue aura that surrounded me. Onyx scrambled away, moving out of my line of sight, and I charged at the chimera with a roar of pure anger.

"Die!" I roared, slamming my fist into the lion head even as the flames began burning her alive. "Die!" My fist slammed into the sheep head, the body becoming dizzy and stumbling back. I followed, kicking out and sending her to the ground. "Die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die!" Every word was punctuated with another strike, the chimera curling up and whimpering before going quiet. I didn't care, I kept going. She had to pay!

(Umbra’s POV)

My Corruption spell hit the male chimera dead on, sending massive jolts of electricity mostly into the ram´s head as its horns somehow acted as a lightning rod of sorts, causing black smoke to rise from it.  

The three heads collectively roared in pain and fury, jumping several meters back in one leap, braking free from my spell, but I could tell that some damage was done. Nearly all the fur was burned off the ram's head, exposing lobster-red flesh with at least second degree burns and the head´s right eye was held closed which a part red, part clear liquid streaming out of it over the heads ruined cheek, like macabre tears.  

I felt so alive as I followed hot on my prey´s heels. The song of battle was sounding in my ears, guiding my every movement, supplying knowledge where my own lacked, pointing out weak points, openings in my preys stance and the best way to capitalize out of them.

"Di-hi-hi-hiiie!" the ram head bleated furiously, the creatures whole body springing into life, winding up a low swipe with its front paw in order to eviscerate me.

At the same time, I fired another Corruption spell.  

But this time, the chimera used his momentum and his bulk to simply power directly through my magical onslaught, albeit it was ever so slightly slowed down.  

This was my saving grace as a paw big like my head and studded with razor sharp claws drew an arc over my stomach but instead of spilling my guts all over the floor, it 'merely' shredded my tunic and carved four large, bleeding gashes into my soft flesh, causing my to cry out in surprise and pain. Mostly surprise.      

"GGGAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!"

Pressing my hand over my wound, I stumbled backwards. I felt my warm blood run over my hand and down my legs.  

I looked up.

The chimera towered over me, the large predators whole body poised for the final blow.

Suddenly, in a well and often used movement, the chimera lowered his front towards the floor and not unlike a scorpions stinger, the cobra head on the beasts tail shot towards me, ivory coloured, poisonous fangs longer than my damn fingers ready to sink into my body to pump me full of lethal poison.  

Only to be intercepted by a brown blur that flew directly into the open maw, impaling itself on the murderous fangs, effectively disarming them.    

Feeling a bit lightheaded, I stared baffled at the Brown Minion that even in his death throes was still happily gibbering incomprehensible war cries.                      

"MINIONS! Protect her Ladyship! Onwards!"  

I turned my head, seeing Gnarl standing in the door, gesticulating with his stick towards the two chimeras and a flood several dozen Brown and Red Minions swarming into the room.

"Raaagh! More pests!" the lion head made his frustration known "Crush them all!" as the Red Minions began to pepper the towering beast with fire globs and the Browns began to swarm around its legs, stabbing and cutting with their weapons, quickly opening several bleeding wounds under total disregard of their own safety, ignoring the fates of their brethren who found their ends under paws, cloven hooves and between strong jaws.  

"Enough of thisss!" the cobra head again rocketed forwards, intending on impaling me with its fangs straight through the heart, I could tell it from the sheer look of hatred in its yellow eyes.  

But this time, I was prepared.  

Adrenaline rushed through my system, allowing me to ignore the burning pain and the light-headedness from the blood loss as my gaze locked on the approaching snake.  

From somewhere in my mind, I suddenly gained the knowledge on how the serpentine tail would move, I could almost see its muscles working under its skin.

The cobra opened its maw wide and that robbed it of its sight on me for a short yet crucial moment.  

My muscles turned into spring coils, moving me out of harm’s way a heartbeat before the poison dripping fangs could sink into me.  

Instantly I raised Mayhem above my head and brought the enchanted blade down with all the power I could muster. A shrill, hissing scream pierced the air as Mayhem bit deep into the scales and muscles, the madness of the blade flooding my mind, urging me to take another hit and I complied. This time, I shifted to a two handed grip and brought the blade down with a  primal outcry.

The eyes in Mayhems handguard shone brilliantly as the blade bit into the snakes bones, all but cleaving them it in two.  

The chimera jerked his tail back, the sudden movement causing the already half severed tail to rip of complete with a wet sound and fall to the ground. That in turn caused the chimera to rear up on his back legs with a roar of anguish.        

"Milady, now! Topple the beast with your Minions and plunge your blade deep into its heart!" Gnarl yelled from his safe spot.        

I grinned and a cackle rose from my own chest. Yes, I liked that plan.

"Minions!" This time it was my voice calling out to my little soldiers, brimming with dark power and a hint of madness. "Browns, cut its legs, ram your spears into it! Reds, fire at the remaining heads!"

And my Minions complied. Under the combined onslaught of cutting, stabbing, chopping and a hail of fiery globs, the chimera quickly lost his balance. With a surprised outcry, the beast fell to its back, sending small shockwaves through the ground.

As soon as I saw the chimera fall, I began to move. I closed the distance in a quick sprint and as the heavy body slammed into the floor, I jumped, drilling my heavy boots in the soft abdomen of the creature. for a second I struggled to find secure footing on the pliable flesh but then I found it and soldiered on. I changed my grip on Mayhem to reverse and again, raised the blade with two hands over my head like an oversized dagger.

"Time to DIE!" I roared and brought my weapon down, the falchions polished blade sinking into the chimeras chest like a hot knife into butter, piercing through the beast ribcage and finding its mark in the chimeras wildly pumping heart.

With a wet 'thunk' Mayhems handguard collided with the chimeras chest and with a last spasm and a gurgling, pathetic cry that degraded into a choked mewl, my prey breathed its last breath and lay still.

With ragged breath, I forced myself to stand as a colourful whirlwind exploded from the slain beasts corpse and a huge amount of souls rushed into my Gauntlet of Dominance, revitalizing me a bit in the process.  

"Oh... Milady. You made it, thanked be the Dark Fates." Gnarl croaked, waddling over , pointedly avoiding the growing puddles of blood on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, great Gnarl. Hey, see that those bodies are put to good use in the kitchen or something... where´s Zinnia?"

My question was answered as I looked around only to find the my girlfriend, covered in blue flames and pounding away with her fists at a definitively dead pile of flesh, splattering blood and giblets over the walls and the floor.  

"Zi..." I muttered, Mayhem slipping from my hand as I stumbled over to her, reaching out with my right, my left again clutched over my wound.    

"Zinnia... it´s over. It's dead... yo..." I was interrupted as I suddenly was wracked by violent coughing that sprayed light red mist from my mouth. "Oooo... not good..."    

Zinnia straightened up, her head whipping around to me. Her nostrils flared, as though smelling the blood, and a moment later her flames petered out, leaving steam rising from her skin.

"U-Umbra..." she muttered, shaking her head viciously. "Umbra!" she cried again, this time rushing over, catching me just as my legs buckled.

"Hey love..." I gave her a blood caked smile.

"U-Umbra... no..." Tears formed in Zinnia's eyes, falling slowly down her face. "You... you're okay, right?" she asked, almost desperately.

"Jus~sst a bit light he~eaded...." I slurred before I my mind finally recognized what these things were that kept falling on my face.

Zinnia was crying.  

"Hey... love. Why´re you.. cryin´?" I touched her cheek with my right hand, attempting to wipe her tears away with my thumb. "Aaall I need is some rest... and I´ll be as rain as right in no time... hehe..."

"Umbra... I love you, but don't lie to me," she sighed, gingerly placing her hand on my wound, making me wince. "This is more than 'I need to rest' and you know it."

"Really? Ooopsie doodie..." I suppressed another wince. "Well... maybe you´re right... where´s Gnarl?"

"Right here, milady," the walking walnut provided, shuffling up to my side.

"Ah, there ya... Say, the Tower Heart still charging up from my last revive?" I asked, feeling for some reason the urge to giggle.

"I am afraid so. Even though, this land is rich on ambient magic..." he said sombrely, looking at his clawed feet.

"Oh..."

"Wait, what!?" Zinnia cried, eyes wide. "That has happened before!?"

"Yeppers," I answered, chipper. "Big Dog sliced my head with his axe from here to here." I dragged my finger from my forehead to my chin to underline my statement.  

"Yes and I told your Ladyship that the Tower Heart would need to reload it´s magical reserves from the ambient energy for a long period before a revival with an acceptable chance of success could be possible." Gnarl lectured, even now.

"Dude!" Zinnia snapped. "She is dying right now! Can it!" She looked back down at me before slamming her free palm into her head. "Why don't I have any healing moves, dammit!"

"Well, that is how it always has been. Overlords always die sooner or later, either by the blade of a so called Hero or otherwise." Gnarl retorted "All we can do is honour her memory and search for the next dark Ruler. But if it is any consolation Milady, you have been the by far most pleasant dark Ruler I ever had the pleasure to serve."

"Yay..."

"Fuck your traditions! Doesn’t someone have any healing abilities in this tower?!" Zinnia clenched her fist, trailing off. "Every game with minions has a healing class..."

"Game? I think you hysteric Miss Zinnia" Gnarl unsurely took a step back.

I caught a brief glimpse of Zinnia's eyes, the slitted pupils coming back.

" ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION BEFORE I CRACK YOU OPEN LIKE THE HAIRY WALNUT YOU ARE!!!”

It might have been the blood loss that somehow caused an epiphany of sorts or just some cosmic convenience but I tapped Zinnias arm with my hand "Hey, hey... didn´t ya say you know Hel? Like Goddess of Death? Maybe Norbert can call her or sumthin..." before I turned to Gnarl "And you, how much juice does the Heart have by now? Gimme an estimate..."

Gnarl looked a bit ashamed (heh, a first and I only need to die for that) before he answered "I would say... hm, forty five percent at the most generous guess."

"Schooo~ it might be the blood loss but that means I have nearly a fifty/fifty chance to revive?"

"I... might be able to get Jason to bring her... I'm not sure..." She paused, frowning. "The only time I've seen her outside of her realms was when my world joined them, so it doesn't really count, but it's worth a try."

"That or flippin a coin love..." I giggled "Ooouh, I feel tipsy..."

"Well... maybe there is a third way..." Gnarl suddenly chipped in, hesitation audible in his voice.

"Then tell us you walking wrinkle!" Onyx suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Gnarl nearly jumped out of his skin. "Don´t do that! Now, what I say next is highly theoretical and lengthy but I'll try to break it down. Theoretically, we should be able to use the raw energy  of the Tower Heart to infuse Milady's body directly with its healing energies, restoring her health enough to stabilize her."                                                                        

"YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!" Zinnia roared, gently placing me down. A second later, she lunged at Gnarl, knocking the old Brown onto his back with a grunt. She stood over him. "WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT FIRST!? WHY WERE YOU PREPARED TO LET HER DIE!"

"Because Gnarl here is, now and then, a bit too gridlocked with traditions and rules." an eerily calm voice suddenly stated and all eyes turned to Norbert, the ancient Blue standing near me like he had from the beginning. I had to admit, now his grim Reaper get-up was a little intimidating. "Also, because a direct Mana infusion from the Tower Heart has a slight possibility to cause a cataclysmic explosion that would devastate the land and make it uninhabitable for the next fifty or more generations. That happened at least once if I recall correctly."  

Oh? So we are already past part two?

I looked at Zinnia, trying a smile "Well, what ´dja say love? In the mood to risk planetary devastation?"

"You can move in with me if that happens," Zinnia said with a smile, moving back over to me. She lifted me up gently, flaring her wings. "To the Tower Heart, now!"

Norbert bowed his hooded head slightly. "Very well then, please follow me Miss." With that, the Minion Death waddled towards the stairs, Zinnia with me in her arms and Onyx in hot pursuit. Only Gnarl seemed reluctant and stayed behind.

[Moments later, in the Treasure Chamber]

I was laid on the ground right in front of the Tower Heart, Norbert propped on his scythe in front of me while Zinnia and Onyx stood at the side-lines.

"Are you sure of this Milady?" Norbert asked in his slightly echoing voice.

I gave a thumbs-up from the ground. "Ready as ever will be." Then I lifted my head to look at Zinnia and Onyx. "See ya later." I said with an idiotic grin before laying my head back down.  

"You better live..." I heard Zinnia mutter. "Or I swear to God I'll kill you..."

After that, Norbert cleared his throat, signalling that he was about to begin. He stomped the butt of his scythes handle on the floor of the chamber three times, causing eerie echoes. I then saw him flare his arms out, his gaze firmly locked on the Tower Heart. Suddenly the air thrummed with graspable power as ethereal winds began to flow.

I felt my body slightly being lifted into the air as suddenly pressure started to build up in my chest, making breathing hard.

Something prodded me, something warm and formless, something incredible powerful yet absolutely gentle.

>>This better be no god damn tentacles!<< I thought before I finally blanked out.

[An unknown amount of time later]

As I came back to, I couldn’t move and everything was dark.  

Great, did I really croak this time?  

Was this the afterlife? If so, then this afterlife sucked major balls!

"Hmmm, at least its soft all around." I said to myself, pleasantly surprised that could still speak. That meant I could at least talk to myself until I figured out what actually happened to me.  

Experimentally I tried to wiggle my toes and was pleasantly surprised as I felt it work. So far so good.

Next for examining my eyes, but my arms didn't budge as I tried to raise one and touch my eyes. They felt open but also like there was something on them. Also, still felt a pressure on my chest.

"Le sigh... okay Multi-Verse, you had your fun with me, now please, please, please, show me what happened to me because I might very well start running to stop Zinnia from tearing me a new one for dying..." I stated, starting to get irate from my paralyzed state.  

"Whu~?"

Huh, guess my prayers are being answered. This time.

The pressure on my chest shifted before lifting off altogether, the darkness moving away slowly, revealing the duvet of my bed falling from Zinnia's body. She looked down at me tiredly, raising a hand to brush the sleep away for a moment before seeming to wake fully.

"Umbra!" she cried, her face visibly lighting up. "You're awake!"

"Hey there beautiful." I grinned and immediately regretted it as my everything began to sting. Well, now at least I knew why I seemed unable to move my arms. They must have fallen asleep from Zinnia sleeping on me.

"Oh, thank God you're okay!" she yelled, before lightly punching my shoulder. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Ouch." I whined playfully "I hadn't planned to do it in first place. Even though, if I all the times get to see your beautiful face when I come back, I might eventually reconsider it."

"Don't you dare give me that!" she chided, though a small smile found its way onto her face. "I swear, if you weren't recovering from almost dying I'd kill you where you lay."

A cattish smile formed on my face "Uh, you are so hot when you throw around death threats love."

Zinnia giggled. "Seriously, stop it. You need to rest, and now I need to go tell everyone you're okay." She paused, seemingly remembering something. "And don't use that mind-talking thing Gnarl told me about. He said it might put too much strain on your mind." She stood up, shooting me one last smile before turning to the door and muttering. "I should probably take him down off the wall..."

"`Kay, I´ll be a good girl Zi." I spoke from under my covers, watching  her cute ass as long as I could. "Pwease be quick, so we can cuddle."

"I'll have Wiener bring you something to eat while you wait," she said with a chuckle, waving back coyly. Damn tease.

The doors closed behind Zinnia and I was alone in my bedroom. I sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Hm, let´s see. I have a wonderful, loving girlfriend with Zinnia, Norbert risked blasting the world to smithereens for me,  I have in Onyx a dragoness that is not only willing to guard my treasures instead of eating them, she’ll also jump at big-ass monsters without a thought to protect me and Zinnia, and I'm not dead."

Wiener chose that moment to walk in, a tray of food in his hands, which he then placed on my lap when I sat up.

The smile returned to my face "And now I've got food, too! Life is pretty great."

Delta Fury, Red Guardian

Black Alice was sitting in a field of wheat, thinking over what the Phantom Stranger had said about the new multiverse and her place in it, as well as the object he had given her. “On one hand, it makes absolutely no sense. But then again, this the Phantom Stranger we’re talking about. The guy practically invented vague and cryptic. On the other hand what have I got to lose? I mean if whatever comes happens to be malevolent I’m sure I can handle it.” Alice sighs in resignation stands up and focuses her power into the token in order to get a feel for it’s power. She hears a message:

"For those of you in need, whether it’s in a fight or you just need some advice, I am here. Merely hold this trinket and call my name and I will be there. I am Zinnia. I am a Draconid. I am the Delta Guardian!”

“Zinnia the Delta Guardian, I Black Alice summon you! Come forth!” Black Alice shouts with authority.

A black portal opened in the air in front of her, hundreds of thousands of stars were visible within. From this portal fell a young woman, her raven black hair reaching no further than her jaw, wearing a large brown cloak over a black sleeveless shirt with red markings and black shorts. Black sneakers covered her feet, and an identical item to the one in Black Alice’s hand was wrapped around her left ankle.

“Whoa,” the woman said, stumbling. “Note to self - being summoned whilst free falling makes you dizzy as all hell.” She paused, shaking her head slightly before straightening out. “Oka~ay, where’s the dramatic summoner? Sounded like a chick.”

Black Alice stared at the new arrival for a moment trying to get a feel for her power. ‘Hmmm, this one doesn’t feel like too much of a threat but still, better not underestimate her.’ Alice thought to herself. “Hello, I take it you are Zinnia?” she asks of the new arrival.

“Oh, hey!” the woman replies, seemingly just noticing her. “Yeah, I’m Zinnia. You must be Black Alice.” She pauses, looking her up and down. “Do I have to call you that? Or is just Alice okay?”

“Just Alice is fine. So I take it you are a Displaced?”

“Yup! Straight outta the asylum into a world of talking horses,” she laughs, holding her hand out. “Guarantee that’d get me thrown straight back in if I said it back home.”

Alice stares at her for a minute longer before taking the strange woman’s hand in a firm grip and giving it a shake, “Ain’t that the truth. So Zinnia, the reason I summoned you is because I’m a little new at this whole Displaced thing and was wondering if you could fill me in on what’s happening. I would have asked the Phantom Stranger but the guy is….cryptic to say the least so I was hoping you might be provide some decent answers.”

“Sure, no problem!” Zinnia says with a smile. “But first, lighten up! Jeez, I know I’m your first but I ain’t about to bite your head off.” She lets out a small laugh before continuing. “Anyway, Displaced are basically poor, unsuspecting saps that get thrown from their world to Equestria. The most common way I’ve heard of this happening is where the person goes to a ‘Con and buys something from some guy.” She flashes a cocky grin, jabbing a thumb into her chest. “That was the plan for me too, I’d guess, but then I screwed it all up! Got a Void Girl in bed and was sent through the next day.”

“Uuh…” Alice stuttered. “Wow. You uh… you did that?”

“Hehe, yep! Not even my most impressive conquest, either!” She laughed again. “Anyway, in case you haven’t noticed, you get turned into the character you were dressed up as, getting all their powers to boot. Some get little tweaks here and there-” she demonstrated by spitting an Ember at a random rock. “- but they’re more or less the same. We can call each other for help or just to talk if we find each other’s tokens and some of us even managed to find love. This one guy, Jason? He’s married to his versions of Rarity and Chrysalis!”

“Jason? As in Jason Voorhees?” Black Alice asked in shock.

“No, no!” Zinnia cried, pausing soon after. “Wait, there might be… But no, the guy goes by his own name. He has an Omnitrix, from Ben Ten, and he’s a pretty cool guy.” She smiled, patting her belly. “Father of my kid.”

Alice’s jaw hit the ground in shock. “Um, congrats? But wait a minute I didn’t buy anything! I bought these encyclopedias and nothing happened but...the Monitor did hand me a free notebook that I think was based off of Death Note but then I...blacked….out.”

“There you go!” Zinnia said with a smile. “I have no idea what you’re from but that Death Note must have been the key.”

“So this isn’t Heaven or Hell? Because I thought for sure my disease killed me at last, as much as I don’t like to think about it. My injuries are even gone.”

“Nah, welcome to Equestria. Or one of them, at least.” She grinned. “We all get our own little pocket of the Multiverse. It’s pretty swanky, really. A chance to just make an entirely new life, make a name for yourself. Watch out, though.” She frowned, her tone suddenly turning serious. “As much as I make this out to be a sweet deal, you’re probably gonna have to face down something from the series your character’s from. I’m taking on Darkrai, myself, and I’m pretty sure the Gems are gonna have to face some corrupted gems themselves at some point.”

“Well I’m fucked. But on the plus side I’m the most powerful teenager you’ll ever know so I think I’ll be fine.”

“Is that confidence?” Zinnia asked, raising a brow. “Or bravado? ‘Cuz y’know, one gets you home safe, and the other…” She shook her head, dragging a finger across her neck. “Never underestimate your enemies, my friend. Best advice? Make friends with Celestia as fast as humanly possible. If you have any knowledge of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, use it. Find out how far along you are, and just try to predict everything.” She paused, shuddering. “And whatever you do, keep the Elements away from the thing that comes for you. I’ve already lost Rainbow Dash, I don’t suggest you do the same.”

“Confidence, I guess,” Alice said with a shrug.. “While I may be the most powerful teenager you’ll ever know, I’m far from perfect.” She paused, looking around at the peaceful scenery. “Still though, I feel sorry for this world. I’m from the DC universe, so shit will go down, and hard.”

 

“Well alright then!” Zinnia cired, bouncing back to her chipper mood. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, ya hear me? Don’t want you getting yourself killed after all.” She paused, seeming to think for a moment, before asking, “Hey, do you want a list of the Displaced I’ve met? Just to, you know, have some reference?”

“Having a list would be helpful, actually. Thanks.” Alice replied casually, trying not to sound desperate for any tips or tricks to help her.

{HR}

“Alrighty then, let’s see…” Zinnia said, putting a hand to her chin in thought. “Well, so far I’ve met a few. There’s Jason - Hughs, the Omnitrix guy, not Voorhees. He’s a sweet guy, he’d do anything to save someone in need. Token’s a Unitrix core” She paused, frowning. “Just… be careful if you summon him. He doesn’t do well with nudity for one, and he’s got major MPD. They’ve all got their own form in his Omnitrix, and one of them is a bloodthirsty monster.

“Anyway!” She clapped, smiling once again. “After Jason there’s Ace, my brother. He’s…” She frowned again. “Y’know, I’m not sure what he was displaced as. He’s got some sort of shape-changing sword though, so there’s that. This is his token” She pulled a blue, egg-shaped pendant with silver trimmings from her shirt, holding it up. “His message is carved on the back, not recorded.”

“Then there’s the Gems, from Steven Universe. Like, all of them. Jasper, Peridot and Lapis are cool enough, they’re token is the Diamond Authority symbol in their colours. I didn’t speak with Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl much, but they seemed pretty chill once they were out of Sombra’s control. Theirs is a star with all their gems on it.”

“After those guys you’ve got Umbra, a gender-bent Overlord. Mistress of Minions, Evil Incarnate, and my girlfriend.” Zinnia paused to laugh at Alice’s face. “Don’t worry, she’s a wonderful person. Her token’s a little iron necklace with a leather strap.”

“There’s Serena, but she didn’t send out a token. Doesn’t wanna get sucked into the whole ‘Displaced’ thing, just wants to find her husband. Sweet girl, dressed as, well, Serena from Pokemon.”

“Lance, or Gunvolt, is pretty cool. Member of his world’s ‘Power Ponies’ or whatever, token’s a little wing-shaped hairclip. His cousin’s a guy named Sun Wukong, never actually met him but his token’s a golden coin.”

“Max Caulfield from Life is Strange, that’s another. Took over her Equestria when her Celestia and Luna died. Token’s a picture of herself. She’s dating Lance, actually.”

At the sound of the name Caulfield Alice’s right eye began twitching violently. And a familiar feeling of rage and hatred came

“Uh, you okay there?” Zinnia asked.

Alice gasped “Um what? What did you say? Something about a monkey?”

“I… didn’t say the word monkey,” Zinnia replied, frowning slightly. “Like, at all. Your eye went all twitchy when I said Max’s name.” They stood in silence for a moment before Zinnia continued. “A~anyway… there’s apparently a Majin Buu walking around, not sure if he’s good or bad but Lance seemed cool with him. Look out for a gold ball with a big ‘M’ on the front.”

“Jason told me about a couple, too.” Zinnia continued. “There’s a Gilgamesh somewhere, apparently. Supposedly a good guy, but I’ve never met him myself. There’s a Mewtwo called Medulla too. And that’s about all the ones I know about.”

“I see. Sorry about earlier, just the name Caulfield triggered some really bad, horrible, traumatizing memories that scarred me for life.” Alice shuddered, “Never again.”

“Well this one shouldn’t do that. She’s flirty and a firm believer in free loving, kinda like me.” She paused, giving Alice a wink. “And before you say I’m not, I’ve been trying to think of ways to get you into bed with me through this entire conversation. I just can’t help myself.”

“Ummm...I need an adult?” Black Alice gulped, she could feel her ears becoming hotter than a blacktop sidewalk on a summer day. “N-not that I’m interested mind, but shouldn’t you refrain from such activities while with child?”

“Half Pokemon, dear,” Zinnia cooed. “Womb like a bomb shelter. I can do whatever the hell I want outside of dying, but who’d want that anyway?” She chuckled at her own joke before wiping an invisible tear away. “But if you don’t want to, I won’t force you. Consent or nothing, after all.” She paused, looking around. “Where are we, anyway?”

“In some wheat fields belonging to the Buffalo tribe that lives near Appleloosa, I came here to think about what I did to King Longhorn until the Phantom Stranger showed up scaring me almost to death, after a conversation if you can call it that with him he gave me your token, I called you here and here we are.”

“Well then, sounds like another of those thrice-damned Void dwellers…” Zinnia muttered, shaking her head. “Welp, enough of that. What’d you actually do to the guy? And what’d he do to deserve it?”

“Who? the Phantom Stranger? He’s no Void dweller, he may be mysterious but he’s a good guy I know that for sure. As for King Longhorn, well for one I ripped his horns off and inflicted major injuries on him as for what he did he and his gang tried to take over Appleloosa, took some hostages which included at least one of Braeburn’s relatives and one of his goons even wanted to sell Little Strongheart into slavery.”

“...Wow…” Zinnia said, shocked. “...Did you save anything? I kinda wanna introduce him to a certain Draconid I know, if you catch my meaning.”

“He’s alive and no I inflicted enough injuries on him, any more might kill him. I don’t want him dead...yet.”

“Aww…” Zinnia pouted for a moment before springing back. “Oh well, what else is there to do for fun around here? Besides me, that is.”

“Maybe later. Well I don’t really know I usually practice Okichitaw, experiment with my powers and learn what I can about this world. What do you like to do?”

“Flying mostly, though I’ve been thinking of taking up gardening.” The girl looked off into the distance, a thoughtful look on her face. “Maybe some Lavender, a little Dragon Sneeze Tree…” She shook her head with a smile. “But powers, you say? Now, forgive me if I’m wrong, since I was never that into DC, but are you in any way related to… Oh, what was his name… DC’s version of Superman. Captain something…”

“First off Superman is from DC and second you mean Captain Marvel. And technically no I’m not related to them except for the fact that I also can call upon the power of Shazam among others.”

“Ah, I remember something about that guy,” Zinnia said, nodding. “He’s a magician or something, right?” She chuckled, waving her hand. “Nevermind, I may be able to help you out. I’ve found sparring always leads to faster power discovery.”

“Well I don’t know, not to sound vain or anything but I am really unique when it comes to powers, I don’t really know what you could offer me but then again you do have more experience than I do so that must count for something….alright I accept your offer.”

“I’m tougher than I look, dearie,” Zinnia chuckled, removing her cloak and flexing her large, purple wings. “So how do you wanna do this? Simple attack-and-defend or a touch-counter?”

“Suppose attack and defend to start then move on to the other one. But first...hmmm the power of Shazam might be overkill, eh, screw it. GONE! GONE! THE FORM OF MAN! ARISE THE DEMON ESTROGAN!” With those words Alice was no longer a teenager but a hulking demon.

“...Is it wrong that I find you strangely sexy in this form?” Zinnia asked, a small blush on her face. “Ah well, hit me with your best shot, girl! I’ve got something that’s unbreakable!”

With that, Zinnia propelled herself backwards, landing in a crouch before wrapping her wings around her front, a green bubble of energy erupting from her core.

With alarming speed Estrogan charged at Zinnia and went in for a simple Slash with her claws.

“Oh I would like to ask you to refrain from using fire attacks, seeing as we are in a wheat field I would like to not start a bon fire.”

“Not a problem,” Zinnia said with a grin, allowing her shield to drop before calling up another. “Again!”

Estrogan went for another swipe with her claws but at last second shifted into a kick in order to catch Zinnia off guard. The Draconid just smirked behind her shield before punching forward with a glowing orange fist.

“Guerrilla ShardsI” Zinnia cried as her shield erupted into a barrage of glowing green shards that lashed out at Estrogan, causing her to stumble back but leaving her mostly unharmed. “Combo moves are just so fun,” she said with a grin.

“Hrmm. You know you are right.” Estrogan shot a blue fire ball at Zinnia and the said “Ekirts dna sedalb ot nrut taehw!” with those words Zinnia found herself attacked by the very fields of wheat that they were sparring in. Estrogan had created her very own Razor Leaf only deadlier due to the fact that the wheat was even smaller than the traditional Razor Leaf. And then there was the Blue Fireball headed her way too.

“Woah!” Zinnia cried, shooting into the air with a powerful beat of her wings. “I thought you said no fire, girl!” She swooped around, her shadow shifting to wrap around her hands, forming two clawed structures. “But if you wanna play dirty… Shadow Whirlwind!”

Zinnia’s wings glowed a brilliant white before she dived, corkscrewing so that a small whirlwind of wind and shadows appeared behind her. She angled her body towards Estrogan, holding her claws out in front of her as she flew by, the shadows attacking the demon girl.

“Was not fire I shot at you.” She said as she raised up her arms to block the attacks “Look at the ground where the attack struck.”

Instead of a scorch mark there was a pillar of Ice.

“And that would have hurt me. Lots.” Zinnia shuddered, eyeing the ice pillar warily. “Can we maybe stay away from the ice, please? I’m a Dragon-Flying Type.”

 

“Powers of a Salamence,” Zinnia explained. “Weaknesses too. Now.” She grinned, snapping her wings to her body and dropping from the air. “Earthquake!”

As soon as Zinnia’s feet hit the ground, the area around them shook, throwing Estrogan off balance.

“Gnikauq pots htrae!” Estrogan shouted and the ground immediately stopped shaking. “Whew. Nice one, that’s one of my favorite Pokemon moves.” Estogan complimented before clapping her hands together that unleashed a massive shockwave that knocked Zinna off her feet.

The two continued like this blow for blow, counter for counter until Estrogan noticed the Sun was in the five o clock position..

“Enough. I’m done for now.” Estrogan said before reverting back to her normal human form. “So what do you think of my powers?”

“Interesting, to say the least,” Zinnia replied, breathing heavily. “You’ve certainly got a hang of them.”

“Well not entirely. There’s infinite amount of power that I can access which means there’s probably a lot of weaknesses too. For instance I may have access to the demon Etrigan’s power but I most likely have his vulnerability to Holy stuff as well. If Pokemon were magical same would apply there. Probably. I won’t know until I test it. By the way how are you doing need any healing?”

“Nah, I’m good. Just need a place to rest.” Zinnia sighed, rolling her shoulder. “You are pretty strong, y’know. Be careful with that.”

“Yeah, I get you. How about I treat you to dinner or something? You know as thanks for the practice.”

“Dear, you don’t need to court me,” the Draconid said with a wink. “But dinner sounds great. I need some red meat.”

“Got it. Taem htiw tnaruatser a ot su tropsnart!” Black Alice shouted.

In a flash of light Zinnia and Alice found themselves in one of the finest restaurant in Appleloosa. “Albertacos. Serves pretty much anything for anyone.” Alice walked up to the door and opened it for Zinnia.

“Whoever said chivalry is dead clearly never met you,” Zinnia teased, walking in with a smile.

“Get whatever you want it's on me, just try not to pull a Goku.” Alice said seriously.

Zinnia chuckled. “I’ll do my best, dear,” she said, sitting at a random table and opening the menu. “I think I’ll have… a steak, extra rare.” Alice sat down on the opposite end “And I’ll have my usuals. Arty.”

There was grunt as Arty, a buffalo, headed into the back to get the food.

“So, you mentioned a family before, tell me about them if you don’t mind.”

“Well, as you know I’m pregnant,” Zinnia started, rubbing her stomach. “But this is baby number two. My first is an adopted Bagon named Stryker who’s mother passed away after entrusting me with his egg, and I’ve been raising him as my own ever since. Then there’s Ace, my brother from Earth. He was displaced two years before me, and the grief from losing him made me lose it a little, landing me in the asylum where I was displaced from later.” She paused, giving a sad chuckle. “Two years I’ll never get back.”

“Jason’s the father of this kid, as I said before,” she continued. “He’s a great guy, been through a lot himself. He’s not even human, never was. Apparently he’s a Jotun from Norse mythology, who knew?”

“A Jotun huh? Wow. That’s random. But not too surprising all things considered.”

“Eh, multiverse theory.” Zinnia shrugged before continuing. “I recently got into a relationship with a displaced named Umbra. She was sent as a gender-bent Overlord, from the games of the same name, but in the end she’s a sweetheart.” Zinnia paused, looking left and right before leaning forward. “And for a character bent on dominating the world, she’s surprisingly submissive.”

“Sounds hot.” Alice complimented. “As for me in this universe I like to consider Little Strongheart as a sister of sorts but also a mentor. I haven’t really met anyone outside the town and you.”

“Ah, that sounds nice. It’s good to see you’re making connections.” Zinnia paused, taking a sip of her drink. “I’ve got a few ponies I’m close with. Whiplash, my assistant, is a pretty cool mare, and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were… fun.”

“What do you mean by ‘were’?” At that moment Arty brought over their food and quickly departed. “They aren’t…” Alice drew an invisible line across her neck with her finger.

“Oh, God no!” Zinnia cried. “No, no, I just meant we had a one-time fling.” She sighed. “But we did lose Rainbow Dash to Darkrai. Bastard can spread the Nightmare around like it’s Chicken Pox.”

Alice went quiet. She was never fond of RD and often fantasized her suffering or death but never actually wished it upon her. She wondered for a moment if there was someone she could copy that could resurrect the dead.

“Oh well,” Zinnia sighed, stabbing into her steak. She lifted the whole thing up, biting into it savagely and tearing a large chunk out. “No need to worry about that right now. It’s like some guy used to say back home. ‘Tomorrow’s a mystery, yesterday is history. But today is a gift, and that’s why it’s called the present.’”

“I prefer ‘Carpe Diem Quam Minimum Credula Postero.’ ‘Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.”

“They have the same essential message. Focus on today, tomorrow’s not here yet.”

“True, but mine sounds cooler.”

Zinnia smiled, leaning back and popping the last of her steak into her mouth. A small trickle of blood ran down her chin.

“Ah, that hit the spot,” she sighed, wiping her face clean. “Nothing better than a good piece of meat.”

Alice unwrapped one of her burritos and nodded in agreement after taking a bite.

“I have a question for you. When I ask it don’t respond right away think on it before answering. Is that alright?”

“Sure, ask away.”

“If you had the chance to bring Rainbow Dash back, would you? I apologize if I sound insensitive but the question just came to me.”

Before Zinna could answer a huge explosion came from outside that rocked the entire restaurant.

“What the hell?” Alice looked at Zinna for a moment as if to say ‘stay here, I’ll go check it out’ before she rushed out of the restaurant, straight into a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Bodies strewn about, ponies running everywhere, buildings destroyed or burning. Black Alice took all this in in an instant and began looking for the source of the destruction. What she saw, though, filled her with shock and horror. Four familiar figures walked out of a Bank carrying various bags of loot.

“No, it’s impossible!” Alice cried, but it was true. There was no doubt about it. The Wrecking Crew had arrived in Appleloosa.

“Hey,” Zinnia said suddenly, appearing behind Alice. “Now that wasn’t very nice, leaving your date behind!” she teased. “I get that this is your world and all, but you don’t get to give me the ‘stay here’ look! I can help!”

Alice did not answer - she was too shocked.

“T-T-The Wrecking Crew is here?!!” Alice shouted.

“Wrecking Crew?” Zinnia asked, confused. “Okay, c’mon girl, think… Oh! Are they the four big guys who like to break stuff?” She smirked, cracking her knuckles. “Ooh, I haven’t had a decent punching bag in a while!”

“Don’t underestimate them.” Alice said sternly, They may be big and muscly and all that but they’re smart and strong enough to hold their own against Thor, so don’t take them lightly. Besides, it’s not them I’m worried about - it’s the implications.”

“Oh, right, the whole ‘my villains are gonna fuck shit up’ thing…” Zinnia sighed, spotting Thunderball - a burly man in a green and yellow outfit hurling around a massive wrecking ball like a flail - swinging at a building, causing the entire wall to crumble. “Well, might as well start the cleanup. I got Blunderball.”

With that, Zinnia flared her wings, shooting off towards the lone member of the Wrecking Crew with a single, powerful flap, leaving Alice stood in alone in front of the restaurant.

Alice sighed, “Idiot. Shazam!”

KRRAACKKOOM!

Alice felt the familiar surge of power that the power of Shazam brought and flew toward the leader of the crew, The Wrecker.

“Hey, why don’t you pick on someone your own size!” Alice shouted at the Wrecker, who in turn looked up.

“What the hell? First ponies now cheerleaders? Run along little girl before you get hurt.” said the Wrecker, condescension and mockery in his voice, the other members laughed and jeered.

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” Alice countered before delivering a savage blow to his jaw, sending him flying back a few feet.

The others looked on in shock as the Wrecker got to his feet.

“That felt like I just got hit by Thor. Okay girlie, kid gloves are off,” the Wrecker growled.

“Come get some,” Alice retorted as they charged at one another.

THOOOM!!

Black Alice and the Wrecker managed to simultaneously punch each other in the jaw sending them both flying back. Fortunately for Alice, she had landed inside a weapon/hunting/survival shop. Alice got up and looked around, she knew that conventional weapons were useless against these guys but backed by the power of Shazam they just might do some damage, she grabbed a few and hid them in her sash then hid behind a wall to wait for the Wrecker to appear. And appear he did, Alice then took to the air and air-tackled him to the ground and began pummeling wrecker. However, she was interrupted by a punch to the face from an oversized fist.

Alice quickly recovered and saw - “Piledriver. Forgot about you.” she growled.

“Big mistake.” He shrunk his fist down to normal size and began punching her left and right, Alice caught his left and added some punches of her own. They traded blows back and forth until Alice decided to play dirty by kicking him in the nuts and when Piledriver reflexively bent down in pain, Alice struck with a double fisted smash to the head knocking him out for now. Alice took out two knives that she had gotten from the shop and stabbed them straight through Piledriver’s hands, pinning him to the ground.

Alice did not have time to celebrate as she saw the Wrecker hurling his crowbar at Zinnia. She zoomed after it to try and intercept, but it was too late.

Zinnia smirked, spitting an Ember at Thunderball before zipping away.

“Grah!” the brute grunted, swinging his wrecking ball around wildly. “Stay still, dammit!”

“Now why would I do that?” Zinnia shot back, spitting another Ember at the back of his head. “If I stay still, you’ll hit me!”

“That’s the idea!”

Zinnia smirked, swooping around the ball as it shot towards her, following the chain down as purple-blue flames erupted from her hands, forming claws.

“Eat Dragon Claw, fucker!” she cried, dragging both sets of claws across Thunderball’s chest, tearing through his suit but leaving little more than scorch marks on his skin. Thunderball reached out as she tried to fly away, grabbing her ankle and slamming her into the ground.

“You little…” he growled, standing over her and casting a long shadow. “I’m gonna smash your skull in!”

Zinnia smirked, slamming a fist glowing with brown-coloured energy into the ground. Rocks sprung up around the brute, encasing him in a stone cage and allowing her time to retreat to a safe distance before he smashed through. She gained a white glow before a multitude of clones appeared around her, each one smirking maliciously.

“Gotta love a Double Team.” The clones spoke as one, sending a shiver down Thunderball’s spine. “Now for the Brain’s Bane!”

The clones split up, surrounding Thunderball on all sides. Some dropped to the ground, the same brown glow from before surrounding their legs as they stomped, creating a massive stone structure to restrain the villain with their Rock Tomb attack. The rest took up positions around the struggling brute, whether on the ground or in the air, and took each of their iPod’s out of their pockets. With a synchronised tap of their screens, a tune blared out, to which all of the Zinnia’s began erratically breakdancing to.

“What the hell!?” Thunderball shouted, confusion and anger bubbling in his voice. “What are you doing!? Stop that!!”

“No!” the Zinnias replied.

This continued for a time, with Thunderball occasionally managing to free a limb only for the Zinnia clones to re-incase it not long after, further fueling his rage, until one of the dancing clones was sent flying by another burly man dressed entirely in orange with large steel gloves, belt and helmet. The clones flickered out of existence and the song ended, Zinnia glaring at the new arrival.

“Ah,” she mused, clenching her fist. “Bulldozer, I presume?”

“That’s right, maggot!” the man in orange bellowed, headbutting Thunderball’s stone prison to free his comrade. “And this has gone on long enough! It’s time to end it!”

“Fine,” Zinnia sighed, lowering herself to the ground. “I supposed I’ve had enough fun. Headbutt!”

Zinnia shot forwards, head lowered, and Bulldozer ran to meet her head-on. At the last second, though, Zinnia pulled up, wrapping her legs around Bulldozer’s torso and her arms around his neck as she reared her head back, fangs of flame erupting from her teeth.

“Fire Fang!”

She chomped down on Bulldozer’s helmet, the heat from her attack melting through the steel slightly. Bulldozer managed to throw her off before she got too far though, and she had to move quickly to dodge Thunderball’s flail attempting to throw her right back.

“Found a weakness,” the Draconid muttered, mustering as much heat from her core as possible before creating a small platoon of clones. Two clones quickly broke off, distracting Thunderball while the rest surrounded Bulldozer. Five Zinnia’s closed their eyes, focusing before projecting a large green dome over the villain as the rest brought as much flame into their mouths as they could.

“Furnace Bomb!” they cried, releasing a barrage of Fire Blasts into openings in the barrier that quickly closed behind them. An explosion of pure flames erupted within, contained and magnified by the Protect as Bulldozer’s cries of pain filled the air.

The original Zinnia winced slightly, worried that she may have gone too far, but when the smoke cleared, Bulldozer was still standing, though he was swaying slightly. Zinnia sighed in relief, glad that she hadn’t killed the man, though she remained wary.

‘It probably wouldn’t hurt to keep him in there,’ she thought, and her clones immediately poured more effort into keeping the bubble of energy up around the Wrecking Crew member.

A moment later, something struck her in the back of the head hard enough to send her flying several yards, landing face-first in the dirt. She felt her connection to the clones fade, meaning that they had disappeared and that the barrier holding Bulldozer was gone. She felt her anger building as she lost control, her eyes shifting into their slitted selves as she pushed herself up, spitting a small amount of dirt. A low, guttural growling built in her throat, and a moment later, she Roared to the heavens, spewing a plume of purple flame into the sky. She spun around, glaring at the Wrecker with pure hatred in her eyes.

“This can’t be good.” Alice said plainly.

Zinna charged straight for the Wrecker and, realizing he might not stand a chance and her friend had killer intentions, Alice moved to intercept her. Zinnia growled at her, swiping with a Dragon Claw in an attempt to get the girl to back off. Alice felt her friend’s attack cut through her shirt but left her skin intact. ‘Damn. As I feared, she’s actually a lot stronger now than she was earlier. Luckily I have the power of Shazam backing me up, otherwise…’. Alice grabbed Zinnia and put her in a headlock, she then turned and saw the Wrecker just standing there. “What are you doin?! Grab your crew and run!!”

The Wrecker nodded and simply ran for it, leaving his crew behind.

‘Supervillains. So predictable. I don’t want to kill Zinnia, so I can’t unleash the full power of Shazam on her. But what can I do?’At that moment, the wisdom of Zehuti came to her aid.

‘Of course. I can do “that”, it’s a long-shot and very risky but I need to do this, Zinnia’s sanity and probably her life is on the line, besides I’ve been meaning to do this for a while.’

Alice concentrated hard and in seconds half of a gold helmet appeared over the left side of her head and a Green ring in the shape of a lantern appeared on her right middle finger. Zinnia broke free of Alice’s grasp and attacked with Fire Blast. Alice created a portal in the shape of an Ankh and let the attack get sucked right in and closed it.

‘Since she’s a dragon-flying type that means she’s weak against Ice based attacks, but what else? What can I do to snap her out of it?’ once again the wisdom of Zehuti provided a possible solution.

This time Zinnia flew higher into the air and attacked with Draco Meteor and Alice - who, unfortunately, did not play past Ruby and Sapphire - was caught unprepared as multiple space rocks came down from above.

“What the hell?! I thought you said you were from Pokemon, not Final Fantasy!” she shouted in outrage. “Alright, time to quit hesitating and end this!”

Using the power of her ring Alice bound Zinnia in multiple chains that had Ice magic infused within them as well as the power of Aton - not enough to hurt her but enough to weaken her. Then she shot her with a golden Ankh shaped energy beam and, using the strength of Amon, dragged Zinnia down to ground level. Zinnia continued to struggle and launched attack after attack (Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, etc.) but thanks to the Ice and magic infused shackles that bound her those attacks amounted to nothing and Alice simply took them.

“Now for the Coup de Grace. It’s time I shocked you out of this madness.” Alice walked slowly toward her friend, while she was doing this she used her magic to project an aura of calmness and peace. Soon Zinnia stopped struggling and contented herself to simply glare and growl. Alice moved closer and closer until they were face to face, “I’m probably going to regret this, but…”

Alice looked deeply into her friend’s eyes. Strengthening the aura, she gripped either side of Zinnia’s head, reared back, and headbutted her, pouring every ounce of calming power she had into the attack in an attempt to disorient the raging beast.

Zinnia staggered back, her left eye returning to normal while her right glared openly at Alice. Flames tried to build in her throat, the draconic half of the Draconid’s psyche wanting nothing more than to burn Alice alive, but her human half managed to fight it down long enough to allow Alice to back away.

“Full…” Zinnia growled, obviously struggling to retain enough control to use her own words. “Full cage… Ice and… and Lightning…”

Alice nodded, quickly building the structure around Zinnia, thick bars of pure electricity holding up sheets of thick, clear ice. The Draconid screamed in rage and pain, clutching her head and dropping to her knees.

“N-no!” she cried, her wings twitching restlessly as she tried to hold herself in place. “D-don’t… You c-can’t...” Clouds swirled above the two, lightning racing through them as rain began to fall heavily. The winds picked up, swirling around the cage and tearing up the surrounding turf. The ground began shaking violently as flaming meteors appeared in the sky and the air started shimmering as the heat raised. “I-I won’t let you!!!!”

With one last primal scream, Zinnia collapsed, the chaos around her stopping just as soon as she did. The rain continued, but it calmed, becoming a light drizzle instead of a raging storm. The quaking ground settled, several chunks of dirt and rock sticking out at odd angles. Dirt and stones fell from the air as the vortex of air ended. The balls of flaming rock falling from the sky exploded, showering the area in shining pink dust. The air cooled, a slight heated dampness washing over the area.

Alice was conflicted, on one hand this “Berserker Rage” of Zinnia’s was extremely dangerous and should either be sealed away or destroyed. On the other hand this state could be useful and could mean the difference between life or death in certain situations. Alice decided it just wasn’t her place to get rid her friend’s condition, more importantly…

Alice flipped Zinnia onto her back and placed her right hand onto Zinnia’s heart and her left onto her forehead where the brain was “Heal.” Alice whispered, and gold and green sparks of healing power flowed from her hands and into her friend’s body, sealing any cuts, knitting together bones and repairing any damage Zinnia sustained from their encounter as well as putting her berserker state in remission, hopefully.

After finishing that Alice took to the air again and began using her magics to repair the town, heal the people and capture, bind and imprison the Wrecking Crew. Speaking of...Alice looked around expecting to see the unconscious bodies of her foes but there was no sign of them,the Wrecker’s footprints were gone as well. Alice used her power to locate their unique magical signature but even that was gone, it was as if the Wrecking Crew was never here.

‘There will be time to investigate that later but for now…’ while Alice was thinking she did not notice that the powers she had been utilizing was slowly fading away until she found herself in a ten-story drop. Time seemed to slow down as it usually does in these situations, her life flashed before her eyes….ok not really but still. Alice thought about yelling/screaming but she never really understood why people did that. It’s not like doing so would save you or slow down your descent in any way, so why do it? ‘So should I do it or not?...Meh, whatever. I’ll just fall….You know what else I don’t understand? Why am I not afraid? Here I am falling to my probable death and I’m not afraid….You know what? Fuck this!’

“ZINNIA!! WAKE THE HELL UP AND SAVE ME YOU BIG BREASTED PERV OF A DRAGON POKE’MON THING!!!” Alice shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Wha…” Zinnia groaned, pulling herself to her knees with a hand to her head. She looked around for a moment before her eyes locked onto Alice’s falling form, immediately rocketing off the ground to intercept her. A white aura surrounded her body just before the girl fell into her outstretched arms, and Zinnia quickly flew back to the ground.

“I thought you said you had limitless power?” the Draconid quipped, setting Alice back on her feet and bopping her lightly over the head. “From what I’ve seen, you can use the powers of nearly every DC character, so why the hell didn’t you just switch to something that could fly?” She chuckled, quickly wrapping her arm around the girl’s shoulder and pulling her along as she sauntered into town. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that, somehow, I heard your little comment.” She paused, chuckling lightly and fixing the girl with a smoldering gaze. “Glad to know you’ve been looking. Is there anywhere I can go to show you a little more~?”

Alice who was trying to calm her heart which to her felt like it was beating four times faster ignored her comment about her power, she did not want to reveal her weakness to Zinnia. While she was a friend now that did not mean that they would stay that way in the future.

“Well excuse me for suddenly developing deer-in-headlights syndrome. I’m not exactly used to falling from up so high. And no not right now, the important thing is what the hell was that? One minute you're my teammate and the next I’m trying to prevent you from killing innocent people. Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Alice demanded.

“Heh, yeah, about that…” Zinnia muttered, trailing off with a guilty grimace on her face. “There’s sort of a deadly, angry, primal Dragon in my head that I have very little control over. I’m working on it, though!”

Alice sighed.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it,” the Draconid said, frowning slightly. “But I didn’t think it’d come out. The only other times was when those I cared about were in danger.” She sighed, shaking her head slightly. “That’s no excuse… I’m sorry, Alice. I should have told you.”

Alice sighed again, “It’s fine. All things considered it could have been worse, I could have been forced to kill you. But that aside I’m just glad you are alright. Let’s just chalk it up to a bizarre day.” Alice took a few cleansing breaths and looked to Zinnia in a whole new light, she was definitely one to not take lightly. “Another question that’s bothering me is why are you hitting on me exactly? We’ve only known each other for a few hours and you are trying to bed me. Why?”

“The blunt answer?” Zinnia mock-asked. “I’m what most people would call a whore. Long-winded, incredibly scientific answer includes a massive imbalance of chemicals in my body connected to my libido and sense of shame.”

Alice frowned at this, “So you will bed just about anyone with no regrets? I don’t know whether to be jealous or not. I doubt I’ll live up to your standards.” Alice muttered to herself.

“My dear, I have no standards,” Zinnia said with a smile. “I am my standards. I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every encounter I’ve had, and I’m sure you’ll be no exception, even if you’re a virgin.”

So many thoughts and feelings roiled in Alice’s head at once but it was the V-word that broke the camel's back, she made a sound equivalent to a sheep’s baa and the mewling of a kitten before she fainted dead-way

“Alice?” Zinnia cried in shock, catching the girl just before she hit the ground. “Alice, come on! Stop joking around, wake up!”

“...Black Alice.Exe is not in service. Please try again later. If the problem persists please contact a Tech Support Representative….Rebooting…. 50%....100% Alice muttered in a daze before falling silent, “Agh! What?” Alice snapped out of her daze with all the subtlety of a Rhino charging through a China shop. “Zinnia! You are alright. What happened?”

“I… have no idea,” the Draconid muttered. “I… I was saying how I had no standards and I wouldn’t care if you were a virgin and you passed out!”

Alice blushed again at the implications of Zinnia’s statement. If Zinnia had no standards then Alice could use that to her advantage but her heart, brain and virtually every other part of her was saying no, that she wasn’t good enough for someone as pretty as Zinnia or Umbra and another part of her questioned if she even swung that way. She sighed. “Deadshot shoot me now.” Alice stood up “Well that was weird. Anyway, thanks for the help but perhaps I should send you back unless you really want to do….” Alice trailed off.

“Alice, I’m always serious when it comes to bedroom play.” Zinnia giggled slightly, shaking her head. “But if you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“I’ll think on it. In the mean time we should find ourselves an inn and crash for the night, in between the Wrecking Crew and you going crazy I might actually sleep well.” said Alice as she walked to the nearest inn labelled “Wine & Dine Inn”. When she got to the front door like last time she opened the door for her friend to go in first.

The innkeeper was a shifty looking Griffon named “Katzz” who gave most people a chill up their spines.

“Yo Katzz. Two of your biggest, bestest rooms for me and my friend here, no questions asked. And if anyone comes in here asking about earlier tell them I’m unavailable and I’ll talk when I’m good and ready. Here’s your pay.” Alice placed a few gold bits mixed with diamonds on the table. Katzz blinked owlishly then nodded before taking Alice’s payment and giving her two blue keys.

“Hey, whatever happened to the Stardust?” Zinnia asked, following after Alice as she lead them to their rooms. “That shit’s valuable.”

“The what?” Alice asked.

“When I cancelled out my Apocalypse move, the Draco Meteor exploded into a fine pink powder, right?” Zinnia waited for Alice’s nod before continuing. “That’s Stardust, as in the Pokemon item you can sell for mad cash. You’ll probably get more when I go home, too. The Void Dragon leaves it behind, after all.”

Alice stared at Zinnia blankly for a moment before the memory of the stuff came back to her.

“Oh yeah, that stuff. It’s most likely still out there Little Strongheart and or Braeburn will probably gather it up and ask me about it tomorrow. But thanks for mentioning it I totally forgot about it. Anyway, here’s your key.” Alice responded while handing her a key marked 777 while she in turn got one marked 666. “Your room is the leftmost one up the stairs mine is to the right.

“Alright then,” Zinnia said with a coy smile, heading off for her room. “I suppose I’ll see you later then, dear~” she called, winking suggestively before disappearing into her room.

Alice stared after her bewildered before shrugging it off and walking to her room on the right side of the stairs and entering.

The room itself had a rustic feel, with a thick, cream-coloured carpet colouring the floors and a bathroom. All of the furniture was made of oak wood, and the large, four-poster bed had luxurious red sheets. One other thing of note was that the room itself seemed much larger on the inside than one would assume by the outside door.

Alice laid on her bed thinking of the day’s events, at first she had been confidant she would be able to handle any Displaced that came her way but now the confidence began to waver after seeing Zinnia’s display earlier. After all this is reality now and not comics so if she died that would be it. Then there was the Wrecking Crew to consider, where were they? Alice soon fell into an uneasy sleep. Suddenly the image of Zinnia’s smile and her jugs appeared unbidden in Alice’s mind jolting her awake. She looked around her room, shook her head and forced the strange and impure thoughts from her head before going back to sleep.

The feeling of soft hands snaking around her waist woke Alice, the warm presence at her back startling her into springing out of the bed. She spun around to find Zinnia lay under the bed sheets, propped up on an elbow with the sheets pulled halfway up her cleavage and a lidded gaze fixed on her.

“What’s wrong?” the Draconid asked, patting the bed. “You never came to me, so I came to you, and you seemed troubled. A good snuggle always helps me when I have trouble sleeping, and I just wanted to help you out.”

“B-but…” Alice stuttered, staring wide-eyed at the woman in her bed. “Y-you’re naked!”

“Well yeah.” Zinnia smiled warmly. “I came lookin’ for whoopie.”

“Whoopie? As in a whoopie cushion? I suppose I could conjure up one if you need one but I don’t see why that would require to be naked and in my bed.” Alice said, confusion evident in her voice. Zinnia stared at her for a moment before slamming her palm into her forehead.

“Whoopie means sex, Alice,” the Draconid groaned, grinding her palm in further. “Literally everyone I’ve met who is not a virgin knows that.”

Alice blushed madly at the “V” word but quickly recovered. “Well excuuse me princess. I’m not that well versed in lewd words, I left those particular vulgarities to my friend Matt.”

“Oh my sweet Arceus…” Zinnia breathed, a soft smile growing on her lips. She threw the sheets off, revealing her slightly tanned skin, and shifted to sit on the edge of the bed. “Is that why you’re getting awkward whenever I say it?”

Alice, who had quickly closed her eyes in order to give her friend some modesty, responded quickly “I have no idea what you are talking about. What word?”

“Alice, dear,” Zinnia whispered, standing and moving closer to the girl. She placed her hands on Alice’s shoulders, rubbing them gently. “Open your eyes.”

Alice’s brain and heart shouted at her to ‘not to do it’ but something in Zinnia’s voice compelled  her to obey but only slightly. One could practically hear the top and bottom parts of her right eye coming apart as if someone were dragging metal against concrete hard enough to produce sparks.

“Alice, really, now you’re just insulting me,” Zinnia pouted.

The idea of insulting a friend - especially a guest in her world - caused Alice to open her eyes all the way in order to refute such an accusation but found the words dying in her throat as she beheld her friend.

“Good,” the Draconid said with a smile, which quickly changed into a look of concern. “Now, about that word…”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Unless you mean Caulfield.” Alice’s left eye twitched, “In which case that’s easily explainable.” She said flatly.

“Alice,” Zinnia said, her tone carrying a slight warning. “You know what I’m talking about.” She sighed, pulling the girl to the bed and sitting down with her. “Are you still a virgin, Alice?”

When she sat next to Zinnia, Alice went straighter than a steel pole and, on cue, went bright red at the mention of the “V” word.

“….”

“You are, aren’t you?” Zinnia asked again before sighing. “Look, if you’re not comfortable with this, then I’ll go.”

“No! I...yes. I am a….virgin.” Alice looked away unable to stand the thought of judgement coming from her friend’s eyes. A girl of her age still a….she couldn’t even think the word.

“You know…” Zinnia said, snapping Alice out of her thoughts. “If you wanted to, we could always… fix that…”

“B-b-but you’re a girl, and I’m a girl. How would that even work? Besides I don’t even know if I swing that way - or any way for that matter.”

“One,” Zinnia said, holding up her finger. “Lesbians have been doing it for years, at least where I came from, and I have my ways anyway.” She paused, chuckling slightly, before holding up a second finger. “And two, the easy way to solve that is a little thing called ‘experimenting’.”

“First thing’s first, when I do this-” she paused, grabbing Alice’s hand and placing it against her breast. “Do you feel anything?”

“A tingle of electricity, excitement, flesh?” Alice asked warily unsure if this was a trick question or not.

“There, excitement.” Zinnia flashed Alice a smoldering look for a second, nodding confidently when she squirmed, rubbing her legs together. “Yep, you’re gay. Or at least bi.”

Alice thought for a moment, taking into account all those dreams of Sean Connery she used to have when she was younger probably the latter but, “How can you be so sure?”

“Alice, you’re groping me right now,” Zinnia deadpanned. “I’m actually leaking, in fact.” To illustrate her point, Zinnia ran a finger over her own nipple, collecting a small amount of her milk. “Here, taste,” she said, shoving her finger into Alice’s mouth.

“Mmph? Sea-Salt Ice-cream? It tastes like Sea-Salt ice-cream with a hint of lime.” Alice said in analytical tone.

“Really?” Zinnia asked, taking some for herself. “I just thought it tasted of milk…”

“Ice-cream is made of milk and besides there is such a thing as flavored milk. I.e. Chocolate, Strawberry, etc. but man is it addicting."

“I knew that!” Zinnia cried, huffing slightly before grabbing Alice’s head and shoving her nipple into the girl’s mouth. “Just shut up and suck, okay? I'mma get your clothes off.”

‘Sheesh, no need to get so pushy. You’re lucky this stuff tastes so great or I’d punish you.’ Alice thought to herself as she continued drinking. A sudden draft told her that, somehow, Zinnia had removed all of her clothes without her even having to move.

“Before you ask,” Zinnia said, pulling Alice onto her lap and running her hands up her thighs, peppering her neck with kisses. “I have a wide variety of skills in the bedroom.” Her hands paused just shy of the girl’s nethers, teasingly close.

“What kind of skills and will it hurt?” Alice asked meekly.

“I’m not gonna lie to you,” Zinnia said, smiling sadly. “Unless you can do the splits and have already broken your hymen, it’ll hurt like a bitch for a second. But after that, it’s the single most amazing pleasure you’ll ever experience.”

Alice doubted that, beating up her enemies and learning martial arts was a pretty amazing pleasure but for now she would keep an open mind. And ever since she came to this world, her old hip injury had disappeared so doing the splits would be easy but why would the ability to do the splits be a requirement? I just hope she doesn’t notice...she drove the thought out of her head.

Zinnia smiled, pressing her lips gently against Alice’s and pushed the girl onto her back, straddling her hips. Her hands roamed over the girl’s body, gently massaging her breasts and gripping her hips as she ran her tongue over Alice’s lips, asking permission to enter.

This was it - no turning back now. Alice closed her eyes and nodded, not daring to say anything just yet. Zinnia’s right hand brushed along Alice’s thigh before meeting the girl’s nether lips, softly rubbing along the edges with her index and pinkie fingers while the other two gently prodded her opening.

The strange things that Alice was feeling were odd and terrifying to her. “Sha-” she almost called out for her favorite power to come to aid and end this but she clamped it down and tried to relax.

Zinnia looked to the girl in concern, removing her hands. “You okay there, hun?” she asked, sitting up. “We don’t have to do this you know. If you’re scared, I understand.”

“No it’s okay it’s just all so new and weird. And not ‘Ha. ha.’ weird. you know what I mean?”

“A little, yeah,” Zinnia replied. “But… I don’t really… remember my first time. Kinda fuzzy.” She sighed, gently kissing Alice once more. “Just relax, dear. I promise you’ll be okay.”

The Draconid soon resumed her work, this time lying at Alice’s side and lightly nibbling her nipple as she worked. Once her fingers were coated with enough of the girl’s juices, Zinnia slowly, carefully pushed her middle finger past her folds, watching her reaction.

Alice gasped and tensed up for a minute or two but soon relaxed and began breathing normally. This, this wasn’t so bad. This was nice. She still preferred busting bad guy heads, but this was a good substitute

Zinnia grinned, slowly pumping her finger in and out. Her free hand slowly snaked up the girl’s body, cupping and groping at her other breast. She continued like this for a time, Alice’s moans slowly but surely growing in volume as the girl got more into the act.

“Ready for the next part?” Zinnia asked, pulling her finger from Alice’s nethers and holding it up, inspecting the clear coating. “I can’t wait to find out what you taste like. Would you like some, too?”

“No I’m good, you can have it all to yourself. I don’t think I could stomach tasting myself again. Besides, I’m full from your liquid ice-cream” she replied. ‘Hmmm I do wonder if my taste has changed since the last time.’ she mused bringing up memories of that time in elementary school when she decided to taste herself and licked her arm, finding that she tasted like bologna.

“Oh hush,” Zinnia chided playfully. “I highly doubt you’ve ever tasted yourself in this way, what with how you acted. Trust me, it’s a unique, magical taste.” She grinned, smearing the juices over her lips before leaning in, bringing Alice into a deep, sensual kiss, pushing her tongue into the girl’s mouth and wrapping it around her own.

Alice had heard about tongue play, but she’d never experienced it for herself and did not know what to do but she felt a little guilty over having her friend do all this work. But how could she remedy the situation? Well there was that but...aw screw it. Zinnia wouldn’t care anyway. Calling up all the memories she had of watching snakes and playing Orochimaru’s theme in her head, Alice’s tongue fought back with vigor.

Zinnia smiled into the kiss, pulling away soon after for breath and watched as Alice almost immediately licked her lips clean.

“How was that? I learned it from watching snakes.” Alice grinned smugly. Everyone was always creeped out when she mentioned that.

“I need to find out if there are Nagas back home,” Zinnia replied with a grin. “I mean, why not? Pegasi and Unicorns, shapeshifting bugs, why not a Naga?” She shook her head, leaning down and kissing Alice again before peppering kisses down her jaw and neck, pausing to suckle at the base of her neck, leaving a small, barely noticeable hickey. “But to answer your question, that was awesome. How’d you like your pussy taste?”

Alice shrugged. “Didn’t seem special. If I had to guess I taste like oranges with hints of garlic and onions.” Alice drooled at the thought of her tastiest anti-vampire deterrents.

Zinnia frowned in confusion before licking her own lips, her eyes widening in surprise soon after. “Wow,” she said, smacking her lips. “You do. Huh. The only girls who actually had a taste before were the ponies.” She grinned, returning to trailing kisses down Alice’s body, gripping her hips. The Draconid slowly, sensually ran her tongue up Alice’s thigh, circling her nethers teasingly.

Alice shivered and shook but soon settled, she raised her hands and grabbed Zinnia’s breasts and slowly began massaging them, then moved them to her stomach area and began massaging there.

“Mmm,” Zinnia groaned, slowly dragging her tongue over Alice’s slit. “You’re getting into it…” She chuckled, pushing lightly into her folds and kneading her hips.

“I suppose I am at that. But I think there’s been enough foreplay, I think it’s time we got to the main event. What do you say?” Alice asked.

“Oh, really?” Zinnia grinned, pulling away and sitting up. “Well then, how’d you like to see one of those skills I told you about?”

“Bring it.” Alice responded, now that her initial fears were gone her old confidence was beginning to show.

Zinnia chuckled, standing and sauntering over to a desk where a small red bag sat. She reached inside, rummaging around for a moment, more of her arm than should have been possible disappearing inside before she pulled out a thick, veiny, two-headed purple dildo, smirking and pointing it at Alice.

“Whad’ya think?” the Draconid asked, giving the dildo a quick shake. “And this isn’t even my final form!”

What confidence Alice had vanished upon seeing Zinnia’s “toy” and upon hearing those words she was sorely tempted to say ‘Shazam’ and banish her to the pit of Lust if it existed.

“And if you’re thinking of switching forms,” she added, lining the toy up with her own slit before pushing it in with a happy groan. “Don’t. I want you, not Shazam, or Estrogan, or whatever else you’ve got hidden in there. Now.” Zinnia paused as a bright purple light glowed from her toy, blinding Alice for a moment before it faded, revealing a thick, throbbing, seven-inch long cock.

“I may be utilizing their powers but it’s still me.” Alice retorted and was going to lecture Zinnia further until she saw her friend’s new part. Alice felt like fainting dead away but for some reason didn’t.

“I meant your body, hun,” Zinnia giggled, her cock bouncing along with her. She smiled softly, sashaying to the foot of the bed before crawling slowly up, moving herself over Alice’s body and gently rubbing her tip against the girl’s slit.

“Are you sure you’re not a Succubus or a Siren?” she asked weakly

Zinnia smiled sweetly. “Funnily enough,” she tittered, running her fingers over Alice’s slit and using the girl’s own juices to coat her shaft. “You’re not the first to ask that. But no, I’m not.” She paused, leaning down to whisper in Alice’s ear. “Though that doesn’t mean they’re not out there. Now, are you ready?”

Alice closed her eyes for a moment. This was her last chance to back out, after this there was no turning back. She opened them again and answered firmly, “Yes. Let’s do this thing.”

Zinnia smiled sadly. “I’ll do it quick, like ripping off a bandage. Please don’t hate me.”

With that, Zinnia thrusted forward, hilting herself in Alice as the girl let out a scream of pain, clawing at Zinnia’s back. The Draconid offered quiet condolences, trying to calm her down as she ran a hand through her hair.

“Ssshh…” she cooed, pulling Alice into what she hoped was a comforting embrace. “I know, I know… It won’t last much longer, I promise…”

Alice stayed rigid for two minutes before collapsing, it was a good thing she spent all her time training otherwise she might’ve blacked out. “Ouch. That hurt. That really, really hurt.”

“I know hun,” Zinnia whispered, placing a kiss on Alice’s cheek. “But it’s done now. You’re not a virgin anymore.” She paused, staying still for a moment. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah I’m fine. It wasn’t as bad as that time I was hit by a car, I’ll give you that.” Alice smiled weakly before a thought occurred to her, “Hey, wait a minute! Shouldn’t you be wearing a condom or something? I don’t like the idea of getting sick or having a baby.”

“It’s magic,” Zinnia replied with a smile. “I can make actual baby batter, but only if we both wanted to. Otherwise it’s entirely infertile. Now then, shall we?”

With that, Zinnia pulled out enough so that only her tip remained within Alice’s walls before pushing back in, making sure to keep a slow pace to begin with.

Alice bit her lip and thought about punching the Wrecker repeatedly in face soothed her.

“F-fuck you’re tight…” Zinnia muttered, gripping Alice’s hips, her thrusts building in power and speed. The sounds of their flesh slapping together began to grow louder as well, filling the room along with their grunts and moans.

“T-t-that’s what he said.” Alice retorted in order to maintain some semblance of dignity. Soon Alice reached a point where she unleashed a growl that would put Cerberus to shame as she got more and more used to her friend’s actions. Zinnia grinned, growling in return as she put more power behind her thrusts, lifting Alice’s hips.

The new angle sent a whole new wave of pleasure through Alice’s body, causing her to arch her back and wrap her legs around Zinnia, trying to get as much of the woman into her as possible. Zinnia, in turn, pounded into her with much more fervour, reaching down and groping Alice’s breast tenderly.

“Zinnia...I...think...I’m...reaching...my...limit...soon.” Alice said between breaths.

“M-me too,” Zinnia grunted, gripping the girl’s hips tighter and pulling her into her thrusts. “I-in… or out?” she asked, gritting her teeth.

“Out...please.” Alice gasped.

Zinnia just nodded, closing her eyes tight as the familiar pressure built in her loins. She felt her shaft begin to throb, quickly pulling out and lifting Alice’s legs, pressing them together over her shoulder. She quickly pushed her member through Alice’s thighs, rubbing against the girl’s nethers as she thrashed powerfully into her legs.

“C-cumming!”

Alice merely growled in response before biting down on her lip so hard it bled and collapsed exhausted and gasping for air. Zinnia’s shaft throbbed once more before shooting spurt after powerful spurt of cum, coating Alice’s chin, chest and stomach, collapsing next to her soon after.

“Ugh. Fuuuck. That was awesome.” Alice groaned out.

“Another satisfied customer,” Zinnia chuckled, turning and cuddling up to Alice’s side. “Didn’t I say you’d love it?”

“....” Alice said nothing. She took a few minutes to relax before answering.

“Yes, you were right but breaking people’s bones is still more fun. Ready for Round 2 through 6?”

“Someone’s eager!” Zinnia said with a grin before springing up, grabbing her bag again. “So whad’ya wanna try now? I’ve got the means for almost anything, and I’m working on the rest.”

Alice thought for a moment before replying, “Bondage.”

Without missing a beat, Zinnia began pulling out a range of items from her bag - everything from ropes to handcuffs, whips to dildos, latex suits to collars and leashes. “You wanna be dom or sub?” she asked, reaching in once more to grab a set of incredibly large anal beads, each one painted like a different Pokeball type.

“Let’s leave it to chance and flip a coin. Heads I’m top, tails I’m bottom.

Zinnia shrugged. “Sure, but I only have a Tits and Ass coin,” she said, pulling a silver coin from her bag which did indeed have a pair of breasts on one side and a backside on the other.

Alice rolled her eyes. Of course you do.

“Let’s just say Tits you Dom, Ass I Dom, okay?” the Draconid said before flipping the coin, catching it and pressing it against the back of her left hand. When she moved her right hand, the image of a person’s rear end greeted them. “Huh, sweet. You want a safe word?”

“A what?” Alice asked.

“A safe word,” Zinnia replied. “A word or action that the submissive partner can say or do if they don’t feel comfortable with something or want to stop. For safety.” She paused for a moment, a small smile finding its way onto her face. “I normally Dom, but mine’s Delta for those few times I sub.”

Alice thought on it for a few minutes before replying, “If we use gags then the action I will take will be Spider man’s web gesture.” She demonstrated by holding out her hand and pressing on her palm with her middle fingers and sticking out her Index finger, pinky and thumb. “If we don’t use gags then “Marvel” will be word. How’s that?”

“Sounds good to me,” Zinnia said with a shrug, gathering some of the outfit items she’d taken out. “Take your pick of my toys or dress yourself up if you want, I’ll be right back,” she added, walking into the bathroom.

Alice simply closed her eyes and grabbed a few at random before grabbing a Zangoose outfit. She pulled on the solid white mini skirt first, the hem of which barely covered anything. Next was the skin-tight white tube top, a jagged red line on the front that crossed her breasts, her rock-hard nipples showing through the fabric. Next came the knee-length high-heel boots, also white with a red band around the calfs. A pair of fake ears - one white and one red - accompanied a pair of elbow-length gloves with red hands and black fingers and a red marker for the scar-like mark over one eye.

“Nice. I may just have to ask Zinnia if I can keep this.” Alice said to herself appreciatively, “Maybe ask for a non-skimpy one too.” Alice drooled at the thought of a non-skimpy Zangoose outfit, modified to look like a samurai yojimbo. “Mmmm. Samurai Zangoose.”

“You know there’s a tail for that, right?”

Alice jumped, spinning around to find Zinnia in the bathroom doorway, and her jaw dropped. The Draconid was wearing a black thong with a sleeve for her cock, which looked longer somehow, and a black latex corset which only covered half of her breasts, a large purple scar-like mark in the centre of her chest. Shoulder-length black latex gloves covered her arms, small golden circles on the backs of her hands, and matching high-heeled boots adorned her legs, the same circles on her toes. A long, black snake’s tail hung from her rear end with a red-edged bladed tip, a purple band near the end.

“Gasp! You! You’re the Seviper who took my tail the last time we fought. But now I’m back for revenge!” she then mimicked Akuma’s fighting stance.

Zinnia stood there for a moment, just blinking, before a sultry smile crossed her lips. “Oh really?” she asked, placing a hand on her hip and swinging it out. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

“By beating the shit out of you, you snakey lout.” Alice growled.

Zinnia grinned, stepping to the side as Alice ‘charged’ at her, giving her ass a spank with the flat of her ‘tail’ as she passed, knocking her off balance and throwing her to the ground.

“Oof. Damnit. Lucky shot. You won’t get another.” Alice quickly got up and looked like she was about to perform an actual “Spinning-Hurricane-Kick” or better known as “That one attack that no one outside of Japan can pronounce.”

“Take this!” Alice leaped up from off the ground and began performing the technique but Zinnia quickly ducked and snapped her hand out, grabbing Alice’s ankle from the air. The girl hung from her grip, her legs held wide open, giving Zinnia a full, unobstructed view of her nethers.

“Don’t mind if I do,” the Draconid sneered, wasting no time in ramming her shaft deep inside Alice’s snatch.

“Gah. W-what are you doing?” Alice gasped out.

“Isn’t it clear?” Zinnia replied, slamming Alice against a wall and pulling out until only the tip remained.

“Gasp! You’re going to rape me aren’t you? You fiend!” Alice cried out.

Zinnia just grinned, hilting herself with one powerful thrust, staring into Alice’s eyes as she did. She reached up with her free hand, grabbing Alice’s chin and kissing her, shoving her tongue into the girl’s mouth.

“Mmphf...mphf...mmmm.” Alice struggled for a few minutes before she finally closed her eyes and went limp, feigning unconsciousness and paralysis due to her adversary’s poisonous lips. Zinnia smirked, pulling out and carrying the girl over to the bed before laying her on her stomach, ass in the air, and lined herself up with her back door.

“Hope you’re ready, bitch,” Zinnia growled, leaning over Alice’s ‘unconscious’ form. “I’m not adding any lube.”

‘Shit. This may hurt.’ Alice thought to herself.

Zinnia pushed forward, her tip slipping into Alice’s ass, and grinned. “Ah~” she moaned, before slamming forward, her crotch slapping against the girl’s ass. “You’re so tight back here!”

‘Yeah, no kidding. I need buns of titanium if I’m going keep my winning streak alive at competitive spicy food eating’ Alice thought but it did not do much to lessen the pain of anal.

“Oh?” Zinnia said, watching as Alice squirmed a little. “It seems my toxins aren’t as potent as they once were. Oh well.” She shrugged, leaning back - pulling out of Alice as she went - and grabbing some ropes and handcuffs, slamming herself back in soon after. “I suppose I should make sure you have no chance of escape!”

Before she knew what had happened, Alice’s hands were cuffed behind her back and she had been strung up from the ceiling.

‘That was quick.’ Alice thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’

Zinnia laughed. “Now then…” Zinnia whispered, running her hand along Alice’s body as she walked past. “What kind of fun shall I have with you?”

“Obligatory ‘You’ll never get away with this!’ comment.” Alice countered.

“Obligatory ‘I already have’ comment!” she replied. “I’m going to have to break that spirit of yours. Too much bark, just enough bite. This should do…”

Alice watched as Zinnia walked out of view, sweat starting to drip down her brow. The sounds of leather being snapped taught reached her ears, and soon after Zinnia strutted back into view, a Cat-O’-Nine-Tails whip in her grasp.

Alice’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks, her breathing became deep and ragged.

“No. No. No. Nonononononononono.” She whispered as memories began playing through her mind. Horrible, awful, painful memories. Screams, yells, cries of innocence, pleas for mercy and tears echoed throughout her mind. Alice began to shiver and shake violently, while tears welled in her eyes.

Zinnia’s eyes went wide, the whip falling to her side as she took a step forward.

“Alice?” she asked, reaching out.

Rage. Will. Fear.

“NO! SHAZAM!”

KRAKKKOOOM!!

Divine light descended from the sky and struck Alice, empowering her. When the lightning retreated Alice was fully clothed in the familiar garments of Black Adam.

“I have power now! You won’t get me again! I’LL KILL YOU!! I’LL KILL YOU TO DEATH!!!” Moving faster than lightning, Alice was in front of Zinnia. She raised her hand and flicked her in the head which sent Zinnia flying back and crashing out of a wall and into the opposite room.

“Fuck…” Zinnia groaned, pulling herself out of the rubble. She looked up, seeing Alice floating slowly towards her. “Alice, come on! Snap out of it!”

Out of the smoke of the rubble loomed Alice’s imposing figure. Her eyes were alive with lightning and murderous intent. She raised a leg and light began charging around her foot a la Kizaru.

“Any last words?”

‘What the fuck is going on with her!?’ Zinnia thought, backing away slightly. ‘I’m sure we had a...’

“Safe word!” Zinnia looked up into Alice’s eyes, holding her hand out. “Delta.”

“‘Delta’ will be the last thing you ever say? No apology? Figures you would show no remorse for actions.” Alice growled out.

“No, wait! Marvel!”

The light on Alice’s foot disappeared and she put down her foot and stared the woman before her.

“What did you say?” she demanded.

“Alice, please!” the Draconid cried, genuine tears rolling down her cheeks as she backed away. “I don’t know what happened to you, I don’t know who you think I am right now, but please just look at me!” She stumbled to her feet, holding her hands out in front of you. “I don’t want to hurt you! I never wanted to hurt you! All you had to do was say, and I’d stop, but there’s obviously something more! So please, for the love of Arceus, just stop so we can get you some help!”

Alice raised her fist in order to deliver the killing blow but when she saw the woman’s terrified face and the tears in her eyes it reminded her of a similar look she had long ago. She lowered her fist and backed away. “Shazam.” she whispered.

Krackooom!

Divine lightning descended from the sky struck her rescinding their power. When the lightning disappeared Alice was back to normal and dressed in her regular outfit. She slowly began retreating further and further away until she disappeared back into the remains of her room. Zinnia watched her go before sighing, wiping away her tears.

“Great,” she muttered, climbing through the rubble after Alice. When she arrived in the bedroom, however, the only sign of the girl was a pair of quivering feet sticking out from under the bed. Zinnia sighed, taking a seat on the floor next to the feet and leaning against the bed.

“You okay under there?” Zinnia asked, nudging Alice’s foot.

“GO AWAY!” Alice shouted, “Leave me alone. And to answer your question, no I am not alright.” Alice retreated further under the bed.

“You know that’s not gonna happen,” Zinnia sighed. “I won’t pull you out of there, but I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

“.....There’s nothing to talk about. If I refused to talk to my therapist what makes you think I’ll talk to you?”

“Because I’m an actual person who has problems of her own that might actually be able to understand?”

Alice growled, “Zinnia your contract is complete, begone!”

A massive spectral dragon with stars sparkling in its scales appeared in the room, looking around until it locked its gaze on Zinnia. The drake opened its mouth wide and lunged, fully intending to swallow her whole.

Zinnia punched it in the nose.

“Not gonna be that easy, hun,” the draconid said, glaring at the drake until it dived back into the void. “I’m sent home via an intelligent being, so I can say no if I want to. Now please come out of there and talk to me?”

“No! Never! If you want emotional talks and all that touchy-feely crap go find a pony! I’ve gone years without talking about my feelings and I turned out just fine. I intend to keep it that way.” Alice said stubbornly.

Zinnia sighed, standing and beginning to remove her costume, pulling on a pair of black panties with red lace and a matching bra. “If you don’t talk to me, I’ll go to Canterlot and get your Luna to have a look at your dreams. I’ll let them know where you are, too, but I’ll be sure to tell them you’re a good guy. Don’t want you to be stoned, after all.” She paused, looking around the room before grabbing her bag from a chair and packing the toys away. “I can tell we’re done, though, so I’ll be heading back to my room. And don’t worry about the damages, I’ll pay for them.”

“No. Don’t go.” Alice knew in her mind that Zinnia’s threats were empty and was tempted point out the flaws in them but she fought down the urge. Also she did not want her friend to leave.

“Do I really have to talk?” Alice asked as she poked her head out from under the bed.

“You can’t move on if you don’t,” Zinnia said, turning and smiling softly at her. “Come on, Alice. Something’s up, and I want to help you through it. Do you wanna end up like Eobard Thawne?”

Alice cringed at the thought of the evil speedster.That guy seriously needed to learn to let things go and move on, he was worse than Lex Luthor in that department.

“Come on,” the Draconid said, pulling Alice to her feet and sitting her on the bed. “Speak to me. I promise you I won’t judge you at all.”

Alice sighed and crawled out from under the bed and reluctantly told her friend of her literally painful childhood which took hours (and much coaxing on Zinnia’s part, who would later compare it to trying to squeeze water from a ball made of titanium and diamond) due to her unwillingness to tell anyone anything about herself thanks to her paranoia of it being used against her later and further exacerbated by the mask Alice conjured up to hide her facial expressions. But eventually everything was out in the open.

When the girl had finished, Zinnia just sat there, staring at the wall. If one were to look into her eyes, they would see the eternal flames of a dragon’s rage burning within her pupils as they flickered between a regular human’s and the slitted variant of a dragon. Her fingers curled inwards, her knuckles turning white as she dug her fingernails into her palms.

“I see,” Zinnia said, her voice an eerie calm. “Excuse me for a second.”

Alice watched as the Draconid stood, walking stiffly into the bathroom. A moment later, a Roar of pure, unadulterated rage filled the room. The earth shook for a moment and a cloud of dust exploded from the door, Zinnia walking out a second later.

“Damage prices just went up…” she muttered, sitting down next to Alice again. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning to the girl. “Anyway, I’m not actually sure how I can help here. If we were in your home dimension, I would go out and feed that bastard his own nuts - and I have castrated before, so don’t think I wouldn’t - but for now all I can say is that he can’t hurt you anymore, and even if he could I wouldn’t let him.”

“Thanks for the thought, but no. I’m fine now, I’ll deal with it like I always do. Ignore it and never repeat his mistakes.”

“That…” Zinnia sighed, shaking her head. “That is incredibly bad for your mental health. I understand learning from his mistakes, I understand not wanting to repeat them, but don’t ignore your problems.”

“Then what do you suggest I do?! I’m in a whole new world, it’s not like I can hire a P.I. to find him so I can kick him in the nuts.” Alice demanded.

“I’m not saying you need to find him for whatever reasons, but if you feel like that’s what you need to do then keep an eye out. I’ve heard certain Displaced have actually gone home and come back, so if you find one you can ask them.” Zinnia paused, wrapping her arm around Alice’s shoulder and pulling her into a side-hug. “I’d suggest going to see a therapist and just talking through it all. I can’t help you as much as a professional can, Alice. It’s time to stop hiding.”

Alice took off her mask and looked a Zinnia directly in the eyes, “Tch, and give up all this power? No way. And as for therapy, no way in hell I’m going to talk to one of those quacks. You’ve already helped me more than they ever could and that’s enough. Though I must warn you that if you try to use this info against me, I will kill you without hesitation and then your family will be next to pay for your sins.” she growled.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Zinnia replied, determination in her eyes. “If I ever betrayed a person’s trust, I’d never forgive myself. My own has been abused enough.” She paused, reaching up with her free hand and patting Alice’s cheek lightly. “But if you ever threaten my family again…” A flaming blue claw erupted from her hand,cupping Alice’s face and holding her in place as a combination of electricity and flames coated her teeth, which quickly turned into fangs as the Draconid gave off a mad grin. “I’m not the only one that would come for you. And some of them could erase you from existence.”

Alice’s skin became darker and her eyes glowed red, two more sets of additional eyes appearing above her regular eyes as a dark blue cloak and hood suddenly materialized. “Just Bring it.” she said in a ghostly/demonic voice that sent chills down the Draconid’s spine and straight to her soul.

They stared each other down for a few minutes, neither moving a muscle. Eventually their mouths curved into a smile and they burst into laughter.

“Oh sweet merciful Arceus!” Zinnia cried, falling back on the bed and roaring with laughter. “That was perfect!”

“Agreed it was.” Alice replied in that terrifying ghostly/demonic voice.

“Can you stop that!?” Zinnia giggled, shuddering. “That weird voice gives me the creeps!” She sighed, reaching down and gripping her shaft, which gained a purple glow as she pulled it out, becoming a dildo again. “I guess this isn’t getting used again. I don’t suppose you’d mind me staying the night, though?”

Alice reverted back to normal before replying “No, in fact I would love that.” she smiled weakly before something occurred to her.

Zinnia smiled, pulling the sheets back and slipping under, beckoning for Alice to join her. The girl giggled lightly, stripping down to her underwear - a pair of simple white boxers and a black bra - before joining her, the Draconid pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her.

“Hey, Zinnia?” Alice asked, a look of slight confusion on her face, “Who’s Arceus? Why do you swear using that name?”

“Oh, that?” the Draconid chuckled. “Arceus is basically the Pokemon universe’s version of God. They made him in Gen 4, Diamond and Pearl.”

“Huh. A pokemon version of god. I bet the religious nutjobs appreciated that.” Alice chuckled darkly.

“Yeah, there was this whole thing with the Pope tryin’ to sue Nintendo…” She paused, laughing as Alice looked to her questioningly. “Oh, the term ‘god’ was trademarked by Christianity in my home world.”

Alice’s eyes went wide in surprise at that revelation but soon burst into laughter at the thought of Phoenix Wright defending Nintendo and Matt Murdock representing Christianity in a courtroom.

“Wow. Thanks, I needed that.” Alice said after settling down.

“No problem,” Zinnia giggled, pulling Alice closer and resting her head on her bosom. “Good night, Alice,” she whispered.

“Night, Zinnia, you perv.” Alice whispered back. She yelped as something squeezed her butt, a small smirk on Zinnia’s face.

“Poke the sleeping dragon…” she yawned, any further words turning into nonsense mumbling as she drifted off to sleep. Alice noted the faint white glow she had seen in Zinnia’s eyes before they closed.

Two Days Later

Alice awoke to the sounds of loud banging at the door and snoring from her side. When she turned to inspect, she saw Zinnia lay next to her, arms wrapped around her arm as she drooled on her own pillow, making her giggle quietly. But her brief levity ended when the person at the door knocked again. ‘Probably Katz, coming to demand payment for the damages,’ she thought to herself, before whispering “Shazam.”

Krackkooom

Divine lightning descended from the sky and changed Alice into her favorite form. Using Heru’s speed Alice moved quickly around the room cleaning everything everywhere (including herself) in order to hide last night's “Fun and Games”, when she finished Alice called down the lightning again in order to give her ‘sleeping clothes’ then she promptly answered the door before the third knock.

Alice no sooner opened the door before she found herself enveloped in a hug, courtesy of her best friend Little Strongheart.

“Oh thank the spirits you’re alright, we were so worried.” Little Strongheart said, hugging Alice tighter and tighter.

“Thank...you...but...you’re...crushing...me…” Alice replied between breaths.

“Oops sorry.” Little Strongheart giggled before releasing her friend.

 

Braeburn. who had been silently laughing at Alice’s expense, took this moment to speak up, “Sorry for waking you up this early Alice but we need to talk.”

Alice nodded “I know, things have been weird lately just give me a moment to wake my friend here.” she waved a hand towards the bed, where Zinnia was blissfully snoring away sounding very much like a Rhino with a head-cold.

Braeburn and Little Strongheart looked on in silent wonderment as Alice walked slowly up to the bed and tried to wake her sleeping friend by roughly shaking her. When that didn’t work Alice, placed a finger on her friend’s bountiful chest and zapped her awake with a miniature bolt of lightning.

Zinnia jolted up, eyes still closed, and reached up to her chest with a happy moan, gripping the fabric of her bra before ripping it off and falling back. Her breasts seemed to swell for a moment, a small dribble of milk leaking from her nipple, before a torrent of the white liquid spewed forth, creating a fountain that caught Alice in it’s spray, soaking her.

“Mmh, yeah…” Zinnia groaned in her sleep, one hand finding it’s way into her panties. “That’s good…” The draconid brought her free hand to her breasts, massaging them and causing the flow to increase in power.

“Oh for the love of!” Alice transformed again before shouting, “Reh hcnerd dna raeppa retaw dloc eci fo tekcub!” After that sentence was said a two-gallon bucket filled to the brim with ice and water appeared above Zinnia and dumped its contents all over the Draconid.

“GAH!” Zinnia cried, shooting up. “The fuck!? I was having the best wet dream!” She paused, looking down at her breasts for a moment. “...Not that this isn't hot, but why am I a fountain right now?” She shrugged, grabbing her left breast and sticking the nipple in her mouth, drinking away.

“Rettib nrut klim tsaerb.” Alice replied and Zinnia’s milk instantly turned very bitter, causing the Draconid to choke slightly and spit it out. “This is no time to be fooling around! Get up and get dressed, we have work to do.” Alice said tersely. “Yrd emoceb sgniht tew.” she added and all the spilt milk and water instantly disappeared.

Zinnia stared at Alice for a moment, her eyes roaming across the girl’s new form, before she shrugged, grabbed her bag and sashayed into the bathroom.

“Sorry about that, my friend is very excitable when it comes to intimate things.”

Braeburn and Little Strongheart who had been silently blushing at the lewd acts merely nodded their heads in understanding.

Fifteen Minutes Later

Katzz was at the front desk, looking as if he hadn’t moved an inch since they last saw him. He was leering at Alice and Zinnia which quite frankly was creeping them out.

“Look, beak-breath,” Zinnia said, now dressed in a pair of white skinny jeans, a purple spaghetti strap shirt, a black leather jacket with a white fur collar and a pair of purple and white Converse All-Stars - or at least shoes that looked like them. She reached into the bag now fastened around her waist, pulling out a large, dark blue felt bag easily as big as Estrogan’s fist, tied off with a red string. “I’ll pay for the damages, okay? This should more than cover it.” She dropped the bag on the counter, watching with a smug grin as the string loosened, revealing the sparkling pink powder within. “That there is Stardust, the single most valuable thing in my world. Should fetch you a pretty penny.”

Katzz continued to stare at them, his expression unreadable.

Alice shoved Zinnia aside. “What my friend meant to say was we’re sorry for wrecking your rooms last night and we’ll definitely pay for the damage plus extra.”

Katzz nodded and pointed them to the dining area of the inn.

Alice thanked him and grabbed Zinnia’s arm, dragging her away before she could begin to start a scene. Once they reached the room they spotted a table big enough to seat all four of them they sat down.

“Why’d you do that?” Zinnia grumbled, slouching in her seat and crossing her arms with a huff. “I can deal with people like him.”

“Because I don’t want there to be bad blood between my friends and this world. Besides, Katzz was just being his usual weird/creepy self. There was nothing to fight over. Now I believe you owe Braeburn and Little Strongheart an introduction.” Alice answered calmly. “Go on, they won’t bite.”

“Oh, I know,” the Draconid said, holding her hand out to the two Equestrians. “Name’s Zinnia, I’m from an alternate Equestria where we’re in the middle of a war against a creature of pure darkness who’s taking over the minds of every living creature in the world.” She paused, her smile belying the fury in her eyes brought on by the subject as her wings twitched behind her. “Oh, and I also like to have sex.”

The other three occupants of the table stared at the woman for a moment. “Wow, I’m uh-sorry to hear that Ms. Zinnia.” the buffalo girl said at last.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” Zinnia sighed. “And you’re fighting against him anyway. Or, at least, my version of you is.” She paused, glancing to the side for a moment. “Hypothetical question, if you had a living cactus as a pet, what would you name it?”

“Well I, uh, always thought the name Mr. Cactuar was pretty fitting for a cactus,” she answered, blushing a little.

Zinnia snickered slightly before nodding. “Fair enough,” she said, turning to Braeburn. “You’ve been quiet so far, pretty boy. What’s on your mind?”

Little Strongheart and Alice both rolled their eyes at the comment.

“Nothing ma'am, it’s just that you’re like our Alice in a lot of ways but at the same time so different. Are y’all related in some way?” the stallion asked.

Zinnia’s eye twitched. “I certainly hope not!” she cried, shuddering slightly, which got the two Equestrians to raise a brow. “No, we’re not related. But we are originally from the same species - Humans, or Homo Sapiens.” She frowned, turning to Alice. “You haven’t told them about the whole alternate reality thing yet?”

Alice’s face flushed, “No, I’ve been so busy adjusting to life here, realizing a dream I thought was beyond my reach is suddenly achievable and other things that it just slipped my mind.”

“Other things indeed,” Zinnia tittered, and Alice’s face turned as red as the Red Tornado. “Eh, never mind.” She turned to the Equestrians and steepled her fingers, resting her elbows on the table. “Okay, so the basic gist of it is this - there are an infinite number of universes in existence, some vaguely the same and others drastically different. Me and Alice, we’re from one of the drastically different ones, where a version of this world is nothing but a children’s cartoon. Through no fault of our own, we - along with countless others - were sent to different Equestrias across the Multiverse, gaining special powers and abilities in the process. We can call each other to our worlds and be called to others, which is how I’m here right now. Make sense?”

Braeburn and Little Strongheart both nodded. “That does make sense, I read something similar in some comics I used to read when I was younger.” said Braeburn.

“Agreed, it’s also similar to what our Shaman’s have said about spirits and other celestial beings living in different planes of existence.” Little Strongheart added.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Zinnia said, leaning back. She opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted  when her stomach let out a loud grumble. “Heh,” she chuckled, blushing. “I guess we should get something to eat, huh? What kinda breakfast stuff have they got here?” Her stomach growled again. “Y’know what? I’ll just get everything. It’s on me today anyway, so you guys get whatever you want.”

Not five minutes later, Braeburn and Little Strongheart  were staring slack-jawed as Zinnia began eating from a cartoonishly large pile of breakfast foods. Alice other hand was simply looking on in amusement. When the Draconid said she’d have everything, she meant everything, as she now had at least three helpings of every item of food available.

“Mmm!” she groaned, shoving a pancake in her mouth. “Theesh are good!”

Alice lightly smacked Zinnia on the head, “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” she said sternly. “From the way you’re acting I’m wondering if they put crack in the food.” Alice commented flatly as she bit into her fourth Hashbrown.

“I’d roast ’em alive and serve them up if they did,” Zinnia replied, not even looking up as she shovelled three whole sausages into her mouth, swallowing them straight away. “I was drugged enough back in the asylum. Never again.”

“I was kidding. Crack doesn’t even exist in this verse.” Catching the looks on her other friend’s faces, Alice tried to think of something to explain the oddness of the situation but couldn’t think of anything, so she simply shrugged and dove into her second plate of eggs.

After eating her fill, Alice began explaining what had happened in the past few days, with Zinnia adding her two cents in between mouthfuls of food. While Alice told them as much as she could she also left out certain details that she believed that neither Zinnia nor the two Equestrians needed to know about.

“And that about explains everything, any questions?” Alice asked.

Zinnia leaned back with a satisfied sigh, a stack of five food-stained plates on the table in front of her. “Is there anything else you need me to do?” she asked, belching out a small stream of purple flames soon after. “Sorry,” she added, blushing.

Alice had been dreading this question. She thought long and hard but she could not think of anything. It was true that she wanted Zinnia to stay, but the truth was that it simply wasn’t possible. She had her own verse to look after and more importantly she had a “family” that needed her and a Darkrai that needed it’s ass kicked. If it even had one. Alice knew that it was inevitable that her friend would have to leave. Still, it didn’t make things any easier and Alice definitely didn’t have to like it.

“No. Other than paying the bill I’d say they’re nothing left for you to do. Besides one more minor little detail.” Alice then looked at Little Strongheart and Braeburn, “Could you excuse us for a bit? There’s something we have to take care of. We’ll be back.”

“Go ahead. We’ll just talk while you’re gone.” said Little Strongheart.

Alice nodded and got up from her chair, beckoning for Zinnia to follow as she began walking back to her room. The Draconid shrugged, dropping another bag of the shimmering pink Stardust on the table and winking at the two Equestrians before hurrying after her.

“So what’s happening?” Zinnia asked, throwing her arm around Alice’s shoulders. “We havin’ a quickie before I go?”

“No. If we are going to have ‘se-relations’ then I want them to be meaningful and fun. Quickies are none of those things.” Alice replied solemnly. “No, this is much more important.”

“SHAZAM!”

KRAAKOOM!

A giant lightning bolt struck, and a second later, a Black Ankh lay in Black Alice’s hand, the cross colored white and shaped like a lightning bolt. Next to it was a long bull's horn and a hawk’s feather, all three of which were threaded together in a necklace.

Zinnia took the trinket, holding it up and inspecting it. “Huh, neat,” she said, pulling a small black case out of her bag and gently placing the necklace within before shoving it back where she’d got it from. “Your token, I presume?”

“Indeed. I made it just before I contacted you.” Alice said cooly.

“Awesome,” Zinnia chuckled. “Well, you already have mine, so… was there anything else?”

“Yes.” Alice turned around suddenly, grabbed Zinnia and pulled her into a hug, “Thank you. For everything.” she whispered.

Zinnia froze up for a second before smiling, hugging the girl back. “Not a problem, Alice,” she whispered. “Call me if you need anything, okay?” With that, she moved back, still holding Alice’s hands. “You know how to send me back?”

“Yes. But do you wish to say goodbye to Little Strongheart and Braeburn before you go?” Alice asked.

“Nah,” the Draconid said, waving the notion off. “They’ll need to get used to people just popping in and out if you’re gonna live out here.”

Alice nodded, “Well if you’re sure you have everything then I guess this is goodbye. For now.” She took a few deep breaths before saying, “Zinnia our contract is complete for now.”

The spectral dragon returned, though it looked a tad more sheepish than before, poking its eyes out from the ground.

“It’s alright, big guy,” Zinnia said with a laugh. “I’m ready to go home now. Sorry about earlier. Alice you take care of yourself now, you hear?”

The dragon snorted before lunging out of the ground, snapping it’s jaws around Zinnia and disappearing in a puff of pink dust.

Alice waited a few minutes until she was sure that the only void magic in the vicinity came from her. A wide grin suddenly appeared on her face as she chuckled wickedly, “No problem at all.”

And The World Shall Turn To Ash...

        Zinnia stood in a wide open field, emerald green grass flowing gently in the breeze. She was dressed in a pair of form-fitting black yoga pants and a deep purple tube top, white flats on her feet and white bands on her wrists.

        “Are you sure about this, Zinnia?” Sonar asked from a distance, subconsciously wrapping a wing around Stryker. “This could be dangerous. We don’t know much about this ‘Void Dragon’.”

        “I say do it!” Bolan said from Sonar’s side, laughing uproariously at the noivern’s shocked face. “What good is a Void Dragon if we can’t call it?!”

        “But what of the little one!? He could be hurt!”

        “And? He’s a proud Dragon Warrior! A little pain never stopped one of us!”

        “You boorish barbarian!”

        “Scrawny egghead!”

        “Thick-skulled fool!”

        “ENOUGH!”

        Both drakes flinched, turning to Zinnia to see her disapproving eyes before looking away in shame.

        “I’m calling the Void Dragon,” the Draconid said, glaring at them. “And I’m doing it safely. Why do you think you two are here?” She sighed, shaking her head as she turned around. “Besides, the thing’s carried me across the Void so many times now I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to tame it or something. Just need to figure out how.”

        Silence fell as Zinnia lifted her anklet, the blue metal gleaming in the midday sun. She held it up unsurely, one thumb on her Keystone.

        “Hear me, noble Dragon of the Void!” Zinnia cried, and the Keystone flashed briefly. “I command you to appear before me!”

        A deafening roar rang out from seemingly nowhere, causing the wind to pick up, whipping Zinnia’s hair around.

        “Come to me!”

“Come on, Dash, keep your focus! If you start to rage, your Pokémon will fall into the same trap!” Ash called out. Once again he had taken Rainbow and Applejack to the Everfree Castle for training. It was going well, but as Applejack’s training started to best Rainbow’s, well that’s when the ever prideful pegasus got mad.

“I know already! Get off my back!” she angrily called out. “Kakuna! Use Poison Sting!”

“Kakun,” the cocoon Pokémon said as a purple orb appeared in front of it’s ‘face’. “Na!” he shouted, firing a multitude of purple needles towards his opponent.

“It ain’t gonna be that easy, Dashie!” Applejack called with a smirk. “Go Pupitar, take it like a champ with yer Iron Defense!”

“Pupitar!” the hard shell Pokémon cried, his body suddenly coating in pure steel. The needles harmlessly bounced off, not doing any damage at all.

“Oh come on!” Rainbow growled. “There is no way I’m losing to AJ like this!”

“You will if you keep letting your emotions get the better of you!” Ash reprimanded her. “You have to keep your anger managed if you want to win! You’re a Frontier Brain; act like it!”

“Pika pikachu!” Blue yelled out his own ‘encouragement’ from Ash’ side.

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

A moment of silence passed after Rainbow’s outburst, the world itself seeming to hold its breath before a deafening roar rang out from seemingly nowhere, causing a vortex of wind and dirt to swirl to life around the three. Ash stumbled back into a pillar, shielding his eyes against the winds and trying to keep the girls in his sight.

“What in th’ hay is THAT!?” he heard Applejack shout, whipping around to find her only to be greeted with the grinning visage of a massive, black-scaled dragon, easily the size of a steelix. Stars seemed to shine in the drake’s scales, captivating Ash until a prismatic blur rocketed into his vision, slamming into the dragon’s snout and causing it to stumble back slightly.

“Ash, what the hay is that thing!?” the pegasus asked, holding her forehooves up to protect herself from the winds.

“I don’t know!” the man replied, reaching for one of the balls on his belt as a sly grin formed on his face. “But I’m gonna battle it!”

Applejack appeared behind him as he pulled the ball, noting that it belonged to his charizard, arguably the most powerful of his choices.

“I choose you!”

Ash slung the ball forward, watching as red and white blurred together, adrenaline pumping as he awaited the burst of white light that would signify his old friend’s arrival.

That was snuffed out, replaced by a thin layer of tears when the dragon opened its maw and swallowed the ball.

“CHARIZARD!”

The dragon seemed to grin again, rearing back and opening its mouth wide to reveal a small, swirling energy in the back of it's throat, not unlike a black hole. Ash sneered in anger as it lunged, charging forward with his fist drawn back, both mares hot on his heels.

The winds died down, revealing the empty room. Nothing moved for a moment before something began to fall from above, a sparkling pink powder coating the floor.

The winds died down, leaving Zinnia stood with her arm raised. She waited for a minute before sighing, fastening the anklet to her leg once more.

“Well that was a bust,” she groaned, turning and walking towards the three drakes of her family. “Come on, let’s go. I need something to pick me up after that.”

“Uh…” Sonar replied, his ears twitching restlessly as he stared at the area behind Zinnia.

“Mama?” Stryker asked, poking his head out from behind Sonar’s wing and pointing behind her. “Who’re they?”

Zinnia frowned, turning slowly to see the massive spectral form of the Void Dragon, stood completely in the open. For the first time she was able to look upon it’s massive serpentine body, massive claws acting as its hands and feet while two wings sprouted from its back, splitting into four ribs each. The sharp, angular head resembled those of Eastern design, with long horns stretching back and a small ‘beard’ of shimmering pink Stardust hung from its chin, more of the powder flowing back along the drake’s neck in a magnificent mane. Zinnia stared for a moment longer before a grin split her face.

“Awesome!” she cried, doing a little victory dance on the spot. “I did it! I called the Void Dragon!”

A trio of groans echoed out from behind the dragon, causing Zinnia to try and look behind it. On the ground was a rainbow maned cyan pegasus, an orange earth pony with blonde hair and a Stetson, and a human male in a blue jacket and dark navy pants and wearing a red hat with a blue pikachu next to him.

“What in the hay jus’ happened?” the earth pony groaned.

“I don’t know, but I do know this: I hurt,” the pegasus said in response.

“Well, we certainly aren't at the castle anymore,” the guy said, slowly sitting up. He rubbed his head, his pikachu stretching and cracking a few joints. It saw Zinnia and pulled on the edge of its trainer’s shirt.

“Pika pi,” it said, giving Zinnia the thousand yard stare.

“Hmm? What’s up, bud?” He followed the pikachu’s eyes and saw Zinnia himself. “Oh… um, well then… that’s a thing.”

The ponies looked as well, their jaws dropping. “Am Ah seein’ things or is that a human over there?”

“Did… did it really happen?” the pegasus said, her voice slowly getting louder. “DID WE JUST GET DISPLACED BY A FREAKIN’ DRAGON?!”

“Eyup,” the guy said in response. He waved at Zinnia with a smile. “Hey there! How’s it goin’?”

Zinnia, for her part, stared at Ash with a mix of shock and anger. She whipped her gaze to the massive dragon before her, spreading her wings and rocketing up to eye level, shooting a glare at him.

“What the fuck?!” she cried. “What did you do!?” The dragon seemed to reply with a series of grunts and growls. “I can see that! Is this what you do, huh!? I call you to try and fuckin’ talk, and you bring me three living beings!?!?!” She paused, sighing and waving the dragon off. “Just… get out of here before I punch you.”

The dragon whimpered slightly before turning and diving into the ground, vanishing in a puff of pink Stardust. Zinnia sighed again, lowering herself and touching down in front of the visitors.

“Hey, sorry about that,” she said, holding her hand out. “The name’s Zinnia, Delta Guardian of Equestria and the only Draconid in this existence as far as I know. Who’re you?”

“Well, that’s Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Me? The name’s Ash, Ash Ketchum,” he said, taking Zinnia’s hand to help him up to a standing position. “Nice to meet ya.”

Zinnia stared at him for a moment, her eye twitching, before giving a strained smile. “You wouldn’t happen to know a Serena, would you?” she asked through clenched teeth, subconsciously squeezing Ash’s hand harder and harder.

“Ok, ow ow ow,” he said, trying to wrench his hand out of the death grip.

“Hey!” Rainbow said, getting in Zinnia’s face. “Stop hurting my friend before I kick your flank!”

“That goes double for me!” Applejack enforced.

Zinnia stared at the two ponies for a second before shaking her head, seeming to come out of a trance. “Oh Arceus, I’m so sorry!” she cried, quickly reaching into the crimson bag around her waist and pulling out a small roll of bandages. She grabbed Ash’s arm again, this time much more carefully, and began wrapping his hand up, being careful not to make it too tight. “Oh man, Serena’s gonna kill me if she finds out…”

“You got some grip, girl,” Ash said, wincing. Then what she had said finally clicked. “Wait, what?!” He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and started shaking. “What do you know? How do you know that name? Tell me!”

“I-I-I me-et yo-ou-u’re wi-i-ife!” Zinnia replied before reach up, grabbing Ash’s hands and pinning them to his sides. “She’s safe, okay? She’s made a few friends that are helping her with the Sirens, and even if she didn’t, that Gardevoir of hers packs a punch!”

“Mama?”

Zinnia looked down, seeing Stryker tugging at her leg, dressed in a pair of short grey jeans and a red shirt with white sleeves and collar, a red cap on his head. She let go of Ash and scooped the drake up, cuddling him close as she chuckled at the coincidence in his outfit. “Who they?” the drake asked, pointing at the newcomers adorably.

“Well howdy there, lil’ fella,” Applejack said with a tip of her hat. “Ah’m Applejack. This here’s Rainbow Dash an’ our good friend Ash Ketchum. We’re from another place an’ don’ really know where we are.”

“We’re in a field roughly halfway between Ponyville and Canterlot right now,” Zinnia provided, staring at Rainbow Dash. She set Stryker down, letting him waddle over to AJ and start playing with her before launching herself at the pegasus mare, wrapping her in a tight hug and crying into her chest. “Oh Arceus, I’m so sorry Rainbow!”

“Guh! What did I do? What did I do?!” Rainbow said, starting to freak out about the crying draconid.

“I’m sorry!” Zinnia cried again, squeezing her tighter. “I should have never let Darkrai take you away! Now the Elements won’t work, the girls lost their friend, and it’s all my fault!” She paused, sniffling slightly. “And I don’t even have the guts to tell them what really happened… Th-they think you ran off on your own...”

“What’s going on here?!” Rainbow said, pulling out a pokéball. “Nincada, help!” she tossed the ball, her little bug buddy coming out with a cry of,

“Nincada!”

“Use string shot and get me out of here!” Nincada shot out the sticky string, wrapping around Zinnia’s ankles and yanked, dropping her to the ground, but still holding Dash. “This isn’t going how I thought it would!”

The ground shook slightly as a massive shadow covered them, Dash’s eyes widening at the sight of the Tyrantrum stood over her. She began to panic as it leaned down, only to watch confused as it gently gripped Zinnia and pried her off, sitting back and cradling her in it’s arms.

“Okay… What?”

“I believe I can be of assistance explaining things.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Please tell me that Pokémon didn’t just talk.”

“No, you fool, I am speaking to you through your mind. And it is not Bolan talking, either. I am behind you.”

All heads whipped around to see a small green pixie with a head shaped vaguely like an onion, it’s bright, sky blue eyes narrowed and it's stubby, moss-green arms crossed.

“I’m even more confused,” Rainbow said, blinking slowly.

“Same,” AJ and Ash said, scratching their own heads at the sight.

“Pika,” Blue said, smacking Ash upside the head, “Pika pika pikachu!”

“Ow. I know it’s a celebi, the question is: why is it talking?! They’re not supposed to talk.”

Celebi turned to Blue, a single brow raised. “He is not too bright, is he?” she asked, shaking her head.

“Pika,” he sighed, patting Ash pathetically on the head.

“Hey! I’m right here, man! Not cool.”

“Ah hate to interrupt yer Pokéspeakin’, but what are ya doin’ here? More to tha point, why are we here?”

“You are here because Void Beings are uncouth.” Celebi said, shaking her head.  “I am here because of the disturbance caused by the Void Dragon, and to find assistance. The winds were strong enough to rip the trees of the Everfree from the earth from this distance, and Darkrai has taken the opportunity to spring an attack on my home in an attempt to convert me to his Nightmare forces. I fear that poor mare may not have made it out alive.”

“Someone’s in trouble?” Ash asked. “Tell us where and we’ll save her.”

“Pika!” Blue agreed.

“Heck yeah we will!” Rainbow said, hopping into the air.

“NO!”

All eyes turned to Zinnia as she dropped to the ground, eyes wide. “No, the ponies stay here! Darkrai can not get another world’s Elements.” She looked behind her, locking eyes with the Tyrantrum and the Noivern. “Bolan, Sonar, don’t let Rainbow or AJ follow us. We’ll take care of this.”

With that, Zinnia grabbed hold of Ash and flew off, Celebi sighing and teleporting to the edge of the forest ahead of them. Rainbow snorted, preparing to chase after them before a pair of large black claws grabbed her. Sonar sat back, letting Stryker crawl over his body as Rainbow struggled. AJ just shook her head and sat down, catching Rainbow’s eye and winking. Rainbow smiled back with a wink of her own.

Ash just looked behind him as they flew off. “Okay, I can get you’re a little protective, but AJ and Rainbow should have come with us. They’re Pokémon could really come in handy for something like this.”

“I’ve already lost my Rainbow Dash to this bastard,” Zinnia growled. “And I think I know who this mare Celebi mentioned is. I will not risk him taking Loyalty and Honesty from your Equestria.” She paused as they neared the edge of the forest, black vines with wicked-looking blue thorns lashing out at them. She breathed a plume of flame at them, watching as they burned to cinders. “And I don’t know about AJ, but I can almost guarantee Dash’s Pokemon are no match for what’s in here if Nincada was anything to go by.”

“Well, Dash is still relatively new with her Pokémon, but she’s got spirit of a battler. With a little more help, I have no doubt they’ll be great Frontier Brains. Just don’t count them out just yet,” he said with a slight smile. “They can surprise you, I know they have me, right bud?”

“Pika! Pika pikachu pipich!” Blue said with a nod of his head.

Zinnia just sighed, setting Ash on his feet and landing next to him. “Right, where to start…”

“The Castle of the Two Sisters,” Celebi chimed, popping into existence before them. “The yellow pegasus ran towards the castle when the attack began, so I suggest you look there first.”

“Castle it is then,” Zinnia growled,storming through the brush into the forest. She formed a Dragon Claw in her hand, using it to hack at the foliage in an attempt to make it easier to traverse. “I swear, if he touches Fluttershy…”

“Hey don’t worry,” Ash said, putting his hand on Zinnia’s shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. “Nothing bad is gonna happen and we’re gonna get Flutters safe.”

“Pikachu,” Blue enforced, looking battle-ready.

“That’s what I thought last time,” the Draconid spat. “And we lost Rainbow.”

They walked in silence for a while, the only sounds Zinnia’s grunts as she slashed through anything in her path. Before long, Zinnia stopped, holding her hand up to tell Ash to do the same.

“What is it?” the man whispered, a hand on his belt.

“Darkrai’s forces,” Zinnia replied, crouching down. Ash did the same, creeping closer to the edge. “See how all the Pokémon down there are shiny?” He followed her line of sight and nodded at seeing the many alternate colored Pokémon. “Well, we don’t get shiny Pokemon here. Not naturally. Those ones have been infected with the Nightmare, forced into Darkrai’s control.” She ducked as a green-furred Ursaring stopped and looked up in their direction, pulling Ash down with her.

“Great, mind controlled Pokémon,” Ash said with a roll of his eyes. “That stuff is so overdone. So, what’s the plan? Sneak or attack?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, we can’t set off any alarms,” Zinnia said, pointing up at a rope bridge spanning the chasm before them where a butter-yellow pegasus mare with a long pink mane was being carried across by a white Trevenant, bound in the silk of the purple Ariados in front of them and followed by a pink Drapion. “If we do, there’s no telling what they’ll do to Fluttershy. We need to get in as quickly and quietly as we can. Any ideas?”

Ash tapped a finger to his chin a few times, trying to think of the best way through. He snapped his fingers. “We go down. Come in from where they won’t expect. And I have just the ‘mon for the job.” He pulled out an ultra ball, holding it ready in his hands. “You in?”

“Do it,” the Draconid said, nodding. “Anything to get Flutters back…” she added quietly, clenching her fist tightly.

He nodded, releasing the Pokémon from the ball. Behind them, a powerful looking krookodile appeared. “Krookodile,” it said, looking at his trainer and Zinnia through a pair of black aviator sunglasses.

“Hey pal, we need to get into the castle unseen. Think you can recall your digging power to get us in?”

Krookodile nodded, beginning to dig into the ground at an amazing speed.

Ash looked at Zinnia with a smirk. “Zero to sixty in less than a second in digging. Now come on, we got a pony to save.”

Fluttershy didn’t know what was happening. One minute, she’s looking for little Angel Buneary, the next she’s being tied up by an Ariados and carried through the Everfree to her doom. Why was everyone so mean all the time? Why couldn’t she just sit down with one of the so-called ‘ancient evils’ and just… talk to them? Surely their problems could have been solved much easier if they had just been talked through, instead of jumping straight into violence.

The mare let out a muffled “Ooph” as she was dropped onto the hard stone, and a second later the threads covering her eyes fell away, revealing a pink-coloured Drapion that made her scream and try to get away. Her back hit something rough, and she looked up fearfully to see the stark white bark and orange leaves of the Trevenant that had been carrying her, promptly screaming in terror once again.

A dark, menacing chuckle filled the room, and seconds later the shadows converged in a single spot, Darkrai rising out of them.

“Ah, yes,” he cackled, his cloak-like body billowing in the non-existent breeze. “Your fear is so delicious! Don’t you think so, Shadow Blur?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and filled with tears when a pegasus mare stepped out from behind a pillar, her midnight blue fur blending with the monochrome rainbow mane. Gone were her tight shorts and tank top, replaced by a pair of black tights and matching cloak with a crimson collar in the style of a predator’s teeth. A simple white shirt sat under the cloak, and her eyes glowed light blue. Her katana rested on her back, the Element Gem normally set in the pommel missing.

“Yes Master,” ‘Shadow Blur’ purred, kneeling by Fluttershy’s prone form and pulling her up by the hair. The Nightmare Pegasus seemed to inspect her  for a moment before turning to Darkrai, a manic grin on her face. “Can I take her to my Factory, Master? I’ll make so many Darkbows with her!” She reached down, grabbing one of Shy’s breasts. “I mean, I’ll probably get at least three with just one of these!”

“Settle down, Shadow Blur,” Darkrai chastised, and the Nightmare Pegasus backed away as he walked toward the bound mare on his long, spindly legs. “I’ve told you already, you and your friends are going to be my Generals. Now then, shall we begin the change?”

“Ooh!” Shadow Blur said, grinning happily. “I’ll get the Dark Plunder Vines!”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide.

As Krookodile continued digging with Ash and Zinnia following closely, they heard a high pitch scream coming from above. Both of them went wide eyed in fear. “That was Fluttershy,” Ash said, stating the obvious. “Krookodile, speed it up! She needs us!”

“Krook!” he nodded, scratching its claws through dirt even faster.

“Gah…” Zinnia muttered, clutching her head in pain. Ash looked back, eyes going even wider at the sight.

“Zinnia, you okay?” he asked, doing his best to reassure her.

“Just keep going…” the Draconid growled, looking up at him and revealing her slit-pupil eyes. “You don’t wanna be anywhere near me when I change…”

“R-right…”

Another minute was all it took before Krookodile punched through the stone floor of the castle’s throne room, bursting out of the ground with a mighty “DIIILE!!”

“Move it!” Ash called, following his Pokémon out of the whole.

“Pika!” Blue said, getting into a battle defense position.

Zinnia shot out of the hole, wings spread wide. Ash turned to look at her, eyes flying open as he watched a layer of purple and black scales grow over her her hands and forearms, creating a sort-of scaled gauntlet. Her nails extended into long, black claws, each one ready to tear into flesh. Zinnia took a deep breath before letting loose a chilling Roar that sent the pack of Mightyena in the room running like scared puppies with their tails between their legs.

“Z-Zinnia?!” Ash stammered, slowly backing away. A quick glance at Blue and Krookodile told him that they were struggling not to run too. “Y-you okay there?”

“DARKRAI!!!!” the Draconid Roared again, her new claws erupting with a mixture of blue and black flames white her hands glowed orange. “I’M GONNA RIP YOU TO SHREDS!!!!”

Ash blinked, several times. “Whoah...well, that’s a thing.”

“Pika,” Blue added, just as stunned.

“Yeah…” a third voice said, raspy with a slight echo.

Ash and Blue whipped around, spotting an anthropomorphic pegasus with black fur, glowing cyan eyes and a mane the colour of a monochrome rainbow. The pegasus turned to them, staring for a second before blinking, seeming to remember where she was.

“Oh, right,” she muttered before shooting back, a small gust of wind making Ash stagger back. She raised a hand and snapped her fingers, a red, purple and black feathered Hawlucha dropping from the ceiling seconds later, green accents on it’s mask. “Hawlucha, Karate Chop!”

The Wrestling Pokemon charged forwards, bringing down an orange-glowing hand on Krookodile’s head in a vicious chop.

“Dile!” the intimidation Pokémon cried, staggering back and holding his head. A small bump slowly rose, angering Krookodile even more. “Krookodile!” he shouted in rage at the bird.

“Rainbow?” Ash asked. “What on Earth happened to you? And why you attack Krookodile like dat? Not cool!”

“Not Rainbow!” Zinnia growled, dropping down next to Ash and glaring at the pegasus. “Nightmare. Shadow Blur. Where Darkrai!?”

“Like I’d tell you!” Shadow Blur sneered. “As if I’d tell you that Master has her in Luna’s old bedroom, having his fun with Fluttershy and the Dark Plunder Vines!” She laughed for a moment before stopping, eyes wide. “Oh… crap…”

Zinnia grinned, flashing a row of glittering, razor-sharp teeth even as they crackled with electricity, before shooting off down a hallway.

“Wow,” Ash said, he and his Pokémon left behind. “Rude much!” he called after her before looking at Blur. “The people in this world! No respect I tell ya, NO respect!”

“Whatever,” Shadow muttered, turning away. “Keep him busy, Hawlucha. I’ve got a pest to kill.”

“Hmm, yeah, no I don’t think so. Blue?” The pikachu looked at him. “Knock it out.”

“Pika,” Blue said, smiling darkly. Faster than Blur could blink, Blue’s electricity covered fist had slammed into Hawlucha’s gut and sent it flying against the far wall. Blue cracked his knuckles, electricity leaking out. “Pikachu pika.”

Ash looked at Shadow, no longer any mirth in his eyes. “You wanna go after her, then you gotta get through me, toots.”

Shadow Blur glared at him, snapping her fingers again. Within moments, Ash was surrounded by another five Pokemon, all of them shiny - a Drapion, a Bisharp, an Ariados, an Ursaring, the Hawlucha, and a Torterra. Shadow smirked, stepping onto the Torterra’s back and sitting, leaning back against the massive tree.

“Do your worst, little man,” she taunted, before tapping the tree. “Tank, make it quick, will ya?”

“Terra!” ‘Tank’ replied, slamming its foot into the ground and causing an Earthquake.

“Quick Krookodile, cancel it out with your own Earthquake!” Ash ordered.

“Krookodile!” he shouted, his left leg glowing with light brown energy before slamming down like Tank’s. The shockwave blasted outward, shaking Ash slightly while Blue had taken refuge on his trainer’s shoulder, striking out against the impending attack. The resounding impact created a minor explosion and released a large cloud of dust, obscuring Ash from Shadow’s view.

“Hawlucha!” Shadow cried, and seconds later a gust of wind cleared the cloud away. Shadow shot to her feet when she saw that Ash was nowhere to be found. “What! Where’d he go?!” she growled, stamping her foot on Tank’s back. “Find him! I want him in my factory, dammit!”

“Hey Nightmare Freak!” Ash’s voice came from above them. She looked up, seeing Ash and Blue riding on a very powerful looking charizard. His hand was clutching a necklace that was beginning to glow along with an adornment around Charizard’s neck. “This is the part where you say: ‘I dun goofed’.” A sphere of energy surrounded the fire type, breaking away after a moment, revealing a much more dragon-like creature. “Mega Charizard X… burn ‘em down!” The Pokémon roared as a massive burst of fire rained down and engulfed all of Shadow’s Pokémon.

Ash watched for a moment as the flames danced around the room before dying out. His jaw dropped when the room cleared, showing each of the Nightmare Pokemon still stood there, only slightly charred. Shadow Blur looked up at him with a cocky grin.

“Not gonna work, little man!” Shadow called out as she swept her arm forward, the Ariados spitting a massive orb of toxic resin at Ash and Charizard. “Nightmare biz makes us stronger!”

Mega Charizard was able to flap out of the way before impact, but Ash was more focused on the Pokémon below. Then he got a smirk. “Well then, if you’re not gonna burn. Maybe you’ll be better frozen. Blue! Give ‘em the cold shoulder with Sheer Cold!”

“Pika!” Blue shouted, putting his little hands together as the entire room began to grow colder and colder. An icy blue ball of energy formed in the pikachu’s palms before he chucked it down the middle of the room below.

“Everyone!” Shadow cried, taking to the air. “Behind Tank! Tank, Protect!”

Shadow’s team scrambled into action, Tank erecting a green wall of energy between himself and Blue’s attack as the other Nightmare Pokemon hid behind him. Ursaring, however, sneered at the attack and charged, it's entire left arm glowing orange. It swung at the orb, creating an explosion of snow and sleet that covered the room in white. When the room cleared and things became more visible, the Ursaring’s body could be seen under a layer of snow, out cold.

“Well, he certainly wasn’t smarter than the average bear,” Ash joked.

“Huh,” Shadow uttered, shrugging. “Oh well, he was just some random bear. Not that I care. Drapion?”

“Dra!” the large scorpion cried, it's claws glowing purple as it charged at the wall. To Ash’s surprise, it carried on running up the wall, it’s four clawed feet digging in with each step before it launched off, hitting Charizard with a Cross Poison with a “Pion!” and knocking it out of the air.

“Ha!” Shadow barked. “Not so smug now, are you? Ariados, tie him and the pikachu up! Tank, take the charizard out. Bisharp, bring them all to my factory. I wonder what Darkbow a blue pikachu will make!”

“Hyper Beam!” a southern voice shouted out. A dark purple beam shot of nowhere, striking Tank and pushing him up against the far wall.

“Nopony messes with our friend!” a tomboy voice shouted as well. Shadow looked and saw two quadrupedal ponies standing at the entrance hole Ash and Zinnia had used. The one that looked like Applejack had a Pupitar that was firing the hyper beam, while the one that looked like her old self had a Kakuna staring her down. “Kakuna, use Poison Sting on that faker!”

“Kakuna!” he shouted, firing the purple, poison filled needles at Shadow.

Shadow flinched, covering her face with her arm to try and lessen the pain. When nothing happened, however, she looked up and saw that Bisharp had slid in front of her, defending her from the poisonous needles with it's metallic body.

“Hah!” Shadow barked. “Nice try losers! Bisharp, carve them up!”

“Sharp!”it cried, becoming a blue blur as it shot forward, slamming its head into Kakuna’s body with a vicious Iron Head before spinning around and  draggin a Metal Claw across Pupitar’s face.

“Kakuna!”

“Pupitar!”

The ponies cried out as their Pokémon were sent flying, highly damaged. Slowly and painfully, the Pokémon forced themselves to stand, not willing to let their trainers down. And that’s when it happened. Suddenly, both of them were engulfed in bright blue-white light.

“Ah can’t believe it,” AJ gasped.

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow threw in.

Pupitar began to grow to several times his original size, morphing into what the humans would call a mini-godzilla. When his light died away, the now Tyranitar let out a roar of challenge.

Kakuna’s was much quicker, morphing into a sharp looking bee-like Pokémon. The Beedrill buzzed, feeling more powerful than ever.

“Ha!” Ash cheered. “Looks like we got some back up now! Hey Charizard; get off your lazy butt and start torching these lame-os!” Mega Charizard was quick to his feet, sending out a Flamethrower that completely engulfed Ariados and sent it flying, with the added effect of burning away the webs tying up Ash and Blue. “That’s more like it!” He and his Pokémon joined Applejack and Rainbow, looking smug at Shadow. “Well? Give up yet?”

Shadow Blur glared at them for a moment before pulling out a black Pokeball, using it to remove Tank from the field. “This isn’t the end!” she cried, flying out of a nearby window. Ash, Rainbow and AJ watched for a moment before turning to each other and shrugging. When they looked around again, all of the Pokemon Shadow was commanding had retreated, all except the Ursaring, still unconscious but now covered in water instead of snow.

“Coward!” Rainbow shouted after her. “Come back and fight like a mare!”

“Now hold on there, Dash,” Applejack said, dragging her back. “Let’s not look a gift rapidash in the mouth. We need ta find that Zinnia girl an’ make sure she’s alright.”

“AJ’s right,” Ash agreed. “Let’s go make sure she hasn’t caused any more trouble.” A skarmory crashed through the roof, landing in a heap on the ground with part of its metallic body melted away. “Oh no…”

Zinnia shot down hallway after hallway, either slashing the Pokemon in her way with her claws or roasting them with her fire breath. At one point, she heard Fluttershy screaming again, immediately veering upwards and smashing through the castle’s walls until she was in the open air. A tower in the corner of her eye caught her attention, if only because of the writhing mass of black vines wrapped around it, pouring into the windows of the top floor.

“Darkrai…” she growled, grabbing an attacking Skarmory without looking and mercilessly tearing into its metallic flesh with a scorching Fire Fang before tossing it away. She shot towards the tower, her body bursting into blue and purple flames as the wind parted before her.

“Aerial Rage!”

Zinnia burst through the vines with enough force to destroy the window around them, kicking up a cloud of dust. She threw her wings forward, sending a gust of wind that cleared the dust within seconds, revealing a scene that sent her rage into overdrive.

Fluttershy hung limply from a mass of vines, her clothes in tattered shreds with tears staining her cheeks. Blood dripped from a few of the vines, splattering the cold stone floor with drops of red. All while Darkrai lounged on an ancient bed with his arms behind his head.

“You bastard…” Zinnia growled, her body erupting into blue and purple flames again as her claws were coated in shadows and her forearms took on an orange glow. Lightning crackled across her teeth, and her wings took on a metallic sheen. “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!! I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

She shot forward, bringing a fist down on the spot where Darkrai had once been, the living shadow having melted into darkness and shot away along the ground.

“Now now dear,” he taunted, rematerializing behind Fluttershy, cupping her face in his hand. Even unconscious, Fluttershy flinched at his touch. “You must learn to control that temper of yours. Who knows who could get hurt?”

“FUCK YOU!!” Zinnia Roared, shooting forward and tearing into the vines. When Fluttershy began to drop, Zinnia grabbed her and burned the rest of the vines away with Embers. “I-I won’t… Hurt her…”

“Are you sure?” Darkrai whispered, his voice echoing from every wall. “I’m already gone, so who will bear the brunt of your rage?”

“Fuck…”

“Equestria may be my ultimate goal, Delta Guardian,” Darkrai continued, his voice getting quieter until Zinnia could barely hear it. “But your suffering shall be my prize.”

Zinnia ground her teeth, barely managing to keep herself from bursting into flames for the third time that day. With as much self control as she could muster, she pulled her cloak from her bag, wrapping it around Fluttershy’s body before laying her gently on the ancient bed. She then moved into the centre of the room, dropping to her knees, clutching her head in pain as her flames of Outrage fluctuated, slowly becoming bigger and bigger.

“C-can’t… lose… control!” the Draconid growled, grinding her teeth from the strain.

It was at that point where Ash, Applejack, Rainbow, and Blue burst into the room, immediately seeing Zinnia.

“Zinnia!” Ash called out.

“What in the hay happened in here?” AJ asked, looking at the destroyed room.

“Who cares, what about the dragon girl?” Rainbow said, pointing as Zinnia’s grip on reality began slipping even more.

“Well, I got an idea, but she won’t like it,” Ash said. “Blue, Thunderbolt!”

“Pikachu!” Blue cried, blasting Zinnia with a massive bolt of electricity.

“Gah!” the Draconid cried, and her flames flared for a moment before she managed to reign them in. Ash’s eyes went wide when he saw one of the old stone chairs in the corner look like it was melting. “Not… Helping!”

“Hey, it’s what I got, ok? Um… oh! What about a water type? That could work, right?”

“Just… get ‘Shy… and RUN!!!” Zinnia growled, slipping into another Roar at the end. “I can’t… hold back… much longer!” When no one moved, she glared at them, her crimson eyes boring into their own. “GO!!!!!”

“Ok, we’re goin’!” Ash said quickly. Applejack and Rainbow ran over to Fluttershy, picking her up together.

“Oof!” AJ said as Fluttershy was put on her back. “Hoo, Shy needs to lay off the cupcakes. It looks like her chest is about to fall off.”

“That’s, uh, you know what? I’m gonna leave that to Twilight to explain when we get back,” Ash sighed, pulling out Charizard’s ball and letting out the flying, flaming lizard. “All aboard!” Charizard took the ponies and started into the air, Ash and Blue flying behind him on his Pidgeot. They raced towards the ceiling, Charizard using his power and flames, bursting through to the outside.

Ash turned back once they were clear, just in time to see the pillar of blue and purple flames that engulfed the entire room, reducing it to molten slag in mere seconds as a blood-curdling Roar filled the air. Clouds began to gather overhead, faster than could be called natural, and soon after rain began to fall.

Applejack let out a long, low whistle. “Sweet apple pie,” she awed, hanging on to her hat.

“You can say that again,” Rainbow said similarly.

“Sweet appl-” Rainbow hushed the smirking AJ with a hoof into her mouth.

“I just hope she’s okay after that,” Ash muttered to himself, staring intently at the castle.

The trainer’s worries were appeased - if just a little - when the molten stone coating the remainder of the tower suddenly surged upwards, almost creating a fountain of slag and soot. A massive shockwave of energy almost blasted the flyers out of the sky, and when they turned to the source, their jaws dropped simultaneously.

Even from their current distance, each and every one of them could clearly see Zinnia, now standing at an almost amazonian height of eight feet tall rather than her usual five and sporting a pair of black-armoured, purple-skinned wings so sleek they looked as though they could cut the air like a hot knife through butter. The black and purple scales coating her forearms had spread upwards toward her shoulders, and if one were to look close enough, the image of a flaming heart encompassing a pair of women could be seen in the patterns painted by the black scales. Her clothes, understandably, had been torn to shreds in her transformation, but her modesty was saved by the materialisation of a simple black leotard with a flaming purple wisp on her chest. Scaled boots covered her feet, black heels raising her stature even higher.

The newly transformed Draconid reared back before spitting a colossal plume of pure white flames into the air, the heat from which sent another shockwave outwards from her position.

“Woah,” Ash gasped, Applejack and Rainbow both too slack jawed to say anything. Blue rubbed his eyes, trying to see if he was dreaming, but it was for naught. Ash shook himself from the stupor. “Zinnia! You back with us or what?” he shouted at her.

The amazonian woman whipped around to face him with surprising speed, crimson slitted eyes filled with rage. Her razor-sharp fangs glinted in the light left over from her fire before she Roared at them, the sheer power of her voice sending the flying Pokemon back a few feet.

“That’s a no!” Rainbow cried, righting herself in the air from where she’d fallen from Charizard’s back.

Zinnia made to lunge at them, onyx-black claws primed and burning blue, before she seemed to catch herself, grabbing her head in pain. She pointed frantically away from herself, Ash recognising the general direction as the way to Ponyville before she launched herself from  her perch in the opposite direction, rocketing away with a sudden burst of speed.

Ash was torn as he saw her rocket off into the Everfree, tempted to go after her.

“Pika,” Blue said slowly, patting his trainer’s cheek. This pulled Ash out of his staring to look at Blue and to see the ponies and Charizard looking him to make the next decision.

He sighed. “Let’s go to Ponyville.”

“Are ya sure?” Applejack asked. “Should we really leave that poor girl on her own out here?”

“With the way she is right now, she’s more monster than Zinnia. We need to get Fluttershy safe and sound. Let’s go to Ponyville and see if we can find Twilight or another of the counterparts here. We can work out what to do next from there.”

“If you’re sure, big guy,” Dash shrugged. Together, Charizard and Pidgeot took the heroes toward Ponyville.

“There’s the tree,” Ash called out as his Pokémon approached the library, sticking out like sore thumb amidst the thatched and wooden roofs of the small country town. “We’ll land just a bit from there so Charizard doesn’t spook any of the populous.”

Charizard huffed, but followed orders by flying into an alleyway. Rainbow helped the still unconscious Fluttershy off of the flame Pokémon, draping the mare across hers and Applejack’s backs. After Pidgeot landed, Ash returned both Pokémon to their respective pokéballs and clipped them to his belt. He looked out of the alley and gestured the ponies to follow him, thankfully not catching any of the busy anthropomorphic ponies’ attentions. The group quickly made their way up to the library door, knocking rather loudly on the front door.

“Hello? Is Miss Twilight home? We could really use her help!” Ash shouted as he knocked.

The door opened suddenly, and Ash was confused at the absence of a pony for a moment before someone coughed, drawing his attention downwards to see a miniature Dragonite dressed in purple slacks and a green button-down shirt, wings folded neatly behind his back.

“Can I help you?” the dragonite asked in perfect English, shocking Ash slightly.

“Woah… no way. Spike? You’re a talking dragonite. Out of things I’ve seen today, that’s probably weirdest. And I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff today.” Ash shook his head, putting his hand there to keep down a small headache. “Never mind that, is Twilight home?”

“Uh… yes?” Spike replied, his tone unsure. “Hey, Twi? Someone’s at the door for you!”

“Dammit Spike, this is a public library!” Twilight’s voice called from within. “You don’t have to run every visitor by me, just let them in!”

“Oh, right,” the drake muttered, stepping aside to let Ash in. He did a double-take when the quadrupedal versions of Rainbow and AJ trotted in behind him, carrying Fluttershy on their back. “Oh Faust!” he cried out, scrambling after them. “Twilight, Fluttershy’s hurt!”

“What!” the unicorn shrieked, charging into the room with an anthro Applejack on her tail. The farmer stopped dead upon seeing her double, reaching up to scratch at her head.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on in here?!” she demanded, eyeing the visitors suspiciously. “Are you a couple’a Changelings that don’t right know what yer doin’?”

“Uh, no,” AJ deadpanned. “Ah’m you, that’s Rainbow,” she pointed at said mare, “that’s Ash,” she pointed at the human who saluted with two fingers, “and that’s Blue.”

“Pika pika,” said blue pikachu waved.

“What happened to Fluttershy!?” Twilight shrieked again, her magic surging and lifting the unconscious pegasus onto the rapidly cleared centre table of the library, the bust of a stallion being flung to a random corner. She blushed as the cloak fell away, revealing Fluttershy’s bloodied and abused body to the room. “And where are her clothes?!”

“I… honestly have no idea,” Ash shrugged. “We were helping Zinnia rescue her from the Everfree castle. Miss Nightmare Rainbow separated us and when we caught up to Zinnia she exploded into a raging Amazonian dragon… thing. She flew off into the forest while we thought it best to bring Flutters back here.”

“Wait,” Anthro AJ stated, holding her hand up. “Whadd’ya mean, ‘Nightmare Rainbow’? Rainbow ain’t never been no Nightmare, an’ she’d never let ‘erself be one neither!”

“Tell that to the poison claw marks on my Charizard’s neck,” Ash replied.

“Wait a minute…” Rainbow Dash muttered, a hoof on her chin. “When we got here, didn’t Zinnia say something about not telling the girls about me when she broke down?”

“Yeah…” Ash’s AJ agreed. “She said ya’ll thought she’d ran off alone!” She paused, her head tilting. “Ta be fair though, Ah’d think th’ same if’n RD jus’ up’n disappeared like that.”

“What!?” Twilight cried, her horn glowing purple as various medical supplies floated around her, applying themselves to Fluttershy’s wounds. “She said that!? Ooh, I’m going to kill her!”

“I think she’s killing herself,” Ash so ‘tactfully’ said. “Like I said, she’s kinda an uncontrollable monster at the moment. She also glomped Rainbow when we got here and was begging for forgiveness while crying like a repentant murderer.”

“She was?” Anthro AJ asked, shocked. “But she seemed like th’ strong, confident type t’me. She don’t strike me as a cryer.”

“Everyone has a secret side, AJ,” Spike offered sagely. “Remember when we found out about how you got Winona?”

“Point taken,” Anthro AJ said quickly, her face going from orange to red in seconds.

Applejack turned her head in confusion. “Uh… Ah’m not sure Ah wanna know. Anyways, is your Flutters alright? She didn’t look so good when we picked up her up.”

“Yeah, she’s got those weird lumps on her barrel. They, like, tumors or something?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight looked to her as though she were talking to a child, before realising that she had a drastically different body structure. “No, those are her breasts,” she explained, sighing soon after. “What I’m worried about is the… internal cuts my magic found. Are you sure you don’t know anything about what happened to her?”

“Um…” Ash scratched his head, trying to think of something.

Blue face-palmed, jumping off his trainer’s shoulder. “Pika pika!” he scolded Ash. “Pika pikachu pika pichu!” He climbed up onto Twilight’s table and began to draw.

“Well you don’t have to be so rude about it!” Ash said back to the pikachu.

“Pikachu,” Blue returned. He set down the pencil he stole, showing Twilight the picture he’d drawn. To Twilight’s surprise, it was a very realistic sketch of a darkrai, with another one of a pile of shredded vines with vicious looking thorns.

“Darkrai did this?” the unicorn muttered, before looking at the second drawing. “What on Equus are those?” she asked, leaning in close. She gasped and jumped when a sudden *pop* sounded out, a strange-looking chimera in a mismatched suit appearing in the door.

“Where is she?!” Discord demanded, shoving past Ash and dropping to his knees at Fluttershy’s side. “Sweet Faust, what happened!? Who could do this to dear, sweet Fluttershy!?”

“Apparently, Darkrai,” Twilight provided, handing the draconequus the sketches. “Discord, do you recognise those vines? Darkrai apparently used them to hurt Fluttershy… intimately…” She trailed off at the end, shuffling awkwardly.

Discord took one look at the sketch before his eyes went wide, his whole body literally draining of colour before he fell backwards, rattling against the hardwood floor as though made of stone.

Rainbow looked over at the sketches before making a face of disgust. “Oh man, not those things. I hate those stupid vines.”

Applejack made the same expression. “Plunder Vines, dang rotten infections is what they are. But how did this darkrai get a hold over Discord’s plants?”

“You planted them!?” Twilight demanded, glaring at Discord’s prone form.

“I-I… Yes…” he relented, hanging his head in shame. “Back when Celestia and Luna first imprisoned me, I scattered them without them noticing. I thought they’d have died out by now, though!”

“Obviously not,” Anthro AJ deadpanned.

“Darkrai probably used his Nightmares to take control of them,” the draconequus continued, now shivering viciously. “They’re not like normal plants, after all. They’re sentient, so he could obviously Nightmare them.”

“Well, that’s not good,” AJ said, shaking her head. “It was already bad enough you’ve had them things suckin’ power from the Tree of Harmony. Who knows how powerful them things are now.”

“Way to think positive, Jackie,” Ash snarked.

“Oops, mah bad. Forget I said anything.”

“So… what did he make them do?” Anthro AJ asked cautiously, dreading the answer.

Discord tensed up, balling his fists in anger. “He... “ he growled. “He abused her… He won’t get away with that…”

“Wow, Evil Dead much,” Ash said humorlessly. “Yeesh, he really is the nightmare Pokémon to go that far. He’s got issues.”

Discord stood up wordlessly, stalking towards the door before launching it off it’s hinges with a wave of his hand, flying out not long after.

“Oh dear,” Twilight murmured. “I’ve never actually seen Discord angry. I hope he doesn’t do anything foolish.

“This is Discord we’re talking about,” the three visitors said in an unanimous deadpan.

“Hopefully Zinnia can snap out’a her funk to help’im,” Anthro AJ said. “Outside a’ Celestia, Ah don’ know of anyone else who could stand up ta him on a good day.”

Twilight sighed, standing and dismissing the medical supplies with a flash of purple magic. “The best we can do now is wait,” she said, shaking her head. “Spike, would you mind fetching Rarity and Pinkie Pie? I think we should all be here for Fluttershy when she wakes up.”

“Sure thing Twilight,” Spike replied sadly, saluting before jogging out the door.

“You’re welcome to stay here until Zinnia returns,” the lavender unicorn continued, turning to Ash and his group. “If you don’t have anywhere else to go, that is.”

“Zinnia’s probably the only one that can send us home,” Ash said, rubbing the back of his head. “Sure, it was a good bit of training for my friends here, but I’d much rather prefer being back in our own Equestria. No offense to yours, that is.”

“None taken,” Twilight said with a smile. “I completely understand, there’s no place I’d rather be after a long day than home. I’m sorry I can’t help with that.”

“Aw don’t be too upset, there Twi,” pony Applejack waved off. “This may not be home, but at least y’all ain’t trying to hurt us or run us out of town. Ah will admit Ah’ve been a bit curious about these other worlds we’ve been hearin’ ‘bout.”

“This place is kinda cool,” Rainbow admitted. “At least it’s still got Pokémon. That’s something familiar to start with.”

“You guys have Pokémon too?” Anthro AJ asked, surprised. “Ah didn’ expect that. Winona’s been itchin’ for a bit o’ exercise if’n you wanna come ‘round the farm later tonight.”

“Ah jus’ might take ya up on that offer, me,” Applejack smiled. “As to your question, yeah, we’re trainers. Ah’m a rock-type trainer an’ Rainbow here trains bug n’ flyin’ type Pokémon.”

“Ash here is training us to be Frontier Brains to turn Ponyville into the official Battle Frontier of Equestria. He’s the champion of Equestria, so who better, right?”

“Ah don’ rightly know what a ‘Battle Frontier’ is,” Anthro AJ laughed. “But it sure does sound interestin’.”

“The Battle Frontier is a league made up of the strongest Pokémon trainers around,” Ash explained. “There are seven in all, each the strongest you’d ever find in their respective fields. Any trainer is welcome to challenge the league to prove they can best the best of the best. Of course, first we have to make these ponies into the best of the best, right Blue?”

“Pika pikachu pika,” Blue snickered. Applejack and Rainbow glared at the pikachu, knowing whatever it was he said wasn’t nice.

“Stupid pikachu,” they said together.

Twilight managed a small chuckle at their expense, sitting solemnly by Fluttershy’s side.

Zinnia awoke with a groan, sitting up and holding her head in pain. She looked around in confusion for a moment, finding herself in a small cave with the night sky visible in the opening and wearing a strange black leotard with a flaming purple wisp on the chest. She groaned again, pulling herself to her feet and stumbling to the mouth of the cave, leaning heavily against the walls.

“Dammit…” she muttered, her eyes tired and bleary. “Where the fuck am I?” She shook her head again, stumbling out of the cave and into the woods. She looked up, attempting to spread her wings only to flinch at a sudden pain in her back. “Gah… No flying, I guess…”

She walked aimlessly for a time, her arms behind her head as she whistled a random tune. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn’t need to know. There was a strange feeling in her chest, and that feeling had told her to walk.

The Draconid ducked under a low hanging branch, smiling tiredly as a Caterpie wriggled along and sniffed at her hand.

“Hey there, little guy!” she cooed, giggling as it nudged her finger. “Do you know where I’m supposed to go?”

The Caterpie tilted its head slightly, seemingly thinking, before nodding and pointing it’s body in the general direction she’d been heading. Zinnia giggled lightly, thanking it before continuing on her way for a time before a thought crossed her mind.

“When did I become a Disney Princess?” she asked herself idly, before suddenly feeling something grip her ankle tightly and pull. She fell forward, catching herself on her hands and knees just before her face would have impacted with a random rock. “Whoa. Okay, what was that?”

Her question was answered when a mass of blue vines wrapped around her body, lifting her into the air and flipping her over to see a small creature that appeared to be made out of the vines themselves, though stood on a pair of red boot-like feet. “Tangela!” it cried, pure joy in it's voice.

“Well hi there little guy!” Zinnia called out pleasantly, hoping to avoid conflict. “Would you mind putting me down?” She gulped when the tangela shook its head, it's vines snaking across her body. “Oh, well then…”

Zinnia cried out when the tangela’s vines wrapped around her leotard, tearing it off easily and exposing her body to the open air. She shivered as it rubbed its vines across her opening, others wrapping around her breasts and squeezing roughly.

“Oh, alright then…” Zinnia sighed, shuddering when the vines at her folds pushed in slightly. “G-go ahead…”

Tangela didn’t waste any time, twisting three thick vines around each other and shoving them into Zinnia’s folds, opening them out again once inside and writhing them around inside of her.

“Gah!” Zinnia cried, her tongue lolling out as Tangela pounded into her. Another vine appeared in front of her face, quickly inviting itself into her open mouth and sliding down deep into her throat. She let out another muffled scream as Tangela pushed it's vines into her, squeezing her breasts tighter with every powerful thrust.

Two smaller vines reached up, wrapping around Zinnia’s rock-hard nipples and pulling roughly. The Draconid cried out in pleasure and pain even as her milk squirted out, shocking Tangela when it splashed across it’s face.

“Tang?” Tangela asked, a small pink tongue snaking out and tasting the milk before it let out a happy squeal. “Tangela! Tan tan!” it cried, bringing Zinnia closer and locking it’s invisible lips around her left nipple, suckling greedily.

“Mmph!” Zinnia cried, writhing under the grass-types ministrations even as more and more vines reached up, massaging more of her body. Two of them snaked around her waist, pulling her ass apart for another two that wrapped around each other before plunging in. “MMMM!!”

Tangela chirped happily, it's vines thrust more powerfully into the woman as it slurped up her milk, it’s movements becoming faster and more frantic as it went. Zinnia screwed her eyes shut, putting everything she could into pleasuring the invaders, wrapping her tongue around the vine in her throat and clenching her walls around the others.

“T-Tangela!” Tangela cried out, it’s grip on the Draconid loosening until it dropped her heavily on the forest floor. Zinnia sighed in relief as the vines retreated, noticing a small white splattering on the ground in front of the tangela.

“A-are…” she stammered, breathing heavily. “Are you d-done now?”

“T-Tangela…” Tangela replied, waving a vine at her dismissively.

“Good…”

Zinnia stood up, grabbing her bag from the ground and pulling out a copied set of the clothes she was wearing when Ash arrived and quickly dressing in them.

“Well,” she said, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. “This was fun and all, but I’ve got somewhere to be.” She paused, looking around briefly. “Now if only I knew how to get to Ponyville…”

Tangela’s eyes went wide, and he shot to his feet instantly, waving his vines about frantically. “Tan! Tangela tan!”

“You know the way, little guy?” Zinnia asked, crouching down.

“Tangela!” it replied, nodding furiously.

“You think you can lead me there?” She asked again, and Tangela nodded again. “Well let's go then.”

Zinnia turned around, walking through the forest once more, this time with the Tangela by her side. They walked in silence for a time, Tangela occasionally redirecting them. Eventually they came into a large clearing, a boulder covered in moss sat in it’s centre. Zinnia sighed, walking over to the boulder and climbing on top of it before lying down. Tangela followed her up, looking to her questioningly.

“I’m tired,” the Draconid said simply, closing her eyes. “And my wings hurt. I’ll rest here for the night and see if I can fly back tomorrow.” She paused for a second, cracking open one eye to look at Tangela. “You can come with me if you want, but no sex, okay Writher?”

“Tan?” Tangela asked, tilting its head to the left.

“What? I can’t give you a name?” Zinnia chuckled. “I’d think I earned the right after what you pulled back there. Not that I’m complaining.”

‘Writher’ formed a pair of arms with his vines, shrugging.

“Well, goodnight then.”

Ash woke the next morning to the sound of frantic banging at the library’s main door, sitting up with a groan. He sleepily stretched and scratched his back, cracking a joint in his neck. “This is why I don’t sleep on couches.” He winced as the banging returned even louder. “Yeah, yeah, I hear ya,” he moaned, getting up and dragging his way to the door. He wrenched open the door, “We don’t want any.”

“That’s charming, that is,” Zinnia huffed, crossing her arms. “And here I was expecting to be welcomed back with open arms!” she added, holding her arms open for emphasis.

“I don’t know you well enough for that and I’m pretty sure Serena would hit me for it,” he deadpanned.

“You can’t give me a hug!?” the Draconid cried. “Man, you are whipped!”

“I’m married, what do you think? Now get in here, it’s cold out, and I want to go back to bed.”

“Oh, okay,” Zinnia shrugged, stepping past Ash and into the library. “Come on Writher!”

“Tan!” Writher cried, following after Zinnia excitedly.

“Is that a tangela?” Ash asked. He shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t think I wanna know.” He closed the door behind her. “Hey, Twilight! Wake up! Zinnia’s here!”

A second passed before a loud crash was heard from the floor above, Twilight stumbling down the stairs not long after. “Zinnia?” she mumbled, rubbing at her bleary eyes before seeming to sober up. “Zinnia!? Oh, I have a few choice words for you, missy!”

Zinnia looked between Twilight and Ash for a moment, eventually settling on Ash. “Why do I get the feeling I’m back in high school?” she asked, raising a brow in confusion.

“You start shipping me with that thing, I’m outta here,” Ash deadpanned. “I’ll leave you to your chewing out. I’m going back to bed.” He dragged himself back over to the couch and plopped down, the sleepy Blue resuming his position of sleeping on Ash’s chest.

“...wut?”

“Never mind that!” Twilight barked, grabbing Zinnia by the arm and dragging her into the kitchen. Zinnia quickly found herself in a chair, Twilight standing over her in naught but her nighty and underwear.

“You know,” Zinnia stated. “You should really get dressed. That nighty doesn’t really hide much.”

“It’ll do for now,” Twilight huffed. “Why didn’t you tell us about Rainbow Dash!?”

Zinnia paled, sweat forming on her brow. “Uh… I forgot?” she tried, flinching at Twilight’s unamused expression. “Fine,” she sighed, hanging her head in shame. “I was afraid, okay? I didn’t want you guys to hate me because I couldn’t protect her.”

“We wouldn’t hate you because you failed at something,” Twilight said, her expression softening. “Sure we’d be upset that we lost Rainbow, but I’m sure we’d all just work harder to get her back!”

“Oh…”

“Look,” Twilight sighed, pinching the bridge of her muzzle. “I get that you’re from another world or something, but in Equestria, we try not to hold on to grudges. We talk things through instead.”

“Tell that to Sunset Shimmer,” Ash called back.

“Who?” Twilight and Zinnia asked as one, confused looks on their faces.

“Ask Celestia,” he sighed. “She hides a lot more than you know. You’re only her most recent student after all.”

“Celestia’s a bit preoccupied with the second loss of her sister to the Nightmare,” Twilight deadpanned, glaring at Ash slightly. “But I’ll note it down.”

“Yeah dude,” Zinnia chimed in, shaking her head. “Harsh. Tone it back a little, will ya? If Celestia’d heard you say that, well… I wouldn’t want to be you.”

“A leader that can’t take smack isn’t a real leader,” Ash boredly replied. “Star Swirl taught me that and literally hit Tia over the head with it. Luna was usually fine with it.”

“That’s it!” Twilight yelled. “Out of my house! I do not appreciate you talking about my mentor like that!”

“Twi, chill!” Zinnia tried. “Other worlds, remember!”

“I don’t care! I want you both out, right now!”

“Would you calm down, Twilight?” Ash said, finally sitting back up. “You’re gonna have an aneurysm. And to be fair, Celestia talks more smack about me than I do her. It’s how our friendship works. Here’s a new lesson for you: different friends have different ways of showing their friendship. Remember that, it might come in handy.”

Zinnia took one look at Twilight’s enraged face and began backing away. “Writher, go get pony Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Ash, we’re leaving, now,” Writher saluted with a vine and ran out of the room.

Ash groaned, Blue even more so. He pulled on his jacket, shoes, and hat, perfectly ready to get out. Except looking half-dead. “You ponies are way too wound up. I get you’re dealing with a nightmare, but if ya can’t relax a bit, he’s just walk right over ya.”

Twilight’s coat turned stark white, her mane and tail becoming pure flames.

“OOOOOUUUUUTTTT!!!!!!”

Zinnia scrambled back, grabbing Ash’s collar and dragging him out of the library with her. Writher and Ash’s AJ and Rainbow joined them soon after, all four of them running full-pelt away from Twilight, Ash just being dragged along.

“You know in hindsight, Serena always said I shouldn’t talk when half asleep. She’s says I’m rather rude.”

“Ya think!?” Zinnia growled, slowing to a stop at the edge of town. “Alright, I think we’ll be safe here.”

“Sorry, about that.”

“He ain’t the brightest candle, but Pokémon is sure something he knows,” Applejack said.

Zinnia sighed. “Yeah, I guess I can be the same sometimes. People say I flirt too much.”

“Thankfully I haven’t seen that yet. And I don’t want to. You’re really not my type.” He turned to Rainbow. “That came rude didn’t it? I’m being rude right now.”

“Eeyup,” both ponies responded.

“My bad.”

“Pikachu,” Blue said with a face palm.

“Eh,” Zinnia said with a shrug. “No biggie. The only reason I haven’t tried it on with you is ‘cuz I met Serena a while ago and she told me about you. She said no, so I guessed you would too.”

“Is she alright over there?” Ash asked, a little sadness in his voice. “Nothing bad has happened, has it?”

“You know who the Sirens are? They apparently want her dead or something.”

“Oh, them.” Ash sighed. “So those three cultists are still kicking, eh? I hate them.”

“Wow, never heard you actually use the ‘h’ word, big guy,” Rainbow said, a little taken back by it.

“Rainbow, they’re trying to kill his wife,” Zinnia deadpanned. “I hate them, and I don’t even know who they are. Mainly because I said I’d be like Serena’s big sister and protect her if she called me to, but still…”

“I’m not sure how to take that at the moment so I’ll process it later. The sirens are basically hippocampi, or seaponies as some call them. Those three are Yvangelists, the cult of Yveltal. Not nice people.”

“You have a cult dedicated to the Death Pokemon?” Zinnia asked. “Huh. I’ve got Pokemon Satan under Darkrai’s control, but I’ll have to keep an eye out for Yveltal and a few of the other more powerful Legendaries.” She paused, shuddering for a moment. “I do not want to know what he’ll do if he gets his hands on Dialga or Palkia. Or Arceus, for that matter.”

“Wait, arceus is real here too?”

“I assume so,” Zinnia shrugged. “I’ve been using him in place of God in my curses, haven’t you noticed? Ah well, what matters is I’m not taking any chances.”

“No, I haven’t noticed and I’m not sure how I feel about that. There’s no evidence to suggest arceus is real back home. No legends, no Pokémon know of it, nothin’. Speaking of home, any chance we can get back there soon?”

“Ash has a point. Mah family’s gotta be worried sick by now.”

“And I’ve got work tomorrow. The weather doesn’t move itself… well, outside of the Everfree forest anyway.”

Zinnia stared at Dash for a moment before rainclouds started to roll in overhead, a light drizzle falling. “You were saying?” she asked, a smug grin on her face.

“Her point still stands,” Ash said, holding his hands out and catching some of the rain. “I know you can use Pokemon moves yourself - you kinda showed me in the castle, and that transformation was probably something to note too.”

“O-oh, right,” Zinnia stammered, grabbing her arm nervously. “Th-that. You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“No. Highly confused, but not hurt. But I’m not one to question that kind of weird.”

“Oh, good,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Anyway, sending you home… wait. Do you have a Token yet?”

“Yep,” Ash said, flipping a coin. Only when it landed, Zinnia realized it wasn’t a coin, but an actual gym badge, made to look like a regular Pokeball with small gold parts.

“Huh, cool,” Zinnia muttered, pulling a small black case from her bag and placing the badge inside. She paused, her finger brushing against an orange ribbon before she snapped the case closed. “Anyway, I’m not sure if the normal way to send you home will work, since I didn’t actually summon you. Maybe if I call the Void Dragon again?”

“We have to get eaten again?” Rainbow blanched.

“It’s not so bad after a while,” the Draconid shrugged. “I get it every time I travel. Sometimes it can be quite pleasant, actually.” She paused, taking in the uncomfortable looks of the ponies. “I suppose I could try and convince him to carry you back instead…”

“Ah think Ah’d rather get eaten,” Applejack gulped.

“Just call the dragon before one of us decides to chicken out,” Ash sighed.

“What’s a chicken?” the two ponies asked.

Zinnia took a deep breath, taking her anklet from her leg and holding it up. She remained like that for a moment before the winds started to pick up, swirling around her and whipping her hair in all directions.

Seconds later, a familiar black, star-scaled dragon with flowing pink dust hair rose from the earth as though it were water, looking down at them expectantly.

“You need to take them home,” Zinnia stated bluntly, looking up into the drake’s eyes.

The dragon looked between the five of them for a moment before shrugging, diving at Ash, Rainbow and AJ a second later. Zinnia barely had time to turn around and wave goodbye before they were gone, the drake disappearing into the ground once more. Seconds later Sonar arrived, ready to take her home.

“Well that was easy enough,” Zinnia said with a smile. As soon as those words left her lips the Void Dragon appeared again, glaring at her. “I, uh… I don’t suppose I’m not in trouble for once?” she asked, and the drake shook his head slowly. “Oh…”

The drake dived again, and when he was gone, the clearing was empty save for a single, chocolate-brown furred colt with an orange mane. He wore a simple white polo shirt with green cargo shorts and a propeller hat, a JoyBoy in his hands.

“That,” the colt breathed, arms hanging limply at his sides. “Would make a sweet game.”

Interlude 3: The Seed

Fluttershy groaned from her position on Twilight's bed that night, writhing in pain. Sweat poured down her face and her chest heaved with her ragged breathing. In her mind, however, was another story entirely.

Fluttershy's mindscape normally resembled a wide-open field of lush green grass, a gentle breeze flowing as the critters played. What she was dealing with now, however, had taken that image, decapitated it, defecated in it's severed head and proceeded to feast on the body. The grass was dark and deadened, the wind was non-existent and the clearing was littered with the skeletal remains of everyone she'd ever loved. Fluttershy stood in the centre of this macabre landscape, her clothes torn and tattered as blood and tears stained her fur.

"N-no..." the mare whimpered, eyes wide and fearful. "Wh-who would do this?"

Her reply came in the form of a loud, condescending laughter that echoed around the clearing. "I would!" the voice cried, before a smoky purple haze swirled into her vision, grouping together before solidifying into a tall, black-furred Alicorn mare with a hazy, star-filled mane, glaring down at her with cat-like cyan eyes. Fluttershy stumbled back in fear at the familiar visage of Nightmare Moon.

"N-N-Nightmare M-M-Moon!" Fluttershy shrieked, wanting with all her heart to turn and run but finding herself unable to. "W-what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much," the Alicorn cooed, strutting forward. Fluttershy finally managed to move her legs, stumbling backwards until she was pressed against something large and rough. She looked up, seeing the tip of a large, black and blue bulb.

"W-wha..."

"Oh, that?" Nightmare asked coyly, chuckling darkly. "That's the Dark Bulb that Master Darkrai planted inside of you." She paused, letting out a bark of laughter at the shock and fear in the pegasus mare's eyes even as Plunder Vines erupted from the ground around them, interlocking and sealing them in a cage of thorns. "What? You thought he had them that deep in you for the fun of it? No, he's preparing you for a greater purpose."

Fluttershy fell to her knees, tears flowing freely as the realisation of her fate hit her like a freight train. "I-I'm doomed..." she murmured, sobbing silently. "There's no hope..."

"No," Nightmare said coldly. "There's not. Now hold still."

With that, Nightmare threw her hands out, sending twin clouds of black miasma firing out, curling round and seeping into the bulb at the mare's back. Fluttershy looked around in fear, watching as the bulb shuddered before slowly blossoming, revealing a writhing mass of Plunder Vines dripping with sap and resin. Nightmare chuckled darkly, grabbing Fluttershy by the collar and lifting her effortlessly.

"You, my dear," the Alicorn sneered, a glint of mirth in her eyes. Fluttershy gulped nervously. "Are about to get very. Very. Hungry."

Fluttershy screamed as she was flung into the waiting embrace of the Dark Bulb's vines, which instantly snapped around her, restricting her movement to the point where she could barely turn her head. Agonisingly slowly, they began to retract into their bulb, Nightmare Moon laughing the whole time as the fleshy bulb closed around the poor pegasus.

Darkness consumed her once inside, almost literally as the miasma that Nightmare had fed the bulb with began to seep out of it's pores and into her. She screamed in agony as the miasma changed her from the inside out, the vines inviting themselves into her most private areas as her tears stained her face.

She felt her soft, downy wings change first, the feathers stretching and merging together to form a thin, leathery skin, stretched tight between a series of boned wing-ribs that each ended in a sharp black claw-like protrusion. Her fur was next, changing colour with her new wings until it was a much darker shade, now a burnt gold rather than it's usual butter yellow. Her hands and feet slowly re-shaped, cracking and popping as the bones repositioned and repurposed themselves to become more claw-like, not unlike a Gryphon's, though they retained her soft, nimble fingers. Her tail began to fall out, quickly replaced as her backside extended into a long, thin tail of flesh and bone that ended in a small bladed spade, solid black against the burnt gold of her body. Her mane darkened to a carmine, a single black streak dyeing itself into the longer portion that covered her face. Her teeth sharpened themselves, becoming that of a predator with canines much longer and sharper than she'd every seen, let alone owned. Even her clothes changed, replaced by a black leotard with white tights and a swooping red collar lined with sharp, angular teeth that revealed a large amount of her bosom.

The bulb opened up soon after, the vines removing themselves from the mare and wrapping around her arms, ready to lash out on command. The mare stepped out of the Dark Bulb confidently, drastically different to when she had been thrown in, in body and in mind. She opened her eyes, revealing them to be a stunning cyan that glowed faintly in the dim light.

"How do you feel?" Nightmare asked with a knowing grin, stalking around the mare and examining her appraisingly.

"Confident, powerful," the mare replied. "Hungry..."

"Well then," Nightmare cooed with a flourish of her hand, a rift appearing before them leading to what appeared to be a command centre of some kind. "Why don't you go enjoy yourself? Oh, and you no longer answer to Fluttershy. Your new name is..." she leaned in, whispering the mare's name to her.

"Oh?" the mare asked rhetorically before a sly grin appeared on her face. "I like it."

With that, the changed mare stepped confidently through the rift before her, screams of terror and pain erupting from it soon after. Nightmare let out a dark, barking laugh as she closed the rift, once more becoming her misty self.

"Oh, I do hope Master likes his new General," she mused as she faded from the mare's mind, exiting the dreamscape entirely soon after. Not before marvelling at the amount of nightmares she had spread on her Master's behalf first, though.

Twilight jolted awake - having nodded off at her reading desk with a book on Ancient Dark Magic before her - at the sound of screaming, the noise seemingly coming from the upper floor of her own home...

"Fluttershy!" she cried fearfully, shooting from her chair and up the stairs faster than she's ever moved before. She burst into her bedroom, where she'd left the unconscious mare hours before, only to find that Fluttershy was certainly not the same as she had left her. Twilight ducked under a Plunder Vine that lashed out at her, tracing the plant back to her altered friend's arm and staring in shock and horror at what she'd become.

"F-Fluttershy?" the unicorn tried, reaching out to her friend cautiously.

"That name is so unfitting for what I've become," 'Fluttershy' sneered, lashing out with another Plunder Vine and laughing as Twilight stumbled back. "You can call me..."

"Plunderfang."

Twilight couldn't hold it back any more, tears flowing down her face as she clenched her fists. "Darkrai did this to you, didn't he!?" she shouted, taking a step towards Plunderfang angrily. "He planted something in you before Zinnia could save you! That's why you've changed now!"

"How astute, Twilight!" Plunderfang cooed mockingly, turning away from the mare and pushing her window open. "But I'm afraid I can't stay and chat. I've a hunger to feed, and sadly, you're not my type."

Before Twilight could reply, Plunderfang was gone, a chilling breeze blowing in from the open window. She rushed over and leaned out, but the changed mare was already gone, squirreling away into the darkness of the night.

"Fluttershy..." Twilight murmured, sniffling quietly as she brought herself back inside and closed the window behind her. She fell into her bed, curling up and crying herself to sleep.

A Sticky Situation!

[Vash's PoV]

A couple of days had passed and Jason, Chrysalis, Wisp and I were ready to let Wisp lead us to her hive. Jason was in his new dress made by Rarity. It was a simple green and black dress, though Jason hadn’t let her do anything else to it. I would’ve told him that he looks very pretty in it, but he’d probably tear my throat out if I did. During the journey I glanced over towards Chrysalis every once in awhile. Despite my best efforts, the things she had said back in the infirmary were still bothering me. A part of me kept telling me that she had said it just to rile me up. But could I take that chance? I would have to talk to her in private if I wanted to get to the bottom of it all.

        The day quickly passed and Wisp looked the most tired of all of us. We all decided it would be best if we stopped for the night. Setting up camp was a quick affair and the four of us were sitting around a small campfire.

        “So, how much farther until we get to your hive, Wisp?” I asked.

        “If we were flying I would say a day or so. But this is the first time I have walked to it.”

        “Yeah, spontaneously growing wings isn’t something I’m capable of,” I said with a sigh.

        

“If I wasn’t stuck like this, I’d just fly us there myself,” Jason sighed, brushing some hair out of his face.

        “Well it isn’t all bad,” I mused. “This’ll give us plenty of time to think of what to say to this Queen Chiton.”

“Tell her her plan is stupid,” Chrysalis said simply, keeping her eyes out as we walked.

        “Okay, but maybe we should find a more subtle way to say something like that,” I said with a chuckle. “How would you have reacted if someone walked into your hive and just said your plan was stupid?”

“Ugh, you sound like a pony...” she rolled her eyes, “I think I’m best qualified to be making the plan here.”

        “So you would’ve been fine with a stranger walking up to you and saying your plans are stupid?” I asked again.

“It has more weight coming from a fellow changeling,” she countered, sounding rather annoyed.

        “Alright, if you’re so confident that it’ll work, I won’t stop you,” I relented with a shrug.

“Of course it’ll work,” she snorted, sounding a bit offended.

        I decided to ignore her tone and moved onto a different topic. “Hey, we’re all around a campfire, does anyone know any ghost stories?” I asked with a grin.

“I dunno,” Jason sighed, looking into the fire, “You got any?”

        “Uhh, if I do then I’d probably butcher it,” I said with a chuckle. “Horror wasn’t exactly my thing back on earth.”

“What about you Wisp? Got anything?” Jason asked, turning to the drone.

        Wisp looked up in shock, not expecting to be asked something like that. “I… I suppose I know some stories that the nurses would tell us to make sure we were careful when we were among ponies.” She admitted slowly. “But I do not think the lot of thee would like those stories.”

“Well tell us,” Chrysalis said, cuddling up with Jason, “If you do, I’ll tell you some of mine.”

        Wisp let out a long sigh at that, “Fine, if thou wishes to hear one then I shall tell thee.” She then took a deep breath as she began her story. “This is a tale from long ago. A time before the three pony tribes were one. A drone was sent out to gather some love from a unicorn village. She took the place of a village elder who was not long for this world. She did as the elder did and read stories to the children of the village and gathered their innocent love. This drone had heard her own stories about the dangers of ponies. How they hated members of their own kind, let alone the various species around them. However, over time this drone came to love the village of her own will. The bright smiles of the foals as they eagerly awaited a story filled her heart with glee. This was not to last.”

“One day, she had decided to let a villager know the truth about her. This pony called for the rest of the village and the drone was tied up and put into the village square. Then, the village’s carpenter came forward with a saw and began to saw at the drone’s horn. She cried out in pain and begged for forgiveness but the carpenter paid her no mind. When her horn was finally removed the village threw stones at her and beat her, leaving her for dead at the village gate. Without her horn she was cut off from the rest of her hive and had no way to give them what love she had collected. She began to wander and died at the entrance of her hive,” Wisp finished, shuddering as she ended the story.

“What kind of village was it?” Chrysalis asked, looking into Wisp’s eyes.

        “It was a unicorn village.” Wisp repeated. “If they had some specialty then that I do not know. The nurses never told me that.”

“I’ve heard stories from the old times,” Chrysalis said, closing her eyes, “Back then, harmony had not yet spread throughout Equestria. The ponies were so full of hate and malice that they almost drove themselves to extinction.”

        “Yes, I have heard stories that the princesses have extended hands of peace towards others. But we changelings are still left in the dark and treated as things of myth or monsters.”

        “That’s what we’re trying to change, Wisp,” I told her as I placed a hand in her shoulder.

“You should try,” Chrysalis said, taking a breath, “We managed to bring ponies and changelings together in harmony, we have more love than we know what to do with...enough that drones have started to live for themselves.”

        “What dost thou mean?” Wisp asked. “In what way are they living for themselves?”

“We get enough love from just living among the ponies that, harvesters no longer need to harvest. Most have left their hives to explore the world and make their own way.”

        “Explore the world on their own?” Wisp repeated, pondering the idea as she stared into the campfire. “I wonder if I would be able to see such a thing within my own lifetime.” She said with a dry chuckle.

        “I don’t see why not,” I told her with another pat on the back.

“Got any other stories?” Jason asked, looking at Wisp.

        “None that I remember quite as well,” Wisp said with a shake of the head. “They are all very similar anyway.”

“I see...” Chrysalis said, nodding her head sagely.

        I looked around the group and figured that Wisp had probably been through enough for the day. “Hey guys, maybe we should call it a night? I’ll take the first watch.”

“If you insist!” Chrysalis smiled, laying down, pulling Jason close to her.

        “As thou wishes,” Wisp said with a shrug.

        I sat at the edge of the camp, leaning against a tree as I looked up at the moon. I felt the smile from my face fall as I thought about what Chrysalis said in the infirmary again. If what she said was true then I had no idea what to do about it. I let out a long sigh as I ran my left hand through my hair. Time passed and the sounds of night increased.

“Everyone have a pleasant night?” Chrysalis asked, smiling as she sat at the fire, cooking a few fish. Jason was still asleep, snoring a bit.

        “Yup!” I said with a thumbs up. “And nothing happened under my watch,” I finished, turning my thumbs up into a salute.

“I also caught you making eyes at my mate,” she narrowed her eyes slightly, flashing her fangs.

        “Hey, I was just worried about the baby!” I said in an attempt to save face. “I wasn’t even slightly tempted by Jason’s attractive female body.”

“I sense emotion idiot, lust happens to be one of the more blatant ones.”

        “I am pleading the fifth on this one,” I said with a nervous chuckle.

“Relax, I’ll only be pissed at you until we can resolve the ‘herd’ issue,” she smiled, levitating over a fish, “Now eat.”

        “Alright, but I just hope that Morning is alright,” I said, taking a bite of the fish. “Do you know what it’s like to be in one of those cocoons?”

“Love is slowly extracted, while the cocoon keeps the subject alive,” she explained, eating her own fish.

        “Okay, and are there any side effects from being in one for a few days?”

“Not much some drowsiness and a bit of memory loss.”

        “Glad to hear it. You’d better wake up Jason and give him his breakfast so we can head out soon. I don’t want to know what’ll happen if we take too long.”

She nodded, waking the sleeping jotun up. Jason mumbled, immediately grabbing a fish, biting into it.

        “Glad to see you back in the land of the living,” I said with a smile.

“Shudup...” he muttered, letting out a loud yawn.

        “Is Jason always this cranky in the morning?” I asked Chrysalis.

“You have noooo idea,” Chrysalis said with a laugh, “Sometimes we have to throw a torch on him.”

        “Huh, what made you think to do that the first time you tried it?”

“Well, cold water doesn’t work and he’s ice so...we thought fire would work nicely. We already have fire proof sheets due to Heimdall.”

        “And you weren’t worried about accidentally melting your husband?”

“Does he look like a snowman?” she asked, giving me a flat look.

        “Good point.” I admitted with a sigh. “But all this magic and norse god stuff is still really new to me. How am I supposed to know what’s a stupid question?”

“Well if he was a snowman he’d be melting right now now wouldn’t he?” she pointed out, seeming to enjoy making me look stupid.

        “Alright Chrysalis, I get it. Me stupid, me shut up now,” I relented.

“Only if you understand,” she said with a laugh, a wide grin on her face.

        “I do, believe me, I do,” I groaned. “Are you almost done with your breakfast, Jason?”

“Yeah...” he grumbled, taking the last bite, tossing the stick at my head.

        I dodged the stick without thinking and quirked an eyebrow at him. “Why did you do that?”

“You’re too happy...” he grumbled, brushing some hair behind his ear.

        “Yeesh, Chrysalis can you check if we have any coffee in our supplies? I’d rather have cranky Jason gone before he throws something else at me.”

“I don’t drink coffee...it’s disgusting...” Jason made a face before stretching out, cracking his joints.

        “Alright, but Chrysalis is going to have to walk between us. I’d rather you didn’t poke an eye out.” I said, getting up and stretching as well.

He grumbled in acknowledgement, standing up and brushing his dress off, stifling off a yawn. Once the camp was all packed up we continued on our journey. The next few days passed rather quickly. At the end we made it to the entrance of a well hidden cave at the edge of the deserts of the badlands. Wisp motioned for us all to stop and turned to talk to us.

        “This is it. My hive lives in this cave.”

        “Alright, are we all ready for this?” I asked, my hand sitting above my gun.

“We’ll be fine,” Jason said, drawing his sword, cracking his neck rather loudly.

        “Alright, lead the way Wisp.” She nodded and our group followed her into the mouth of the cave. I had to suppress a shiver as I got a strange feeling from the cave. When my eyes adjusted to the dim light I saw a substance similar to what I had seen back in Jason’s world lining the walls. Wisp took us deeper and deeper into the cave and something felt off.

        “Jason, do you notice something?” I whispered to him.

“Shh...” he responded, narrowing his eyes, looking around.

        “What is it?” I asked, a little quieter than before.

“They know we’re here...”

        “I figured, we’re pretty deep and we still haven’t come across a drone.”

He kept moving, his eyes scanning the walls. He kept his breathing quiet, being as silent as possible. I followed his example and scanned the cramp space as much as possible.

        ‘It’d be pretty easy for them to surround us and use the cramped space against us. Sheer numbers might trump skill in a situation like this.’

        “Wisp, where are we exactly?” I asked her.

        “We are not far from where we would keep those that we extract love from.”

        “And is that an open space?”

        

        “T’is more open than most places in the cave.” She answered.

“Alright then, keep going,” Jason said, glaring back at her.

        Wisp nodded and in what felt like minutes we were in a fairly open chamber that was lined with strange crystals that gave off a soft glow. The room was also full of giant pods made of a goo-like substance.

“As soon as we touch a pod they’re going to spring their trap...” Chrysalis commented, looking around the room, frowning.

        “Well, that’d be one way to get the attention of their queen,” I commented, scanning the room for Morning. “Probably not the smartest way, but still, a way.”

“You see your girl?” Jason asked, kneeling down by a pod, looking inside it.

        “Not yet, it’s a little hard to see in here.” I answered, walking down a row of them before I stopped dead in my tracks. “Hey Jason, you might want to check this out,” I told him with a slack jawed look.

“What?” he asked walking over, keeping his guard up.

        “Just look in the pod. It kind of looks like… a human is in it.”

He took a closer look before his eyes went wide. “Zinnia!?” he shouted cutting open the pod, grabbing at the woman.

        Zinnia dropped out of the pod like a sack of rocks, crumpling quickly to the floor as the strange green liquid within pooled around her. She lay there for a couple of seconds before her eyes flew open, shooting to her feet with a gasp.

        “Stryker!” she cried, looking around frantically. “Wait… Chryssi!? Where’s Jay, and who’s the hot chick and the blonde hunk?”

        “Whoa calm down there.” I told her. “My name’s Vash, and the hot chick…” I started, trying to suppress a snicker, “is Jason. Who are you? And how did you get in my world without me summoning you?” I asked.

“Wibbly wobbly space-time shit,” Zinnia dismissed. “But rewind a second - Jay’s a chick! You didn’t tell me you could do that! What’re your titties like?”

“Zinnia this is not the fucking time! Why the fuck are you here in a changeling hive?!” Jason asked, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her vigorously.

“Wow, chill crazy mama!” The Draconid laughed, grabbing Jason’s arms and smiling at him. “I was try’na tame my Void Dragon, and he just sorta dropped me here. Changelings jumped my bones as soon as I touched the floor.” She pouted, crossing her arms. “Didn’t even try and have their way with me…”

        I blinked in confusion for a second. “Did you just complain that you weren’t sexually assaulted?” I asked.

        “Well, I probably wouldn’t be the one walking away with mental scars, but… yeah.” Zinnia smiled, sauntering over to my side and running her finger up my arm. “What about you, lean and mean? Wanna have some fun?”

        “Sorry, part of the reason we’re here is to rescue one of my marefriends.” I told her with a nervous chuckle. “Plus, caves are a bit of a turn-off for me.”

“Hey, caves are great!” Zinnia cried. “I live in a cave!” She paused, looking behind her. “Anyway, does your marefriend happen to be a Naga?”

“Yeah, do you see her pod or something?”

She just smiled, a blue flame erupting around her hand and forming a claw. She walked up to a random pod and punching into it. The liquids inside sloshed out, coating the floor one more before they were followed by a familiar tail. “Huh, Nagas are pretty tight,” she said before pulling her hand back and licking them clean…

Ew.

        I ignored the double entendre and rushed over to Morning’s side. She was still woozy from the experience and I put my hands on her shoulders to keep her from falling. “Morning, are you okay?” I asked her, concern evident in my voice.

        “V-Vash, what art thou doing here?” She asked groggily.

        “Well, it turns out that Hot Streak isn’t really a pony… and I accidentally got Jason pregnant.” I muttered the last part hoping to get that past her while she was still recovering from the love extraction process. Unfortunately, her tail shot out like lightning and wrapped itself around my neck.

        “What did thou just say?” She asked, her eye twitching. All I managed to get out was a gurgle and I feel my vision going blurry. Before I could black out I took my hand and flicked the tip of her tail.

        “Ahh~!” She cried as her grip on my neck loosened enough for me to wriggle free.

“Wait, is that why Sugar Daddy’s a Sugar Mama now”?” Zinnia shrieked, rushing over to Jason’s side and grabbing his arm. “I’m preggers too, Jay! We can be baby buddies!”

“You are!” Jason cried, instantly placing his hands on Zinnia’s exposed stomach. Wait, she’s wearing yoga pants and a tube top. The fuck?

“Aww, who’s the daddy?” I asked, walking over to them and ignoring Morning’s death glare.

 

They ignored me. “But what about…” Jason asked, trailing off. Even Chrysalis winced.

“Not a problem! Mesprit said that my Draconid Egg mixed with your Jotun Baby Batter made, like, a super-species! Our little girl’s gonna be just fine!”

“So you and Jason huh?” I asked scratching the side of my head. “Were you aware of this Chrysalis?”

“Aware of it?” Zinnia cried, laughing. “Dude, her horn was forehead-deep in me! You know she can turn into a chocolate-skinned delight?”

“Whoa, that sounds pretty interesting…” I said, trailing off.

“Dude, you have no idea,” Zinnia breathed. “Wait... “ She pushed past me, walking up to Morning as though in a trance. “Dude… you’re tits are huge!” Without warning, Zinnia reached out and tried to squeeze Morning’s breast, only to come into contact with her armour. “Dammit! Why metal no go squish!?”

Morning rolled her eyes at the young woman. “T’is the point of metal armor. And as for thy… astute observation. Yes, my breasts did grow when I was turned into a naga-pony.”

“So how good are you with that tail?”

“I don’t know, ask Vash,” Morning said with a smirk.

“Hey! I thought we agreed to never talk about that again!?” I cried out, my face turning bright red.

“And I thought that thou would not get someone else pregnant. We were both wrong,” she shot back.

Zinnia looked between us, grinning madly. “You didn’t…” she asked, laughing uproariously when Morning just nodded. “Oh, sweet Arceus that’s priceless!”

        “It’s not funny!” I growled, face still beet red. “It destroyed my innocence,” I whimpered.

“Dude, there is no innocence,” Zinnia said with a grin, throwing her arm around my shoulders. “Only kinky sex. You mind if I join you two in the bedroom some time? I’ve got a few tricks I could show Morning that’s make her cum harder than if she was getting pounded by a team of clones.”

        “You’d have to ask her,” I grumbled, still unhappy about being reminded of what Morning did with her tail.

“That depends,” Morning said with a smirk still on her face. “Do any of those tricks include ways to punish Vash?”

“Like ninety percent of them! And the clone thing? I can do that too.” As if to prove her point, Zinnia took on a brief white sheen before an exact copy of her appeared beside me.

“Most interesting. Dost thou hear that Vash? I might be willing to forgive thy transgressions rather quickly. By the way, dost thou have a way to clone Vash?”

“Unfortunately, no. I can only clone myself.”

“That is quite disappointing. But then again, one Vash is already difficult to manage,” Morning finished, shooting me a look.

“Really? He’s that big?”

“Hmm? Oh no, I did not mean it in that way.” Morning clarified.

“Aww.”

“But…” Morning said with a bit of a blush. “I have no complaints about his size.”

“Not to be rude or anything,” Jason said, sounding pretty grouchy. “But shouldn’t we get going now!? We’re here for the Changelings, remember?”’

“He’s right,” I said with a clap of my hands. “Now is not the time to be distracted by sex talk. We’re on a mission to bring peace between ponies and changelings.”

“Ugh, fine!” Zinnia sighed. “But I’m screwin’ someone later. I’m horny as all hell!” She turned and started walking down a random corridor, hands behind her head. “Oh, and Morning? I really hope it’s you two.”

“That corridor leads to a dead end!” Wisp called out.

Zinnia walked back in, smiling. “Which way?”

“Considering we hath broken two pods open, a group of drones should be here shortly to take us before the queen.”

“Good,” Jason said, his gaze hardening, “We need to have words with her.”

Zinnia shrugged, sitting on a rock and leaning back on her hands. “So how long ‘till they get here?” As soon as she said that a large group of changelings rushed into the room through various tunnels. Surrounding us in a matter of seconds. “Oh, good! They’re punctual!”

“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition...” Jason muttered dryly.

“Their chief weapons are fear and surprise,” I said as I put my hands in the air.

“Really?” Zinnia asked, walking up to one and poking it. “Guess I’m pretty disarming. I’m not scared or surprised at all.”

“We’re not exactly normal though are we?” Jason asked, putting his sword away.

“Nah, guess we’re not.”

“Take us to your queen,” Chrysalis spoke to the drones, “We would have word with her.”

“Thou art not in the position to be making demands,” One said.

“I could drop all of you in thirty seconds.” Jason commented, crossing his arms.

“Really?” I asked with wide eyes. “It would take me like a minute. Though that would probably be dumb luck rather than skill.” I finished with a chuckle.

“I’d be somewhere in between,” Zinnia added. “Maybe forty, forty five.”

“Seriously, just take us to your queen before this gets messy.” Jason urged, getting annoyed.

“Very well. the queen wishes to see those that infiltrated her hive,” The drone that had made herself the self-appointed leader barked. “Bind their hands and bring them to Queen Chiton.

“I like them!” Zinnia cried. “They mah peeps!”

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with this,” I called out. “Nobody’s given me a safe-word!”

“Not Safe For Woona!”

“Suck it up Vash,” Jason snorted, holding his hands out.

“Verily Vash,” Morning insisted as she held out her own hands. “Hopefully this will be a simple matter to resolve.”

“Well!” Zinnia groaned, shaking her head. “By the luck of the Multiverse, as soon as someone says something like that, things go down the drain. I’m ready for a fight, don’t know about you guys.”

“Give her extra bindings!”

“Oh, charming.”

“If it’s any consolation, I welcome our new insect overlords,” I said with a big grin.

“Someling quiet the big one!” The leader called out.

“Zinnia, save the sexy talk for later, we actually have things to do,” Chrysalis said, giving the drone that approached her the stink eye, “I don’t have hands you idiot.”

“Thou has a horn that can give us trouble.”

“Cap her horn instead, we don’t have time for this!” the leading drone barked again.

“Get it over with,” Chrysalis hissed, glaring at the drone. The drone did as she was commanded and placed a cap on Chrysalis while another did the same to Morning.

Once the drones were done binding all of us the leader barked out, “Now, take them to the queen!”

Once everyone was properly bound, the drones began leading us through the twisting tunnels, eventually coming out in a large, open chamber with a black throne in the back, a much taller changeling sat there looking not much different to Chrysalis, but where she was green, Chiton was dark purple. And she was anthro, obviously.

“Queen Chiton?” Zinnia called out, gaining the larger changeling’s attention. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

“Oh, if it isn’t the being that we found in our hive not too long ago… and it seems that thou brought a few others that look like thee,” Chiton said with a smirk. “And what grievance wouldst thou like for me to address?”

        “Well my friends here aren’t exactly happy that you threw Equestrian guards into your pods, but I need to talk to you about your guards. They missed out on an essential part of intruder-jumping that every hive-like community must have!”

        “She isn’t…” Vash muttered, eyes wide.

        “She is,” Jason sighed.

        “They didn’t have sex with me!”

        If I could’ve at the time, I would’ve face-palmed. “Zinnia, now really isn’t the time for this. Can you do us all a favor and distract yourself with thoughts of Morning’s tail or something?”

        “Mmm…” she groaned, shuddering. “Naga tail…”

        I let out a long sigh at that. “Hopefully that’ll give us a few minutes of peace and quiet and allow us to get back on track. I’m sorry about that Queen Chiton,” I said with my best smile. “We think our friend here is experiencing some strange side-effects from being in one of your pods. Please forgive her.”

        To her credit, Chiton didn’t seem to have reacted much to Zinnia’s outburst. “Quite, so what brings all of thee to our humble little home?” She asked, crossing one of her legs across the other.

        “Well, we were hoping to try and broker a peace deal between your hive and Equestria,” I said as carefully as I could.

        “Is that so? And what might the terms of this deal be?” She stood, walking towards us. “Would my hive have to submit to Equestrian rule? Would my changelings - my children - be left to the mercy of the ponies and their hatred?!”

        “No Your Highness,” I told her, bowing my head. “I do not have specifics for this deal, but if it’s anything like the deals that Equestria has made with other nations then your hive will be recognized as its own sovereign nation.”

        “That’s a pretty sweet deal, ya know,” Zinnia said, having somehow freed herself from her binds and had popped up behind Chiton. “You should take it. Arceus only knows what’ll happen in the future for the changelings if they don’t secure it now.”

        “Oh Jesus Christ, she isn’t doing what I think she’s doing, is she?” I muttered under my breath.

“I know exactly what will happen,” Chrysalis spoke looking at Chiton, “And it’s really not a good thing.”

        “And how dost thou know what will happen?” Chiton asked with an arched eyebrow.

        “Oh, a bunch of us are from the future.” Zinnia said dismissively. “Don’t ask us to tell you anything, though. No spoilers.”

        “And why should we believe thy claims?” Chiton asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Because I lived it. I have as all changelings have since the rule of Empress Chiton. In the dark, starving, scrounging up every bit of emotion just to keep the larva fed,” Chrysalis spoke, her gaze hardening, “All because YOU made the wrong choice now.”

“That’s some heavy shit right there!” Zinnia cried, patting Chiton on the shoulder before falling into a fit of giggles. “Sorry, I think that goop messed with my head.”

“Zinnia, sit down and be quiet!” I hissed, before returning my attention to the changeling queen. “Chiton,” I started. “I know this is a lot to swallow, but I give you my word that we are sincere in this peace offer. And if you have any doubts about that, then I’ll let you take me captive while you broker peace with the princesses.”

“She can keep me captive,” Jason said, stepping forward, “I have more value than Vash afterall...”

“Um, no you don’t?” I said with a quirked eyebrow. “The last time I checked, I was the one dating the princesses of Equestria, not you,” I finished with a chuckle.

“Yes but you're not the one that's pregnant now are you?”

“Yeah, and that’s why I don’t want you to be the captive,” I shot back.

“I’ll do it!” Zinnia shouted from the corner of the chamber.

“I’m not gonna let you do it either!” I growled at her.

“Why not? I can call a Void Dragon to bust me out at any time!”

“Oh for the love of, will you all shut up?!” Chrysalis asked, growling at us.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“Sorry, Cray-Chry!” Zinnia called out, giggling. “Oh! I should go pranking with Pinkie!”

Chrysalis just sighed, placing a hoof on her muzzle.

“Thank thee,” Chiton said with a nod towards Chrysalis. “All of their arguing was starting to get grating.”

“Ponies I tell you, so high maintenance...” Chrysalis mumbled, shaking her head.

        “Who are you calling a pony?” I asked in mock offense. “I would prefer it if you refered to me as a Plant and or Human.”

        “Draconid!” Zinnia cried, now lying down and staring at the ceiling. “I want these walls! They’re creepy!”

        “Silence!” Chiton called out as she gave Zinnia and I a dirty look. “Can the two of thee go one minute without prattling on about something else?”

        “I think I could manage that,” I told her with a nod. “What about you, Zinnia?”

        “I want to fly!”

“I hate you both so much...” Chrysalis groaned, facehoofing.

“Hold on,” I said, trying to get things back on track. “I might have a way to keep Zinnia from talking for a while.” I turned to Zinnia and with a straight face told her, “Hey Zinnia, go to sleep. You can fly in your dreams!”

“I can fly in real life!” she replied, stretching out her large purple wings before yawning. “But a nap does sound good…” She curled up, rolling onto her side and quickly falling asleep.

“Well, glad to know my experience of babysitting a high roommate did not go to waste,” I said with a sigh. “That should keep things quiet and sane for a while.”

“Did that really just happen...?” Jason asked, looking down at Zinnia with a raised eyebrow.

“Probably,” I dismissed with a shrug. “I’m done asking questions, remember?”

“So...Chiton what's the plan here?” Jason asked, looking at the queen.

“Simple, gather as much love from these ponies as possible, gather intelligence about the princesses and their forces, and if at all possible take over Equestria so that our hive shall never want for food again. At least, that was our original plan. If thy offers about peace are genuine then we may, may, reconsider this course of action.” She mused.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, her horn charging up breaking the cap. She gave off a bright pink light, causing the changelings to just stare in wonder. “More love than you’ve ever felt in your life right?”

“How didst thou manage to collect all that love?” Chiton asked, managing to maintain her composure.

“Simple: I made peace with the ponies,” Chrysalis said simply, “We get so much from them that, over half my harvesters can live life away from the hive.”

“Interesting, if thine words are true then this would be quite the deal for our children,” Chiton replied, placing a hand on her chin in thought. “I shall go to the princesses of Equestria and hear what they have to say about this deal. However, our trust is not so easily earned,” She continued, a dark look spreading across her face. “We shall keep one of thee as a captive in order to prevent anything from happening to us and our changelings while we are in the midst of our discussion.”

“I understand Chiton, and as I said before. I am the princesses’ mate, so I’m the most logical choice,” I reminded her.

“I think I should do it,” Jason argued, shaking his head.

“Jason, we’ve been over this,” I told him with a glare. “I’m not letting anything happen to that baby.”

“And I can kill them all with a flick of my wrist.” he argued.

“And that’s another reason why you shouldn’t be the captive,”

“If it will keep the two of thee quiet then we shall take both of thee captive,” Chiton interrupted.

“I don’t know, what do you think Jason?” I asked.

“I’m fine with that,” Jason said nodding.

“Whelp, there you go,” I said with a grin. “Looks like you’ve got two captives now.”

“Lovely,” Chrysalis sighed, shaking her head.

“Just think of it this way Chrysalis,” I started. It was either this or the two of us would’ve kept arguing about it.”

“Just be careful,” she trotted over to Jason, pulling him down into a deep kiss.

“That goes double for thee,” Morning told me as she gave me a kiss of my own.

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” I said when we pulled away from each other. “I’m a lot more capable than I look.”

“Just don’t touch em’ until we work it all out, that sweet ass is mine!” she affirmed, placing Zinnia across her back.

 “Just be sure to let the others know about us being captives with as much tact as possible,” I said waving my bound hands.

“Of course, are you coming?” she asked, turning to Morning.

“Yes, as loathe as I am to leave Vash here. He has made his choice and I must do my part to make sure that this peace deal happens,” She said with a sigh as she slithered over to Chrysalis.

“We shall talk on the way back...we have much to discuss,” Chrysalis nodded, heading to the door.

Chiton and a few other drones followed after them. Leaving us alone with a few of the drones. “So… does anybody have a deck of cards?” I asked, breaking any awkward silence before it could form. “I think it’s going to be a while before they get back.”

Jason just shrugged, “I’m going to to do some studying.”

“How do ya plan on doing that? Does this place have a library we passed by that I wasn’t aware of?”

Jason sighed, his bindings suddenly icing over. He easily broke out, moving over to sit down against the wall. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a strange book, which he proceeded to start reading.

“Uh Jason, do you mind doing me a solid?” I asked, holding out my bound hands with a weak grin.

He throw a blast of magic at me, covering a large portion of me in ice.

        “Th-thank you,” I said with a shiver, breaking the bonds.

Peace Among Them!

[Third Person POV.]

        Morning Star, Chrysalis, Zinnia’s sleeping form, and Queen Chiton and her drones were all on their way to the Castle of the Two Sisters. The drones were hyper-vigilant as they scanned the area, wary of any possible trap that they might be led into. Chiton on the other hand maintained her composure and kept her gaze forward.

        “Thou said we had much to discuss,” Chiton said, indicating Chrysalis. “What did thou wish to discuss with us?”

        Chrysalis opened her mouth to reply, only to be interupted as Zinnia groaned, pulling herself up and straddling the Empress’s back. “Ugh,” the Draconid groaned. “What happened? I remember the pod, then everything’s blank…”

        “Thou complained about not being molested by the changelings that captured thee, attempted to grab my chest, propositioned me for sex, and giggled to thyself like a madmare for a while before Vash convinced thee to fall asleep,” Morning answered.

        “Sounds like I’d just had a spliff…” Zinnia muttered, before her eyes went wide. "Oh shit, Changeling resin is Dragon weed…" she rounded on Chiton, sliding off of Chrysalis's back as she did so. "With all due respect, your majesty," she spat. "If anything happened to my daughter, I will come back, and I'll burn. You. Alive."

        “How were we to know that thou would have such an adverse reaction to it?” Chiton asked with a quirked brow. “In all others the only thing that the resin has done is put the one inside in a state of suspended animation while we extract love for our hive.”

"That's why you ask! Don't just throw people in there!" Zinnia paused, sighing to herself. "Look, just… don't worry about it. Jason's bloodline helps with alcohol consumption, I just hope it's the same with narcotics."

        “We apologize if anything untoward does happen to thy child,” Chiton said with a sigh of her own. “We know all too well the worries of a mother.”

"Thanks… I'm sorry I yelled at you. And complained your guards didn't rape me."

        “That’s why thou asks,” Chiton said with a bit of a smirk.

"You sly bitch!" Zinnia laughed, pausing seconds after as she noticed something. "Hey, where're Jay and Vash?"

        “They decided to stay behind as captives as insurance for the deal,” Morning said in a flat tone.

"Really?" Zinnia groaned. "Stupid sexy idiots…" she added in a mutter before shaking her head. "Okay! Where're we going and how long's it gonna take, by foot or wing?"

        “It should take a few days by foot,” Wisp replied.

"Too long, who can't fly?" The Draconid looked around briefly, seeing only Morning Star raise her hand. "Okay, we'll fly. I'll carry Morning."

Without waiting for anyone to agree, Zinnia moved behind Morning and wrapped her arms around the Naga's waist, her body glowing white for a second before she took off.

        “Do not treat me as if I am some sack of flour!” Morning hissed.

"I'm not!" Zinnia replied. "If I was if have dropped you by now! I'm treating you like a sexy woman I wanna bang later!"

        Morning let out a long groan as she facepalmed. “It’s as if I’m speaking to a female version of Vash… but somehow with less tact.”

"What? I have a Naga fetish!" Zinnia laughed. "And who has the time for tact?"

        “From what I gathered in the cave, thou has quite a few fetishes,” Morning said flatly.

"Everything but incest!"

        Morning let out another groan as she decided to just accept what was happening. “I was not meant to fly,” She grumbled to herself.

        “How come?” Zinnia asked. “Afraid of heights? Get airsick?” She paused, flying slightly closer to the ground. “I can fly lower if you want.”

        “No, t’is nothing like that,” Morning said with a slight blush. “I just prefer to do things under my own power. The last time I let somepony fly me somewhere was when I was a foal.”

        Zinnia grinned slyly. “I understand your plight,” she purred. “That’s what led me to dominatrixing. I bet you’d like it, so many ways you could make Vash beg for release…”

        “Well… actually, I like when Vash takes charge at times,” Morning admitted with a blush.

        “Well yeah, no one likes to do all the work,” Zinnia allowed. “A good pounding is good after a stressful day, but when he screws up or gets someone else pregnant,” she paused, a mad grin crossing her face. “Honey, his face after a few hours? You’ll love it.”

        “Could we not talk about this? I am not quite comfortable discussing these matters.”

        “Sure,” Zinnia said with a shrug, slowing down until she was alongside Queen Chiton. “Hey Queenie, when was the last time you had a cock between your legs?”

        “This shall be a long journey…” Morning groaned.

        “Preaching to the choir, sister,” Chrysalis called from her left.

        Nightfall came and the group landed at the gate of the castle. Zinnia let Morning down and she straightened herself out as she gave the Draconid a look.

        “I thank thee for at least not groping me during our journey.”

        “Armour, couldn’t,” Zinnia replied, waving dismissively.

        “There was still my tail,” Morning said with a chuckle as she gave the tip of her tail a little wiggle. “Considering thy admitted fetish for Nagas I am surprised you weren’t drawn to it.”

        Zinnia promptly reached out and grabbed Morning’s tail, slipping it under her shirt. “I honestly forgot, since I couldn’t do that without dropping you while flying,” she said as she pressed her breasts together around the tip. “Now, though, it’s like you’re asking for it.”

        Morning’s entire face turned red and she bit her lip. “W-wouldst thou please *pant* release my tail? We s-still have to bring Queen Chiton to discuss peace with the princesses.”

        Zinnia shrugged, pulling the tail out of her shirt and giving it a quick kiss before letting it go, sauntering past Morning and into the castle gates. “Suit yourself,” she said, shooting a smoky look over her shoulder. “But that’s just a taster of what’s to come.”

        Morning collected herself and took a few deep breaths. “I deal with some interesting beings,” she muttered under her breath as she slithered into the castle.

        A few minutes later, the group was in the throne room where Luna and a freshly awoken Celestia were sitting in front of them.

        “So thou must be Queen Chiton?” Celestia asked.

        “That is correct, thy offer of peace intrigued us, so we deigned to give thee a chance to tell us thy deal.”

        Luna scanned the room and noticed something. “Wait, where are Vash and Jason? Why are they not among thee?”

        “Oh, they’re staying behind as insurance,” Zinnia called from the back of the room, where she was leaning against the wall next to a guard. “Their own choice, mind you,” she added.

        Both princesses shared a look and let out a sigh. “That does sound like something Vash would do,” Celestia said.

        “And who art thou?” Luna asked indicating Zinnia. “Art thou another Displaced?”

        “Yep!” the Draconid said happily before sauntering over. “The names Zinnia, I’m a Draconid. Jason’s the father of my daughter.”

        “Interesting,” Celestia mused. “Though that will have to be discussed later. For now, we still have to complete our deal with Queen Chiton.”

        “You guys have fun with that,” the Draconid said, turning and walking back to her spot by the wall before turning to the guard. “So, where were we?” she asked breathily, running a finger up his arm. The guard gulped nervously.

        The princesses then shook their heads before returning their attention to Queen Chiton.

        “We art glad that thou hast come to us,” Luna started. “What dost thou want from this deal?”

        “We only wish for our hive to continue to survive,” Chiton answered. “What can the two of thee offer us to ensure this?”

        “If thou accepts our deal then thy hive shall be considered its own nation. And if thou wishes, we would be willing to give thy people fertile, uninhabited land to do with as thou sees fit,” Celestia started.

        “In addition we and our guard would work to help facilitate cohabitation between Changelings and Ponies. Under the condition that thou does not kidnap any more of our subjects.”

        “That is quite the deal, why should I believe thee?” Chiton asked.

        “We have no reason to lie to thee,” Celestia said with a steely look in her eyes.

        “Plus,” Zinnia chimed, having given up her torture of the guard. “You’ve got their boytoy, so…” she paused as the princesses looked to her in shock. “What? It’s not that hard to figure out.”

        “Plus, thou were told back in the hive,” Morning added with a roll of her eyes.

        “Shh!” Zinnia hissed. “I’m try’na be cool!”

        “Anyway,” Chiton said, turning back to the princesses. “We may be willing to give this deal a try. But before we commit ourselves to anything we wish for thee to allow our changelings to live among thy ponies for a short time. If they come to no harm in that time, then we will accept thy deal”

        “We would be more than happy to allow this,” Celestia said with a nod.

        “Uh…” Zinnia said, raising a hand. “How are you going to make that work? I mean, from what I’ve gathered, the ponies think the Changelings are monsters.” She paused, looking around briefly. “Isn’t the first reaction to a monster in Equestria either ‘run for you lives’ or ‘kill it with fire’?”

        “That may be true for now,” Celestia conceded. “But we shall go to the villages of our citizens personally and explain our intentions of peace. After that, we will ask for a village to volunteer to be the first to allow Changeling integration under the condition that if the Changelings under their care are to come to harm then the entire village shall be subject to severe punishment.”

“Actually, it might be a better idea to set up a new village full of changelings and then have pony volunteers move there. Trying to force a village into that will only cause trouble,” Chrysalis spoke up, adjusting her wings.

        “Thou makes a good point,” Luna replied. “That does seem to be the wiser choice. We shall still go to the villages personally in order to gather volunteers.”

        “This seems a fitting idea to us,” Chiton said with a nod. “Though where shall this village be made?”

“Well, in our world,” Chrysalis started, looking around, “We turned this ruin into a hive and after Canterlot was almost destroyed, most of the ponies there migrated here and started to build our village, Valhalla.”

        “As thou can see,” Luna started, shooting Chrysalis a bit of a glare. “We do not plan on allowing this castle to become a ruin. Though,” She said, her look softening as she turned to Chiton. “There is a patch of fertile land just outside of the forest where this castle lies. Thy village of changelings could be started there,” she offered.

“Wait...” Chrysalis tapped her chin, “If you make the village there...you’d be founding Ponyville nine hundred years early and in place of the Apple Family...” she muttered, looking deep in thought.

“It’d probably be more like Lingville,” Zinnia chuckled.

        “Very well,” Celestia sighed. “Where would thou suggest we create this village?”

        “We’re not saying it’s a bad idea,” Zinnia clarified. “Just that it’d make a few differences appear between our worlds, ones more noticeable than the obvious.” She gestured between Chrysalis and Chiton to prove her point.

        “Then dost thou have any complaints about this location?” Luna asked, glancing at Chiton.

        “As long as nothing untoward happens to our Changelings, thou could place the village in a tundra for all we care,” Chiton replied with a shrug.

        “Then it’s settled!” Zinnia cried, smiling brightly. “The Changelings shall build a hive-village on the edge of the Everfree and name it Lingville, opening the gates for peace between Changelings and Ponies alike!”

        “We did not agree upon the name Lingville,” Chiton interjected.

“Hmm...”Chrysalis buzzed her wings, an idea forming in her head.

“What’cha thinkin’, Chryssi?” Zinnia asked, leaning in towards her.

“Either Outer Heaven or,” she held a hoof up, “More appropriately, Gunsmoke.”

“Gunsmoke?” Chiton asked, tilting her head. “We hath not heard of such a thing, but it sounds intriguing.

“It’s the name of the ‘world’ Vash is ‘from.” Chrysalis air-quoted.

“Vash was the tall one, correct?”

“Yeah, with the blonde hair,” Zinnia provided.

“Speaking of Vash,” Celestia interrupted. “Now that we have brokered the beginnings of peace, can we expect that he and Jason will be released.”

        “Yes, we shall return thy mate. Though we are sorely tempted to see what kind of love we could extract from one who two princesses have shown their affection to,” she mused with a tittering laugh.

        “Didn’t you do that once?” Zinnia asked, turning to Chrysalis with her brow raised questioningly.

“There are many different types of love, for example, the love I gained from Shining Armor allowed me to strike down Celestia herself.” Chrysalis explained, a smug look on her face.

“As we were saying,” Celestia said with a bit of irritation. “We would be most appreciative if thou could return Vash and Jason as soon as possible. Along with any other ponies thou has in thy possession.”

“Very well, that could be arranged,” Chiton replied with a bit of a sigh.

(The Hive, Vash's PoV)

        Time had passed and the drones had basically become just a thing in the background. I looked over to where Jason was sitting, still reading that mysterious book. I turned away from him and scraped off some more ice that I had missed. Eventually though, the silence was too much for me to take.

        “Jason, are you pissed at me or something?” I asked without looking at him.

“Yes.” he didn’t look up from his book.

“Is there anything I could do that could help you… not be pissed at me?”

“I dunno Vash, is there?”

“Alright, I guess that was just a stupid question,” I said with a sigh. “If it makes any difference, I really am sorry.”

“We both are Vash.” he turned the page, still not looking up.

“This is one of those things that needs time, isn’t it?” I asked with a sigh.

“Most likely yes...” he said, finally looking up at me.

        “Okay, I guess I’ll have to live with that. I’m gonna be honest though, patience was never one of my virtues,” I said with a weak smile, trying to add some levity to the situation.

“Same here,” he looked back at his book before letting out a sigh, closing it.

        “Is something wrong?” I asked, slightly worried.

“I’m fine Vash,” Jason insists, brushing hair out of his eyes.

“Then why did you close your book?”

“Got tired of reading.”

“Okay, well…” I started, unsure of what to say. “Have you thought of any names for the baby?” I asked, scratching my cheek.

“A few...” Jason looked down, placing a hand on his stomach.

        “Cool, I thought of one or two myself,” I said with a chuckle. “Can I hear yours?”

“You first.” he gave a slight smile, gesturing for me to move over to him.

        I did as he indicated and slid over a couple feet away from him. “Well, if it’s a girl I thought something like Valkyrie would be kind of cool. Playing off the norse thing you’ve got going on with your other kids. And if it’s a boy, I dunno, something like Flash. A sort of play on my own name. Kind of stupid, huh?” I conceded with a weak laugh.

“I’m not naming my kid Flash,” Jason rolled his eyes, his smile growing.

“Well I thought Vash Jr would be a little too awful,” I countered.

“That's even worse, you're terrible at this you know that?”

        “Okay, then what are your baby names if you’re so good at this?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Well, there’s Zidane, Viola, Raven, Lightning, and a whole lot of others we can steal from popular media.”

        “Okay, I concede. You really are better at this than I am.”

“Well of course I am,” he smirked, leaning back against the wall.

        “You are so lucky I would never hit a pregnant lady.”

“You wouldn’t hit a lady in general yah pussy.”

        “Hey, I am not a pussy,” I said with fake indignation.

“You’re right, you're just pussy whipped.’ Jason smirked.

        “That I won’t deny,” I returned with a smirk of my own. “At least I don’t make threats to the mother of my children.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

        “It was a joke, based on that little interaction when I was in your Equestria.”

He just rolled his eyes, socking me in the arm.

        “Ow,” I groaned, rubbing where he had hit me. “I knew I should’ve sat on your other side. Then you would’ve hit my metal arm.”

“Suck it up pansy,” he chuckled, leaning on me.

        “Oh, so I’m a pansy instead of a pussy now?” I asked, jumping slightly from the contact.

“You’re both,” he said closing his eyes, “And yes, I’m going to milk my condition for all its worth. Now stay still, there ain’t nothing else comfy to relax on.”

“You could threaten to kill one of the drones with the flick of your wrist,” I mused. “That might make them a bit more receptive to let you using them as a cushion.”

“Eh, you’re already here,” he said with a shrug.

“Whatever, you know I can never say no to a lady anyway.”

“Glad we have it all worked out then.”

A drone chose that moment to walk over, gaining our attention.

“The Queen hath informed us that thine peace offering hath been accepted,” the drone said. “As such, thou art free to leave at thine convenience.”

“And what about the other guards and ponies here?” I asked.

“They are also free to leave,” the drone replied. “The hive is to be relocated to a patch of land bordering thy ‘Everfree Forest’.”

“Oh boy, looks like I’m going to have a heavy workload for a while,” I said with a sigh.

“You got me to help ya,” Jason said, putting a hand on my shoulder, “So don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, are you any good at setting up pipes? Or are you more of a carpentry kind of guy?”

“I don’t know how to do either of those things, I was going to school for paleontology.”

“Well, I know you’re good at heavy lifting so I guess that’ll help lighten the workload.”

He nodded, “Now let's go get those other ponies before they end up vegetables or something.”

“Alright,” I said, getting up and brushing myself off before extending a hand to help him up. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

“What a gentleman,” he teased before taking my hand.

“Only when I’m with the right lady,” I teased back.

“Hitting on me again him? Have a think for transgendered guys huh?”

“I am a non-discriminatory man,” I told him with a puffed up chest. “If somebody identifies as a lady then I will treat them like a lady.” I then chuckled as I added, “having a figure like the one you’re rocking now doesn’t hurt either.”

“What you mean these?” he asked, posing a bit, pushing his chest out, “I keep seeing you stare at them. I take it you like them?”

“I will plead the fifth on that one. Though the thought of them swelling up during the pregnancy has crossed my mind once or twice,” I laughed. “Now, how are we getting back to the castle? I don’t know if the ponies will have the strength to walk for a few days.”

“I can just teleport us there,” Jason said with a shrug, “Shouldn’t be more than a single trip.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to find an excuse to snuggle up to me again?” I joked.

“Hahaha,” Jason said, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, calm down there Jason,” I said giving him a pat on the back. “Let’s just grab those ponies and teleport out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to keep my marefriends waiting too long.”

“Lead the way then,” he gestured with his hand, watching me.

“Why am I the one leading the way?” I asked, starting down the tunnel.

“Because I said.”

“Fine… I didn’t want to stare at your ass anyway,” I muttered under my breath. It didn’t take us long to make it to the chamber where all the pods were, and once we had allowed them all to get their bearings after being in the pods for so long, we were gone in a flash of light. We reappeared a few moments later, and once the nausea was gone I noticed that we were back in the throne room.

“Ugh, how are you so okay with traveling like this?” I asked, looking over to Jason.

“I’m used to it,” Jason said, shrugging. “Plus, I’ve had to do a lot worse for a lot longer.”

“I’m not that bad!” Zinnia and I cried out, Zinnia from beyond a doorway.

“What...?” he asked blinking.

“Never mind, Jay. You’re too innocent to understand sometimes,” Zinnia sighed, walking back in. “Hope nobody minds, but I just sent a guard on a cookie run. I got the munchies,” she added, shooting a light glare at Chiton.

“Hi Zinnia,” I said with a little wave. “You didn’t cause Morning and the others any trouble, did you?”

“She put my tail in her breasts!” Morning screeched.

“Nope!” Zinnia said straight after, a sweet smile on her face.

“So, business as usual yeah? And no Zinnia, I’m not innocent, I’ve killed more people than everyone in this castle combined.”

“I meant you don’t always understand innuendoes, ya stupid fool,” the Draconid groaned, flinching when her stomach growled. “Where’re my cookies, dammit!”

“Your highnesses!” a voice called, and we all turned to see a panicked-looking guard come charging in.

“You’re the one I sent for cookies!” Zinnia growled. “Where are they?!”

“Yes, guardsmare?” Luna asked, raising her brow and ignoring the Draconid for the moment. “What is thy problem?”

The mare took a moment to regain her breath before answering. “There’s a strange creature attacking the guards at the gate!” she cried, pointing in the general direction of the gates in question. “It seems to be a mass of blue tentacles on two small red feet!”

Immediately, all eyes turned to Zinnia, unamused.

“What?!” she cried. “Just because a tentacle monster’s on the loose you think it’s me?”

“Zinnia,” I groaned. “It fits the exact description of a Tangela. Now, who here has a world where Pokemon exist?” He paused, looking around. “Oh, no one but Zinnia? How incriminating.

“And,” Morning chimed. “Thou hast not only made sexual comments and advances since thou arrived, but thou hast admitted to have a fetish for, quote, ‘everything but incest’.”

“Now,” Jason deadpanned. “Are you really going to sit there and tell us that’s not your Tangela out there?”

Zinnia stood stubbornly for all of two minutes before sighing, beginning to walk out of the room. “Fine, I’ll go get Writher to stop,” she grumbled.

“You know...I don’t actually remember if I have a Tangela scan...” Jason mumbled, following after her.

“And it’s been a while since I’ve seen some tentacle porn, so I should go too,” I commented as I followed along.

“Those are my guards, so of course I must help,” Morning added.

“I get the feeling Vash is the only one being honest!” Zinnia called, laughing. “Why do you think he’s called Writher?”

“I can already tell I’m getting way more than I want out of this...”Jason muttered, crossing his arms.

Zinnia’s laughter echoed through the halls as she led the way to the main gates, finally getting herself under control as she placed her hands against the doors and pushed. The sight that greeted us… was not pleasant.

Broken arms, legs, and I’m pretty sure ribs were just a few of the injuries these poor guards had suffered, all at the hands of the admittedly adorable ball of… whatever they were stood between them. It glared up at us for a moment before it seemed to recognise Zinnia, running forwards with a happy squeal.

“Writher!” Zinnia cried, scooping the Tangela up in her arms. “Am I glad you’re safe! But you shouldn’t have hurt them so much, they’re only doing their job!” she added, chastising it.

“Yeah, you can’t just go attacking ponies at random little guy,” I said with a chuckle.

Jason sighed, moving from guard to guard, healing their wounds with what I assume is magic. The Tangela, meanwhile, turned to me, staring with what I can only hope is wonder.

“Uh Zinnia,” I asked nervously. “Is this a normal thing with him, or…?”

“You said you were a plant, right?” she asked, and I nodded quickly. “Well he can probably sense that, but he’s wondering why you look human.” She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Hey Jay, you think he can talk to Grass Types?!”

“Aren’t Plants energy beings?” he called back, not looking away from his work.

“That’s what I thought,” I called back. “Then again, I guess, it wouldn’t hurt to try and talk with the little guy.” I then leaned down, looking Writher in the eyes. “You got anything to say to me, buddy?”

“Your girlfriend’s hot, dude. Can I have a go?”

“I am talking to a pokemon… one of my childhood dreams has just been realized,” I said with a wild grin on my face.

“What’d he say?” Zinnia asked. “I can’t really read his body language with him being without much of a body.”

“Yes Vash, what did he say?” Morning asked, coming over to my side

“Uhh…” I started looking between them and Writher before settling on Writher.

“Well?” he asked. “You gonna ask or not?”

“Well, it turns out that he’s definitely your pokemon, Zinnia,” I said with a sigh and shaking my head.

“What do you mean? I only found him yesterday, and he followed me!” she explained. “I haven’t trained or gotten to know him at all yet, I only named him that because he got a bit… adventurous when I tripped over.”

“He better keep those tentacles away from me...” Jason warned, looking over his shoulder. A blue vine promptly scurried away, re-tangling itself in Writher’s body.

I ignored what Jason just said and leaned in closer to Writher. “When she says adventurous, how far did you get with her exactly?” I whispered to him.

“Dark side of the moon, brother,” he replied. “With calcium-rich refreshments.”

“Mad respect bro,” I said with a nod. “Next time you do that, see if you can record it and send me the video.”

“Video of what?” Zinnia asked.

“What is this ‘Video’ thou speak of?” Morning chimed in, leaning closer.

“Ignore them,” I whispered. “Can you manage that?”

“The only camera in my world is Mistress’s iPod, but I’ll try dude. Anything for a brother.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” I said with tears welling up in my eyes. as I held out a hand for Writher. “No matter what happens, you and I are friends for life.”

“Word,” he replied, making a fist with five of his tentacles and fist-bumping me.

“Okay seriously, what’s up with this!?” Zinnia cried. “You know I’ll just get Mesprit to read your mind if you don’t tell me, Writher!”

“She’s bluffing, hold fast brother,” I said with a grave expression.

“She’s not… that Noivern was raised by her…”

“If you manage to pull this off,” I started, getting in close to Writher. “I’ll let you have a shot with Morning, and the princesses.”

“And I’m pulling Writher away now,” Zinnia stated. “Mainly because angry Naga heard you say that.”

“You’re boned. I’ll still try though!”

“Thank you bro… Ack!” I cried as Morning’s tail wrapped around my neck.

“What were thou discussing with that creature, Vash?” Morning asked with a twitching eye. I gurgled out a response all while my face started to turn blue.

“Ah!” Zinnia suddenly cried out. “Writher, I’m all for a bit of fun, but… Oh, oh!” she turned to me with a glare, though it was slightly less effective with the smirk on her face. “Morning, I do believe I know,” she purred, leading the mare away as her grip loosened and I sucked in air.

“Dude, I tried to get the iPod and she figured it out! I’m sorry!” Writher wailed, helping me up.

Jason hummed as he moved over, the Omnitrix scanning Writher. “There,” he said smirking, “Now I am the tentacle monster.”

“Well that’s just great,” I said, rubbing my sore neck. “I hope you get a lot of use out of that form. As for you,” I continued, turning to Writher. “Dude, why did you try to take the iPod now of all times? Wait until no one’s around man.”

“Because I’m not the only Pokemon that was sent here, and Mistress is gonna wanna find Sonar before she leaves! I was gonna get the footage tonight for ya, bro!” he said, pausing to give me a flat stare. “And you think she cares who sees her go at it? Word travels fast, bro. She gangbanged a girl in the sky with her Double Team clones, then pulled a dominatrix show walkin’ through Canterlot.”

“And just because your trainer acts like that, doesn’t mean that you should,” I admonished. “Remember this phrase and you’ll go far my friend, ‘Gentleman on the streets, pervert in the sheets,’” I finished with a sagely nod.

“I don’t even...”Jason sighed, facepalming.

“So, Vash,” Zinnia growled from behind me, and I paled.

“Care to explain something to us?” Morning added.

“Eep,” I squeaked, trembling where I stood.

After a long and… painful talk with Zinnia and Morning, all of us were in the throne room. All of my marefriends shooting me a glare.

“So...we still need to talk about the herd situation,” Chrysalis spoke up, currently feeding her larva, who Chiton were watching closely.

“While I am not completely happy about the situation,” Morning started. “I do feel that we all have an obligation to the foal.”

“If I may?” Zinnia said, raising her hand. “I also have a child of Jason’s, and have recently gotten into a relationship with a Displaced named Umbra. Where do we stand in this?”

“I think that makes us one long, insane extended family,” Jason said, sitting on a couch with Rarity, who was on her side, head in his lap, dozing off.

“True, even if we are not a completely sexually active herd,” Morning interjected. “Forming some form of relationship should prove to be the best solution.”

“How about this?” Zinnia started, standing and pacing around the room. “We’re all in one big herd, but that herd is, in fact, made up of smaller herds - mine, Vash’s and Jason’s. We can intermingle and have fun with each other, but we don’t have to.”

“And we can’t just visit for sex, either!” Jason added, looking to Vash and Zinnia in particular. “There has to be a legitimate reason for dropping in unannounced, unless you’re invited.”

“Sounds good to me!” Chrysalis smiled, “Welcome to the family! I hope you’ll all come to the reunion! Hel is letting most of Jay’s family come.”

“Are you kidding?” I cheered with a big grin. “You couldn’t keep me away from that!”

“Excellent!” Chrysalis said before blinking, “Wait...where’s Megan?”

Zinnia looked around frantically. “I don’t see Writher!” she cried out fearfully.

Thankfully, both parties soon walked through a side door, a plate of cookies held in Writher’s vines as he and Megan munched on them, laughing merrily.

“I swear tentacle man you did ANYTHING with my mom, you die.” Jason hissed, giving Writher a death glare.

“Vash, please tell the gender-bender that we had cookies and that’s all,” Writher deadpanned, shoving another cookie into his mouth.

“Writher says they just had cookies,” I relayed to Jason.

“Well,” Zinnia groaned, stretching out. “It’s pretty late, so I’m gonna hit the sack. Can I borrow a room for the night?”

“Sure thing, just let a guard lead you to one of the empty ones,” I told her.

“Ooh,” Zinnia cooed as a grey-furred mare began to lead her away. “This one may not come back tonight! Come along, Writher!”

“Dude,” Writher breathed, drooling slightly. “I will definitely get you footage of that.”

“Godspeed my friend!” I called out with a thumbs up. “Godspeed!”

“Well, you certainly live up to your family,” Megan commented, taking a seat next to Jason, taking a bite out of her cookie.

“I know....I hate it...” he groaned, letting his head fall back, sighing a little.

“Still talking about Loki?” I asked.

“Yup...” he muttered, not looking at me.

“Well… to be fair you were already like him before,” I added. “He did have a horse baby after all.”

“Oh fuck off Vash.”

“Is that any way to talk in front of your mother?” I asked.

“It’s just words,” Megan said, shrugging a little.

“Man, you’re a cool mom,” I said with a grin. “My mom would’ve tanned my backside if I said something like that in front of her.”

“You’d be surprised what I let slide.” Megan smiled, sharing a look with Jason.

“Heh, you must have the patience of a saint,” I commented with a chuckle.

“Well,I do have him as a son.” she teased, giggling a little.

“I can only imagine,” I said, shaking my head.

“Well,” Morning said, her tail wrapping around my arm. “I do believe that the princesses and I have some very important business to discuss with thee, Vash. Good night Jason, Megan, Chrysalis.”

“We hope thou sleeps well,” Celestia added, leading the way out of the throne room. Luna nodded and followed after her sister, with Morning dragging me along behind.

“Help me?” I pleaded.

“Nope,” Jason said, taking his book out, burying himself in it.

Dragon Fight, And A Stampede

The next morning I was walking down the halls to get some breakfast. When I came into the dining room I saw that everyone else was already there (though Jason seemed to be nodding off at the table.)

“Hey everyone, good morning,” I called out with a wave.

“Go die...”Jason mumbled, glaring at me.

“Love you too honey,” I replied before dodging a fork.

        “Damn Jay,” Zinnia muttered, taking a long drag of her coffee. “I hope I’m not that cranky when my mood swings kick in.”

”Mornings suck...morning people are the devil...” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

        “Better than eternal darkness people…” Zinnia muttered, slouching back in her chair. “I hope Fluttershy’s okay…”

        “Well, other than little Miss and Mister Sunshine over here, how’s everyone else this morning?” I asked taking a seat to Celestia’s right.

“Well the young ones slept well,” Chrysalis said, watching the foals play in a makeshift play pen.

“I had some trouble getting comfortable but I managed,” Rarity commented from her mound of cushions.

“Oh, was it because of the change in environment, or is there something I could do to help?” I asked.

“Not unless you can get the foal out,” Rarity commented, patting her swollen belly.

“Sorry, that’s not my area of expertise. The only thing I can offer you is some home remedies that my mother swore helped alleviate pregnancy symptoms. Don’t know if they’d work for a pony though,” I offered while rubbing the back of my head.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m due any day now anyway.” She dismissively waved her hoof.

“You are!?” Zinnia asked excitedly. “Oh, I’m so excited, I can’t wait!”

“I bet it’ll have two heads or be a hedgehog or something,” Chrysalis teased, much to Rarity’s annoyance.

I rolled my eyes and smiled a bit at the antics before turning to Zinnia. “Hey Zinnia, didn’t you say that you had pokemon other than Writher that were with you when you came here?”

“Yeah,” the Draconid replied, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. “Me and Writher were sat on Sonar’s back, so it’s not completely out of th question that he’d be here somewhere too.” She paused, seemingly thinking on something. “Oh, Sonar’s a Noivern. Jason knows him, kinda.”

“Nice guy,” Jason added, sipping at some tea. He made a face, looking at Celestia. “Seriously, Zebrifican Red Tea. Get some...”

“If that is what thou wants,” Celestia started, signaling for a maid. “Then we have some in the pantry. Or dost thou prefer to complain about things first?” She teased.

He glared, conjuring up a snowball, tossing it at her only for it to stop just short of hitting her face due to a barrier she had erected.

“Thou art lucky we consider thee to be family now. Otherwise that could’ve landed thee in the dungeon,” Celestia teased again.

“I can do worse.” he warned, narrowing his eyes.

“Can we not have threats at the breakfast table?” I asked, hoping to defuse the situation.

“Why are you so grumpy lately Jason?” Zinnia asked, leaning forward. “Is it because of the baby, or is something else eating at you?”

“I’m always like this, you just haven’t been around me long enough,” Jason snorted, downing the rest of his tea.

“Anyway,” I started, trying to get back to an earlier point, “do you think we should look for Sonar?”

“Either that or wait for panicked reports of a bat-dragon monster flying around looking for something,” the Draconid shrugged. “Either way, he’ll turn up. I have faith in him.”

“Uhh Zinnia, considering all the crazy creatures that are running around here, your description could just as well match something that already lives here.”

“True…” she murmured before standing up, stretching. “Alright then, where do we start?”

“Well, there’s a place where dragons stop to rest during their migration that isn’t too far from here. That might be a good place to start,” I said with a shrug.

“Knowing Sonar and his… approach on things,” Zinnia sighed. “He’d probably head for the nearest Draconic scent and start looking there, so that’s a good idea. I just hope he hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble while he was alone.”

“That depends, how much does he take after his trainer?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Well if you think of me as the impulsive type, he’s the exact opposite,” she said with a chuckle. “And I’m not his trainer. He’s more like… an uncle for Stryker.”

“That’s pretty interesting,” I replied with a nod. “So whaddya say we make this into a road trip and try to find Sonar?”

“Another one?” she laughed. “Didn’t you guys just have a road trip to Chiton’s hive? You sure you’re not just getting sick of the castle?”

“One,” I started holding up a finger, “that was a mission of peace and trying to rescue Morning. Two, you weren’t involved with most of that and what you were involved, most of it was spent high. And three, this is more like me putting off all the work I’ll have to do to build the changeling village.” I finished with a grin.

“Fair enough.”

“Glad to hear you’re on board,” I said with a nod. “What about you Jason, do you wanna help with this?”

“Go suck a lemon...”

“I think little miss sunshine would prefer a nap,” Zinnia snickered. She shrieked with laughter as a flurry of snowballs were flung her way, bringing up a green bubble of energy to protect herself.

“Well if Jason would prefer to take a nap then I guess it’ll just be the two of us Zinnia,” I told her with a wink.

“How romantic, Vash,” she replied from behind her shield, still laughing. “Taking a girl out to find her lost friend. All alone. No one could predict what happened out there…”

‘Now I have to go to protect Vash from you,” Jason said, cracking his neck with a loud pop.

“Who says I want protecting!” I interjected.

“Thou hast better want it,” Celestia warned semi-playfully. “While we have agreed to a connected herd, we are not prepared for thou to just sleep with her as soon as thou can.”

“Plus, you're just too nice Vash,” Jason added, getting up and stretching.

“Isn’t too nice just something you use as a BS line on an online dating profile when they ask about your weaknesses?” I joked.

“Or it’s someone they warn about me,” Zinnia shrugged. “‘Too nice’ often translates to ‘they’ll say yes and regret it later’."

“Also, Zinnia, stop ogling me, I get enough of that from Chrissy, I don’t need it from you.” Jason crossed his arms, giving her an annoyed glare.

“Does that go for me too or…?” I asked with a raised hand.

“Also,” Zinnia chimed, throwing her arm around Jason’s neck and hugging him tightly. She grinned cheekily, poking him in the breast. “No.”

“I will hurt you Zinnia.” he warned, looking into her eyes.

“Make out already!” Chrysalis shouted, smirking.

“That’s all the permission I need!” Zinnia cried before pouncing on Jason, locking her lips onto his and shoving her tongue into his mouth. The fact that he was a woman right now made it so hot.

I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket and snapped a picture of the scene before me. Thanking all the gods that I had the foresight to conserve my battery for as long as I had. “And now I know what my new wallpaper is going to be,” I said to myself as I stared at the picture.

“Hey Vash!” Zinnia called out when she came up for air, smiling madly. “Catch!” With that, she flung a piece of cloth to me, which I quickly realised was Jason’s boxers! “Ultimate panty raid, straight from the source!”

“Why would you throw these to me?!” I hissed with a red tint to my cheeks. “Jason, please take these back.” I said, holding the boxers out in my left hand. “I’d rather you weren’t pissed at me.”

Zinnia pouted, stradling Jason’s lap. “You’re no fun,” she whined, crossing her arms. “I thought we were trolling! C’mon, man up a little!”

“Excuse me for wanting to live long enough to see the birth of my son/daughter,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

“Whatever,” the Draconid huffed, leaning down and kissing Jason once more before standing up and sauntering over to Celestia’s side. “Y’know, in my world, you’re kinda depressed right now. Any suggestions to cheer yourself up?”

“It all depends on the root of the depression,” Celestia answered with a shrug. “Though we were never one to turn down a homemade cake.”

“Well, I’m not sure if I should tell you this, but…” she trailed off, before shaking her head with a sigh. “No, I don’t think I will. I’ll just try the cake thing, thanks Celly.”

“T’was our pleasure to be of assistance. And if that doesn’t work then attempt talking to see what thou can do. And if we prove to be stubborn, then do not be afraid to be stubborn in turn.” She offered with a smile.

“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” Zinnia chuckled. “I can be pretty hard-headed when I wanna be.”

“Then we trust that thou shalt be successful in thy endeavors.”

“As much as I like seeing Zinnia do something actually productive for once,” Jason called out, hiding behind a pillar as he assumably put his underwear back on. “We should probably head out to find Sonar. The longer we wait, the more chance there is we’ll either miss him or he’ll get into a fight.”

“Alright, let’s grab the leftover supplies from the changeling mission and let’s get ready to head out,” I said, standing up.

“I’m good,” Zinnia said, patting the bag at her side. “I’ve got months of supplies in here. Infinite Bag of Holding, basically.”

“Cool, do you mind sharing with the rest of us?” I asked.

“Not at all!” she replied with a bright smile. “Just let me change out of my sleepover pyjamas.”

Before anyone could say a thing, Zinnia pulled her top off, revealing her bare chest and shoving the shirt into her bag. Next were the shorts, disappearing just as quickly before she sat on the edge of the table, crossing one leg over the other casually as she rummaged through the bag.

“Zinnia, shouldn’t you’ve found an empty room before you did that?” I asked with red tinged cheeks.

“Hm?” she hummed, looking up briefly before shrugging and returning to her search. “Nah, we’re all gonna see each other naked eventually anyway. It’s a fact of the universe - unless we’re related, I will get you naked.” She paused, grinning at something. “A-ha! Found it!”

“Zinnia, did you mean for that last statement to sound rapey? Because it sounded pretty rapey.”

“What? Oh, no no no!” she said frantically, waving her hands in front of her, a black leather bra in her grip. “No, I would never rape someone! Not unless it’s, like, roleplay or something, and we’ve clearly established that that’s not what’s really happening.” She paused, sighing. “Sorry, that was just something an old friend of mine made up, and I kinda just ran with it. And yes, I did screw her.”

“Alright, no need to get so defensive. Also, I pegged you for a leather bra kind of girl.” I said, pointing out the bra in her hand. “Glad to know I haven’t lost my touch.”

“Oh, this isn’t a bra,” Zinnia explained, putting the straps around her neck. “Bras go under shirts, I don’t wear shirts with this. It’s more like a bikini top. Little help?” she added, turning her back to me.

I sighed and walked over to her to help her with the top. “You’re trying to tempt me on this trip, aren’t you?”

“Maybe~” she cooed, reaching into her bag again and pulling out a pair of black lace panties and a dark purple mini skirt. “Now you can help me with these or I can do them myself, it’s up to you.”

“You can do those yourself,” I said taking a step back. “We both know you’d rather have my help taking those off.”

“Eh, guilty.” She stood up, sauntering to where everyone could see her and bending over slowly, inching the panties up her long, slender legs…

I looked between Celestia and Zinnia a few times before slouching over and sobbing silently. “To whichever god may be listening, please give me strength. This temptation will be the death of me.”

“Sweet mother of me…” I heard Celestia breathe, and I followed her gaze to see that she was staring right at Zinnia’s exposed ass, the slightest hint of drool at the corner of her mouth.

‘And I can potentially use that to my advantage,’ I thought. ‘Vash might be getting a threesome when all this is over,’

Zinnia finally, finally finished putting her underwear on, snapping the waistband while throwing a smirk over her shoulder. “I’m tempted to stay like this now,” she cooed, shrugging a second after. “But I supposed I don’t really want to put the skirt away, so…” She smirked again, pulling the skirt on quickly, revealing that it only just covered her ass, and even then you could still see all of her curves with how tight it was.

“Are we finally ready to get going, or do you want to see if we can find a pole for you to dance on?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, could I do that before I go home?” she asked eagerly, eyes actually sparkling slightly. “And don’t tell Luna! I want to have her brought in blindfolded and surprise her.”

“Wasn’t being serious there… but I suppose I could try to make and install a stripper pole somewhere.” I muttered to myself before shaking my head. “Anyway, let’s get going. We don’t want anything to happen to Sonar.”

“Alright,” Zinnia shrugged, pulling out a pair of black sneakers and slipping them on her feet. “You sure you wanna come, Jay?” she called.

“Yes,” he deadpanned. “With what you just did, you’re going to need someone to keep you two from just stopping every five minutes.”

“We would not stop every five minutes!” I shot back.

“It’d probably be more like three,” Zinnia shrugged. “I’m pretty accessible dressed like this.”

“Whoa there,” I said throwing my hands up quickly. “I have a pretty good recharge rate but I’m not Superman over here.”

“Fine,” the Draconid groaned, heading for the door. “Eight minutes.”

“That’d probably work,” I replied with a shrug, following after her.

“I,” Jason sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Am surrounded. By idiots.”

A few hours later and all of us were on a path out of the forest and were heading east toward a mountain that was about a day or so’s walk away. I was in the lead with Jason in the middle while Zinnia brought up the rear. Jason had insisted on being between Zinnia and me. I tried to offer a substantial rebuttal, but he wasn’t hearing any of it.

“You’re no fun, Jay,” Zinnia huffed, pouting.

“I don’t care Zinnia,” Jason huffed back. “I’m not letting you and Vash get into any trouble.”

“Oh come on Jason,” I called back. “What kind of trouble could we get in with you here?”

“So much,” he deadpanned, nodding his head at Zinnia. “She’s like a magnet for it.”

“Hey!” Zinnia cried. “I represent that remark!”

“Don’t you mean resent?” I questioned.

“No,” Jason said evenly. “She really, really doesn’t.”

“Hey, I’m no liar,” Zinnia said nonchalantly, shrugging.

“Even if it helped you get into somebody’s pants?” I asked, laughing.

“Nope!”

“Well, at least she has some morals,” Jason muttered.

“I never doubted she had morals,” I said with a shrug. “I was just wondering if she had limits to what she’d do to get laid.”

“Make tons of advances until I’m explicitly told ‘no’,” Zinnia chimed from my side, slinging her arm around my shoulder. “It could be straight away or it could be after three weeks, but if you say no, I’ll stop. Tell’im, Jay!”

“To be fair,” the Jotun relented. “When we first met, she did stop trying to get me in bed when I said I was married. Didn’t stop her saying she wanted me, though.”

“And then your grandma told you to bang me!” she cheered. “How is Hel, by the way? Last time I saw her was when my universe was grabbed by Yggdrasil and became one of your realms.”

“What!?” Jason shrieked. “Why didn’t you tell me!? Why didn’t she tell me!?”

“I’ve been busy, and I’m guessing Hel’s a troll, so…”

“She did seem like a bit of a troll when I met her,” I said with a nod. “And if Jason’s comment was anything to go by she might be a bit of a stalker.”

“Well when all you’ve got for entertainment for a few thousand years is books and learning every language in existence,” Zinnia shrugged. “I’d jump on the chance for something different too.”

“She also knows every style imaginable and for some reason knows Shin Zanzetsuken.” Jason sighed, sagging a little

“Hey, just be glad you get to see your family,” I said. “Everyone isn’t that lucky.”

“My brother’s out there as a Displaced,” Zinnia provided. “But he’s the only one of my family I cared about anyway. Otherwise I’ve just been trying to make a new one for myself - you two included!” She pulled us into a hug on last bit, wrapping an arm around each of us and squeezing tightly.

“A brother huh?” I said with a weak chuckle. “I haven’t talked to mine in a while,” I finished with a sigh.

“Man, I’m sorry,” Zinnia said. “Do you know if he’s out there with us somewhere?”

“I doubt it,” I said with a weak laugh. “I come from a traditional household. The last I’d heard he went on to become a preacher while I had started my graduate work… I was kind of the black sheep of my family.”

“You’re not the only one,” she chuckled mirthlessly. “My parents disowned me because of my sex drive, said I was a disgrace. Kicked Ace out because he, quote, ‘spent too much money on games’, even though it was all his own.”

“Yeah, my mom said I was touched by the devil when she caught me masturbating,” I shared with a laugh. “Puberty sucked after that.”

“What about you, Jay?” Zinnia asked. “We’re sharing here, anything you’d like to get off your chest?”

“Well, do you want to know about my biological or my adoptive parents?” Jason asked, looking up at the sky.

“I’m curious about your adoptive family, to be honest,” the Draconid said. “I can kinda gather the struggles with a family of Norse Gods from the legends back home, but what about your human family?”

“I’m curious about both to be honest,” I added. “But whatever you wanna tell us is fine with me.”

“Well, you’ve both met Megan, she and her brother used to go to Equestria when they were kids,” Jason started, “But one day the bridge just disappeared. No one believed her and they made her believe none of it was real.”

“Wait…” Zinnia murmured, snapping her fingers a second later. “Was your mom the girl from MLP series one? I never watched the new one, but the first few…”

“Hold up there,” I said. “First, and this isn’t important but, they made more than one series out of My Little Pony?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow. “Second, YOUR MOM IS FROM AN OLD CARTOON! How is that even possible?”

“Multiverse rules,” Zinnia and Jason deadpanned simultaneously.

“Okay continue,” I said as I pinched my brow. “Please, before my head collapses from how complicated my life has become.”

“So she became very religious and married Mr.Hughes, who is a peice of shit,” Jason spat, a look of contempt on his face.

“What kind of piece of shit are we talking about?” I asked.

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Jason said curtly.

“Alright, if you don’t feel like sharing then I won’t force you,” I shrugged. “Still, what you said earlier about making a new family here Zinnia,” I continued with a bit of a smile. “I’ve got to agree with you there. Including you two being part of mine.”

“You guys know know about my biological parents?” Jason asked, looking back at us.

“I know the basics,” Zinnia replied, shrugging. “I told you before, I studied the Norse Gods back home after watching Avengers.”

“I don’t know who your parents are,” I admitted “I’m a novice when it comes to Norse myths.”

“My mother’s name is Terra, she’s a witch,” Jason smiled, “My father’s name was Toya, my real name is Corypheus Toyason and I have a sister named Ib.”

“Is there any chance of us meeting her at your family reunion?”

“Vash, even I know that’s not cool,” Zinnia stated.

“What?” I asked with a worried expression. “On a scale of one to ass kicking, how bad did I just screw up here?”

“Well yeah you can meet her, she’s a shadowmancer.” Jason shrugged. “Anyway, They were walking home one night when I was about..three and a group of witch hunters ambushed them. My father died protecting us and my mother cast a spell that sent me to safety but...she didn’t know where...”

“Oh, sorry to hear that,” I offered.

“Hey it’s all good,” he smiled, “I got to met him anyway.”

“Did your grandma help with that?” I asked.

“She’s the goddess of death, she can bend the rules every so often,” Jason said with a nod.

“That’s the beauty of family I guess,” I chuckled. “They might be crazy, but they can still help us when we need them.”

“And now you two are in it!”

“Yup!” I affirmed with a few nods. “Oh, you said your sister is a shadowmancer, what all can they do… besides win a shadow puppet contest?”

“Dude…” Zinnia breathed. “Is that… Is that racist?”

“What?” Jason asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

“Assuming shadowmancers are good at shadow puppets!” she cried out. “That’s gotta be offensive at the least!”

“Zinnia, did you lick some changeling resin while we weren’t looking?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Uh… unless someone slipped it into my food, I don’t think so…”

“So, what all can a shadowmancer do?” I asked again.

“I honestly have no idea, I’ve never seen her power myself,”Jason admitted with a sheepish smile.

“Well if she’s anything like the shadowmancers in games,” Zinnia said, a hand resting on her chin in thought. “It’s probably manipulation and production of shadows and darkness. Kinda like Blackbeard in One Piece, or maybe my Shadow Claw.” She held her hand out, her shadow seeming to melt into her feet before erupting from her hand and forming a claw-shaped construct.

“That’d be pretty sweet,” I said with a nod. “I’ll have to ask her myself if I meet her.”

“Anyway, what else is there to talk about?” Jason asked, eyeing the claw.

“How about we keep swapping stories, but we change what kind every so often?” Zinnia provided, shaking the shadows off. The dark energy seemed to swirl in the air for a moment before dropping like stones, merging back into her shadow once more. “We could do embarrassing moments next.”

“Hold on, does anybody want to make certain topics off-limits?” I asked.

“Like what?” the Draconid asked in turn.

“I dunno, but considering what’s on both of our minds most of the time I was wondering if Jason would want to make sexual topics a no-go zone?”

“Well we could just say you don’t have to answer if you don't want to.” Zinnia provided.

“Alright, then I’ll share something embarrassing and sexual. I… was actually a virgin before coming to Equestria.”

“So was I,” Jason said shrugging.

“I haven’t been a virgin since I was sixteen,” Zinnia chuckled, shaking her head. “But something embarrassing… well, I was a porn star for a while.”

“Really?” I asked with a chuckle. “When you applied for the job did they have a checklist for what kind of scenes you’d be okay with doing?”

“I… didn’t really apply,” she admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. “I got caught in one of those ‘Fake Taxi’ vids and I gave the guy my number. He called me a few days later and asked if I wanted to make a living out of it.”

“Did they give you a pornstar name and everything?” I asked.

“I got to chose my own, went with ‘Zeta’.” She paused, a crimson hue coating her cheeks. “Don’t ask why.”

“Did you have a crush on Catherine Zeta Jones?” I asked with a smirk.

Zinnia remained quiet, her blush started spreading to her ears.

“Aww, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” I told her with a pat on the back. “I had a crush on her too at one point.”

“...shut up, Vash…” Zinnia mumbled, looking away.

“Wow, you just admitted to doing porn and the thing that’s left you blustered is a celebrity crush? That’s kind of adorable in a way.” I finished with a grin as I scratched my cheek a little.

“Vash, would you like me to show you what I learned in my years as a sexual artist?” she asked suddenly.

“Uhh, have you met me?” I asked as though the answer was obvious.

“Then shut up, or - and I swear this is the only time this will ever happen, and Hodgepodge is probably having a fit over it - I won’t sleep with you.”

“Shutting up now,” I whimpered.

“Wow, that's a big threat from you Z,” Jason said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not adorable,” she pouted adorably. “I’m sexy.”

“Can’t you be both?” I asked carefully.

Zinnia whipped around, her eyes sending a message of immediate danger. “I’m either sexy or deadly. Only one person calls me cute, and that’s not you.”

“Okay, you’re sexy.” I said throwing up my hands defensively. “A pure sexual dynamo that anyone would be lucky to get with.”

“Damn right,” she preened, turning and marching ahead, swaying her hips as she walked.

I let out a long sigh as I watched her then turned to Jason. “Women, am I right?” I asked with a weak grin.

He just looked at me, eyebrow raised.

Zinnia fluttered back, hovering over our heads with her hands behind her head. “Did you just say that to the man-turned-woman that you knocked up, Vash?” she asked, smiling slightly. “Wow, it is true what they say about some blondes.”

“That we have all the fun?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Sure buddy. Whatever you say.”

We walked in silence for a moment before Zinnia spoke up again. “So what’s next?”

“Depends on what you mean by that?” I asked.

“Stories, you idiot,” she sighed. “We’ve done family and embarrassing moments, what’s next?”

“I don’t know, maybe share something happy to lighten the mood?” I suggested.

“Alright - best birthday.”

“That would have to be my 5th,” I started, laughing as I remembered it. “My dad dressed up as the red power ranger to save money on the entertainment and he fell into the cake while doing what he thought was karate.”

Zinnia giggled at that, a hand over her mouth. “Sounds like that was fun. Mine was my eighteenth - Ace organised the whole thing, rented out an entire brothel for me and a bunch of my friends from the porn shoots. We had the biggest orgy ever.” She paused, laughing a little. “Then when I walked out the next morning, covered in cum, he was stood there with a towel and the keys to a new car. Greatest brother ever.”

“What about you Jason?” I asked turning to him. “You got a best birthday story?”

“Not really, growing up with hyper religious parents sucked,” he said with a shrug, “What about best injuries?”

“From fights?” Zinnia asked, shrugging. “I never really fought much before being Displaced, so my worst injury was mental. Got thrown in an asylum after Ace disappeared - I know he was Displaced now, though - and was kept there for three years before getting displaced myself. Went through group therapy, electroshock, ink blots, painting, and a bunch of other shit that didn’t work. All because I freaked out and had a small party with a pile of rocks and a sack of flour.”

“Yikes,” I offered dumbly. “I didn’t get into fights much either. But my best injury was when I nearly gave myself a 3rd degree burn when I first used a soldering iron.”

“I got stabbed in the chest by a drug dealer,” Jason said, “It hurt like a bitch.”

“And the winner is... Jason,” I said as I mimed opening an envelope. “But our other contestants will go home with some lovely gift baskets.”

“You should have seen the look on his face too,” Jason smirked, “He totally thought I was dead but I got up, with a knife where my heart should be, utterly pissed.”

“Wait, where your heart should be?” I questioned.

“I have Dextrocardia, my hearts on the right not the left.”

“Is that part of your Jotun heritage or just a personal quirk?”

“Birth defect.”

“Sweet,” Zinnia chimed. “That’s got to have come in hand in a fight. I’ve got something wrong with the production of chemicals in my head. Leaves me with less shame and more lust.”

“I used to have something wrong with my leg. But ever since I became Vash it hasn’t bothered me,” I admitted.

“What about your first pet?” Zinnia chimed. “Mine was a snake named Ekans. Yes, I named it after a Pokemon,” she added with a light laugh, rolling her eyes.

“I didn’t have any pets. My mom was allergic to most animal fur.”

“Dude, that sucks!” the Draconid said sadly. “Pets are the greatest, always there to listen when people can’t.”

“I had a gecko named Jose,” Jason sighed, “Man I miss that little guy.”

“It wasn’t all bad,” I said with a shrug. “I had a toy robot that I made myself that I treated like a pet. I also pretended it was like my butler.”

Zinnia was quiet for a moment before nodding, slamming a fist into her palm. “Okay, I’m getting you a pet. A Pokemon pet.”

I blinked a few times before tears welled up in my eyes. “That would make a childhood dream of mine come true. I… I think I love you, Zinnia.” I said, joking… for the most part.

“Vash, you need to be careful saying that,” Zinnia chuckled. “Especially around a certain Overlord Displaced named Umbra. She’s my girlfriend, and she will smack you up.” She smiled, shaking her head. “Not that I don’t appreciate it. Now, I’d need you to come to my verse to find one, since everyone seems to have a ‘soul partner’ or something.”

“That’d be awesome,” I said with a smile. “Here’s hoping mine will be something like a Gardevoir. That’s one of my favorites.”

“I wonder why…” Zinnia muttered, leaning in close to Jason.

“Because I like it’s stats, the recent type change made it really good to use against dragons. And it was one of the first pokemon I caught in Sapphire so there’s a personal connection there,” I answered honestly.

“Fair enough,” Zinnia said, nodding. “I can’t guarantee it’ll be a Gardevoir though, your partner will come to you.” She paused, turning to Jason. “Do you want one too? Or are you good just turning into them?”

“That could be cool Jason,” I said with a smile and a nod, “What kind of Pokemon would you want for your partner?”

“Oh, I already have a partner,” Jason said shaking his head, “Her name is Zed, she’s an Anubian Baskurr.”

“Alright, but what pokemon would you like if you didn’t already have Zed?”

“Yeah, come on man,” Zinnia said, nudging him. “Don’t be a spoilsport, join in the fantasy!”

“Eh...I dunno...there are a lot of them...”

“Just pick the first one that comes to mind. Or one that you wanted the most when you were a kid,” I said.

“Well...my favorite pokemon has always been Deoxys.”

“That’s a solid choice,” I said with a nod. “The design for it is awesome and the multiform thing makes it interesting.”

“You know…” Zinnia murmured. “I’m not sure what’s gonna happen with Deoxys. I’ve seen a few legendaries, but Deoxys is technically an alien, isn’t it?”

“Wasn’t there a theory that all pokemon are aliens?” I pondered. “Or was that just the Mount Moon episode that offered that idea?”

“Eh, I don’t know,” the Draconid shrugged. “Pokemon history is so janky it’s not even funny.”

“True, pokemon canon gets retconned more than any comic series,” I said.

Zinnia shook her head with a sigh. “I gave the lore up after a while. Too much. Anyway, my partner is actually my son, Stryker. While he’s not old enough to battle yet, he’s a powerful little man. Already knows Twister!”

“Sounds cool,” I said with a grin. “He’ll have to show me that when you want to summon me to your Equestria. By the way,” I said, reaching into my pocket. “Here’s my token,” I tossed her a bullet. “Use that to summon me whenever you want. I’m always ready to help family after all.”

“Sweet,” she replied, catching the bullet and pulling a small black case from her bag, dropping it in. She then pulled out a small blue pendant with silver trimming, threaded onto a thin silver string. She closed her eyes, creating two copies of herself and the token that they handed to me and Jason. “This is Ace’s token, just tell him I sent you.” She dismissed one of the copies, the other one bending down and removing her anklet and tossing it to me. “And that’s mine. Jay you’ve still got it, right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll be sure to take good care of this. Oh, the next time you summon Umbra, call me and maybe we can have a talk about the whole shared herd thing.” I said as I put the two tokens away in my duster.

“Will do,” Zinnia replied, giving a quick salute before starting to giggle uncontrollably.

“What’s with the giggling?” I asked.

“I just thought about what Umbra’s gonna do when you mention the herd.”

“Will it be good, or should I wear a helmet and a cup?” I asked, paling a little.

“That depends if I get her in a good mood first,” she chuckled, socking me in the arm. “Come on, pretty sure we’ll be at the mountain within the hour if we hurry.”

“Alright, let’s hoof it,” I said with a quick laugh as I started to jog ahead.

We all hurried along and Zinnia was right, we made it to the base of the mountain within the next hour.

“Alright everyone, now the only thing we have left to do is to find a way up the mountain,” I said, looking between Jason and Zinnia.”

“I could carry us all up,” Zinnia said, her body gaining a white sheen before she hooked her arms around our waists, rocketing upwards with a powerful flap of her wings. “Strength and Fly, bitches!” she cackled.

“I know I should feel emasculated or something right now,” I said as I made myself comfortable, “but what can I say? I’ve got a thing for strong chicks.”

“You’ll love it when I get in your bedroom, then,” Zinnia purred. Jason coughed uncomfortably from her other side. “Right, sorry Jay. Anyone see where we need to land?”

“There’s a cave close to the peak, other than that there’s a few places along the range I could probably point out when we get high enough.”

“You think we should start from the bottom or go straight for the cave?”

“The cave is one of the places where I heard that dragons use as a rest stop between nests during migration. Side note, can we look for some loose dragon scales while we’re here? I really want to make some dragon scale armor and dragons aren’t too keen on sharing.”

“Sure, why not?” Zinnia replied, putting on a burst of speed, bringing them level with the plateau atop the mountain, a cave opening off to one side. “Well here we are. See anything that’d tell us a Noivern was here?”

As soon as those words left her mouth, the mountain shook with the unbridled rage released in a pair of great, blood-curdling roars.

“I think I found something,” I said, pointing in the direction of the roars.

A plume of fire erupted from the depths of the cave, a massive black and purple forme flying out seconds after, crashing down near to the edge of the plateau and kicking up a cloud of dust. A few seconds later, a lanky drake stalked out, long pink spines curling down his neck. Large, powerful looking wings rested on his back, and his long, thick tail thrashed about behind him in anger. His scales were a burnt red, his underbelly a softer yellow.

“How dare thee enter our cave, wyvern!” the drake roared, flames licking at his lips. “I shall burn thee to cinders for thine ignorance!”

“Whoa, the way he said wyvern sounded a bit racist,” I commented.

“It probably was,” Zinnia said, nodding sagely. “In certain media, Dragons and Wyverns were separate species that hated each other.”

“Well, we can worry about dragon-wyvern relations later. Right now, we should probably help Sonar here,” I stated.

“Well let’s get going then!” Zinnia cried, charging into the battle as Sonar pulled himself to his feet. Blue flames built claws around her hands before she lunged, swiping her claws at the red drake.

I drew my revolver and fired a warning shot that wizzed right by the drake’s cheek. “Stop attacking my friend here or the next shot goes right through your eye,” I warned him.

“How dare thee!” the drake growled. “How dare thee attack Smaug, Crimson Drake of the Burning Sunrise!”

“Do you wanna see me do it again?” I told him. “I got plenty of ammo for this thing and I’m quick on the draw.”

‘Smaug’ growled again before snorting, small clouds of smoke flying from his nostrils. “Fine,” he spat, glaring at me. “Thou may leave this day, but be warned! Should thou return to this place, we will not hesitate to reduce thee to ash!”

“Good,” Zinnia said from behind the drake, her arm held high. She quickly dispersed the blue flames coating her hand and stalked past him, shooting him a glare. “Come on, Sonar, we’re leaving.

“Halt!” We all turned to see Smaug glaring angrily at us. “We said that thou couldst leave, not the wyvern! His transgressions shall not be forgiven!”

“Kaio Ken X20!” Jason shouted, becoming encased in a furious red aura. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the dragon. “You don’t threaten my family, reptile.”

“Yeah, you don’t call the shots here,” I told him, keeping the gun leveled at him. “There’s more of us and each one of us could drop your scaly ass before you’d even know what hit you. So, we’re taking they ‘wyvern’ as you called our friend, and you can go suck it somewhere. Do I make myself clear?” I asked as I drew the hammer back on my gun.

The black form pulled itself up, revealing itself to be a massive Noivern that I assume is Sonar as it plodded over to us, leaning it's neck down and nuzzling Zinnia happily.

"WHAT!?!?”

“I take it Sonar didn’t just say something good,” I said with a sigh, still glaring at Smaug.

“He…” Zinnia muttered, stumbling back before steeling herself, fists clenched. “He wants to fight Smaug. Says it’s a matter of honor.”

“Any chance of talking him out of it?” I asked.

“No,” she sighed, moving to a nearby rock and sitting, her arms folded angrily. “Stupid draconic pride, he won’t go with us unless this is settled. And it’s not like I can force him - he’s family, not a slave.”

“Alright,” I said with a nod as I holstered my revolver with a little flourish. I then turned to Sonar with a smirk. “Hey Sonar, give this dick hell. Show him what a real dragon is made of.”

Jason sighed, dropping the aura, sitting down. “Next time I do that, kindly knock me out.”

Sonar seemed to smile at us before letting out a massive roar, taking to the skies. Smaug sneered and followed after him, claws and fangs bared, ready to rip Sonar to shreds.

The Noivern rose higher and higher before twisting in the air, his ears pulsing as waves of sound blasted out in a Boomburst attack, pushing Smaug back. The red dragon growled before rocketing into Sonar’s stomach, but Sonar twisted again, rolling out of the way, his wings glowing a faint silver. He smacked Smaug aside with a Steel Wing, straightening out soon after.

“Hey Zinnia,” I whispered to the Draconid. “Does Sonar know Supersonic?”

“I’m not sure,” she whispered back. “This is the first time I’ve seen him fight in the open air. The only other time was when me and Jay met him, when attacked us, and even then he only used Boomburst.” She paused, bending down and picking up a red scale that had fallen in front of her. “Why do you ask?”

“Well if he did he could confuse Smaug, making it easier for him to win this fight,” I said with a shrug.

“Maybe. But this is a matter of pride, not winning.”

Sonar charged at Smaug from above, folding his wings in and dropping like a rock in a basic Tackle. He tucked his head in at the last minute, his body impacting with the red drake and sending him tumbling through the air.

“Filthy wyrm!” Smaug spat, righting himself and charging at Sonar as he came out of his attack and raking his claws across the Noivern’s chest. Sonar cried out and his altitude dropped dramatically for a moment. Smaug tried to follow up on his first attack and took a deep breath and sent a large fireball towards the Noivern. Sonar righted himself and started beating his wings rapidly, sending a Gust out to meet the hurtling flames. The wind met the fireball and cancelled it out, little embers falling to the ground harmlessly. Then Sonar sent out another Gust, aiming for Smaug’s face. Smaug dodged the attack, the winds just grazing his cheek and dislodging a few loose scales.

Smaug charged at Sonar, his claws outstretched in front of him. Sonar rushed forward, his wings glowing a soft white once more and met Smaug’s attack head on with a Steel Wing. The two dragons pressed at each other, neither one wanting to give an inch. Smaug sneered as wisps of flame escaped his clenched fangs. He then opened his mouth and tried to spray fire all over Sonar. Sonar was prepared for this and sent out a Boomburst to counter the flames. The two attacks collided and exploded in the two dragons’ faces.

“Holy shit!” Zinnia cried out, eyes wide. A massive grin split her face as a cloud of smoke and soot grew in size from the explosion, blocking the combatants from view. “That was fuckin’ awesome!”

“Hey Zinnia, after seeing Sonar fight like this, I might want to raise a Noibat as a partner.” I said with a grin that matched hers.

“Can’t say I blame ya, Dragons are fuckin’ beasts.” She paused as a stream of smoke shot out from the bottom right of the cloud, flying down and back into the cave. “Hah! Guess Smaug couldn’t handle the awesome power of a Noivern!”

“No kidding,” I laughed. “That Smaug just went out like a bitch.”

Zinnia laughed with me, leaning back and watching the cloud for a moment before going quiet. I frowned, looking to her and following her gaze until I saw something that made my blood run cold.

Smaug. In the sky. As in, not in the cave.

“Ha!” he cried, flexing his claws. “So much for the might of the wyverns! He was naught but a child in comparison to my power!” he paused, an evil grin spreading across his face. “His end shall be swift.”

A low, rumbling growl sounded from beside me, and I turned to see Zinnia sitting there gritting her teeth as scales sprouted along her arms. Her nails extended and hardened into black claws even as her body expanded, growing from her regular five feet tall to a stunning eight feet, her clothes becoming a black leotard emblazoned with a flaming purple wisp symbol on the chest. Her wings reshaped to become much taller and sleeker. In her upper arm’s scales was a black pattern of two women encompassed in a flaming heart. Scaled boots covered her feet, black bone heels raising her height even further until she stood at eight foot three. A pair of crimson fins sprouted from her eyebrows, curling upwards and around her head.

“Jason, Vash,” Zinnia growled out, and I noted that her teeth had sharpened to the point where it looked like I was staring at an actual dragon. She turned to me, her slit-pupil eye staring at me with clouded clarity. “Would you kindly check on Sonar? I’m going to make some new boots.”

I nodded a bit and dashed towards the cave, just when I was at the mouth of it. “Hey Zinnia, try not to go overboard.”

“Okay,” she replied, her voice sounding more monstrous, eyes already locked back onto Smaug. “I’ll leave the mountain standing.” Her head twitched to the side.

I didn’t like the sound of that and rushed into the cave. It took me a minute but I was finally able to spot Sonar sprawled out on the cave floor. I knelt down beside him and let out a sigh of relief when I saw his chest rise and fall. I then placed a hand on his shoulder and started to shake him.

“Sonar, are you okay?” I asked quietly. “Come on buddy, I know this is a lot to ask but you’ve got to get up. Zinnia’s gone off the deep end and might end up killing Smaug.”

“Get out of the way,” Jason said, pushing me aside before using his magic to heal Sonar’s wounds, if only a little. “There, that should give him enough strength to move at least.”

“What, you’re not going to give him the Nurse Joy lines?”

“Dun dun dun-fuckin’-dun, now let’s move!”

“Alright,” I said hoisting Sonar up. “Come on buddy, we’ve got to go help your partner before she does something stupid.”

“N-Noi…” Sonar groaned, limping towards the cave mouth with me. Once outside, I noticed that something seemed off, and looked up to see a raging inferno of orange, blue and purple fire, Zinnia flying next to it with her hands outstretched.

“Jesus,” I muttered as I stared slack-jawed at the inferno. “Sonar, sorry to ask this of you after that fight, but please get Zinnia to calm down.”

He looked to me for a moment, seemingly staring at something in my coat, before rolling his eyes and nudging me with his snout, causing my gun to fall out.

I picked up my gun and stared at him with a raised brow. “Do you want me to shoot at her to get her attention?” He just nodded. “Alright, but you’d better keep her from attacking me,” I said with a nervous gulp. “I happen to like my ability to eat without the use of a straw.”

I took a moment to make sure I was aiming somewhere that either wouldn’t hurt her much or at all before squeezing the trigger, the bullet screaming through the air. I watched as it skimmed off of Zinnia’s shoulders, sparks flying from where it ricocheted off of her scales. Zinnia whipped around, the ball of flame dispersing and allowing the drake within to fall to the earth.

Zinnia sneered, flying down to us and landing with a *thud* that shook the ground slightly, crouching down to glare into my eyes.

“Okay Sonar, whatever your plan is now is the time to enact it,” I whispered to him while sweat poured down my face. “She looks like she wants to tear my throat out.”

Sonar seemingly chuckled before stretching his neck out, nudging Zinnia again. The Draconid whipped around and, upon laying eyes on the drake, she instantly calmed down, shrinking back down to her original size. The scales on her arms and legs fell away, clattering to the floor in a small pile. Her clothes returned normal almost instantly, making me blink in disbelief.

“Sonar, when we get back to the castle, you can ask me to get you anything you want,” I told him with a sigh of relief.

Sonar let out a small huff. “He says he’d better,” Zinnia laughed tiredly, swaying on her feet. “Woah… N-now I know why I passed out last time…”

        I put an arm around her and said, “here, I’ll help keep you upright until you’re feeling better.”

        She laughed dryly. “How long can you hold up an unconscious woman?” she asked before her eyes fluttered closed, slumping over.

“Well,” Jason said. “I guess a rage-fuelled transformation would take the wind out of anyone.”

“I figured you’d be an authority in that field,” I teased as I hoisted Zinnia up in a bridal carrying pose before sitting down and leaning against a rock. “Guess we should wait until she wakes up before doing anything else.”

“I suppose so,” Jason agreed, sitting and leaning against a rock himself. Sonar watched us for a moment before yawning, his eyes fluttering closed. “Looks like he’s having a rest, too. Can’t say I blame him though.”

“I hear that, I’m just glad we stopped Zinnia from becoming a killer,” I said as I looked up at the sky.

“I get the feeling she’s gonna be really grateful for that,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Zinnia doesn’t strike me as the type to handle killing well.”

“Not everyone can be the hardened warrior, Jason.”

“No, I suppose not. Though from what she’s told me of her world, she’s going to have to be.”

“Hmm, I don’t like the sound of that. You know how I feel about killing.”

“Well what about mind control? Or conquest? Or preventing eternal darkness from taking over the world?”

“I don’t like the sound of that either,” I said with a sigh. “I guess this is just one of those times where you have to take the lesser of two evils.”

“I guess so…”

A few hours passed before Zinnia started to stir in my arms. I looked down at her just as her eyes started to flutter open.

        “Wha…?” she murmured, reaching up and rubbing at her eyes, “Where… Where am I?”

        “You’re still up on the mountain,” I told her gently. “Sonar’s fine by the way.”

“Vash?” she breathed, bleary eyes gazing up at me. “...Why are you holding me?”

“You asked me to keep you off the ground before you passed out. And I always accept the request of a lady in need.”

“Pretty sure I was being sarcastic…” she chuckled dryly before groaning, holding a hand to her head. “Ugh, migraine.”

“Whoa, easy there, that crazy dragon form you just used seems to take a lot out of you,”

She just shrugged, smiling faintly before snuggling into my arms, cuddling up to me. “Well, if you insist on being a gentleman,” she said.

“I always do,” I retorted with a chuckle as I gave her a squeeze. “Is Sonar waking up yet?” I asked Jason.

The Jotun looked up from the book he’d pulled out, taking a brief glance at the Noivern before looking back to me and shrugging. “I dunno,” he said. “You’re holding the dragon expert.”

Zinnia sighed, turning her head and glancing at the drake. “I’d give it another minute or so. Sonar doesn’t like sleeping in the day - says it gets in the way of his training.”

“He’s missing out, I always looked forward to sleeping through the mornings on weekends,” I said with a chuckle. Zinnia giggled, wriggling further into my grip.

“...Vern…” we heard, and a second later Sonar shifted, pulling himself to his feet, hunched over and leaning heavily on the claws at the ends of his wings. “Noi… Noivern.”

“Hey buddy!” Zinnia called, holding her hand up. “Mind giving us a lift? I’m too tired to fly and I think these two deserve a rest as well.”

“Sorry to ask this of you after all you’ve done for us by the way,” I added with an apologetic grin.

Sonar seemed to shrug, flapping his wings slightly as though to shake off any stiffness before hunkering down. He nodded at his back, clearly telling us to hop on, and Jason didn’t wait long before climbing up onto the Noivern’s neck.

I got up slowly, helping Zinnia up along with me and walked over to the dragon. “Here, let me help you on to the badass dragon,” I offered her.

“Uh-uh,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I… I don’t want you to put me down. Not yet.”

“As my lady wishes,” I told her with an over dramatic tone.

“Mmm…” Zinnia murmured, wrapping her arms around me. “Good boy…”

Sonar snorted, his wings moving restlessly, and Jason held up his Omnitrix, tapping it lightly with two fingers. Even with it being an alien device of shapeshifting, the message was clear.

“Huh, that kind of kills the mood, doesn’t it?” I mused with a short laugh.

“Ignore them, Prince Charming,” Zinnia said with a happy sigh, cuddling me snuggly. “Just hop on and keep being you.”

“As you wish,” I told her as I got onto Sonar’s back carefully. I then looked forward and patted his back. “By the way, I’m getting you the pokemon equivalent of beer when we get to the castle. You’ve earned it, buddy.”

The Noivern roared happily, spreading his wings wide. “Hold on~,” Zinnia muttered playfully, smiling into my shirt.

“Oh, and thanks for giving me the scales I wanted for my armor project,” I told her as I pulled out one of her scales from my pocket. “If I have any left I might be convinced to make you a scale bikini top if you’re interested.”

The Draconid looked up at me with one eye, smiling cheekily. “Only the top? You sly dog,” she cooed.

“Well obviously I only have so many scales. Certain sacrifices would have to be made,” I replied with a cheeky grin of my own.

“You know,” Jason called over his shoulder. “She can generate them from her body if she learns to control it. You could get as many as you wanted.”

“Thanks for being a party pooper, Jason.” I sighed. “I really hope our kid doesn’t get that from you. What about you, Zinnia?”

“I just can’t wait for my little girl,” she said happily. “I wanna be able to give her the joy of Pokemon first-hand, instead of through a screen.” She paused, sighing happily. “She’s gonna have the best childhood ever…”

“You’re damn right she is,” I told her with a massive grin. ‘Ooh, do you think I could talk you into having her calling me Uncle Vash?”

“That was already gonna happen, dude,” she laughed. “With Stryker too, when you meet him.”

“Yes,” I beamed. “And my son/daughter shall call you Aunt Zinnia. And we will give them the ‘birds and the beedrills’ talk together. Jason is too innocent to handle that one. He can teach them the best way to use a battleaxe.”

“For the last time, I’m not innocent!” Jason shouted angrily, glaring over his shoulder.

“Shut up Jay,” Zinnia giggled. “I’m in a happy, half-sleeping mood right now and it’s all because of Vash. Leave the plant alone.”

“I’m just surprised he had more of an objection to being called innocent rather than the two of us teaching the baby about ‘adult fun-time’,” I said with air-quotes.

“I’ve long since realised that things of an explicit nature are inevitable  with Zinnia,” the Jotun sighed. “So I thought it’d just be better to let her take care of those areas with the kid when she told me the other day. As long as she waits until she’s old enough.”

“Dude, of course I’d wait! I’m not gonna tell her how to fuck as soon as she’s born or anything, I’m not that bad!” She paused, shaking her head. “Hell, I told Umbra off for even mentioning our bedroom actions through metaphors around Stryker. I’ll talk to the kids once they start showing signs of, you know, puberty and stuff.”

“Yeah, same here.” I said with a nod. “I might be a lot of things, an idiot just being one of them, but I’m not utterly irresponsible.”

Jason was quiet for a minute before saying “Good,” and nothing else, staring ahead. Zinnia shook her head before turning her attention back to me.

“Hey, should we mess with the others when we get back?”

“I’m game, what are you thinking?”

She ‘hmm’ed in thought, bringing a hand to her chin before replying. “What about musical troll dancing?”

“Got any dances in mind? You’d have to take the lead though. I’ve never been much of a dancer.”

She grinned, shifting slightly before bringing an iPod into view. “This was a gift from my Displacer. It has unlimited Wi-Fi at full connection across the multiverse. Any song in existence is open to me.”

“By Odin’s beard!” I called out in amazement before I realized something and furrowed my brow. “Wait a minute, you get sexed up by a sexy filipina lady and a magical iPod. All my Displacer did was steal my goddam arm! I call hacks.”

“Oh, I got more than that,” she chuckled mysteriously. “And mine was just nice. I’ve heard there’s some out there that are just complete dicks.”

“I’d file arm-stealing under the complete dick category,” I grumbled.

“Don’t worry honey,” Zinnia cooed, tracing her fingers up my chest as she sat up, staring into my eyes. “If we can get the others to agree, I’ll be sharing some of my other, special presents with you.”

“So, back to the troll dancing idea,” I said with a weak chuckle. “Before a certain Draconid tempts me to do something that would get Morning and my other marefriends to kill me.”

“Okay,” she shrugged, quickly dropping back into her snuggled position. “I was thinking maybe LMFAO, or even Gangnam Style.”

“Well with LMFAO there’s Sexy and I Know It. But, Gangnam style has what is commonly referred to as, ‘the horse dance,’” I mused as I held my chin in thought. “That’s a tough call.”

“See, now that you’ve named it I wanna do Sexy and I Know It,” Zinnia whined. “I can ‘wiggle’ with the best of them, you know.”

“Wanna see how well you hold up in the wiggle department when Morning’s out of her armor?” I joked. I frowned, however, when I felt a wet spot on my shirt. “Are you drooling?”

“Y-yeah…” the Draconid replied, quickly shaking her head. “But there is another reason I wanna do Sexy now.”

“And what reason would that be?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“You,” she grinned. “In a speedo and roller skates.”

“I don’t know,” I said with a big sigh. “I don’t think you’re ready for that much unbridled sexiness.”

She gave me a look that said ‘did you really just say that to me?’, all mirth lost from her eyes.

“That was a joke Zinnia,” I said as I gave her a pat on the head. “Though, I got a bit of the stuff that turned Morning into a Naga, and let’s just say that it had some… expansive effects.”

“What’re you saying?”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly what you’d call a slouch in the size department when I was human. Now, I’m apparently big by pony standards.” I told her with an innocent look.

“And if you use that stuff Morning used… you’ll get even bigger?”

“There’s no guarantee on that one.” I told her with an apologetic look. “The stuff Morning and I accidentally took apparently has random magical effects. For all I know, I could grow a spider abdomen above my ass if I drank more of it.”

“Heh,” Zinnia chuckled mischievously. “You think I could get a little bit of that stuff? I’ve got a mare back home that’s amazing in the sack, and I kinda wanna see what’d happen.”

“Sorry, that stuff is universes away with a mare named Doxuna.”

“Aww…” she pouted. “Is she a Displaced? Can I have her token?” She paused, a sly grin growing on her face. “...Is she hot?”

I let out a sigh as I pulled off the necklace Doxuna gave me. “Here, make a copy of this. And to answer your question, Doxuna is a silver colored version of my Luna that is fifteen-feet tall and has breasts that are bigger than my head, hair included.”

Zinnia lay there for a moment, eyes wide as she stared into the distance before she looked into my eyes. “I am so tit-fucking her,” she breathed as she took the necklace, a copy of her appearing behind her and passing me it’s version of the token. Both Zinnia’s grinned as the copy reached around the original, groping her breasts briefly before disappearing.

“Knock yourself out,” I said with a shrug, “she seemed to be open to friends with benefits when I met her. And I think you’ll like what she used to transform Morning and I.”

“Oh, so do I.”

“Not to interrupt you guys and your sex talks,” Jason called, and we both looked up to see the castle ahead of us. “But we’re back.”

“Guess the snuggling will be over soon,” I said looking down at Zinnia with a weak smile.

“Yeah, but if my plan works, there’ll be something much better later,” she cooed, a sly smile on her face.

“I’ll get the roller skates if you get the gold speedo,” I told her with a sly grin of my own.

“Honey, I’ve got both.”

“Gotta love a lady who comes prepared for anything,” I mused, starting to laugh.

It was just about sunset at the castle and Celestia and Luna were in the throne room about to trade off for Luna to take over for her court.

“We trust that thou had a pleasant sleep, Lulu?”

“Yes, and do not call us Lulu,” Luna huffed. “There are guards around.”

“Very well Luna, we shall respect thy desires.”

“Thank thee, so what all transpired whilst I was asleep.”

“Plans were drawn up for the changeling village and Vash took Zinnia and Jason to go search for her missing companion.”

“Then the castle must’ve been most quiet.” Luna commented.

“Though perhaps a bit too quiet,” Celestia added. “We almost miss their antics…”

As soon as the words left the solar princess’s lips, a strange]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DHsqmU3v0hVA&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNFhcLV_0Idaz3YKV0bZeIapyegTHA]strange tune[/url] began to echo throughout the castle’s walls, seeming to build up until a male voice began singing, and Vash strutted in mouthing the words dressed in a pair of tight, iridescent blue pants and a black muscle shirt. Zinnia followed after him dressed more or less the same, though her pants were purple and her shirt only reached just past her bust, revealing her midriff.

“When I walk in the spot,” Vash sang, stopping and posing. “This is all I see!”

“E’ry body stop and starin’ at me!” Zinnia chimed, mirroring Vash.

“I got passion in my pants,” they continued together, placing one hand on the waist of their pants each while the other one grabbed their shirts. “And I ain’t afraid to show it!

“Show it!”

“Show it!”

They both paused for a second before tearing the clothes away with a flourish, revealing Vash to be wearing nothing but a sparkling golden speedo that left nothing to the imagination and Zinnia in a likewise sparkling silver bikini so tight the sisters could see her nipples poking through.

“We’re sexy and we know it.”

“What was thou saying about missing their antics?” Luna asked, turning to her sister with a slight blush.

“Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle, yeah!” the two sang, shaking their bodies so that their assets jiggled before both princess’s eyes.

“The jiggling… t’is almost hypnotic,” Celestia muttered under her breath.

“What art thou say…” Luna started as she turned back to stare at Zinnia and me.

“Sister?” Celestia asked, managing to tear her eyes away. “Luna? Art thou in there?”

Luna didn’t reply, her hands slowly raising up her body before gripping the collar of her dress tightly. Celestia watched in shock as her sister tore her dress perfectly in half, effectively stripping her down to her bloomers and girdle before she hopped down the stairs of their throne’s plinth, joining Zinnia and Vash as their]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DKQ6zr6kCPj8&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNEzftiqUJjKsT6vLm55D75kZpfz4w]their song changed.[/url] Zinnia took one look at the night princess’s underclothes and shook her head, using Shadow Claw to quickly slash it up until it looked much more modern, a simple, incredibly thin bra and panties, the latter of which quickly found themselves snugly between the twin cheeks of the full moon.

“Nice costume change,” Vash whispered to Zinnia with a grin.

“It comes with practice,” Zinnia whispered back.

“Mind doing that to the rest of their underwear drawer?” Vash asked with a hopeful expression. “It would make strip-teases a lot sexier.”

“Tell you what,” the Draconid said with a smile. “If this works, I’ll do you a solid and burn all of their old-timey underwear and replace it with mine.”

“I am so glad I met you.”

“Come, sister!” Luna called out suddenly, holding her hands out to Celestia. “‘Tis the most fun We have had since [insert fun thing here, i dunno]!”

Zinnia smirked, nudging Vash and discreetly handing him a pair of silver roller skates, flying up and doing a backflip in order to cover putting her own gold ones.

Celestia blinked a few times before lighting up her horn and teleporting out of the room. Luna frowned, lighting up her own horn in order to follow before her arms were grabbed by Zinnia and Vash, the Draconid managing to slip a pair of stark white roller skates onto her hooves. She shrieked with delight, picking up on the actions rather quickly, and soon she was skating around the room with them, dancing along to the music.

A few moments later Celestia returned with a confused looking Morning Star in tow.

“Why hast thou summoned me Your…” Morning started before she went slack-jawed from the scene before her. “Vash! What art thou wearing!?”

“Quick, Vash, Luna,” Zinnia cried. “Entice her with your wiggles!”

“Understood, setting wiggles to maximum!” Vash cried.

“Wait, how dost we wiggle!?” Luna shrieked, panicking slightly.

“Like this!” Zinnia replied, sliding up behind the mare and grabbing her under the arms, proceeding to shake her chest back and forth. The torn girdle acting as her bra allowed Luna’s cans much more freedom in their wiggling, swinging to and fro erratically. As soon as the princess was wiggling under her own power, Zinnia rolled to Vash’s side, joining them in their wiggling assault.

“Nice wiggling, Luna!” Vash beamed as he stared at her assets wiggle with her movements.

“Now do your ass!” Zinnia called, spinning around and twerking her rear in the air. “Just copy me!” She grinned as Luna did as she was told, locking eyes with Vash and mouthing ‘You’re welcome!’

“Celestia… dost thou know what they are doing?” Morning asked as her eyes darted between Celestia and the group.

“Only that they started dancing in this strange manner and enticed Luna to join them,” Celestia answered, her eyes locked on Zinnia and Luna’s twerk moves.

“Princess?” Morning asked worriedly, waving her hand in front of Celestia’s face only to stagger back as the solar ruler reached up, tearing her dress perfectly in two. Zinnia grinned, skating up to her with a pair of dark blue roller skated in one hand and a Shadow Claw in the other, quickly giving her the same treatment as Luna. The Draconid smirked, giving Celestia’s ass a hearty smack as she sent the mare on to Vash, who immediately started teaching her how to skate. She turned to Morning, holding out her hand invitingly.

“Come on, Morning,” she said with a grin. “It’s fun~”

“How dost thou propose I join in thy merriment?” Morning asked, raising her tail. “Thy… devices do not seem to be made for somepony like me.”

[CLOP DISCLAIMER! RUN IF YOU DON'T WANNA FAP!]

“Easy,” Zinnia chimed, reaching into her bag and pulling out a large, double-ended, purple coloured dildo. “We’ll make a game - you try and knock us over, and if you do, we have to make you cum.”

“Why would I join in such a perverse game with thee!” Morning shrieked, her face redder than her mane.

Zinnia smirked, turning her head. “Who wants to play a sex game with Morning Star!?”

“I do!” Vash cried almost instantly.

“Verily!” Luna agreed.

“Just take thine clothes off already!” Celestia chastised.

“That’s why,” the Draconid replied smugly, one hand on her hip and the other holding the dildo up. “Come on, it’ll be fun!” she tried, giving the head a lick. “This thing’s magic.”

“Fine,” Morning huffed, snatching the dildo while her blush seemed to spread throughout her body. “But I do not agree with thy winning conditions,” she practically whispered.

“Okay, fine,” Zinnia sighed. “We’ll think of something else. Here, let me help you with that.” She reached out, grabbing the collar of Morning’s night shirt and pulling, tearing it clean off and allowing her massive fun pillows to spill out. Vash cheered from the background.

“Why wouldst thou do that?!” Morning shrieked, covering her breasts with the crooks of her arms. She blushed when the tip of the dildo in her hand pressed into one of her nipples.

“Because for one thing, you don’t need it now,” Zinnia replied, moving the mare’s arms away and moving in, pressing their breasts together. “And I’m replacing all your undies anyway, now shut up and kiss me.”

With that, Zinnia pressed forward, forcing Morning back against a wall as they kissed. The Draconid’s tongue pressed gently against Morning’s lips, asking her permission to enter, and she slowly parted her mouth, wrapping her own tongue around Zinnia’s. Zinnia smirked into the kiss, sneakily taking the toy back with one hand and caressing Morning’s tail with the other. Morning yelped into the kiss before pushing Zinnia away, panting.

“N-no, n-not *gasp* the tail. Ohhhh!” She moaned as her body slackened a little.

“Oh right,” Zinnia said slyly, sneaking closer. “The tail’s sensitive, I forgot…” She paused, resting her hand on where Morning’s ass ought to be and rubbing it slowly. “How’s that feel?”

“V-Vash does that better,” Morning replied in an attempt to be cheeky. Though it was slightly undercut by the rhythmic thumping of her tail.

“Does he now?” Zinnia cooed, tracing the tip of the toy up the front of Morning’s tail until it rested just below her nether lips. “And what about here?” she asked, sliding the toy around Morning’s opening teasingly. “Is he better here, too?”

“Very much so,” she replied with a bit more confidence.

“Well that’s a shame,” Zinnia pouted, pulling away and stepping back. Morning groaned slightly at the missing touch, though her eyes went wide as Zinnia slowly inserted the toy into her own opening, moaning with pleasure even as a bright purple light enveloped it, soon fading away to reveal an actual, fully functional penis, nine inches long with veins throbbing along the sides. “I had hoped to show you how I do things.”

“Thou can try, but thou should know that Vash is bigger than that.” Morning Star said as she hesitantly grabbed Zinnia’s magically grown phallus and stroked it slowly. “I may not even feel this member.”

“Ouch,” Zinnia said playfully. “Right in the groin. Good thing this is… adjustable~” Morning watched in shock as the member glowed again, Zinnia moaning loudly as it grew, becoming longer and thicker until it was roughly fourteen inches long and seven thick. “Is this more your speed?”

“That seems more promising. Though I hath changed my mind about thou showing me what thou can do,” she said, subtly moving her tail.

“Oh?” Zinnia asked, completely oblivious as she stepped forward, her shaft standing at full attention and resting between her breasts. She smirked, pressing against Morning’s chest again and thrusting upwards slightly so that it poked her chin.

“Yes, I would rather show thee what I can do,” she smirked as her lower half moved like lightning and wrapped around Zinnia.

“Yes!” the woman cried out. “Finally! Use your tail on me, Morning!”

“Hmm, if that is what thou wants,” Morning mused. “Though I should be clear. I shall do all the work. If I feel even a twitch from thy hips. Then I shall get my release whilst thou shalt go without.”

“Sure, whatever, just FUCK ME!”

“Very well,” Morning shrugged as she positioned Zinnia’s magically grown cock at her entrance. “Oh, and just so thou knows, Vash is still bigger than this.” She said pressing it inside her opening. “If thou does as I instructed, I may let thee feel for thyself.”

Zinnia groaned loudly at the feelling of Morning’s walls clamping down around her, wanting nothing more than to thrust into as hard as she could. She held back, however, instead opting to let her head lol back in pleasure. “Sweet virgin Phione, you’re tight!” she cried out, shuddering in delight..

“Perhaps that is another boon that my transformation has offered me,” Morning offered. “But that is a matter for another time. Now, let me show thee just how well I can control these coils I possess.” She smirked before lightly sinking her fangs into Zinnia’s exposed neck.

“AAHH!!” Zinnia screamed in both pleasure and pain, spasming slightly. Morning grinned as she felt the woman’s shaft throb inside of her, but that look was soon replaced by confusion as nothing else happened. “C-confused?” Zinnia asked, chuckling slightly. “It’ll take a helluva lot more than that to make me break!”

“Well, that just gives me more of a chance to play with thee,” Morning said with a fresh grin as she adjusted her coils, wiggling the tip of her tail against Zinnia’s asscheeks. “And a chance to do something that Vash will not let me do to him,” she said, roughly thrusting her tail into Zinnia’s ass.

“A-haa!!!” Zinnia cried out. “Ye-he-hes! Fuck my ass!”

“What dost thou think I am trying to do?” Morning retorted through gritted teeth as she synchronized the clenching of her coils to the thrusting of her tail. Zinnia grunted in response, her eyes rolling back. Morning grinned at her face, finding great pleasure in the feeling of power she had. Her eyes went wide when she felt latch onto her nipples, looking down to see two perfect copies of Zinnia grinning up at her as she suckled away.

“I would say that thou broke the rules of our agreement,” Morning told the Draconid with a cross look that was undermined by a sensual moan that escaped her lips. “If thy clones were not skilled in their ministrations.”

“Not cheating!” one of the clones chimed before nibbling at the nipple in her mouth.

“You said not to move my hips!” the other added, doing the same as the first. Both leaned back, pulling the naga’s flesh with them.

“Oooh!” Morning groaned loudly. “If that is how thou art going to be, then I shall increase my own ministrations,” she said, thrusting her tail at a much quicker pace and nibbling Zinnia’s neck again. She then took one of her hands and groped one of Zinnia’s breasts roughly, her milk squirting out and running down the naga’s finger.

“Ah, damn it!” Zinnia cried. “Argh, why is my mouth not filled right now!?” She paused before grinning. Another clone appeared above her, this one without a dick, and lowered itself onto her face, where she instantly began to eat herself out.  Morning looked up at the scene and shuddered slightly, the moisture between her hips growing.

“Ahhh!” She cried as her clenching and thrusting became more erratic. “Zinnia… I am close.”

The newest clone leaned back until she was upside down in front of Morning’s face, grinning. “Kiss me you fool,” she breathed, gripping Morning’s head and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Morning returned the kiss for a few moments before her eyes went wide and pushed Zinnia’s clone away slightly. “Wait, do not release thy seed inside me. I only wish for Vash to do that,” she said through her haze of lust.

“Relax…” Zinnia breathed, the clone having dispersed. “I can’t get you pregnant unless we both want it.”

“Please,” Morning pleaded. “I would feel more comfortable if thou did not… cum inside me. I will use… my mouth if that would be preferred.”

“I don’t really have much choice here,” the Draconid moaned. “You’re holding me still! I haven’t moved at all! But I’m holding b-back now, so be quick!”

“Thank thee,” Morning said with a sigh of relief. “I shall make it up to thee. I am most skilled with my tongue,” she finished with a wink as she released Zinnia from her coils and leaned down to her crotch level. Zinnia let out a sligh of relief. managing to wriggle her hands free and grip Morning’s head, shoving her shaft down her throat and crying out as she came. The feeling of Zinnia’s seed rushing down her throat was enough to send Morning over the edge and she let out a garbled moan as she came as well.

“...wow.” Vash said from the centre of the room, staring slack-jawed with Celestia and Luna by his side. “I was not expecting that.”

“F-fuck you, Vash!” Zinnia stammered, clenching her teeth.

“What did I do to earn that?” Vash asked as he walked over to her.

“N-no, seriously,” she said, pulling out of Morning’s mouth, allowing one last strand of her cum to fly out from her tip, landing across the mare’s face. She stumbled back, reaching down and pulling the dildo from her snatch with a groan and a flash of purple light. “I wanna fuck you, now!” She turned, lunging at the man and tackling him to the floor. The dildo flew out of her grip, rolling to a stop by Luna’s feet.

Luna picked the dildo up and gave her sister a sly look. “What dost thou say, sister? Art thou willing to give this device a try?”

“Hmm, we suppose there is no harm. Art thou going to be the one to gain the… addition?” she purred as she returned the sly look her sister was giving her.

“Wait there for a second, Vash,” Zinnia purred, standing and sauntering over to the sisters. “You realise it won’t work without me, right? It’s tuned to my bio-signature.”

“Oh, is that so?” Luna asked, visibly disappointed.

“We agree. We wished to give this particular magic a try,” Celestia added, just as disappointed as her sister.

“Girls, girls!” Zinnia chuckled. “I said it wouldn’t work without me - meaning no one can steal it. I can turn it on for you, though.” A sly grin found it’s way onto her face on the last words, and she wrapped her arm around Luna’s neck, dipping her and pushing her tongue into the mare’s mouth. She gripped the toy in her free hand, guiding it to the mare’s nethers and pushed it in slowly. The purple light shone again, and a second later a long, thick, dark blue horsecock hung from between Luna’s legs, throbbing with her heartbeat.

“Oh, this is certainly a most interesting feeling,” Luna thought aloud once Zinnia pulled away, wrapping one of her hands around the member between her legs.

“Thank thee Zinnia,” Celestia added. “Now we believe we shall assist our sister with her new equipment~.”

“Not a problem!” Zinnia cooed, sauntering away.

The Draconid grinned, standing over Vash, who was still lay sprawled out on the throne room floor. “Are you going to take those off,” she asked, nodding at his speedos. “Or am I tearing them off?”

“I do like the sound of the tearing off option,” Vash replied with a cheeky grin.

Zinnia sighed, a small smirk on her face. She bent down, gripping the tight fabric.” C’mere you,” she growled lustfully, dragging him over to the thrones and throwing him onto the one made of gold and marble, the speedos tearing as she did so.

Vash spread his legs as his dick stood at attention. “So, what’s your plan, Zinnia?”

“I, uh…” she murmured, eyes glazing over at the sheer size. “I… I forget…”

“What, is there something distracting you?” Vash asked, giving a playful shake of his hips that caused his member to bob slightly. “If that’s the case, then why don’t you come and take a seat?”

Zinnia staggered forward, dropping to her knees in front of the throne and taking the shaft into her hands. She stuck her tongue out, dragging it up the man’s shaft until she reached the tip and pulling the head into her mouth, swirling her tongue around.

“Mmm,” Vash said, throwing his head back slightly, “not quite what I had in mind. But you won’t hear me complain.”

Zinnia let his dick out of her mouth with a wet *pop!*, stroking it with both hands. “Oh, you’re gonna be balls-deep in my ass later,” she breathed, lining the head up with her mouth once again. “But I’m tasting this cream filling first!”

With that she dived back in, pulling as much of Vash’s shaft into her mouth as she could, swirling her tongue around and tracing the veins the entire way. When the tip reached the back of her throat, she took a deep breath through her nose and swallowed, deepthroating as much as she could and wrapping her breasts around what was left.

“Agh!” Vash cried, clenching his teeth. “Is that a trick you picked up during your porn days?” He teased with a strained smirk.

Zinnia hummed onto his shaft, sending the vibrations down Vash’s spine, even as she jerked what wasn’t in her throat, the pressure causing her milk to shoot out onto Vash’s chest. She pulled her head back, beginning to bob her head along his shaft.

“H-hey, slow down there Zinnia,” Vash called out, breathing heavily. “There’s something I want to do for you.”

Zinnia quirked an eyebrow, pulling back and letting his shaft pop out of her mouth, breathing heavily. “What is it?” she asked, still pumping her arm along his length. “I was about to go to the base.”

“Easy, I wanted a taste of something too,” he said with a weak chuckle as he reached down and pulled Zinnia up, bringing her legs around his neck. “I was feeling bad that I was the only one getting pleasure here,” he added before dragging his tongue along her slit and flicking it against her clit.

“Ngh!” Zinnia grunted,, smirking before pulling herself away and flipping over, pushing her snatch into Vash’s face. “Well I would’ve came just from this monster cumming down my throat,” she said, flicking her tongue over the tip. “Though I suppose now I can get more down.”

She opened her mouth wide, allowing Vash’s shaft to slide down her throat with little to no resistance, swallowing now and then.

“Well, there was one more reason for doing this,” Vash said with an evil smirk before using both of his hands to spank Zinnia’s ass that quickly turned into a grope. “I wanted to get my hands on something,” he commented before diving into Zinnia’s crotch.

Zinnia moaned, licking along as much of Vash’s manhood as she could. She reached down, cupping his balls in her hand and massaging them lightly, giving them a squeeze that made him groan into her nethers, sending jolts of electric pleasure down her spine. She grinned, bringing a small flames into her throat and using it to stimulate him further. Vash responded by spanking her again, which forced her a little more down his member.

The two continued like this for a little while before Vash felt a pressure building in his groin. He forced himself away from Zinnia’s nethers and called out, “Z-Zinnia, I’m getting close here. Where do you want me to finish?” She responded by moving her head even faster, squeezing his balls tighter as the flame in her throat superheated his rod.

“Ahhh!” Vash moaned, letting himself cum right down Zinnia’s throat. The woman groaned delightedly in response, twisting around without removing his member and returning to her feet, bobbing her head once again in an attempt to milk anything left before removing him completely.

“Th-that was….” Zinnia muttered once she’d pulled away, swaying on her feet. “That was delicious….”

“Heh, read an article online about foods that supposedly make the stuff taste better,” Vash explained, panting. “Thought it would help me at some point.”  

“Good boy…” she continued, before turning and leaning over, pulling her asscheecks apart. “Now ram that monster in here and fuck me silly!”

Vash smiled as he crawled over her body, leaning down to whisper into her ear, “As my lady wishes.” He lined himself up, pushing gently until his head slipped inside.

“Nnggh…” Zinnia groaned, biting her lower lip. “Oh yeah…”

“Heh, you’re still pretty tight back her even after Morning’s rough treatment,” Vash commented forcing back a moan as he continued to slowly push inside her.

“Perks of- gah!” she cried out, legs shaking. “Perks of being a whore, lots of p-practice!”

“I wouldn’t call you a whore,” Vash told her, running a hand down her side. “You just know what you like.”

Zinnia smirked, pushing back suddenly and forcing Vash back onto the throne, leaning back and sitting in his lap. “Vash, when a woman says she’s a whore,” she said, bringing her feet up onto the armrests and using them as a brace to raise herself, slamming back down moments later, crying out. “Then she’s a fucking whore, and you treat her like one.”

“Well, you know I’ve never been one to turn down a request from a woman,” Vash said with a smirk as he snaked his hands around Zinnia’s front. “And if it’s the whore treatment you want, then it’s the whore treatment you’ll get.” With that, Vash’s hands clamped down on Zinnia’s chest and he pulled out of her ass only to thrust back in roughly. Zinnia groaned in delight, leaning back against him and wrapping an arm around his neck, her hips moving in tandem. The sounds of their flesh slapping together filled the room.

“Ooh, Vash!” she cried, tangling her fingers in his hair and placing her free hand over his. “Ravage me.”

“As you wish,” Vash said gripping her tighter and picking up the pace of his thrusts. A strange wetness began to run across his fingers, and he pulled a hand away to find it covered with Zinnia’s milk. Vash shrugged internally and decided to put the milk finger in his mouth. “Mmm, not bad Zinnia,” he complimented.

Zinnia grinned, kicking her leg up and spinning around, her breasts now hanging in front of Vash’s face. “Help yourself,” she cooed, bracing herself and bouncing on his shaft again. “Sharing is-gah! Caring!”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Vash beamed as he latched his lips onto one of the offered nipples, sucking with all the enthusiasm of a newborn. Almost immediately, a stream of creamy goodness filled his mouth, dancing across his tongue. Vash swallowed his mouthful and repeated the process to get mouthful after mouthful of the cream. Zinnia grinned, catching Vash’s eye as she lifted her other nipple to her own mouth and began suckling, a sliver of milk dribbling down her chin.

This continued for a time, Zinnia ramming as much of Vash into her ass as she could and Vash doing his best to bury himself in her as they both filled themselves with the seemingly endless streams of milk at their disposal, before ZInnia’s shot back, eyes wide as she let out a sharp gasp.

“I’I’m gonna c-c-cum!” she cried, grinding herself into Vash’s lap.

Vash popped Zinnia’s nipple out of his mouth, panting. “Me too, where do you want me to finish?”

She didn’t answer, instead slamming down as hard as she could and pushing her lips against his, her tongue suddenly wrestling his own for dominance. Vash let out a throaty groan as Zinnia’s inner walls convulsed, his shaft pulsing briefly before he fired shot after shot of his hot, thick cum into her ass. Vash continued to battle Zinnia’s tongue for dominance and thrusted his hips slightly in order to milk any leftovers from within him.

Zinnia moaned in delight, pulling away from their kiss. “Oh, I haven’t been this full since Umbra last fucked me…” she sighed, lifting herself off of Vash’s lap. The man stood to follow her, shocked when she dropped to her knees and pulled his entire length into her mouth, sucking any beads of cum left off.

“Heh, didn’t you ever learn that you never go ass to mouth?” Vash joked, still recovering. His eyes flew open as a Zinnia clone appeared, smirking at him before diving into the original’s ass hungrily, rimming her. “Never mind…”

Meanwhile, Celestia was kneeling in front of her sister with her magically grown phallus in her hand. Celestia smiled up at Luna as she stroked her slowly.

“How does this feel to thee, Luna?” Celestia asked coyly.

“T’is most strange… but we like it,” Luna admitted trembling.

“Then we wonder how this would feel.” Celestia then opened her mouth and traced her tongue along Luna’s length. Luna let out a long moan as her wings snapped open. “Hmm, that was quite the response,” Celestia tittered as she gave the flare a kiss. “Now we must see how strong thy resolve is Luna.” Celestia then took Luna’s tip into her mouth and dragged her tongue along her shaft slowly.

Luna let out a groan of pleasure, her hands resting on her sister’s head gently before her grip tightened, pulling Celestia in and ramming her cock down her throat.

“Our resolve,” Luna panted, pulling back. Celestia looked up at her, eyes watering and mascara running, and grinned. “Will bring thee to orgasm before we even touch thy nethers, sister.” With that, Luna pushed Celestia back down on her cock. Celestia let out a little gag as Luna’s tip kept battering against her throat. Eventually though, she took a deep breath and attempted to swallow on the end of one thrust, relishing in the feeling of her sister’s cock stretching her throat. She let out a throaty hum and snaked a hand to work at her own nethers, further driving her desire for Luna’s rough treatment.

Luna grunted, reaching a hand up and massaging her own tit. “Thy throat is tighter than one of Morning Star’s coils, sister!” she cried, pulling on Celestia’s hair slightly. “T’is no wonder Vash prefers thine mouth!” Celestia attempted to say something, only for her to end up humming along Luna’s dick and drooling. Luna let out a sharp gasp, holding her sister still for a moment as her cock pulsed. “D-do that again!” she growled after a second, thrusting with more power than before. Celestia hummed in delight, wrapping her tongue around Luna’s shaft and tracing every vein as it passed, slipping a second finger into herself, which was quickly followed by a third. She ran her free hand up Luna’s thigh, cupping her sister’s ass for a moment before tracing her puckered backdoor. Celestia didn’t even bother to hear Luna’s response to the situation before sticking her finger inside and circling around the entrance to the hole.

“Gah!” Luna cried, hilting herself in Celestia’s throat and hunching over as she released her cum. Celestia shook with pleasure as her own orgasm rocked her body, swallowing every last drop and  bobbing her head of her own accord once Luna let go. She continued to hum and bob her head for a while, content to swallow any spare seed as she prolonged her own orgasm with her drenched hand. Eventually though, she felt that she had had enough and slowly pulled herself off of Luna’s dick, releasing it with a wet *Pop*

“We did not know that thou could be so forceful with us, Luna,” Celestia panted. “Hast thou been harboring some hostility for thy loving sister?” She teased, nuzzling against Luna’s crotch.

“Nay, sister,” Luna replied, panting just as heavily. “We were merely overcome by desire… Though we must say, dominating thee was quite thrilling.”

“Oh Luna, overcome by desire for thy own sister. T’is quite the shameless admission.” Celestia playfully chastised. “Though we found being dominated equally thrilling,” she admitted with a giggle. She then lay on her back and spread her legs for her sister. “In fact, we desire to be dominated again.”

Luna grinned, kneeling and lining herself up with her sister’s opening. “Thou always knew how to make an enticing offer…” she whispered, gripping Celestia’s alabaster hips and plunging into her, hilting herself on the first thrust.

Celestia cried out in pleasure and smirked up at her sister. “Yes, no need to hold back! Rut us like we were a common animal!”

“A common animal,” Luna breathed, pulling back agonisingly slowly. A low chuckle escaped her lips as Celestia whined in protest. “Would not be quite,” she paused when she broke free of Celestia’s nethers, pressing against her opening. “As.” She pushed forward slighty, leaning over Celestia’s body. “Satisfying!” She finished, thrusting back in completely before latching onto her sister’s tit, biting her nipple softly as she pounded away.

        “Mmm, Yes!” Celestia cried, gyrating her hips. “Harder! We wish to walk crooked for days after this!” Luna grunted in response, leaning back and gripping Celestia’s hips, pulling her sister onto her even as she thrusted. She raised her hand after a moment, bringing it down hard on Celestia’s flank, right over her Cutie Mark. Celestia cried out in pain tinted pleasure as her nethers released another wave of fluid. Luna took that as a signal and brought her hand down against Celestia’s other flank. Luna continued to pound into her sister for what felt like a pleasurable eternity before she felt a somewhat familiar pressure forming in her nethers.

        “Sister, w-we art close!” she warned between pants.

        Celestia snapped out of her lust-filled haze and looked up at her sister with desperation. “Outside, we wish to be covered in thy essence!”

        Luna complied, pulling out and staggering to her feet as Celestia brought herself to her knees. She grabbed her shaft, stroking it furiously as Celestia pushed her breasts together, cupping them under her chin and sticking her tongue out. The sight of this alone pushed Luna over the edge, her dick flaring as she shot strand after hot, thick strand across her sister’s face and chest, getting it in her hair, covering her left eye, shooting it up her nose and into her mouth. Celestia moaned in delight through all of this, waiting until Luna finished before sealing her lips around her head once again, sucking the last few shots out as she rubbed the thick white strands into her fur.

        Luna shuddered when Celestia pulled herself off of her length. She then took a moment to catch her breath before taking in the sight of Celestia covered in her cum. She felt her magically made male part twitch slightly but didn’t harden and felt compelled to kneel down to get eye level with her sister. Luna locked eyes with Celestia as she began to lick her cum from her sister’s bust.

        “Ah…” Celestia moaned. “L-Luna… Thou art so beautiful…” Luna grinned at that and quietly continued her work. When she was finished she kept some of the leftovers in her mouth and pressed her lips to Celestia’s, tongue demanding entrance. Celestia moaned into Luna’s mouth and allowed Luna’s tongue to dominate her own, swallowing the fluids that Luna gave her.

        

        Zinnia pulled away from Vash, licking her lips. Her clone grinned, giving her ass a quick smack before disappearing.

        “That was nice and all,” she said, standing and gripping Vash’s member as she pressed her breasts into him. “But I’ve got a craving to be filled completely. Any idea how to satisfy that?”

        “Well,” Vash started pausing to think. “Luna still has that magic toy on her I think. And you’ve seen that Morning’s tail can make for a substitute. Think that’ll be enough?”

        Zinnia put a hand to her chin playfully, smirking. “No, but I have a better idea.” She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before turning, spotting the sisters swapping tongues on the floor. She grinned, sauntering over to them and kneeling down at their side. She reached out, gripping Luna’s shaft and making the mare cry out as it gained its purple glow, sliding out of her.

        “Z-Zinnia…” Luna whined. “W-why hast thou…”

        “Calm down, Lulu,” Zinnia giggled. Two copies of her appeared, each one holding a copy of the toy. “I’m just making things more… interesting,” they continued, talking in sync.

        “What dost thou have in mind?” Celestia asked, she and Luna sitting up.

        “We’ll need Morning first,” the Draconid said. She grinned, leaning in and taking a lick of cum from Celestia’s fur. “Mmm… blueberries!”

        “What dost thou want from me?” Morning asked, slithering up to Zinnia, finally recovered from her session.

        One of the clones slipped behind Morning, wrapping her arms around her and slipped the toy in her opening. The purple light flashed for a moment, passing to reveal that Morning had two shafts, the upper being sixteen inches long and flared like a normal pony shaft while the lower was closer to fourteen and was more pointed. Zinnia’s eyes widened slightly and a bit of drool formed at the corner of her mouth.

        “Sweet Cresselia, I thank you for this gift…” she murmured before shaking her head. “Okay, I was not expecting that. Should be fun!” she added with a grin.

        Morning blinked a few times before a blush formed on her cheeks and she whispered into Zinnia’s ear. “Dost thou have something that could cause someone to grow… female nethers. I would be interested to try these on Vash.”

        “The minute I find something like that,” Zinnia whispered back, a sly grin on her face. “I’ll bring it over. I wanna see him squirm.”

        While they talked, Zinnia’s clones had taken the toy copies and pinned the Princesses down, pressing their nethers to the sister’s faces as they traced their lips with the tips. The clones shared a look before pushing the toys down their throats, sealing the princess’s lover lips with their upper ones and using their tongues to push them in. Purple light spilled out from the corners of their mouths, and seconds later both clone’s eyes went wide as they gagged slightly, though they remained where they were until the light faded. They both pulled away, gasping for air before fading away.

        Luna sat up, smiling when she saw her dark blue, eleven inch horsecock once again standing proud between her thighs. “Ah, we do believe we know what thou wishes, Zinnia,” she cooed.

        Celestia panted on the ground, wrapping her hands around her own stark white, twelve-and-a-half inch horsecock and pumping away at it furiously. “This is a most curious feeling. But we cannot say that we are not enjoying ourselves.”

        Zinnia chuckled, straightening out and turning to the sisters. “If you think that feels good, Tia,” she said, reaching down and spreading her nether lips. Fluids streamed down her legs, quickly coating her fingers. “Then what I had planned is gonna blow. Your. Mind.”

        “Oh,” Celestia said, stopping mid-stroke. “Then, do enlighten us of thy plans.”

        Zinnia grinned, sauntering over to Luna before turning around and pressing against her shaft, slipping its length between her cheeks. “Well…” she said coyly, beckoning the solar sister over before bending over and giving her tip a lick.

        Celestia shuddered slightly and shot Zinnia a smirk. “We believe that thou hast made thy intentions clear.”

        “Good,” the Draconid smirked, before pushing back, causing Luna to fall to the the floor with a soft “Ooph!”. She grinned, lining the mare’s length up with her ass before impaling herself on it, leaning back with a content groan. “Now sit on my chest and fuck my tits! Vash, in my mouth, right now! Morning, you take the front!”

        The three did as they were told and got themselves in position. Each carefully pressing into their designated area, much to Zinnia’s delight - Vash rested his length across her face, smearing any remnants of their last session under her nose, before pushing past her lips and down her throat. Celestia straddled her waist, sliding her shaft between Zinnia’s tits and pushing them together, causing a small trickle of milk to emerge. With wide eyes she brought some to her mouth, humming in surprise at the taste. Morning took a little longer, seemingly trying to decide on which of her two members to use before shrugging and lining the lower, more pointed one up with Zinnia’s opening, pushing in with much more force than the others.

        “Mmph!” Zinnia groaned, shuddering at the feeling of being filled.

Morning shuddered as well. The feel of penetrating similar to what she did with her tail. Only this seemed a bit more, intense. She calmed herself down with a deep breath and slowly withdrew from Zinnia’s slit, staring intently at the juices coating her new length. She teased Zinnia’s vulva with the tip of her shaft for a few moments before slamming right back in.

Luna groaned, pulling back and thrusting back into Zinnia’s ass over and over. She grit her teeth as Zinnia’s walls clenched around her before bringing her hand round, smacking her ass hard. Zinnia moaned, sending vibrations around Vash’s dick, and caused her insides to tighten around Morning and Luna. Luna let out a moan of her own before she gave Zinnia’s ass three more hard smacks in succession.

        Celestia pouted with just a little jealousy as she pressed Zinnia’s breasts together around her shaft, thrusting into them. As the milk flowed from the woman’s nipples, the mare smirked, gathering it in her palm before smearing it along her length, making it easier for her to fuck the girl’s chest. Vash looked down from where he was thrusting and decided to reach out and tilt Celestia’s chin up. Then, he captured her lips in a kiss and entwined their tongues together.

        Zinnia writhed in pleasure, smiling around Vash’s shaft. She wrapped her legs around Morning, pulling her further into her and clenching her muscles. Morning moaned and picked up the pace of her own thrusts, running one of her hands along whatever she could reach.

        The throne room doors creaked open, Writher walking in and freezing moments later. He stared upon the sweating, moaning mass of bodies for a second before his eyes creased as though he were grinning, a mass of vines springing from his body.

        Morning grunted as she thrusted before letting out a loud gasp, looking down to see a mass of blue vines wrapping around her upper dick, squeezing and writhing, sending waves of pleasure through her body. She didn’t even protest as another three twisted around each other, pushing into her ass and opening up inside, wriggling around.

        Luna thrusted up into Zinnia’s ass again, moaning as something pushed against her own puckered hole and slipped inside. She looked to the side to see the small mass of blue vines - Writher, she believed Zinnia called him - with a multitude of his vines extended, three of which he had just penetrated her with.

        Celestia grinned as a number of vines appeared in her peripheral vision, wrapping around her body. They surrounded her breasts, squeezing them tightly even as more of them pushed into her ass, opening up within her. She leaned back, pushing the vines further into her.

        Vash noticed the little tentacle monster and arched an eyebrow as he pulled away from his kiss with Celestia. “Writher, what the hell are you doing here?”

        “Fuckin’ yo girls in the ass, what’s it look like?” the Tangela replied.

        “I meant where did you come from ya little smart-ass.”

        “Maid barracks.”

        “You didn’t?” Vash gasped, putting the pieces together.

        “I did.”

        “And you’re still not tired? How much stamina do you have?”

        “I had a Leppa Berry,” he shrugged.

        “Smart move,” Vash said with a slight nod. “By the way, you’d best be careful with my ladies’ backdoors. Even I haven’t had a chance with those yet. I’d hate to have to use weedkiller on a bro,” he warned with narrowed eyes. That changed, however, as Zinnia wrapped her tongue around his shaft, lightly grazing her teeth along it.

        “You’d better get back to work,” Writher chuckled. “She doesn’t handle it well when people stop without filling her.”

        Vash grumbled something to the Tangela and set back to what he was doing before Writher walked into the room, thrusting into Zinnia’s throat more forcefully than before. The woman shrieked happily, her body shaking as her orgasm rocked her body, clamping down on both Morning and Luna.

        Morning and Luna both moaned loudly as they lost themselves to Zinnia’s milking motions, releasing deep inside her. Their walls clamped down on Writher’s vines, making him smirk and work his vines harder on Celestia, causing her to cry out, shooting her own load onto Zinnia’s chin, neck and chest. Watching his lovers’ orgasms triggered Vash’s own and he thrust as deep as he could manage and unloaded deep into Zinnia’s throat.

        Writher pulled his vines away as the girls came down from their highs, watching as they removed themselves from Zinnia’s holes. The woman went limp atop Luna, cum leaking from her nethers and staining her chest white.

        “Uhh…” Zinnia moaned, her eyes rolling back. “That was awesome…”

        “Are you finally satisfied?” Vash asked, giving her hair a short stroke.

        “Hell no!” she replied, eyes sparkling with lust. “We’re going long into the night!”

        “Oh boy,” Vash said with a nervous chuckle. “Hey Writher, you got any more of those Leppa berries? I’ve got a feeling we’re going to need some too.”

        The Tangela tossed him a small brown bag, turning away and walking back to the door. “You guys have fun,” he said. “I’m going back to the maids. That one Pegasus was amazing.”

        “You let those maids get some sleep at some point, bro!” Vash called out, waving the hand holding the bag of berries. He paled as a guard stepped through the door, took one look at them, and rushed out of the room with a nosebleed. “Uh, maybe we should move to the bedroom before we go again?”

Opening Up

(Vash’s PoV)

I woke the next morning with Morning, Celestia and Luna curled up around me, kinda like the last time we all got together like that. After the morning haze cleared slightly my mind dimly noted that someone seemed to be missing. I scanned the room and I realized that Zinnia wasn’t among the cuddle pile. I got up and checked any hidden area of the room to see if she had passed out somewhere unexpected. After an extensive search that included places she couldn’t possibly fit in, I decided to extend my search to the rest of the castle. I reached into the closet and appropriated some pajama pants so I wouldn’t give anyone an unintended show, and set off on a hunt for the Draconid.

        I wandered down the hallway for a while, checking every room along the way. At one point I think I wandered in on a couple of guards going at it, since one of them was tied up and suspended from the ceiling, but I got out of there before they could see me so I can’t be sure.

        I was passing by one of the upper balconies when I heard music, making me stop and go back. Peeking round the edge of the door, I saw Zinnia dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a white version of her leather bra from yesterday, a studded black leather jacket sitting on the railing beside her, while she played a]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DfyRfZktEeeY&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNE9jxEy-IjP6AvosUQVdxqMSnVT0g]a sad sounding song from her iPod, singing along to it.[/url] I moved into the door as she poured all of her feelings into the song, just watching. She turned around once she’d finished, eyes down until she saw me, freezing.

        “V-Vash!” she cried, taking a step back. “Uh… H-how long were you…”

        “About halfway into the song,” I admitted. “Is there something on your mind?”

        She stayed quiet for a second before her eyes began to water, small tears falling down her cheeks. “Vash…” she sobbed, gripping her jacket tightly. “Am I a bad person?”

        I rushed over to her and wrapped my arms around her, softly stroking her head. “Not once have I thought you were a bad person the entire time you’ve been here. What would ever make you think that?” I asked gently.

        “Y-you know what My Little Pony is, right?” she asked, and I nodded. “Well… Darkrai, he’s trying to take over my Equestria, and he took over Rainbow Dash’s mind.” She paused as sobs wracked her body. “I-I couldn’t s-s-save her… A-and instead of telling h-her friends…” She broke down, wailing and dropping to her knees, and I went down with her. “I-instead of t-t-telling them I had s-sex with Fluttersh-shy and P-Pinkie Pie-hie-hie!”

        “Shh, hey, that doesn’t make you a bad person,” I told her, holding her tighter. “Tell me something, do you know that you fucked up?” I asked.

        “I-I’m not d-done…” she answered, burying her face in the shirt I’d thrown on. “I-I did tell them l-later… but not until S-Shy was… was raped by Darkrai…” She sniffled, eyes tight shut. “I-I wasn’t f-fast enough, Vash… I-I could have s-stopped him…”

        “Zinnia... “ I paused, looking for the right words to say. “There was nothing you could’ve done. You tried to save both of them, I’m sure that’s what matters most to them. We can’t go back in time and stop ourselves from making our mistakes. But we can correct them later on. Failure isn’t what makes someone bad Zinnia, that’s giving up. And I know you’re not the kind of person to give up.”

        She stayed quiet for a time, sniffling to herself, before wrapping her arms around me and squeezing me tight. “Th-thank you…” she murmured, eyes closed.

        “We’re family now Zinnia,” I told her with a soft stroke to the head. “And I’m always there to help my family. Whether they want it or not.”

        “...Can you shoot Darkrai in the butt?”

        “Sure, and in a heart pattern to give him an adorable tramp stamp,” I told her with a weak chuckle. I smiled as she giggled, finally beginning to cheer up.

        “Thanks again, Vash,” she said, pulling away and smiling shyly. “This has been eating at me for a while now.”

        “Don’t mention it,” I told her with a warm smile. “Just remember you can summon me any time you want if there’s something else is eating at you.” I turned, holding my arm out to her. “Now come on, let’s go see if the others are awake and we’ll all go for some pancakes.”

        “...I’d like pancakes…” she muttered, her smile growing as she shrugged her jacket on and slipped under my arm, wrapping hers around my waist. I frowned a little when I saw the streaky mascara under her eyes.

        “But first maybe we should get you a shower,” I said carefully. “Don’t want others to see the streaks, do you?”

        She giggled, grabbing a hankie from her bag and wiping at her eyes. “No, I guess not,” she said. “Not sure why I put this on. I don’t normally wear make-up.”

        “Who knows,” I said with a shrug. “That’s not important right now. Are you going to be okay?”

        “I…” she said, sighing. “I don’t know… If this happens again… If he gets to one of the girls again, and I can’t help them… I don’t know what I’ll do.” She paused, shuddering. “I lost it when I found him with Fluttershy. Melted Luna’s old bedroom into nothing but molten slag.”

        “Zinnia, I can’t promise that you’ll never have to experience anything like that ever again,” I told her with a sigh. “But… I can offer you that I will help you in whatever way I can, and I’m not the only one. I’m sure Jason feels the exact same way. We’re here for you Zinnia, whenever, however you need it. Plus, if you learn from your mistakes instead of hiding from them you’ll go far.”

        “Thanks Vash… but that’s not all I’m scared about,” ZInnia sighed. “My transformation, the other day… I can’t control it. It happens whenever I get really angry, and I just lose all control. I’m afraid that one day, I’ll change… and I’ll hurt someone.”

        “You’re not the only one with a power they can’t control,” I told her as I showed her my armband. “Do you know anything about Trigun?” I asked.

        “I was going to start watching it…” she said, chuckling darkly. “But then Ace disappeared. You know what happened after that. So no, I don’t. Why?”

        “Well, I’m a lot like you. I look human now, but I’m not. Not entirely anyway. My arm… it can shift, transform into a powerful cannon. One that could take out an entire city. And I don’t know how to control it,” I told her with a dark sigh.

        “Oh…” she said simply. “Uh… Couldn’t you just, like… not use it?”

        “That’s the point of the armband, but… there are things that could cause it to go off without me wanting it to.”

        “Damn…” Zinnia breathed, staring at the arm in question. “Well… If there’s ever a time you actually need to shoot it, feel free to come over. I’m sure Darkrai would just love one of those to the face.”

        “It’s a promise,” I told her with a smile.

        We rounded the corner into the bedroom, seeing Morning sat on the end of the bed and neither Celestia or Luna anywhere to be seen. “You okay Morning?” Zinnia asked, sitting next to her.

        “Hmm, I am fine,” Morning answered. “Where have the two of thee been this early in the morning?

        “...talking…” Zinnia muttered, fidgeting with her hands. “Where’d the princesses go?”

        “Celestia went to raise the sun and Luna went to go freshen up,” Morning answered as she stretched.

        “Ah, okay,” the Draconid said, nodding. “Well, we were going to get some pancakes. You wanna come with?”

        “Food sounds wonderful,” Morning said with a smile and a nod. “I am famished this morning.”

        “Great!” I cheered with a big grin. “Then let us make haste to the dining room and ransack the castle for all its pancakes!” I finished pointing out of the door before offering both of the girls an arm.

        “Yay!” Zinnia cried. “Pancakes!”

        “Must thou always act like children?” Morning asked with a small smile, shaking her head.

        “Yes,” I chimed.

        “It’s fun.” Zinnia added.

        Morning chuckled as we made our way towards the dining hall. “Thou art lucky I love thee, Vash.”

        “What about me!?” Zinnia asked.

        “Thou art growing on me, Zinnia,” Morning said with a wink.

        “Yes!”

Jason sighed as he stared up at the morning sky, lost deep in thought. Heimdal was curled up on his lap, snoozing peaceful, letting out a small puff of smoke every so often. He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, just listening to the wind as it blew through the forest.

“Jason!?” Zinnia’s voice called out, and the Jotun looked up to find her leaning over a balcony, seemingly scouring the distance. “Jason! Where are you!?”

“Come on out sleepyhead!” I called out next to her. “We’ve got pancakes!”

Jason sighed, standing up, carefully shifting Heimdal. “Will you two keep it down? The kids are still asleep!” he hissed, glaring up at them.

        “Sorry!” the two of us called out, much softer than before. Zinnia spread her wings, wrapping an arm around me and flying us down gently.

        “We didn’t see you at breakfast,” she said, holding the plate out. “So we brought you these. I can hold Heimdal if you want.”

        “I wanted to hold the baby,” I pouted, slumping over.

“You can hold the others if you want,” Jason said quietly, gesturing to a small picnic blanket where the other little ones were cuddled up, sleeping peacefully.

“Yes,” I beamed as I sat down and scooped up the closest baby.

“Sorry I wasn’t at breakfast, I just...” Jason sighed, sitting back down against a tree, “I needed some time to think.”

“What’s up” Zinnia asked, gently rocking Heimdal in her arms. She sat opposite the Jotun, smiling sweetly. “You can talk to us. Hell, we’ve unloaded plenty on each other this morning…”

“Yeah, I told her all about my Angel Arm and everything,” I commented.

Jason let out a long sigh, going quiet for a moment. “I’ve...killed a lot of people you know...several thousand actually...”

“Woah…” Zinnia breathed. “That many? Sweet Arceus…”

“Wow… I can’t even begin to imagine what that must be like.”

“The first person I ever killed was Trenderhoof. He took Dash’s legs and I just...I lost it. I turned him into paste...” Jason went quiet, gently stroking Heimdal’s head.

“Jason…” Zinnia sighed, shuffling closer and leaning her head on his shoulder. She smiled up at him when he turned a questioning gaze to her. “You care about people, and you want to protect them. That’s nothing to be ashamed about.” She giggled lightly. “It’s okay that you feel this way, you know. If you didn’t feel bad, that’s when I’d start to worry about you.”

“Yeah, and I told you when we first met that I didn’t judge you for doing what you do,” I told him, taking a seat next to him as well. “You’re you, and whatever that means, you’re our family. No matter how high your body-count is.”

“Then why does it feel so good when I’m in battle...?” he asked softly, “The rush of blade on blade, that constant fear that you’ll make a mistake, the feeling of satisfaction when you end your opponent’s life...I love it all...”

“You think I don’t get that?” Zinnia chuckled. “Jason, we’re warriors. Right down to our blood, we were born to fight, to test ourselves against the strongest enemies. I get it because I’m a Dragon, one of the most prideful races in all of history. You, however, are freakin’ Norse God level. Everything that springs from their loins is built to fight.”

“It’s just...I ran into this kid, his name’s Lance, I was blasted to his world along with that bitch Eclispe,” Jason spat, his eyes glowing red with hate. “I was going to end it there, I was going to kill her and he points his gun at me. Telling me if I did it I’d be a murderer, a killer. Kid doesn’t know a thing about actual combat.”

“Sparkplug got you to stop?” Zinnia asked, shaking her head sadly. “Poor kid… what’s he gonna do when he goes up against a homicidal maniac like the Joker? Pull a Batman? Throw him in a cell and just wait ‘till they break out?” She sighed, closing her eyes. “I just hope Max can teach him that sometimes, it’s okay to commit the lesser of two evils…”

“The worst part is, while I’m sitting there talking to him, she managed to cast Ultima and leveled the entire city.”

I flinched at the mention of leveling an entire city. “So, this… Eclipse was just okay with taking a city’s worth of lives?” I asked in a low voice.

“Sounds like Darkrai,” Zinnia muttered. “Except he’d enslave them, then destroy their lives. Might kill a couple for fun.” She snarled, her fangs extending slightly. “Might even choose a couple he likes for personal use…”

“Eclipse is Nightmare Moon reborn, through the Omnitrix. She used it to clone my body, and create her own Omnitrix. She rules over Svartalfheim and the dark elves. She recently invaded Vanaheim and almost wiped out the Breezies...” Jason explained, “Don’t worry about them though, Twilight managed to win their lives back from Hel while she was dead.”

“Twilight died?!” Zinnia hissed. “How? Eclipse again?”

“Yeah. She died in battle protecting the last of the Breezies.” Jason smiled a little in pride. “But she’s back now, managed to win back the Breezies, all the soldiers we lost, and her own life from Hel, but...I think Hel may have been going easy on her.”

“Wow, I can’t even begin to articulate my thoughts on this.” I said as I layed down on the blanket. “Do… do you think I’ll have to deal with things like the two of you are going through at some point?”

“Vash...” Jason sighed, looking at me, “You’re a thousand years in the past, most threats to the base Equestrian timeline were sealed away now and break out then. I could even list them for you, right now if you’d like.”

“Would listing them off really help me deal with them? Also, when you said Nightmare Moon,” I started, getting up and looking Jason in the eye. “Who is she?”

Zinnia and Jason shared a quick, unsure glance. Jason sighed, taking in a deep breath.

“Vash I’m sorry… Nightmare Moon is Luna...”

“Though to be fair…” Zinnia chimed. “In my world, she was brainwashed… Not sure how that makes you feel, but…”

“In mine and most others, she gave into her loneliness, her jealousy, and her resentment and became a monster,” Jason held his hand out, and an image came into view. It was a four-legged alicorn, her fur as black as night and her mane and tail like flowing star fields. Her eyes were slitted much like a cat.

She opened her mouth, baring fangs. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"

“That is Nightmare Moon Vash, the monster Luna became, hellbent on trapping Equestria in an eternal night. She fought Celestia here and destroyed the castle. With no way to get through to Luna, Celestia had to seal her away on the moon for a thousand years.”

I had to fight the urge to reach out to the image in Jason’s hand, tears welling up in my eyes as everything Chrysalis said in the infirmary came rushing back. “Do you think my being here will do anything to prevent her from becoming that?” I asked.

“Vash...I...”Jason stopped, not finding the right words, “If it doesn’t happen, everything Zinnia and I know about Equestria won’t happen. Twilight Sparkle and her friends won’t become the elements of harmony, Discord might not be reformed, the list goes on and on but if you do want to stop it, I won’t stop you.”

“...It’s gonna be like a Doctor Who episode,” Zinnia mumbled, shaking her head. “A fixed point in time that has to happen, no matter how you don’t want it to. Maybe you can postpone it, maybe you can change it a little, but some way, it will happen. I’m sorry, Vash.”

I didn’t know whether to feel angry or sad at that moment, so I just chose both. “That’s it?!” I hissed, tears streaming down my face as I looked at the Draconid. “I’m just supposed to sit back and watch as one of the mares I love is sealed away for a thousand years? And for what? Some timeline that I never asked to be a part of?! Why?! Why would that… Displacer send me to this time? I wasn’t supposed to be anyone special! I was just going to be a face in the crowd and if I got lucky I’d be one of a few dozen engineers that would make a piece of a space shuttle or something!” I vented, hyperventilating.

“Heroes aren’t born Vash, they’re made,” Jason said, looking into my eyes, “You might not have asked for this, none of us did. Hell, not even a year ago, I was just a college slacker, you think I had any idea I had the blood of gods and giants in me?”

“Yeah, but you do have the blood of gods in you. All I have is an arm that’ll kill me if I use it too much that I can’t control.” I replied, not even looking at the two.

“Vash, unlike Zinnia, I don’t believe anything HAS to happen. I don’t believe in fate. I believe we make our own choices of our own free will.” Jason reached out, placing his hand on my shoulder. “If you want to change things, I believe you can.”

“And you know…” the woman said, looking thoughtful. “It’s not always Luna. It could be Celestia, or even someone else entirely. We don’t know.”

“That doesn’t exactly help, Zinnia,” I told her with narrowed eyes.

“I’m just sayin’,” she shrugged, a hand held up defensively. “It could be anyone. Could even be you.”

“And how would it be me?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow. “I’m not all magical and stuff.”

Zinnia just shrugged. “The Nightmare is a parasite that feeds on your negative emotions. It amplifies your abilities and makes you into the most evil version of yourself you can possibly be.” She sighed. “Look, all we’re saying is… be careful. Keep an eye on your girls, Vash. A lot of the things Equestria goes through in the future could have been solved in this time - like the Changelings.”

“Yeah, no pressure there,” I said with a sigh.

“If it makes you feel better my Equestria is already more different that yours. You should have seen when Twilight’s library didn’t explode.” Jason smirked. “That crystal castle is so ugly.”

“I don’t think I’m that far yet,” Zinnia chuckled. “Hel said something about her being a Princess.”

“Yeah. That’s...season 4 I think? Then came that weird unicorn who made a sameness cult. I wasn’t there for that but you should ask Chrissy about it, she went ballistic when she found out Rarity and the girls had their cutie marks stolen.”

“Hold up, season four?” I asked as the gears in my head worked overtime. “Wait a minute… Jason, your mom was apparently a character in that old My Little Pony cartoon. And now… we’re all in worlds filled with talking ponies. We-we’re in a world based off of a cartoon too, aren’t we?” I asked, brain melting.

        “Oh, yeah,” Zinnia said with a sigh. “Though it’ll get much darker than the original show. I think. Never watched it myself, that was more Ace’s thing.”

        “I actually got the first season on DVD last time I visited Midgard,” Jason said, a large grin on his face.

        “I thought Discord was going to be the most confusing thing I’d have to deal with,” I muttered to myself. “Nope, turns out it was multiverse BS and finding out that my life is a cartoon.”

“Well actually Vash...” Jason started, his grin growing, “Our lives are chronicled by people writing fanfictions about said pony cartoon. Why even right now they’re typing away, writing down our thoughts and words.”

“Wait what?” I asked my left eye twitching. “You’re screwing with me, right?”

“No I’m really not, even as we speak our ‘authors’,” he air quoted, “Are typing away. I was pretty messed up as well when Hodge first told me that but they’re just chronicling our lives as the ideas enter their minds, they don’t actually control us or anything.”

“I… I give up,” I said with a sigh. “I am done being surprised by things like this. If you told me that I’m going to become an alicorn princess in the future then I’m just going to shrug it off and say, ‘neat’,” I finished turning my attention to the baby in my arms.

“Vash, you REALLY shouldn’t give Hodge ideas.”

“Don’t care, mind turned to mush over here,” I answered, playing peekaboo with the baby. Little Hakol laughed, clapping his hooves together with a coo.

“You’re pretty good with kids, Vash,” Zinnia giggled. “You had experience or something?”

“Yup, my brother was a few years younger than me so I helped my mom whenever I could. Plus, I watched after a few kids to help pay for expenses while I was in college. Doesn’t hurt that I genuinely love kids. Especially when they’re this cute!” I finished, lifting Hakol up above my head.

The little unicorn squealed, kicking his legs around.

“You know...Hakol actually used to be Luna’s husband.” Jason explained, starting to eat his now cold pancakes.

I narrowed my eyes and gave Hakol a playful grin. “You better not get any ideas about my Luna little guy. Otherwise I’d have to do something like… this.” I said as I tickled Hakol on the stomach. He squealed louder, gently pushing at my hands with his tiny hooves.

Zinnia giggled, smiling happily. “You are so babysitting for me if Whiplash can’t,” she said, grinning at me.

“Can do, I won’t even charge you for it,” I told her with a grin of my own.

“Hakol used to be King Sombra, even had a son with Luna, Grey Ghost,” Jason paused taking another bite of his pancakes, “These are really good...”

“Hold on, did Grey Ghost sound like Adam West?” I asked with a grin.

“I met him and no, he didn’t, he actually sounded like Batman Beyond.”

“Heh, that’s pretty cool. So how did this Sombra end up as this adorable tyke?” I asked as I patted Hakol on the head, careful to avoid his horn.

“Well...Sombra kind of turned into a shadow monster and the Crystal Heart destroyed him. Grey Ghost managed to use his horn to reincarnate him into Hakol.” Hakol cooed, grabbing my hand in his little hooves, starting to chew on my fingers.

“Awww, you’d never become a shadow monster, would you little guy?” I cooed at the little unicorn chewing on my hand.

“You never know,” Zinnia chimed, having laid back with Heimdal on her chest, staring at the sky. “He might have exactly the same abilities as Sombra, but, you know… good.”

Heimdal chittered, nibbling on Zinnia’s hair, drooling on her chest a little.

“Maybe, hopefully all of our guidance will help him turn into an upstanding citizen.”

“Hopefully,” Jason licked his lips pushing his plate away. “Man...those were good.”

“Thanks, Zinnia and I made them ourselves with the help of Morning,” I told him with a smile.

“You two do great wor...” Jason stopped, his eyes wide in horror.

“Uh Jason, what’s wrong?” I asked putting a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t get food poisoning, did you?”

“Zinnia...I just realized the worst thing ever...”

“What’s up?” she asked, sitting up and frowning worriedly. “Jason, what is it?”

“Your universe is one of Yggdrasil’s realms now right?”

“Yeah…” She frowned, leaning closer. “Jay, what are you getting on about?”

“Eclipse and Darkrai.” he stated simply.

“Oh, I see what you’re getting at,” I said with a nervous gulp. “Hey, how did your Equestria become one of the realms anyway?” I asked Zinnia, an idea forming in my head.

“Uh…” she muttered. “Hel said it was something like Yggdrasil was feeling grabby and just liked mine, so…”

“Do you think we could find a way to get Yggdrasil to grab my Equestria?” I asked.

“That tree mostly does what it wants,” Jason said, shrugging, “I mean we could try but Vash... you do realize if it does, your world would be subject to Ragnarok right?”

“I guess you’ve got a point,” I said with a sigh. “I was just thinking that since you’re able to travel between Yggdrasil’s realms the three of us could act as a warning system to each other if Eclipse or Darkrai did something.”

“Ragnarok isn’t a bad thing Vash, it keeps the realms going, they’ll never end.” Jason picked up Freya, kissing her head gently.

“Did it already happen once?” I asked. “You did say that Odin and the other gods besides Hel were dead.”

“It’s happened more times than anyone can count. It allows Yggdrasil to renew itself and the realms. As long as the cycle remains unbroken, they will always exist.”

“Okay, then let’s just assume that Yggdrasil does take a liking to my universe,” I said looking between the two. “What do you think of the idea?”

“We won’t really have a say in the matter,” Jason shrugged, “It’s a timeless eldritch being of unknowable age and power.”

“I was referring to being a warning system for each other. If we’re all attached to the world tree together we could probably respond quickly if anything happens.”

“That makes sense,” Zinnia said, nodding sagely. “I wonder if we could convince Hel to see if she could… influence it a little.”

“You’ll have to talk to her when you get back,’ Jason nodded, “But Vash... I hope you know what you're getting into here.”

“Nope, I’m winging it here!” I told him with a grin. “It’s worked for me so far and I’m riding this gravy train to the station.”

“It certainly worked last night~” Zinnia cooed, nudging me and wiggling her eyebrows.

“Well, I did have some help there,” I told her with a wink.

“Seriously, my throat still hurts,” she chuckled.

“That’s enough Zinnia, don’t wanna scar the babies after all,” I said as I gave Hakol a little hug. Hakol giggled, returning my hug, nuzzling my side.

“Oh, alright,” she said, smiling as Heimdall stirred, letting out an adorable little yawn.

“Ooh, speaking of babies, what do you think the two newborns will look like?” I asked with a wistful smile.

“I dunno about yours,” the Draconid said with a smirk, straightening out. “But my daughter is going to have her mother’s beauty and her father’s strength. She’ll be the perfect little Amazon.”,

“Well, what are you hoping our kid’ll be like Jason?” I asked, turning to him.

“Normal. No extra heads, no weird skin pigmentation, just a normal kid,” Jason asserted, petting Freya’s head.

“Hmm, I was thinking something like my eyes but your hair,” I said with a chuckle.

“There’s nothing special about my hair Vash.”

“I like it,” I said with a shrug. “Plus, it’s not like I’m a natural blonde anyway.”

“Me too,” Zinnia giggled, reaching out and running her hand through his luscious locks. “So soft…”

“Hey come on!” Jason batted at her hand, a blush forming on his face.

“Don’t be like that Jason,” I told him as I rested a hand on his shoulder. “We’re just paying you a compliment. Isn’t that right Hakol?” I asked, grinning down at the foal. “Tell your daddy how pretty he is.”

Hakol giggled, babbling happy, flailing his limbs around.

“See, Hakol agrees,” I beamed at the Jotun.

Jason huffed, crossing his arms, looking away from us.

        “Okay, I’ll stop poking fun,” I said with a chuckle. “What are you hoping as far as personality goes? Do you want the baby to take after you more or what?”

“Doesn’t really matter to me,” Jason said with a shrug, letting Freya chew on one of his fingers, “Just as long as they're not a psychopath...”

        “Well, I don’t think there was a family history of mental illness in my family,” I said as I scratched my chin. “Then again, I don’t think my DNA is what it used to be so I doubt the family history thing matters. What about you Zinnia?” I asked looking at the Draconid. “Do you want your daughter to take after mommy?”

        Zinnia thought on that for a moment. “Well…” she said, unsure. “Yeah, I’d love to bond with her over things she inherited from me, but at the same time…” She paused, looking down at her hands. “With my transformations…”

        “Yeah, I get that. Oh, I asked Jason this when we were ‘hostages’ together, but have you thought of a name for your daughter?” I asked with a hopeful smile.

        She was quiet for a minute before a wistful smile crossed her lips. “...Rita.”

        “That’s a cool name, does it have some significance to you?”

        “Rita… was my grandma’s name,” Zinnia said with a smile, staring up at the sky. “She took me in when my parents kicked me out. She supported me through everything. And sadly, she passed away while I was in the asylum, leaving me with no family that cared.”

        “I’m sorry to hear that. She sounds like she was a great person.”

        “She was…” The Draconid chuckled, shaking her head. “You know, she would have loved you two. And Umbra.”

        “Really, I would’ve loved to meet her then,” I said with a smile. “Our relationships would’ve been a little weird to explain though.”

        “You think?” she laughed. “Grandma told me some of her stories. She would go out to the beach and show off her legs, Vash. Her legs!”

        “Heh, sounds like you take after Granny,” I chuckled.

“Sounds like a fun woman.” Jason nodded.

        “Huh, this has been nice, but I think I need to get started on the Changeling village.” I said, carefully getting up. “Do you two want to help with that? I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure why not, let’s just drop the kids off first,” Jason instructed, carefully picking up the still sleeping Sif.

        “Aww, do we have to?” I asked, clutching Hakol to my chest. “Can’t I bring one along to have as a little helper?” I pleaded.

        “No,” Zinnia deadpanned. “We’re going to a construction site. No children.”

        “Fine,” I relented slumping over. “You make a good point.”

        “Good boy,” she tittered. “Now give the kids to me, I’ll take them to Chryssi and Rares then meet you two at the site.”

        I reluctantly gave Hakol to Zinnia and watched as she walked away with the rest of the babies. “Alright, let’s get this started. Can’t avoid my job forever after all. Jason, would you kindly teleport us to the site?”

“A man chooses, a slave obeys,” he commented, giving me a stern look.  “Yeah come on.” he placed his hand on my shoulder, teleporting us away. We reappeared a few seconds later in the middle of the construction site. After I shook off the nausea I looked around and saw that nothing had been started yet.

        “Okay Jason, can you go see what needs to be organized while I go check on the plans and make sure they’re up to snuff?”

“Right, tight,” he said with a nod,

        I nodded back to him and found the tent where one of the supervisors was working. I asked to see their plans and I looked them over with a frown. They were going to make actual thatched-roof cottages. Plus, I didn’t like the proposed layout. I sat down with the supervisors and together we came up with a better plan. With our plans redone I walked out to catch up with Jason. I found him while he was about to lift a heavy load.

        “Hey Jason, sorry I took so long. I had to give the team a stern talking to. They were going to make thatched-roof cottages, can you believe that?”

“Heh... burnination...” he smirked, shaking his head.

        “Well Trogdor won’t come in the night on my watch,” I replied with a chuckle. “I’m making this as modern of a village as I can.”

        “Hey guys!” Zinnia called suddenly, landing behind us. “Sorry that took so long, Heimdal just didn’t want me to leave!” She paused, chuckling as she looked around. “So… what’s the plan?”

        “Well, if you have any skill with carpentry or any other construction then you could come help me. If not, then you can just do the legwork with Jason here,” I commented giving Jason a pat on the shoulder.

        “Eh,” she shrugged. “I’m more of a demolition girl. You need anything clearin’, I’ll have it out of there.” She paused, grinning slightly. “Ten seconds flat.”

        “I’m sure we’ll need to cut down a few trees to get a line to the nearby river,” I told her with a nod. “Just make sure you’re careful, we don’t want to disturb the environment too much.”

        “Okay, no problem,” she said with a nod. “Which is the nearest edge to the river, I’ll clear a path. I’ll even dig a trench if you want.”

        “Uhh, go check with one of the other supervisors. I’m sure they’ll have a map for you. As for the trench… that might actually come in handy for burying the pipes and things like that,” I thought aloud. She paused, looking around. “And if there’s a quarry nearby, I can melt the stone down to line the bottom and re-harden it, like a proper waterway. Keep it all clean.”

“I can handle the melting,” Jason commented, conjuring up a fireball in his hand.

        “And I can handle the pipework and the various other tasks that come with construction,” I said with a chuckle.

        “A perfect team, if ever there was one!” Zinnia laughed.

        “Yup, now let’s get this village built as quickly as we can!” I said with a big grin. We then nodded and went about the tasks that we chose and began to build the changeling village. Zinnia quickly and carefully cleared some trees away while I began to mark spots for buildings and pipes to be buried. After that I started to assist with some of the foundation work. I made sure that everything was as close to the plans as I possibly could. At one point I decided to look over to see how Zinnia and Jason were doing.

Zinnia had just finished with cutting through the last tree, lifting it effortlessly and dropping it onto a pile with the rest of them. She quickly turned back to the stump left behind, bracing herself against it as a white sheen overtook her body and she ripped it out of the ground. She straightened out, wiping the sweat from her brow. She waved when she saw me, a contagious smile on her face. I smiled and waved in return and walked over to her.

“Good job, Zinnia.”

"Thanks dude," she said, breathing heavily. "Is it just me or is it hot out here today?"

“Yeah it is a little warm. Then again, I always wear a heavy duster so I’m probably not the best one to ask. How about I get you some water and you take a rest?” I asked.

"Thanks Vash…" she replied, turning to the river. "I think I'll have a seat over here…" she added, walking over almost drunkenly and kicking her shoes off. I blushed slightly when she dropped her jeans, kicking those off too and climbing into the water in just her underwear.

“Be careful in there,” I told her as I turned to get the water. “We don’t know what all lives in there. There might even be a river monster,” I told her with a chuckle.

“Nng…” she groaned, leaning back against the riverbank. “That would be welcomed…”

“Zinnia, are you okay?” I asked turning back to her.

“I…” she breathed, eyes lidded. “I’m fine… just… really hot…”

“Well, you’ve always been hot,” I said with a chuckle.

“No… I mean, like…” She paused, squirming. “Burning… between my legs…”

“... Zinnia I think you might be going through heat,” I told her blankly.

“That…” She paused, groaning loudly. “Yeah… That’d do it…”

“Maybe you should ask one of the mares if they have any advice for dealing with heat,” I suggested. “I’ve only gone through one heat so I’m not exactly an expert.” She just nodded, slowly sinking further into the water with her eyes closed.

“I-I’ll ask Whiplash…” she said, now neck-deep in the gently flowing waters. “When I get back… I’ll… Yeah…”

“Okay, you take as long as you need in there. You’ve done good work by the way,” I said as I turned to go get her some water to drink before getting back to work. Hours passed and evening fell on the construction site. I flopped down to the ground as I finished one last task. “Uggh, somebody kill me. I can’t feel my arms,” I groaned.

“Vash…” Zinnia panted, crawling out of the river. “Can… Can I borrow a few maids tonight? And a couple guards? And maybe the blacksmith?”

“Uhh do you mean me when you say the blacksmith or my friend Hammerfall?” I asked, looking over to her.

“...Both…”

“And are you asking to borrow us for the reason I think you are?”

“Yeah…”

“I’ll ask Hammer if he’d be willing but I think he might be a little too old fashioned for random sexual acts. And I think that a lot of the maids are recovering after their encounter with Writher last night.” I explained as I walked over to her.

“Writher…” she mumbled, eyes glossing over. “...Oh yeah…”

“Actually, I could just ask Starswirl to cast a spell on you that will suppress your symptoms for a while,” I said, offering her a hand up as I remembered that factoid.

Zinnia attempted to stand, her legs shaking, and seconds later she collapsed onto me. “Y-yeah… even I can’t handle this…”

“Okay, let’s get Jason to teleport us back to the castle. I don’t think you can fly in this condition,” I told her as I led her carefully through the site. “Jason! we need you to teleport us out of here!” I called out.

Jason was busy munching on an apple, watching the construction unfold before him. I walked over to him with a trembling Zinnia in tow. “Jason, I’m glad I found you,” I told him with a weak grin.

“Hm?” he looked up, a bit of apple juice running down his face.

“Zinnia’s having a bit of an issue so we need you to teleport us to the castle,” I explained.

“Not until I finish my apple.”

“Jason, can’t you just teleport us and finish your apple in the castle?” I asked, trying not to get annoyed.

“Nope.” he said, taking a loud, obnoxious bite of said apple.

“Is there any particular reason for this, or are you screwing with us for the fun of it?” I deadpanned.

He shrugged, closing his eyes, chewing rather slowly.

“Damn it Jay, I’m in heat and unless you want me to use you to relieve it I suggest you teleport us now!” Zinnia growled.

“Sounds good to me!” he smirked, tossing the apple over his shoulder..

“So you’ll teleport us?” I asked with a hopeful smile.

“Sure why not?” he asked with a shrug. “I was worried I wasn’t going to uh...have some fun like this...”

I blinked a few times at that admission. “Jason, are your hormones acting up due to the pregnancy?” I asked, carefully so I’d avoid getting him angry.

“Probably. I honestly have no idea.” he shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t really know all that much about jotun.”

“Actually, speaking of fun… you did have some with me when we were drunk. Are you… attracted to both sexes, or was that the alcohol?”

“Vash, I’m a shapeshifter, I have done some weird ass shit in bed. Doing it as the opposite gender does not bother me in the least.”

“So that’s a yes,” I said with a nod. “I only asked because I hate being presumptuous about other people. That’s gotten me in trouble in the past.”

“I bet it has.”

“Well, now that that’s out of the way, maybe we should teleport to the castle now?” I asked with a weak chuckle.

“P-please…” Zinnia moaned, blushing furiously. “Hurry…”

Jason smirked, pulling Zinnia into a deep kiss. He put his hand on my arm, teleporting us away. When we reappeared a few moments later I was slackjawed at what had just happened.

‘I did not see that one coming.’

Zinnia moaned hungrily into the kiss, her arms flying around Jason’s neck and pulling him closer.

‘I saw that one coming though. Now, should I leave, or stay and see if anything interesting happens to me,’ I thought, my brow furrowed deeply. ‘Screw it, I’ll just stay right here.’

I watched as Zinnia pushed Jason back against a wall, pressing her entire body against his, her hands grabbing at his clothes and pulling at them almost desperately.

“I know, I want it too...” Jason muttered, slipping the dress over his head, standing there in just a pair of panties.

‘I’m starting to think they’ve forgotten I’m even here,’ I mused to myself. ‘Either that or they don’t care. Either way, I’m not really complaining.’

“Mnah… Jason…” the Draconid moaned, tearing their underwear away without a care. “I need you…”

“Well then...” Jason shivered, pulling her into another deep kiss. She moaned loudly, leaning in and reaching up to knead his breasts roughly, their tongues wrestling for dominance. After a while, she pulled away, breathing heavily as she stared into Jason’s eyes before dropping to her knees, lifting his leg and diving in.

I pulled out my phone again and discreetly took a picture, ‘I was wrong, this is going to be my new wallpaper.’

        Jason moaned throatily as Zinnia helped herself to his slit, grabbing the back of her head and pushing her further in. He turned to me, winking with a sly grin.

        I blushed a bit, not knowing how to react to that. ‘I guess that answers my earlier question.’

“Well?” he asked, holding in a moan.

“Oh, uh, what would you like me to do?” I asked.

Zinnia leaned back, breathing heavily with a clear coat of Jason’s juices on her chin. “Take that magnificent cock of yours out,” she breathed. “And fuck us!”

That got my and a certain body part’s attention and I started throwing clothes off as fast as I could. Less than a minute later, I was standing completely in the buff, already starting to stiffen.

        Jason purred at the sight, smirking as he rested his hand on Zinnia’s head. “He’s mine,” she said, glaring lightly down at the Draconid. “Any objections to that?”

        Zinnia blushed, eyes wide as she looked up at him. “N-no…” she stammered, pressing her legs together. “...M-Master…”

        ‘Okay, that’s seriously hot,’ I thought with a dopey smile.

        “I’m yours huh?” I asked with a quick laugh. “What all does that entail?”

        “You,” Jason said, pointing at me. “Are going to put that,” he pointed at my shaft. “In me.”

        “Fair enough, any position you’d prefer, or are you just gonna keep standing up?”

“Surprise me.”

“As you wish,” I said as I pressed up against Jason and kissed her as I pushed her against the closest wall. I then reached and lightly kneaded a breast while my other hand gripped an asscheek. The thought that Jason was originally male only went through my mind for an instant as I felt the womanly curves beneath me. I then started to move my hips slightly, dragging my shaft along the outer lips between Jason’s legs. I continued this motion for a while, coating my length in Jason’s juices. Then, I bent my knees a bit, lining myself up with the entrance, and pressed inside slowly.

Jason moaned pleasantly, arching his back as I slid inside. Something rubbed up on my leg after a minute, and I looked down to see Zinnia, on all fours, looking up at us pathetically. I quirked an eyebrow at her behavior as I continued to slowly press forward.

“Zinnia, what are you doing?” I asked.

She whimpered slightly before answering. “M-Master claimed you… b-but I’m so wet…”

“Well, what do you want us to do about it?” I asked, fighting off a devious smirk. “And be specific, we can’t help otherwise.”

“P-please…” the Draconid whimpered. “I-I just… I-I need to be f-fucked…”

“Zinnia, what did I tell you about being specific,” I told her with a cross look. “Now, how do you want us to fuck you. And if you aren’t specific you’ll be punished.”

        Zinnia’s blush spread to her ears and she averted her eyes for a second before answering. “I-I want to be used as your cocksleeve, while Master uses my face as a seat. I-I want to be used completely, abused, I want to be your toy, your property.”

        I reached down and patted Zinnia on the head with my right arm. “Very good, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” I said with a grin. “Now, what do you think we should do, Jay?”

        “I suppose we could give her what she wants,” Jason mused with an off putting grin. “Now, get into the proper position.” Jason ordered, pointing at the floor.

Zinnia nodded, quickly spinning around and raising her ass into the air, pressing her face to the floor. “Please enjoy my body, Masters.”

“That’s not the proper position,” Jason reprimanded with a sharp slap on Zinnia’s ass, making her yelp. “You said you wanted me to sit on your face. How am I supposed to do that when you’re like this?”

“I-I’m sorry Master!” the Draconid cried desperately, quickly flipping onto her back. “Please forgive me!”

“I might,” Jason mused walking over to her. “If you do a good job.” And then, Jason flopped down onto her face with very little grace. He cried out seconds later as Zinnia dug in greedily, lapping at his folds.

I watched them for a few moments before deciding to do anything. I got down on my knees in front of Zinnia, lining up my length with her folds, and pressed as much of myself into her as I could with one rough thrust, making her cry out and Jason to moan in bliss. I took that as my cue to continue and withdrew my member until only the tip was left inside, and stayed like that for a moment or so. Then, I pressed inside with more force than before and buried myself to the hilt.

Zinnia writhed about on the floor, reaching up and gripping Jason’s hips tightly, pushing her face into his folds more vigorously and making him pant with pleasure. I watched as she shifted, her fingers dancing down his skin until they reached the little nub of sensitive nerves that was his clit, pinching and twisting it slightly. This caused Jason to stifle a moan, trying to keep up the dominant air. I decided to reward Zinnia a bit. I picked up the pace of my thrusts and used my right hand to toy with her clit, just like she was doing to Jason. She arched her back, crying out as her walls clamped down on me, mashing her thumb into Jason’s clit. The Jotun’s eyes widened as his own orgasm crashed down, soaking Zinnia’s face with his juices. The sight of the two in the throes of ecstasy was enough to send me over the edge, letting out a sharp cry as I filled Zinnia’s waiting tunnel.

Jason panted, sliding back off of Zinnia’s face. The Draconid panted happily, staring up at the ceiling with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. I let out a small sigh of relief as I sat on the floor.

“Whew, that was nice.” I then took a look at the still recovering Draconid. “But I don’t think you’re done yet, pet. Don’t you think you should clean me off?” I joked with a shake of my hips. Zinnia glanced to me with a lidded gaze before nodding, shifting on to her knees before crawling over. She pressed her face into my shaft, licking off every drop of cum left over.

“Good girl,” I told her with a stroke to her head. “Feeling better?”

She looked up at me with clouded eyes full of lust, whining pathetically. “Yes Master,” she whimpered. “Thank you Master.”

“Master? Vash, what hast thou done!?” I heard a familiar voice cry. I turned around and saw a shocked looking Morning, Luna and Celestia staring at us. I looked back at Zinnia between my legs and my three marefriends and let out a nervous chuckle.

“Uhh, I can explain.”

“Mistress Morning, Mistress Celestia, Mistress Luna!” Zinnia cried suddenly, smiling up at them. “Have you come to pleasure yourselves with my body too?”

“Vash, what has brought this on?” Celestia asked. “Zinnia seems more brazen than usual.”

“Long story short,” I started. “Zinnia’s in heat, and Jason’s hormones are starting to pick up.”

“Yes,” Zinnia nodded, turning and presenting herself to the mares. “So please Mistresses, use my body as you see fit.”

“Vash, why is Zinnia calling us mistress and thou master?” Morning asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Is this one of thy schemes?”

“No, I just think her heat is causing a bit of a submissive streak.”

“I can stop if you want,” the Draconid breathed, standing up. Her face suddenly hardened before she growled out “I could use a new pet.”

I let out a nervous chuckle at that and stood up. “I don’t think they were complaining, Zinnia. They were just curious.”

Just as soon as it had come, Zinnia’s edge faded, and she dropped to her knees again. “M-my apologies Master.”

“Just make sure you don’t do it again,” I told her with a slight edge in my voice.

“Vash, may we have a word with thee,” Morning said as she wrapped her tail around my neck and leading me around a corner with Luna and Celestia close behind. When we were out of earshot Morning let me go and shot me a stern look. “Vash, dearest, why art thou allowing Zinnia to prostrate herself like this?”

“Well, I’d rather deal with sub Zinnia rather than dom Zinnia. This way, she can work out the symptoms of her first heat with minimal amounts of damage to the castle.”

“This is Zinnia’s first heat?” Luna asked in shock. “No wonder her behavior is so erratic.”

“Yeah, so I know it might not be the nicest idea, but I figured keeping her like this until her heat dies down might be the best way to keep her from doing something crazy.”

“Verily, we agree with thee, Vash,” Celestia said with a nod. “Now, perhaps we should go check on her. If there is one thing one must not do, it is to keep a lady waiting while they are in heat. Though, thou already knows that,” she finished with a snicker as she kissed my cheek and walked back to where we left Zinnia. We all followed after her and sure enough, Zinnia was right where we left her. Though, she did seem to be fidgeting a bit.

“M-Master… M-MIstresses…” the Draconid stammered, looking up to us pathetically. “A-Am I in trouble?”

“No, of course not,” I told her as I stroked her head. “What would give you that idea? You’ve been nothing but a good pet, haven’t you?”

“I-I try, Master,” she mumbled, smiling slightly. “Thank you.” She paused, seeming to think something over, before stammering out “M-Master, Mistresses... c-could I… ask you to do something?”

“I suppose,” I told her as if I were mulling it over. “A good pet does deserve a treat.” Her face seemed to light up at this. “But if I find it to be out of line, then you might get punished.”

She nodded quickly, eyes wide. “O-of course, Master.” She paused, taking a second before continuing. “...I want to stay here through my heat and be your plaything. You can do whatever you want to me - punish me, reward me, fuck me mercilessly or deny me release - but I want to stay.”

“Is that all?” I asked with a chuckle. “Of course you can stay through your heat.”

“Thank you Master!” she cried, jumping up and glomping me. I never complained, not with my face in her valley. “I’ll try to be a good pet, I promise!”

I pulled myself out of her cleavage with a wicked grin on my face. “I know you will, but you seem to have forgotten something,” I told her cryptically. She looked at me confused for a second before her eyes widened and she pulled away, dropping to her knees once more. “You didn’t say, ‘Please Master,’ when you made your request.”

“I’m sorry, Master!” she cried, bowing low. “I was a bad pet, please punish me however you see fit!”

“No,” I told her with a chuckle, “since you seem so eager to set things right, I’ll let you pick the punishment. Be grateful, next time you make a mistake, I won’t be as lenient.”

She was quiet for a minute, not daring to move or lift her gaze, before she mumbled something inaudible.

“What was that?” I asked, leaning down so I was directly above her. “Speak up or I’ll give you another punishment.”

“Spank me!” she barked out suddenly. “Spank my whore ass until it’s bright red and I can’t sit down for a month! Take turns doing it, and do it as hard as you like!”

“That’s better, I much prefer to hear what my pet wants. How else am I going to be a good owner?” I told her as I ran a hand down her cheek. “Now, would you prefer I start with my right arm, or my metal left arm?” I asked her.

“M-Master’s choice…” she muttered in response, though it was loud enough for me to hear this time. “J-just… make sure you do it hard... please, Master?”

“Very well, left it is. Now, get in the proper position. And if you take your punishment well, you’ll get a treat.”

“Apologies, Master…” Zinnia said, looking up to me with wide, apologetic eyes. “But would the right position not be… across your knees?” She flinched back as soon as she’d said that, as though expecting a beating. “N-not that I’m telling you what to do, Master, I-I’m just trying to be helpful!”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I told her with another stroke to her head. “You came up with a very good suggestion. And besides, I told you the punishment was your choice, didn’t I?”

“Y-Yes Master,” she stammered in response. “Of course Master. Sh-shall I fetch a chair for you, o-or would you prefer to move into another room?”

“I suppose we should take this to another room,” I mused. “No sense in the entire castle seeing your punishment.”

Zinnia bowed again before climbing to all fours, glancing up at me. “Would Master like my collar and leash?”

“I’ll take the collar,” I told her. “But you can leave the leash. I expect to have a pet that’s well behaved enough not to need one, understood?” I asked with narrowed eyes.

She nodded frantically before reaching into the bag still fastened around her waist, pulling out a leather collar coloured a deep purple, black studs lining its surface and a tag in the shape of a sharp, curved tooth. Smiling sheepishly, she held it out to me. “A-a Master always collars his pets himself…” I took the collar, gently reached around her neck and secured the clasp.

“There you go. Who’s the prettiest pet in the castle?” I asked like one would address their dog.

“Me?” the Draconid asked hopefully, one hand raised like an animal.

“Of course it’s you,” I told her with a pat the head. “Now, let’s start your punishment so you can get your treat.” She nodded happily, following on her hands and knees as I lead the way into one of the many guest bedrooms in the castle, Celestia, Luna and Morning right behind her.

I took a seat on the couch in the back of the room and motioned for Zinnia to lie across my lap. Nodding obediently, she did just that, her stomach on my knees as her breasts hung over the edge.

“Please Master…” she breathed. “Be rough…”

“Of course,” I chuckled as I brought up my left hand and swatted her directly on one of her upraised cheeks. She gasped, eyes wide, before smiling slightly and going limp.

“Please Master, again!” she cried, panting heavily. “I’ve been a bad pet, please punish me!”

“Don’t tell me what I already know!” I boomed as I swatted her other cheek with my right hand. She cried out again, panting heavily as her tongue lolled out of her mouth and she drolled openly onto the carpet. I proceeded to alternate hands for a few minutes, Zinnia crying out each time.

“Harder Master,” the Draconid begged. “Please, o-or I may not learn my lesson!”

“You’re right,” I growled lustfully as I swatted her harder, an audible crack resounding around the room. “The last thing we want is for you to act up again. Isn’t that right?” I asked, as I gave her another hard swat. “You do want to be a good pet, don’t you?”

“Yes Master, I’ll be good! Just please don’t stop!”

“And who’s pet are you?!” I boomed, picking up the pace of my spanks.

“Y-Yours! I-I belong to Vash the Sta~ampede and his marefriends!”

“And what will you do as a good pet?!”

“A-Anything you command, Master! A-absolutely anythi~ing and everything I-I’m told!” With that I gave her one final spank with my right hand, and started to rub at the redder part of her cheek.

“I think you’ve learned your lesson, wouldn’t you agree?” I told her, still tenderly rubbing her.

“Y-yes Master…” Zinnia panted. “Th-thank you for my punishment…”

“I only do it because I care,” I told her giving her rump a gentle squeeze. “Now, are you ready for your treat?”

She nodded eagerly before answering. “Y-yes please Master.”

“Okay, and since you were so good, I’ll let you pick what you want.”

Going quiet again, Zinnia slowly climbed off of my lap, kneeling before me with her eyes down. “...Can I me Mistress Celestia’s personal show pet for the day?” she asked hesitantly. “O-or Mistress Luna’s tonight. I-I’d like to show the subject who o-owns me. Besides you of course, Master.”

“And what does being a show pet entail?” I asked with a stern look.

“I-I’d be by their side the whole time… dressed how they choose… and would d-do whatever they commanded to whoever they commanded. M-most commonly with a leash…”

“I’m not entirely opposed to the idea, but you do realize what time period you’re in, don’t you?”

“Wh-which is why I said they could dress me how they like.” Smiling slightly, she turned to the princesses. “A-and would it not be better to introduce more… casual lifestyles for your subjects? S-so you can be more open with your… relationships… without fear of ridicule?”

“And I appreciate that idea, but the best way to do that most likely isn’t you on a leash by their throne. It’s better to introduce these things slowly and allow ponies to be more comfortable with sex.”

“Y-yes Master…” she sighed, almost dejectedly. “Then… Master can choose my treat, as that was my only idea.”

“I’m sorry, maybe the next time you come here we’ll be able to show off what a good pet you are, but for now… hmm, are you sure you can’t think of something else you want?” I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“No, Master,” Zinnia sighed. “I-I want to be shown off, Master. B-but if I-I can’t… you can decide my treat, or lack of.”

“Well, how about to make up for not being able to show you off, I be a good owner and pamper my pet?”

She seemed to brighten up at that, smiling shyly up at me. “That sounds wonderful, Master. Thank you.”

“And what do you think pampering you will entail?” I asked with a chuckle, seeing if her thoughts lined up with mine.

“I-I don’t know, Master…” she trailed off, though her gaze slowly turned to the three mares behind us before snapping back to me. “I-I would be grateful for a-anything you give to me.”

I caught where her gaze went and a smirk wormed its way onto my face, “Oh, and if I decided to call the three mistresses over and have the four of us give every piece of your body special attention, that would just make you grateful?”

“Oh, yes Master!” she cried out, smiling brightly. “I would love that so much!”

“Glad to hear it,” I told her, patting her on the head. “Now, who would you like to start on what body part?” I asked her, whispering the last part into her ear.

“...MIstress Luna…” she whimpered, squirming slightly. “...W-with my… b-breasts…”

“Very good,” I told her with a final pat. I then looked up at the three mares and had to hold back some laughter. Celestia and Luna’s wings were sticking straight out and Morning’s tail was thumping on the floor erratically. “Oh Luna dear,” I started with a sweet, honey soaked voice as I got behind Zinnia. “Give our pet a treat, and start here,” I said as I grabbed Zinnia’s breasts roughly. Luna nodded, a slight blush forming on her cheeks and knelt down in front of Zinnia, replacing my hands with her own.

“Mmh…” Zinnia moaned, arching her back slightly. “Mistress… yes…” Luna’s slight reluctance seemed to melt away and she slowly kneaded Zinnia’s breasts.

“Oh, come on Luna,” I said with a chuckle. “You can do better than that.” She nodded and leaned her head in and wrapped her lips around one of her nipples, while one of her hands started toying with the other. Zinnia moaned louder, pushing her chest into Luna’s face as her tongue lolled out.

“That’s perfect. Now, who do you want to pamper you next, pet, and where?”

“M-Mistress… Celestia…” she panted, looking to me with clouded eyes. “I-I want... between m-my legs…”

“You heard her Celestia,” I told her with a wicked grin. “Get to work on our pet.”

“Yes Master,” Celestia responded with a bow as she slowly made her way over to Zinnia. She lied down on her stomach directly between Zinnia’s legs. “As you command,” She finished, letting out a puff of air right onto Zinnia’s clit before wrapping her lips around it.

“Gah!” the Draconid gasped, eyes wide. “Yes, yes!” Turning to me, she smiled dopily and said. “M-Mistress Morning, I-I want to… k-kiss her.”

“Very well, Morning, would you be willing to kiss our dirty little pet here?” I asked.

“I...I suppose there would be no harm in that.” Morning said as she slithered up to Zinnia and placed her arms around her shoulders. Zinnia leaned forward, pressing her lips to Morning’s in such a tender, passionate way that for a second I thought it wasn’t even her anymore. All I did for a moment was watch - until I felt Zinnia shaking her ass against me.

“Oh, what do you want from me my little pet?” I asked her with a knowing smile.

Breaking her kiss with Morning, she looked back to me and whined before answering. “M-Master… fuck me in the ass… please…”

“Anything for my little pet,” I told her with a fond smile. “But first, you have to get it ready. I’d hate to hurt my favorite pet.”

Nodding silently, Zinnia placed her hands on Celestia and Luna’s heads and pushed them away slowly, whining when Luna let her nipple go with a loud *pop* before turning around, grasping my shaft tightly. She glanced up to me as her tongue hung out of her mouth, drooling on the head for a moment while she slathered it along my length with her hand.

“A-another thing, Master…” she said, averting her gaze. “C-could you… dress me up? Maybe tie me up too? Please?”

“Of course,” I told her as I petted her. “How do you want to be dressed and tied up? Do you want your wrists and ankles tied around the posts of the bed, or simply tied around your back?”

Without answering, the Draconid reached into her bag once again, pulling out one item of clothing after another until she had what seemed to be a torn and shredded set of Nightingale armour from Skyrim, the chestpiece ripped open and any crotch or ass cover gone.

“I want to be a captured warrior, forced to do your bidding,” she said, fully serious. She then pulled out what looked to be a sturdy metal hook, flying up and drilling it into the ceiling with her strength alone. “And I want to be hung from this.”

“That can be arranged,” I told her with a nod. “Do you want your master’s help putting on your outfit?”

Touching down, she once again became meek, subservient. “Y-yes Master… I-I would like your help…” She paused, thinking something over for a second before reaching into her bag again. “But there is also… this.” she said, holding out a long, metallic bar with ankle cuffs on either end.

“Seems you have a bit of everything in that bag,” I pointed out with a chuckle. “Well, I’m ready to begin whenever you are.”

Nodding, she stood straight with her arms held out. “P-please Master… feel free to dress me…”

“Hmmph, of course,” I snorted as I picked up the chest piece and quickly put it on, followed quickly by the rest of it. Then, I roughly grabbed her hands and tied them above her head with a length of rope she provided from her bag, hanging her from the hook.

She took to her new role immediately, her soft, happy smile hardening into a scowl of indignation. “Let me go you bastard!” she barked, struggling against her bonds. “I’ll gut you for this!”

“You’re certainly making a case for me keeping you tied like this,” I told her with a dark chuckle. “It seems that you’re all brawn and beauty with no brains.”

“Fuck you!” she growled, pulling at the ropes even harder. “And fuck your little whores too!” I responded with a light slap across her face.

“Now that was uncalled for,” I told her, getting into her face. “These fine ladies have done nothing to you. And besides, you say whore as if it’s a bad thing,” I finished with a malicious grin as I reached for the metal bar.

Her eyes widened when she saw that, her entire body freezing. “W-what are you going to do with that?” she asked, trembling slightly. “Please tell me that’s for one of your whores.”

My malicious grin grew at that. “Why yes, yes it is,” I chuckled as I opened one of the cuffs and put it around her ankle.

“Hey, w-wait a minute!” she stammered, eyes widening further. “Y-you said it was f-for your who-” She froze again, mouth agape in realisation.

“Yes, I intend to keep you. A strong and lovely warrior such as yourself is something I simply can’t resist,” I laughed as I put the other cuff on and looked her in the eye with a grin.

“You sick bastard…” she growled, glaring at me. “Is that what you do, huh!? Kidnap women and keep them until their minds are broken!?” Her gaze shot to the others. “Who were they before you got to them, huh!? Do you even know!?”

I let out a long laugh at that before answering. “Of course I know what they were before this, but it doesn’t matter anymore. They were lost before coming to me. I freed them, allowed them to become what they were always meant to be. And I know what you were before coming to me,” I told her as I grasped her cheeks with a hand.

Her glare intensified as she spat at me, catching me just below the eye. “Like you could know anything.”

“Oh?” I asked bemused as I gently wiped away the spit. “So I wouldn’t know anything about what the nobles and their guards did to your family? What drove you to join the Thieves Guild? No, I suppose I don’t know anything.”

She gaped at me after that, eyes wide. “H-how…”

“My little Nightingale, you didn’t think you were the only one to have made a deal with a daedra, did you?”

She whimpered at that, trembling again. “Nocturnal give me strength…”

“She holds no sway here in my domain,” I told her with a laugh. “But don’t worry, I will set you free like the others soon. Then you will hurt no more,” I said as I got behind her.

“P-please…” Zinnia whimpered, watching me as her eyes watered. “No… D-don’t…”

“Shh, do not worry, you’ll be free soon,” I whispered as I lined myself up with her ass using one hand. Very carefully, I pressed inside meeting very little resistance. I let out a small moan and chuckled a bit. “Oh, what is this? You say no, but your body is welcoming me like an honored guest.”

“Sa-shut up…” the Draconid stammered, obviously trying to hold back a moan. Looking to the others, she growled out, “What are you doing just standing there, help me!”

“Master is already helping you,” Celestia said sweetly.

“She’s right,” I said, halting my progress to caress the exposed parts of her body that her broken armor could no longer protect. “Be honest with yourself, let go and be free.”

“Nnah…” she moaned in response, turning away. “D-don’t touch me... not there…”

“Oh, and why don’t you want me to touch you there?” I asked, my hand hovering right above it.

She was quiet for a moment before choking on a sob, forcing out, “...I-I’m scared…”

“And why are you scared, be honest.”

Biting her lip, she looked away for a moment before answering. “I-I… I don’t…”

“Come now, answer me. I want to do away with all your worries.”

“I-I’m scared because…” She paused, sobbing quietly. “I-I don’t want to say no… b-but I know I should…”

“And by what standard do you know that you should say no?” I asked her, my hand descending on the spot that made her gasp before. “Society’s? The same society that rewarded those scum of the earth nobles that hurt you?”

“...yes…” she muttered, scowling. “I-I can’t stop… I have to make them pay.”

“And I can help with that,” I told her, picking up the pace of my caresses. “I only want the best for you. But to do that, you need to reject that awful system, the one that caused you and countless others so much pain.”

“Y-yes… so much pain…” she moaned, pushing back slightly. “...o-okay…”

“Hmm, what are you agreeing to?” I asked, stopping all my ministrations. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I-I want your… help…” She paused, turning to me with pleading eyes. “Please… set me free…”

“Of course,” I told her as I picked up where I left off and started thrusting into her. Zinnia moaned out, no longer holding back as she leaned into me, pushing down against my actions. I moaned with her, speeding up my thrusts slightly. “Yes, isn’t this so much better than what those corrupt pigs out there told you?”

“Y-yes… Master…” the Draconid moaned, eyes closed in bliss. “S-so much better… thank you…”

“There is no need to thank me, this was within you from the beginning. I simply let it out,” I whispered into her ear as I used the hand that I had braced on her shoulder to tweak her exposed nipple. She cried out at that, her walls clenching down slightly as she turned her clouded gaze to the others.

“M-Master…” she stammered, biting her lip as another moan escaped her throat before continuing. “W-what about them?”

“This is your rebirth, they are here to witness it. Once you are fully free, all of us will celebrate.”

She nodded, crying out as I pinched her nipple again. “B-but… I think they m-might... help free me, Master,” she whimpered. “P-please… let them take their place…”

“Oh, and how would they help free you?” I asked with a smile. “Tell us all your deepest desires.”

“Mmnah~” She shuddered as milk began to leak from her breast, coating my fingers. “P-please, Master… I-I… I like w-women too…” She winced slightly, as though remembering something. “I-I was told to hide it, b-but…”

“Shh,” I stopped her, “whoever told you that was simply wrong. A rotten specimen of this rotting world. Now, what would you like my ladies to do with you?”

“Please… I-I want to f-feed one…” she stammered, managing to shake her breasts slightly. “M-maybe two… a-and my… my pussy… it’s so wet…”

“Of course I understand,” I told her with one final pinch. “Ladies, this poor woman needs our help, won’t you please provide it?” The three of them nodded and each set about their tasks. Celestia and Luna each took a breast while Morning drove her forked tongue deep into Zinnia’s slit.

“Ah!” Zinnia cried out almost immediately, throwing her head back as thrashed about. “Yes, free me! Oh, it’s so good!” I grinned like a madman and started to pound into Zinnia’s ass.

“Yes, isn’t this so much better than what those fools out there told you? Why would you ever hide who you are?!” I boomed.

“Yes Master!” Zinnia replied,tongue lolling out of her mouth. “I’ll never hide my true self again, I promise!”

“Good,” I started, feeling myself edge closer to finishing. “Then accept your freedom!” I roared.

Zinnia screamed as I filled her ass, her body seizing up. I heard Celestia and Luna moan in delight, leaning around to see them drinking Zinnia’s milk eagerly as it flowed down their chins. I panted for a few moments, recovering and remaining inside her.

“How do you feel now, my new whore?” I asked with a chuckle.

“...More…” Zinnia moaned, panting heavily. “Please, more…”

“Of course, do you want to be unchained, or would you prefer to stay like this?”

“...leave me here…” she sighed happily. “I-I want more cum in me…”

“As you wish, would you like it in another hole, or would you like this to get another filling?” I asked as I patted her ass fondly.

She was silent for a moment before answering. “B-both, Master… please…” she moaned, shifting her hips slightly. “I-in my bag… the toy…”

I nodded and reached inside her bag, hoping that I would pull out the right thing. Luckily, I managed to get it on the first try and held it up to her face. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth wide and began sucking on the toy, pulling it from my grip before shooting me a look.

“Who do you want to use the toy? And in what hole?” I asked, hand outstretched to catch the toy. Spitting it into my hand, she grinned back at me.

“Morning Star,” she growled lustfully. “In both. All while you fuck the other two.”

“Hmm, I suppose that could be arranged, what do you think, Morning?” I asked as I slipped out of Zinnia and handed Morning the toy.

“I suppose I could go along with this,” Morning said with a blush as she inserted the toy. She frowned, however, when nothing happened.

        “Master, I-I have to… turn it on,” Zinnia muttered. “B-but I don’t want to be untied…”

        “Would you have to be untied to turn it on?” I asked with a light glare.

        “N-no… I-I can use my… my mouth.”

        “Then do it,” I said with a smirk as I removed the toy from Morning. “And make a show of it.”

        “No Master… I-I’m sorry, but… i-it has to be in her…”

        “Then put it in using your mouth,” I told her bluntly. “Morning can stretch out on her coils to reach your mouth.”

        Nodding, Zinnia took the toy into her mouth again, moaning slightly at the taste before looking down to Morning Star. Morning took a deep breath and started to reach up on her coils, stretching out until her pelvis was level with Zinnia’s head, bracing herself on the support that Zinnia was hanging from. The draconid smiled as much as she could up at her before leaning forward, slowly pushing the end of the toy into Morning’s folds and continuing forward until her lips met her scales. A purple glow spilled from the gaps before Zinnia cried out in alarm, thrashing about in a panic.

        “P-pull her back, Vash!” Morning cried. “For heaven’s sake, pull her back!” I did as Morning asked in a hurry and in a matter of seconds I heard Zinnia sputtering and wheezing as Morning’s new twin members were pulled from her mouth.

        “What the hell were you thinking, Zinnia?!” I growled at her.

        “I-I’m sorry, Master…” she wheezed. “Th-there’s normally a… a delay… I-I thought I would have enough time to move back before…”

        “Alright, I’m just glad you’re okay,” I said with a sigh of relief.

        “I-I’m sorry, Master…”

        “Nothing to apologize for, just be more careful next time.” I told her as I let her go.

        “Of course… Th-thank you, Master…” She squirmed a little, the bar rattling slightly as she tried to press her legs together. “A-apologies, Master, b-but… c-can we g-get on with it, please?”

        “Alright,” I sighed before chuckling a bit. “If Morning’s still up for it, I won’t stop you two.” I said as I walked over to Celestia and Luna.

        Nodding, Zinnia looked into Morning’s eyes, whining with need. “P-Please, Mistress…” she moaned, leaning forward to give Morning’s flared horsecock tip a lick. “F-fuck me…”

        Morning shuddered a bit and tried and failed to stifle a blush. “I...I suppose that I could do that. Which hole wouldst thou like me to put my larger member in?”

        “Pussy.” Zinnia stated with a determined smirk. “And don’t hold back. Fuck me hard.”

        Morning nodded and let go of the support and slowly lowered herself back down. Then, she wrapped her tail around Zinnia and pressed both of her shafts against Zinnia’s holes. With a simple squeeze of her coils they were both pressed inside with little to no resistance.

        “Ah!” Zinnia screamed, shuddering with delight. “Yes, fuck me Mistress! Ravage my body! I’m your Cocksleeve, Mistress, use me like one!”

        “Wouldst thou not speak like that?” Morning asked, blushing a deep red as she continued thrusting. “It is most embarrassing.”

        Zinnia grinned, leaning forward until her mouth was right beside Morning’s ear. “I bet you love it, really,” she breathed, moving her hips against her thrusts. “You’re a dominatrix at heart, Morning. Embrace it, and use me.”

        “I..I am not like that,” Morning stammered. “T’is most unbecoming.”

        “Not behind closed doors~” the Draconid tittered before stifling a moan. Grinning, she clenched down on Morning’s members, drawing a moan from the naga-mare.

        “Perhaps thou can get into it, but it is... not something that interests me.” Morning said as she averted her gaze from Zinnia.

        “Alright then…”  Zinnia cooed, before she growled out “Then I’ll take control then. Fuck me harder!”

        That seemed to irk Morning, but she bit her lip to avoid making a comment. In the end she just decided to grit her teeth and speed up the clenching of her coils. Zinnia cried out in bliss, going limp in Morning’s grip as she allowed herself to be filled completely.

        “Well, thou art in control,” Morning growled between thrusts. “What else dost thou want?”

        Smirking down at her, Zinnia leaned in and sealed Morning’s lips with her own, pulling back moments later. “How’s that for what I want?” she asked cheekily before diving back in, shoving her tongue past the mare’s lips. Morning rolled with this action, wrapping her prehensile tongue around the woman’s. Zinnia moaned happily at that, clamping down on the mare’s shafts again.

        She pulled back after a while, gasping for breath. “That tongue…” she breathed, a throaty moan cutting her off before she continued. “I-is fucking amazing...”

        Morning smirked at that. “Thou art not the only one who has voiced that sentiment.”

        “I can imagine…” Zinnia said, smirking right back. “Now shut up and fill me, okay!?” With that, she lunged right back in, kissing Morning with all her might as her walls milked her for all she had. Morning moaned loudly into the kiss and fired off a few shots into Zinnia’s clenching walls, her coils tightening around Zinnia’s body on reflex.

        Zinnia cried out, bucking her hips wildly as Morning filled her, her own climax wracking her body, her walls clamping down and sealing the mare’s seed inside of her. Morning pulled her mouth away from Zinnia’s, a small string of saliva connecting the two while she relaxed the grip of her coils. She stayed like that for a few moments, panting and trying to recover from her little tryst.

        “...take my bar off, Morning…” Zinnia panted. “...And take me down… I think I’m done… for now…” Morning nodded and did as Zinnia asked and in less than a minute Zinnia was untied and touching the ground.

        “Are you feeling better?” I asked her carefully. “Is your heat still bothering you?”

        “A little…” she replied, staggering on her feet. “B-but it’s not… as noticeable now. Like a dull throbbing.”

        “Glad to hear that, you got a little crazy there for a second,” I said with a chuckle.

        Zinnia nodded, starting to pull the tattered armour off. “Sorry about that,” she muttered as the last piece fell to the floor. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble…”

        “Are you kidding?” I asked with a bit too much laughter. “What you did was nothing compared to what these three did during Estrus. I’m still having arousing nightmares from that.”

        Zinnia giggled as she began to place the outfit back into her back, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a loose-fitting tee shirt. “Wish I could’ve been around for that,” she tittered. “Sounds like fun.”

        “I think that would be the last thing I need,” I said with a shudder. “I can only imagine what you’d encourage them to do to me with that magic toy of yours.”

        “Heh, I guess so,” the Draconid chuckled. “Still though, next cycle, feel free to call me. I might bring a few friends, too.”

        “I don’t see why not,” I told her as I stretched and popped a few joints. “Though I hope you don’t just visit to use me for my body, or my acting talent.”

        A chorus of “Shut up, Vash!” greeted my ears,

        “What? What did I say?” I asked, playing dumb.

        “Ah, leave’im,” Zinnia laughed, shaking her head. “...I don’t suppose I could share your bed while I’m here.”

        I laughed a little before replying with, “Of course, a good pet sleeps at the foot of the bed.”

        Just like that, Zinnia dropped to her knees again, pulling her shirt down enough for her collar to show. “Of course, Master. I shall sleep wherever you command.”

        “Uhh, Zinnia, that was a joke. We don’t have to do the whole master pet thing anymore,” I said as I scratched my cheek.

        “Vash,” Morning said as she fixed me a glare. “Perhaps thou should save thy jokes until after Zinnia’s heat is over.”

        “...Am I not Master’s pet, then?” Zinnia asked, looking between us.

        “Uhh, not when we’re not about to, or in the middle of sex,” I explained, trying to avoid, crazy dominatrix Zinnia from emerging. “When we’re like this it’s best if we just keep our normal dynamic going.”

        “Okay, I can do that,” she nodded, standing up again. She readjusted her shirt, blushing slightly. “Though… I’d like to keep the collar on, if that’s okay.”

        “Heh, alright, whatever makes you happy,” I said with a shrug. “It does look really good on you.”

        Zinnia’s blush intensified, her face quickly turning bright red as she turned away with a huff. “...thanks…”

        ‘Dammit, I want to call her cute here, but that’ll piss her off,” I thought with a grimace. ‘Guess I’ll just keep it to myself.

        “Anyway, we’d better hit the hay if I’m going to be able to do any work tomorrow,” I said aloud, rubbing the back of my head.

        “Yeah,” Zinnia nodded, smiling sheepishly. “I’ll help you if I can, Vash, but… you know…”

        “If your heat is acting up tomorrow then you can take the day off,” I told her with a smile.

        “Thanks… but didn’t you say there was some kind of spell or something that could, I dunno, dull it down?”

        “Duh,” I said slapping myself on the forehead. “Starswirl does have a spell for that. Sorry, slipped my mind considering everything that just happened.”

        “No problem,” she chuckled, walking to the door. She paused as she passed me, leaning in and whispering “And I’ll deal with our little… agreement tonight. No more bloomers for Vash.”

        I had to stop myself from tearing up at that and nodded as I followed after her. As soon as we stepped out the door, however, we turned to see Jason still laying on the floor, snoring away.

        “Oh…” Zinnia muttered, eyes wide. “We, uh… We forgot Jason.”

        “Yeah, guess we did.” I said rubbing the back of my head. “Should we… do something about this, or just walk away and pretend we didn’t see anything?”

        Zinnia stared at him for a minute before sighing, leaning down and lifting him into her arms. “We should at least take him to his room,” she said. “Chryssi and Rares would kill us if we just left him there.

        “Good point,” I replied. “I don’t think they’d believe us if we claimed plausible deniability.”

        Zinnia just nodded, beginning to walk down the hall again. As we rounded the corner, however, Chrysalis came into view. As soon as she laid eyes on us, Jason in particular, she just sighed, using her magic to lift him onto her back before turning around and leaving.

        “...That was easy,” Zinnia muttered.

        “I’m guessing that’s not the weirdest thing she’s found Jason doing,” I offered.

        “Ten bags of Stardust says he was masturbating as one of his aliens.”

        “Twenty big nuggets says that it was Four Arms,” I told her with a smirk.

        “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see that…”

        “I could do without that sight,” I replied.

        Chuckling, she just shook her head, starting to walk off again. “Oh well, c’mon. Sooner we get those three asleep, sooner I can do you that favour.”

        “Don’t have to tell me twice!” I called, picking up the pace.

        I woke that night with a groan, pushing myself to a sitting position and looking around the room. Celestia and Luna were cuddled up to me with Morning holding us all in her coils, like most nights.

        What was strange, however, was that Zinnia had disappeared. My eyes widened and I gently extracted myself from my marefriends’ grip. When I did, I noticed some wisps of smoke trailing from the window. I poked my head out of the window to see if I could spot her.

        There, in the middle of the courtyard, was a massive pile of clothes which I assumed to be Celestia, Luna and Morning’s underwear. Zinnia stood at the side of the pile, pacing up and down in what seemed to be nothing but a pair of panties, as small flames burned at a few areas of the pile. She looked up to the window and spotted me, waving excitedly before turning back to the pile and breathing a continuous stream of flames. When she stopped, all that was left was a pile of ash.

        I stumbled back when she flew up to the window, climbing through. “Hey Vash,” she whispered, grinning. “You like the show?”

        “I always was a fan of pyrotechnics,” I whispered back.

        “You’ll be a bigger fan of me in a minute,” she tittered quietly. “Go check the drawers, I think you’ll like what you find.” I did as she asked and pulled out a pink thong and a black, see through bra.

        “Ooh, you’re right, I do like this.”

        “And that’s just the beginning…” the Draconid whispered in my air, hugging me from behind. “I’ve left thongs, g-strings, panties, bras, pasties, bikinis, and all manner of sexy lingerie.”

        “It’s like Christmas came early,” I said with a sniffle.

        “You think you could do me a favour in return for all of this?” she asked mysteriously, resting her head on my shoulder. “It’s nothing big, I promise.”

        “What did I tell you this morning?” I whispered back with a chuckle. “You’re family, whatever you need, name it.”

        “...Can I breastfeed you until I fall asleep?”

        “Did you even need to ask?” I asked as I whipped around to face her. I chuckled when I saw that her face was bright red.

        “Th-thanks, Vash…” she murmured, taking my hands and slowly pulling me towards the bed. “I-I kinda wanna be in there,” She nodded to the pile of mares. “When we do this, if that’s okay.”

        “What did I just tell you?” I asked, chuckling again. “Anything you want.”

        She smiled gratefully at me before pulling away, climbing carefully into the entanglement of mare limbs before beckoning me over. I followed her as carefully as I could and knelt over her, my head right above her chest. She smiled again, placing a hand gently on the back of my head and guiding me to her left breast, letting me latch onto her nipple and suckle gently, her milk flowing almost instantly.

        “Wha…?” I heard, eyes going wide as Luna stirred. She pushed herself up, staring at us both for a minute before smiling good-naturedly, shaking her head. “Thou art almost too predictable,” she chuckled quietly. “May I?”

        “Sure,” Zinnia shrugged, opening her arm to the lunar princess, her moved in slowly and latched onto her right nipple, moaning slightly at the taste of her milk. The two of us matched our suckling and continued for a long while until the sound of gentle snores interrupted us. The two of us pulled away and shared a smile before settling back down on the bed, Zinnia’s arms around us both.

Gods, a Baby, And Other Stuff

I stepped out of the portal and I felt myself slump over. After being chased by an undead abomination  I was understandably tired. Plus, my clothes and revolver were waterlogged again after my little swim. I let out a sigh and looked around me. Luckily, I was in my bedroom so I was able to change out of my clothes quickly. When I was showered and changed I stepped out into the castle. When I looked out the window the morning sun was still low in the sky.

        ‘Guess a lot of time hasn’t passed since I was summoned. Good, I still haven’t had breakfast.’ With that, my stomach growled loudly and I rushed to the dining room. When I got there, everyone was sitting down and eating breakfast.

        “Morning everyone,” I said with a long yawn.

“Hey Vash,” Jason said with a wave, scarfing down some toast, “Where have you been?”

        “Nowhere special,” I replied as I sat down next to Celestia. “Just summoned to another universe, dropped 200 feet into a lake and chased by an undead kitty the size of a building. Ya know, the usual stuff.”

“Sounds fun,” he nodded, pausing to take a gulp of his drink.

“Really Jason,” Rarity chided from her cushioned seat. “You have worse tables manners than Twilight!”

“I can’t help it, I’m starving.” he replied, munching on an apple, though he did at least have the courtesy to wipe his mouth.

“You’re right Jason, nearly getting eaten was tons of fun,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Yeah? I’ve done worse.” Jason snorted, fixing a glare on me.

“Whatever,” I sighed. “It’s not like I was trying to turn this into a contest or something. Actually, I’ve got a question for you.”

“What?” he asked, his gaze softening.

“When some people get displaced, can their personalities change due to their costume?”

“From what I know? Yeah.” Jason nodded, looking at me. “Why do you ask?”

“The person that summoned me became Sheogorath. And one of his comments bothered me. A mortal mind can’t live in a daedric body for long. That just got me thinking, that’s all,” I said, resting my head on my arms.

        

“I’m sorry Vash.” Jason reached over, placing his hand on my shoulder. “But, there’s really nothing we can do to help in that case.”

“I know, kind of wish I could though. I mean, the guy couldn’t even recall how he got to Equestria correctly,” I sighed.

“Damn, seems like he went the way of the hero of Kvatch.”

“I guess,” I nodded. “Oh, by the way, you seem energetic this morning. You haven’t even thrown one piece of cutlery,” I joked with a little snicker.

“Hahaha.” He gave a little glare, socking me in the arm.

“I know you’re technically a viking, but do you always have to use violence as the answer?” I pouted as I rubbed my arm.

“Only for you Vash.” He grinned, turning back to his meal.

“Whee, I feel special.” I joked as I tucked into my meal.

“You should,  don’t normally hit people.”

“I’m guessing you’re getting into technicality here because I know you’ve been in a ton of fights. And I also know that there’s a few aliens in your omnitrix that are brawlers.”

“You’re way overthinking it Vash.” Chrysalis looked up from her meal. “Just relax and learn how to love the bomb.”

“Hey, I know how to relax,” I shot back. “And I happen to enjoy how much I think about things.”

“But does everyone else?”

“I can think of at least three that can at least tolerate it,” I replied with a big grin as I wrapped an arm around Celestia.

“Oh, and how much thought went into thy drinking contest with Jason here?” Celestia asked with a smirk.

“Um, that was a case of me not overthinking the situation,” I admitted with a nervous chuckle. “But things worked out well in the end, didn’t they?” I asked with a small smile as I looked her in the eye.

“Perhaps,” Celestia relented with a small titter and a peck on the lips

“She’s just mad you didn’t knock her up first,” Chrysalis pipped up with a smirk.

“Oh, I’m well aware of that,” I said with a weak smile. “She made that abundantly clear when we told her and Luna about the whole thing.”

“Well excuse us for wanting to be the first to carry our lover’s child,” Celestia pouted as she stuck her tongue out at me.

“I already know the feeling.” Chrysalis grinned, glancing at her children, who were quietly playing in a playpen nearby.

“Hmm, well we suppose that Vash will just have to make it up to Luna, Morning and us the next time our estrus season comes around,” Celestia mused with a chuckle.

“We could have some fun before then you know...” Chrysalis looked over at her, a sultry look on her face, slowly dragging her tongue over her fangs.

“We do not know, what pleasure could we get from one who can bend their shape as they see fit,” Celestia joked as she scratched her chin in thought.

“Oh you have no idea...” she grinned deeper, a predatory look filling her eyes.

“Well, we could always bounce a few off each other,” Celestia replied with a wink.

“Shall we...?” she asked, getting up from the table.

“Right now?” Celestia asked a little surprised. “We would have to put a hold on some of our royal duties,” she continued, this time seriously thinking it over.

“Well I’m starving and haven’t had anything decent to eat in at least a day.” Chrysalis grumbled, buzzing her wings.

“In that case we would be glad to help,” Celestia replied as she got up from the table. “We art nothing if not a good host. And a good host never leaves their guest wanting,” she finished with half lidded eyes.

“Oh you are so much better than my Celestia.” Chrysalis purred. “It’s bad enough she decided to court that insufferable king...”

“What can we say,” Celestia shrugged. “Perhaps Vash has been a terrible influence on us.”

“You know, you never did tell us what your problem with Slash is,” Jason spoke, pushing his now empty plate away.

“That's right, I didn’t.” Chrysalis said simply, though I could tell she wasn’t going to say anything else on the topic.

“Me thinks it’s not wise to pry on this topic,” I offered. “Something tells me you won’t want to go down this rabbit hole until she’s ready.”

Zinnia chose that moment to enter, wearing a large fluffy bathrobe and sporting a raging blush that coloured her entire face crimson. “Morning everyone,” she greeted, taking Celestia’s now-empty seat. “D-did I miss anything?”

“I was just talking about a dude that got turned into Sheogorath who had me chased by a 50 foot tall demon kitty. And Tia and Chryssi were about to make the beast with two backs. So, not really.”

She was quiet for a minute, just staring at me as though trying to see if I was lying, before breaking into a mad grin. “Cheese!”

“I didn’t get any cheese,” I said, rubbing the side of my head. “I did get a Wabbajack though.”

“Awesome,” she breathed, staring into space for a minute before frowning, her gaze whipping back to me. “Don’t go turning me into a chicken, though. I wouldn’t mind a Dremora - demons are hot - but not until Rita’s born.”

“I don’t know,” I told her with a sly look. “I happen to like you just the way you are,” I added with a wink. “Plus you know as well as I do that I’d have no control over the Wabbajack’s effects.”

“Meh, guess not,” she shrugged. “Still though, I stand by my statement about demon girls and their hotness.”

“Yeah, but you find a lot of things hot,” I chuckled.

“Meh. Wait ‘till you meet my girlfriend and you’ll see why demons are pretty high on the scale.”

“I wasn’t doubting you. Just stating facts.”

“Oh well.” She shrugged again, turning to the spread on the table and readjusting her robe. “I’m starving, what’s for eats?”

“Whatever you want,” I told her. “Help yourself to whatever’s on the table. And if something you want isn’t here, just ask a staff member.”

“The pickles are good,” Jason commented, leaning back in his seat, cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.

“Pregnant cravings already?” the Draconid asked, shocked. “He’s, what, a week in? I’m almost into my third month by now and I’ve had no cravings at all.” She paused, smirking at me. “Aside from the normal, that is.”

“Oh, speaking of that. How are you feeling? Was Starswirl able to help?”

“Help with what?” Jason asked, sitting up quickly. “Everything ok?”

“Jason, you were there for part of it,” Zinnia deadpanned. “I went into heat, remember? I gave your insides a spitshine.” Sighing, she shook her head and turned to me again. “Yeah, he helped out. It was kind of awkward afterwards though, seeing as I walked in stark naked and started making out with… shit, what was her name!?”

My eyes widened at that. “Wait a minute, you made out with Clover?!” I asked before I started laughing. “So, is she a good kisser?”

Smacking her palm into her forehead, she groaned loudly. “That was it! I knew it was a plant…” She sighed again, looking up. “Yeah, kinda. She was more shocked throughout than participating though, just stood there. I think she was just about getting into it when Starswirl knocked some sense into me.”

“Well, sorry to hear that Starswirl ruined your fun,” I said with a pat on the back. “But I’m glad that you’re back to being functional.”

“You know, I’m really glad jotun don’t go into heat,” Jason commented, leaning back in his chair again.

“Oh, do you go into something else? Like, frost?” I joked with a dopey grin.

“Vash dear...that was rather lacking,” Rarity spoke up, shaking her head.

“Don’t care, even the lame jokes have to be made every now and then,” I replied with a snort.

“I liked it,” Zinnia shrugged, snickering slightly. “But you’re lucky, Jay. That… it messes with your head. I’ll send ya a heads up when my cycle’s coming so you don’t turn into Delta and lose it.”

“One can only imagine what two Draconids in a mating frenzy would be like,” I thought aloud and shivering slightly.

“Why on earth would I turn into Delta?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Because he’s cool and awesome and part of me?” the Draconid said, frowning playfully. “And you wouldn’t wanna insult me, would you? Or maybe I’ll hold off on letting you know when I go into labour.”

“You wanna be like that huh? Because I can just not let Rita inherit anything from me.” Jason smirked, though his tone was playful.

“You wouldn’t,” she huffed dismissively. “You’re too much of a softy for children, anyway. And it’s not like she’d see anything inherited immediately anyway - Chryssy and Rarity’s kids would be first in line, right?”

“Have we really sunk so low that we’re making baby related threats?” I asked with a playful huff. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“When we’re in a family that loves kids as much as we do, it’s a given. They’re not serious - at least, I hope they’re not -” she shot a quick glare at Jason. “But they’ll probably be frequent.”

“You make a good point,” I said with a shrug. “Though I don’t know what kinds of threats I could make. Last time I checked, Jason could kick the crap out of me if I tried something funny.”

“So could I,” she said with a smirk. “Unless you’ve got a few Ice infused bullets.”

“Well unless you plan on popping in to ‘visit’ me after Rita’s born, I don’t think we’ll need to make baby related threats to one another.”

“Oh, I plan on visiting.” She smirked, leaning back with a mug of coffee in her hand. “And you’d better visit me, too. If only for a drink and a laugh.”

“I dunno about the drink part. That’s what got Jason and I into our current mess,” I told her with a laugh.

        “I’ll probably have a chaperone or something. Not sure if Whiplash would want me getting too drunk.” She smirked suddenly, winking at me. “Unless of course it’s Umbra, in which case I just have to say one word and she’s in too.”

I shuddered for a moment before responding with, “You just love to tease and torment me, don’t you?”

“‘S’what ah do,” she said with a shrug, putting on a sort-of-southern accent.

“Uh huh, ‘cause that makes my life all kinds of easy,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “So, are you going to put on clothes today, or are you sticking to the robe with what I’m guessing has nothing under it?”

She pouted slightly, glaring at me out of the corner of her eyes. “...I got some panties… And I thought you liked me naked?”

“Oh, I wasn’t knocking your incredible body. I was just wondering because I still have work to do today. And I liked having both of your help the other day. If not, I could always hold back on the changeling village and just make the dragon scale armor.”

She shrugged, shoving some food into her mouth and chewing it before answering. “Sure, I could do some landscaping or something today.” She paused, frowning to herself for a moment before adding “Pretty sure I have an actual outfit…”

“Thank you, and I’ll be sure to do you a favor in return for the help,” I told her with a bright smile.

“Watch your wording, my friend,” she chuckled. “Or you might end up cleaning my boots, if you know what I mean.”

“I think I’ll keep my wording as is,” I chuckled back.

“Pfft, dragon scale armor,” Jason chuckled, “That stuff is for chumps.”

“Hey,” I huffed indignantly. “I’m making it because I want to see if I can, not because I necessarily want someone to wear it. And even if I did, what’s wrong with dragon scale armor?”

“Because I can get you way better armor,” Jason said, sitting up, “And better materials.”

“Go on,” I said with a wave of my hand. “You have piqued my scientific curiosity.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a scale as big as his head, tossing it on the table. “I pried that from the body of the world serpent.”

My eyes widened as I picked up the scale to examine it. “This thing looks amazing!” I beamed gushing over the material. “How strong is this ? Does it have magical properties? Where did you get this? Do you have more?” I asked all those questions, the words running together.

“Yes they’re magical and ya know, it took Thor to kill the thing. As for how I got them, I dived into the deepest part of Midgard’s ocean and pried them off my uncle’s body.”

“Your uncle… is Nidhogg.” I paused lowering the scale. “Paternal or maternal?”

Jason sighed, putting his head in his hands. “No Vash, I am not related to Nidhogg. Nidhogg is not the world serpent. Nidhogg spends all of his time in the void, gnawing on Yggdrasil’s roots. The world serpent, Jormungandr was one of Loki’s children, Hel’s brother, who was killed by Thor during Ragnarok.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” I said with a chuckle as I rubbed the back of my head. “I told you that I only knew a bit about the norse stories.”

“Well you should, because your kid is part of it.”

“Then I guess you or Hel will have to teach me. ‘Cause it’s not like I can just fire up Google and look it up.”

Jason pulled out a thick tome, tossing it onto the table. “There ya go.”

Zinnia blinked at the tome, smirking slightly. “Heh. And here I am with an actual, interdimensional WiFi password I can give him. And you Jay, if you’ve got anything that could use that.”

“I’m working on that, but things stalled out when I started working on the gateways.” Jason shrugged, closing his eyes.

        I put down the scale and started flipping through the pages of the tome. My eyes started to glaze over from the script. “Ugh, I thought I was done studying things like this after I got my degree. Nope, turns out between magic theory and this, I might be busier than ever,” I moaned as I face-planted into the book.

“You want that password now?” Zinnia tittered. “I know you have a phone. You’ve been taking enough pictures with it.”

“That depends, you got an interdimensional charger to go with it?” I asked, not looking up from the book.

She paused for a moment, eyes wide as she scrambled around in her bag, pulling her iPod out. “Uh… no idea. Hold on, let me try something.” She began tapping away at the screen for a minute before putting it down on the table, screen down. “And now we wait.”

“Wait for what?” I asked, pulling my head up from the book.

“A woman more sexually active than me.”

“You can’t be serious?” I asked, gulping.

“You’ll see.” She smirked, turning to Jason. “And she knows about you. Her reaction in three words? “Ice Giant indeed~””

Before anyone could say any more, a door appeared in the middle of the table, dark and made of a strangely steaming stone. It swung open seconds later and a tall, pink-haired filipina woman stepped out, her voluptuous body covered by a rather skimpy]https://pre13.deviantart.net/bd38/th/pre/i/2008/307/a/c/succubus_by_megaween.jpg&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNExEWM6W26IBGatHl_Xaim-ztJvEA]skimpy set of armour-like clothing[/url].

“Oh, the Everfree dining room?” she mused to herself, her heeled, knee-length boots clacking on the table as the door swung shut and disappeared. “I’d say… roughly six months after that bothersome Discord’s initial assault on Equestria. Am I right?” She glanced around, noticing everyone gathered before her eyes settled on Zinnia and she smiled graciously. “Ah, Zinnia my dear! How are you?”

Zinnia frowned playfully. “I could be better. Why didn’t you tell me I could go into heat?”

The new woman shrugged. “Thought you’d have more fun if it was a surprise.”

“Fair enough,” the Draconid said, nodding with a smirk. She glanced my way and her smirk grew slightly. “I think you’re giving Vash a heart attack, Patty.”

“Hommina hommina,” I said dumbly, my brain fried due to sensory overload.

“Patty” was quiet for a moment before licking her lips. “This one… he’s Vash the Stampede, right? I think I remember meeting his Displacer one day.”

I snapped out of my trance as soon as she said that and had to fight off a glare. “You did?” I asked. “There should be two. One who took the form of the Merchant from Resident Evil 4 and the other who was this creepy smiling guy.”

“Did the creepy guy have a purple tunic and a large backpack?” Patty asked, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the table. “Because that’d be the guy. Good ol’ Happy.”

“No, it wasn’t the mask salesman,” I said, shaking my head. “I couldn’t really give you a good description of his face other than the smile. He was like the textbook definition of nondescript. Someone that you really wouldn’t be able to pick out of a crowd if it weren’t for the grin.”

“Hmm… I might have seen him around the Void, but…”

“But what?” I asked, trying not to get agitated.

“I can’t remember him. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him, but I’m not sure.” She shrugged, leaning back on her hands and smirking at me. “But what about you, handsome? What did my girl call me here for?”

“Zinnia, you wanna field this one?” I asked. “I need a moment here to think about some things.”

The Draconid chuckled, smirking at me. “Yes, Vash, she has very large breasts. What was it Patty? Thirty eight something?”

“Triple G, yes,” Patty nodded.

“I wasn’t talking about boobs, as hard as that is to believe.” I replied, looking at the table and continued trying to remember what the smiling guy looked like.

“Fair enough,” both women shrugged before glancing at each other and giggling. “Jynx! Double Jynx! Triple Jynx! Quadruple Jynx! Infinity Jynx!!”

“Can you please just tell her why you called her here?” I asked, starting to show some irritation.

“Sorry Vash,” Zinnia said ashamedly. “Right… Well, I was gonna give Vash your password for the WiFi you gave me -”

“Oh, go ahead!” she tittered. “He looks like a guy that enjoys some soppingwetclits.”

“Actually, I was going to use the internet for research purposes,” I explained, fighting off a blush. “I’ve got three marefriends so… porn isn’t as much of a necessity as it used to be.”

Zinnia rolled her eyes. “That’s the password, Vash. soppingwetclits. No caps.”

“Oh, sorry,” I said with a nervous chuckle. “Can’t believe I couldn’t figure that out.”

“It’s quite alright,” Patty tittered, the movements making her barely covered breasts jiggle slightly. “But I’m sure that’s not all.”

“Yeah… any chance you could give his phone that unlimited charge you gave my iPod?” the Draconid asked sheepishly, chuckling slightly.

“Sure, why not?” Patty shrugged. “I just need the actual phone.”

“Here you go,” I said as I reached into my pants pocket and tossed it to her. “By the way, I think you might like my wallpaper.”

Patty nodded, pushing the button. She gasped and giggled slightly, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. “You’re right, I do like that. That’s… Jason Hughes, if I’m not mistaken, right? Shapeshifted into a woman, of course.”

“Correct, and I accidentally got Jason pregnant.” I explained, scratching my cheek.

“You dog~” Patty chuckled, winking at me. “Congrats on that. That’s… what, the seventh kid he’s had? Eighth?” She shrugged. “Oh well, doesn’t matter. Now for the charge. Get ready for this!” She jumped to her feet, holding my phone up above her and closing her eyes, beginning to hum loudly.

“What is she doing?” I whispered over to Zinnia.

“Being dramatic,” the Draconid sighed, before turning to Patty. “Just get it over with, would ya?”

“Oh fine,” Patty groaned, lowering my phone and pointing to it with a finger gun. A spark of electricity jumped from her fingertip to my phone and seconds later she tossed it back to me. “There ya go, unlimited charge. Enjoy.”

I unlocked the phone and tapped the screen a few times, bringing up an old photo. “Thanks,” I told her with a grateful smile. “I would’ve lost everything in here for a while if you hadn’t done that.”

“No prob hun,” she said, waving dismissively. “Oh, and I added my number to your contacts. Just in case you wanted to have some fun.” She smirked, sniffing at the air for some reason. “...and bring the naga and two alicorns, should be a blast.”

“Naga pony technically,” I corrected with a slight chuckle. “Other than that you were spot on. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I’m the whole reason for a lot of her ‘surprises’,” Patty chuckled, jabbing a thumb at Zinnia. “That little toy she has? I gave her that.”

“Yeah, she told me that. Meanwhile the two dickheads that sent me here took my arm and replaced it with one that can rust. Do me a favor? If you do run into my displacers again, send ‘em to this universe so I can punch them in the throat.” I said, holding up my metal arm.

“I can try. It all depends on which Merchant you got - there’s one that’s really a dick who I think is actually dead and one who disguises himself as the Merchant who’s actually kinda nice.”

“Eh, just ask them if they sold someone a .45 caliber revolver for 50 bucks at Otakon recently. There can’t be too many cases of that happening,” I replied with a shrug.

“Hey, Patty?” Zinnia said suddenly with a slight smirk. “You wanna meet Jay? You know, father of my child, soon-to-be mother, ‘Ice Giant Indeed’ Jason?” She paused as the taller woman nodded, then chuckled and pointed to the other side of the table. “He’s right there. Has been the entire time.”

Patty spun around, smirking looking down to Jason and Rarity. “Well hello there~” she cooed, lying down on the table and shooting them both a set of bedroom eyes.

This movement caused me to be face to face with a surprise. A full moon early in the morning. I held up my now infinitely charged phone and snapped a picture.

“Magic, ya gotta love it sometimes,” I said to myself with a dumb grin.

The woman glanced over her shoulder, smirking at me. “Enjoying the view there, lover boy?”

“Well, it could be a little better, but it’s a little early in the morning for that sort of thing.”

“Never too early for that!” she laughed, snapping her fingers. The (admittedly minimal) fabric covering her lower half suddenly became see-through. “Zinnia, improve the view further!”

“Yes ma’am!” Zinnia replied with a salute before shrugging her robe off, climbing on top of Patty and pressing her chest into her Displacer’s backside.

“Enough!” Rarity shouted, managing to get to her hooves. “There are foals in the room! If you harlots wish to get on with each other do it somewhere else!” She seethed, breathing rather heavily.

“Plus, ponies and people eat here you two,” I told them. “Think of how unsanitary you two are being on top of inconsiderate.”

“O-oh my...” Rarity winced, placing her hoof on her stomach.

“Please don’t tell me you just went into rage induced labor?” Jason asked, before turning to glare at Patty and Zinnia.

“What, are you serious?!” I asked, jumping to my feet. “How are you feeling, Rarity? Any contractions yet?”

Zinnia and Patty shared a quick, ashamed glance, the Displacer snapping her fingers and covering them both in thick clothes. They climbed off of the table, keeping their distance from the mare but still showing concern.

“Well Vash dear, it hurts, by Faust it hurts!” Rarity whined, her wings buzzing.

“I’ll go get the midwife or whatever.” Jason got up, rushing out of the room, glaring harder at Zinnia and Patty. Sensing Rarity in pain, the larva paused in their games, looking at her in concern.

“Jason, wait!” Patty cried, snapping her fingers and bringing the Jotun back. She flinched slightly when his glare hardened even further but pressed on anyway. “I am a midwife! I have all the medical training in the Multiverse! I could deliver Cthulhu's child - and have, several times!” She paused, snapping her fingers and bringing a large hospital bed into existence, placing Rarity into it gently. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

“What do you think Jason, wanna trust her with this?” I asked as I came up to Rarity’s side.

“No, I know exactly who to call.” Jason kneeled down, sketching out a few runes out on the floor with some chalk.

“Jason, are you summoning Norse gods in my dining room?” I asked.

“Yup.” A moment later, the runes glowed, and out of a pool of darkness rose Hel.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise, I don’t leave the realms all that often.” The goddess smiled, before her eyes landed on Patty. “And there goes the century. I was so hoping to never see you again.”

“Ah, Hel,” Patty sighed, frowning slightly. “I’ve been dreading the day. How are you, still wasting your time with those skeletons?”

“I take my job seriously.” Hel reached out and with a resounding echo, slapped the Displacer hard, hard enough to make her do a cartwheel. “There, now I feel much better.”

“Hey,” I started, slightly irritated. “I hate to interrupt whatever the hell is eating at the two of you, but… THERE IS A GODDAMMED PONY IN LABOR OVER HERE!” I shouted, hoping to get their undivided attention.

“Vash, there are a trio of changeling foals in the room who sense emotion, the only thing you just did is scare them.” Hel scolded, crossing her arms, looking down at me like a disappointed mother.

“Look, can you not give me that look,” I said with a sigh. “I’ve seen it enough as is,” I muttered under my breath. “I was just trying to get your attention. Rarity needs help, and Jason trusts you to do it.”

“Alright, alright, hatred of Patty aside, allow me to bring a new life into the world.” she took in a breath. “I’m going to give you a list of things Vash, get them for me.” She took off her robes, revealing a black suit of armor.

“Lay it on me,” I replied with a nod. She gave me the list, checking on Rarity, who was moaning in pain. Patty sighed, climbing to her feet and moving over to me.

“I’ll go with ya, Vash,” she said. “Doesn’t look like I’m welcome anymore and I can’t leave until a whole day’s passed anyway.”

“Okay, and don’t beat yourself up too much. Everyone makes mistakes. Guess that includes immortal beings that exist beyond known time and space,” I told her as we walked.

“More than we’d care to admit,” she sighed, snatching the list from me and scanning it. She nodded after a moment and snapped her fingers, all of the requested items materialising on the table.

“Hey, I’ve got a question for you,” I stated unsure of how to ask it.

“Shoot,” Patty said with a shrug, shoving her hands into her large blue hoodie. “I got nothin’ to hide.”

“I’m guessing that you’ve met a lot of other displacers just based on what you’ve said. And something’s been bugging me ever since I learned I was a Displaced. Why? Why do they do it?”

She seemed to flinch slightly at that, breathing in sharply through her teeth - which I now noticed were rather sharp. “That… is a tricky one. Some of… us, I guess, are just purely sadistic and want to see what happens when X goes to Y as Z.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Personally, I try to only Displace those that need it, to improve their lives. Zinnia, she had no family left, so I sent her somewhere where she could start a new one.” She paused, blushing slightly. “She’s the only one I’ve Displaced myself, though.”

I let out a sigh at that. “And which kind of displacer do you think I got? One who saw me as something akin to a toy? Or someone more like you? Trying to help me?”

She looked at me for a moment before snapping her fingers, a rather plain looking manilla folder appearing in her hands. She flipped through it for a moment before frowning, snapping it closed and throwing it over her shoulder where it burst into pink lightning. “Sadistic,” she answered simply.

“Yeah, I was afraid of that one,” I chuckled as I rubbed the side of my head. “But the joke’s on them. I’ve found a lot to live for here.”

She shot me a saddened glance and sighed. “Maybe, but it’s more when you were sent than where.”

“Even if Nightmare Moon does come around, I won’t let her be locked away for a thousand years.” I told her with a smile. “Besides, this world is supposed to be based off of a cartoon, the power of love has to be able to do something.” She smiled back, chuckling slightly and shaking her head.

“I hate my luck sometimes,” she giggled. “I find all these nice people, men and women alike, and then they’re either taken or won’t live long enough.”

“Well, I’m kinda sort of in an open relationship of a kind. And in a few hundred years, I’ll still look like this,” I told her with a wink as I scooped up the items for Rarity.

“That’s sweet, but maybe later,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “And didn’t you notice? I already poofed up the stuff back there.”

“Um, I was just grabbing some extra, just in case,” I offered with a weak smile, not wanting to admit I was distracted by my train of thought.

She shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess too much could be better to have than not enough.”

“Yeah, gotta think ahead,” I chuckled, not believing that I pulled off that excuse. “So, I’m sensing a story between you and Hel.”

Patty shrugged again, her hands finding themselves in her pockets again. “I dunno, I guess it all started with that interdimensional panty raid with Cthulhu and Happy.” She paused, chuckling ruefully. “I got a little cocky and tried to take the pair Hel was wearing.”

“Hold on,” I said trying to process something. “You’re telling me that Cthulhu, who sits on his throne in R’lyeh dead, dreaming, goes on panty raids?”

She smirked at me. “There’s more than one, Vash. This Cthulhu is - or rather, was - more of a horny teenager. But yeah, he does.” She paused, staring off into space. “Ah~ college.”

“Wait… beings that go on to be displacers have college? What do they teach you, Stalking Young Adults and Children at Conventions 101?”

“There isn’t a Displacer College, Vash,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I hopped around universes going to different colleges, taking all the nursing courses I could.”

“Okay,” I said, still unsure why someone like her would go to college, “so why did you think stealing panties right off of a god was a good idea? Was alcohol involved?”

“No, I was… curious,” she shrugged, shaking her head. “I wanted to know if the Norse Goddess of Death had anything freaky under the belt. You know how those Norse can be sometimes.”

“Ya know, you might have a point,” I said as I thought it over. “Disregarding the simple fact that her father is a shapeshifting trickster. She has siblings that are: a giant serpent, a wolf, and an eight legged horse. Who knows what she’s rockin’ under that armor.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t care if she was just pure skeleton,” Patty shrugged. “I just wanna know, y’know? But she woke up before I could find out. Things kinda went downhill after that, every time we crossed paths something bad happened between us - she stole my boyfriend, I tripped her on the bus, she borrowed my favourite nail polish and never gave it back, I pawned off her foot, etcetera etcetera.”

“Wait, what was that last one?” I asked, thinking I had misheard her.

“I refuse to sit here and let you lie.” Hel scuffed, stepping out of the shadows. “You want to know why we don’t like each other Vash? She tried to stop Faust from bringing life back to Asgard.”

“Wait, what?” I asked, looking between the two. “And what kind of effects would preventing that have caused?” I asked Hel.

“Gee I don’t know, maybe nothing would be living there now,” Hel looked at him, “You do know that Jason and all of Equestria reside on Asgard right?”

“No, he just mentioned Yggdrasil. Never told me which realm he was in exactly. Okay, so how did she try to prevent life from returning to Asgard?”

“Simple answer - I didn’t!” Patty snapped, openly growling. “I was sitting and having an innocent conversation with my old friend and the topic of ‘why bother’ came up. You merely decided to show up when I was on one of the negatives!”

“Oookay, I don’t know whose side to be on here,” I said as my eyes shot between the two.

“You tried to murder her!” Hel shouted, narrowing her eyes.

‘Do they even remember that I’m here anymore?’ I thought to myself. ‘Also, how did I find myself in the middle of a conflict between a god and an interdimensional being? Can my life get any crazier?’ I flinched as soon as I thought that. ‘And I think I just jinxed myself.’

“I did not!!” Patty screeched. “By the Void, you take the worst out of everything I do! Just because I happened to be holding a knife when you turned up!” She threw her hands up, eyes wide in what I think was disbelief. “This isn’t freakin’ Undertale, Hel!”

‘Undertale?’ I questioned in my head before my eyes widened as well. ‘Oh yeah, I remember that now. I threw a few bucks into a kickstarter or something for that awhile back. Wait, did that come out after I got sent to Equestria?’ I shook my head and focused on the two in front of me. ‘Now is not the time for tangents, Vash. Just listen to what the two ladies have to say.’

“You were about to stab her in the neck! I’m not stupid!” Hel growled.

“Well apparently you fuckin’ are!” the Displacer screamed, getting into Hel’s face. “I have never once killed a person! And I wouldn’t dare raise a hand to anyone who wasn’t asking for it like you are now!!!”

‘I think it’s time I try to get out of here.’ I thought, silently creeping away from the two.

“WE don’t have time for this,” Hel growled, taking a calming breath, “We have a baby to deliver.”

“I thought you had that covered?” Patty huffed, taking a few steps back and crossing her arms. “I left you with all the stuff on your damn list. Which I wouldn’t need, by the way.”

“Can we please stop this?” I huffed from behind the two of them. “I get that the two of you don’t like each other, and I don’t know who to believe. But, now is not the time for it. So, would one of you please teleport us to Rarity so we can safely deliver her child?”

Patty sighed, snapping her fingers, and seconds later we were all in the dining room again.

Hel moved over to the whimpering mare, getting everything ready. Chrysalis had taken the larva out of the room to sooth them. I followed after Hel and set the extra things I had gathered next to her.

“How is she?” I asked Jason.

“What do you think?” Jason asked, turning to look at me. Rarity was screaming her head off, blaming Jason for her current situation.

I winced a bit at the noise but still put on a smile. “Sounds like business as usual for this sort of thing. Is she dilating yet?”

“Do I look like I know this stuff?” Jason growled, crossing his arms.

“Well excuuuse me, princess,” I told him with a roll of my eyes. “Hel, can you check on her?”

“Yes, yes, expect the eldritch goddess to do all the work.” Hel gave a roll of her eyes before moving over to Rarity. “Well...it won't be too long now...”

“Ya hear that Rarity?” I offered. “You’re going to see your baby real soon.”

“Just get it out!” She screamed back.

“We’re working on it, just keep breathing and pushing.” This went on for a few more minutes before the wails of a foal filled the air. Hel quickly and carefully cleaned the foal up, wrapping them in one of the towels. “How’s the baby, Hel?” I asked expectantly. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Got a healthy set of lungs on him but he’s fine.” She passed the foal over to Rarity, who smiled tiredly, holding the squirming bundle close.

“How are you feeling Rarity? I’m going to guess tired is pretty high up there,” I joked, glad the ordeal was over.

“Keep making jokes and I won't let you see the baby.” she shot back.

“I’ll be good,” I squeaked.

“Well? Come on then, come get a look.” Rarity sat up, with some help from Jason, holding the baby in view.That was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I quickly leaned in and had to fight the urge to pinch the baby’s cheeks. The first thing I noticed were the horns. The kid had two freaking horns. Both were curved back, one being the color of his mane, which was a deep purple, while the other was changeling black.

        “I know you told me not to make jokes, but I think you just gave birth to a twonicorn, Rarity.”

“Bicorn.” Hel corrected. “Uni means one, bi means two.”

“Hel, I already knew that,” I just found twonicorn was a lot more fun to say.” I let out a yelp as Rarity dragged me down with her magic, my nose pressed into her muzzle.

“Do.Not.Mock.My.Son.”

“I wasn’t,” I whined. “How could I ever mock such an adorable tyke?” She snorted, releasing me from her death grip, though was now glaring daggers at me.

“So...” Jason asked, looking down at his newest son, a smile on his face. “What do we name him?”

“Can I make a suggestion?” I chimed in, avoiding Rarity’s gaze.

“Yes?” Rarity asked, her tone just daring me to say something stupid. Granted, that was a fair assessment of most of the things I say.

“Considering his unique feature, maybe we could incorporate something like ‘duo’ or ‘double’ into his name?”I offered.

“I already have a name in mind.” Rarity cleared her throat. “Elusive.” She looked down at the baby, smiling serenely. “My beautiful little Elusive...”

Zinnia snorted from where she had apparently decided to take a seat, quickly covering it up with a cough. “Sorry about that,” she said, barely managing to hold back a smirk.

“Just say it Zi,” Patty chuckled. “Rarity, you just named your son after yourself, but the male version.”

Rarity didn’t seem to care, too busy fussing over Elusive.

“Anyway...that horrible event over with...” Chrysalis shuddered. “Mammals...” She coughed. “Anyway, we were discussing Jason, and Rarity and I both agree it would be best if we went home with the kids.”

“If that’s what you want,” I told her with a quick nod. “But, what about you, Jason?”

“I’m fine with that, it wasn’t a great idea in the first place.” He moved over, pulling the two mares into a hug. “I’ll be back soon ok?” he asked, pulling away.

“Of course dear and we’ll be waiting for you.” Rarity turned to me. “Do thank the princesses for their hospitality won't you?”

“No problem, and you two and the foals are free to come back any time you want.”

“Patty.” Hel nodded. She raised her hands to the sky, the group vanishing into a pool of darkness. It lingered a little before a strange, rock-dinosaur looking dog jumped through.

“Zed!” Jason smiled, kneeling down as the creature moved over to him, giving it a hug.

“So that’s the Anubian you were talking about,” I said with a grin. “Hey girl.” I reached out with my left hand in an attempt to pet her. She looked at me for a moment, sniffing my hand before allowing me to touch her. “Aww, who’s a pretty alien puppy?” I asked with a goofy grin.

She growled, not seeming to like being called a puppy.

“Yeah, she doesn’t like being compared to dogs.” Jason explained.

“Sorry about that,” I apologized, slowing my petting down. She relaxed, licking my hand a few times. “Hey Zinnia, do you wanna pet the alien?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Depends,” she chuckled. “Does she like me? I have a bad history with… canines and canine-like creatures.”

“Well, calling her a canine is a quick way to annoy her.” Jason shook his head.

“Which is why I added canine-like.”

“Why don’t you try giving her a pet and see what happens?” I offered with a shrug. “Though there was a reason I started with the metal arm,” I muttered under my breath.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t have helped you at all Vash.” Jason just laughed.

“Last time I checked, metal doesn’t bleed,” I deadpanned.

He stared back. “Zed, Buglizard.”

In a red flash, Zed shifted into a car sized creature that looked like a cross between well...a bug and a lizard.

“Was this actually part of the later Ben 10 series?” I asked, paling. “Because if so, that show got weird.”

“Zed is the proud owner of the Nemetrix.” Jason smiled, patting her head. “Which allows her to shift into various predators.”

“Well, that certainly beats ‘roll over’ in the trick department,” I joked.

“Yeah, it does…” Zinnia breathed before grinning, flying up onto Zed’s back. “Can you imagine riding this into battle, Jay!?”

“Already done it.” Jason said. “Where do you think I got that scar?” He asked, running a hand down his chest.

“Considering how many fights you’ve told us that you’ve been in, any number of places,” I answered.

Zinnia chuckled, hopping down from Zed’s back. “To be honest, I thought Rares or Chryssi had a hissy fit and sliced you.”

“Ya know, I’m actually surprised that Morning hasn’t taken a swing at me with a sword after some of my shenanigans,” I mused aloud.

“My evil clone did it...” Jason muttered, leaning against the wall.

“You have an evil clone?” I repeated, trying to wrap my head around that. “How did that happen?”

“Eclipse.”

“But I thought you said that Eclipse was Nightmare reborn that got her own omnitrix. She’s a clone of you too?”

“A female clone.” He clarified.

“I’m going to say something I’ve probably said before, but the life of a Displaced is really confusing,” I said, stating the obvious.

“And infuriating, when the villains turn up,” Zinnia sighed. “As well as depressing.”

“True, but luckily we all found people who can be our anti-depressants,” I said with a weak smile.

She smiled too, pulling me and Jason into a hug. “That we do. And sexy ones too!”

“Yup!” I agreed with a nod. “So Jay, did seeing your wife in labor make you nervous about what’s going to happen to you in a few months?”

“Vash, I’ve died before, I’ve fought the guy who lit nine entire universe on fire.” Jason gave me a flat look. “No, I’m not nervous.”

“Alright, I guess that’s fair,” I admitted. “Wait a minute, how do you light an entire universe on fire? they’re mostly empty space.”

“Norse Gods, Vash,” Zinnia said with a shrug. “Because fuck all your rules.”

“Considering I’ve got a reality warping mish-mash of a creature as a lawn ornament, you think I’d have learned that lesson already.”

“Vash, you need some Madman’s Knowledge.” Jason brushed some hair out of his face. leaning on a wall.

“Madman’s Knowledge?” I asked. “Is that supposed to be a metaphor or something?”

“You didn’t play Bloodborne did you?”

“No, I didn’t have a PS4, or an Xbox One. Was kind of waiting for the price to go down.”

“You should have bought it, Bloodborne was amazing.”

“Dude, I was a grad student living in an apartment by myself at the time. There were days that instant ramen was too expensive for me.”

“That sucks,” Zinnia deadpanned. “Almost as much as living on Nutrient Paste in a mental asylum.”

“Zinnia, I wasn’t trying to turn this into a contest of who’s life was worse,” I replied flatly. “But, you’d probably win it with that unless Jay here can pull something out that can top it.”

“Not really.” Jason shook his head. “Besides being unable to shapeshift for a few months...”

“Yeah, not gonna touch on why you’re unable to shapeshift,” I said with a chuckle. “So, now that Rarity and Chrysalis are gone with the kids, what’s the plan?”

“I need a drink…” Zinnia groaned, glancing to Patty. “You?”

“I could go for an Atomic Vodka, sure.”

“Zinnia, you’re not talking about alcohol when you say you need a drink, are you?” I asked, arms crossed over my chest.

“I’ve already been pissed off my tits, Vash,” the Draconid said dismissively. “The Norse practically live off the stuff, and none of it reaches my womb anyway - I checked.”

“I’m not touching the stuff.” Jason shook his head. “Out of principle.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna avoid drinking too. Considering what happened the last time I got drunk, I don’t wanna see what’ll happen this time.”

“Heh, don’t wanna get another girl pregnant, eh Vash?” Zinnia teased.

“Exactly, or I could end up doing something even dumber. I’m pretty open to suggestion when I’m drunk, so I’d hate to think what you and Patty could convince me to do. One time my roommate convinced me to  sing a Katy Perry song while wearing a tutu in a Church of Latter Day Saints. I ended up on Youtube the next day.”

“So again, now what?” Jason asked, crossing his arms.

“I dunno, there’s gotta be something that a shapeshifter stuck in female form, a dragon lady, a gunslinger, and a being that exists in the Void can get into at this time of day.” I mused, scratching my chin.

Patty opened her mouth only for Zinnia to cover it. “Not now Patty,” the Draconid said simply.

“I dunno, you guys could come with me and collect some scans.” Jason shrugged, starting to move to the exit.

“Hey, that could be interesting. You might be able to get a griffin scan. Considering ponies in my world were different enough to warrant one, griffins should be too, right?”

        

“Your whole world is anthro Vash, so yes, the DNA is different enough to warrant scanning.”

“Well then, how about you teleport us to Griffinstone?” I suggested. “The place is supposed to be nice and they’ve got good baked goods.”

“And you could try scanning me,” Patty suggested. “I can’t help but wonder what you’d look like.”

“What the hell even are you?” Jason asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Vampire Succubus with a bit of Witch thrown in somewhere,” she shrugged. “Go ahead, try it.”

“Nope. That's way too much for me.” Jason just shook his head, moving out of the castle, Zed trotting after him.

“Wait, is Witch actually a different species?” I asked.

“In some worlds,” Patty shrugged. “In others it’s a profession. My world was kinda like Harry Potter in the sense that Magic is in the bloodline, and those with it are Witches and Wizards, a separate species.”

“You aren’t originally from the Void?”

“Nah, my dad was,” the woman explained, shrugging. “I was born on a world called Aktechameplatek.”

“Uh, bless you?” I joked.

“Multiverse, dearie, you’re bound to get some weird names.”

“You guys coming?” Jason called back.

“Yeah, we’ll be right there!” I returned, jogging to catch up to Jason.

“What were you guys going back there?” He asked, looking a bit impatient.

“I was asking Patty about her origins,” I said with a shrug. “She might be the only Void dweller that I ever get to talk to so I was curious. So, what was up with you not wanting to scan her? You’ve got a scan of Discord, not to mention Alien X is a pain to use, so how was Patty too much?”

“I have my reasons Vash, let’s just leave it at that...”

“Alright, I’ll respect your privacy. Oh, speaking of your scans, do you still have Ghostfreak?”

“Uh yeah, I never didn’t have him.”

“I was just wondering because you said elements from our IPs would show up. And considering what happened with Ghostfreak in Ben 10, I was curious.”

“No Vash, that will never happen to me. Plus, I’m not the one who caused all that stuff to show up it was Driba and Blukic.”

“Alright, so are you planning on teleporting us to Griffonstone anytime soon?” I asked with a chuckle.

“I’m waiting for Zinnia and Patty.”

“Fair enough,” I shrugged.

At that moment, Zinnia flew up, Patty right behind her. “Sorry about that,” Zinnia apologised. “I was asking what the beef was with Hel.”

Jason nodded before teleporting them to the outskirts of Griffonstone. He sighed, leaning on me, looking a little tired.

“Woah, you need a sec Jay?” Zinnia asked worriedly, eyes wide.

“I’m just tired...I really overdid it with the kaio ken thing and the dragon....”

“And you didn’t bother telling us this, why?” I asked.

“I didn’t think it would be an issue...” Jason pulled away, shaking his head. “I’m fine...”

“Uh huh,” I said, thoroughly unconvinced. “Just to be safe we’re going to get back to the castle without the help of the Jason Express.”

“I can cover that,” Patty said. “I’ll just open up a Void Door.”

“See, we got you covered. Now, let’s find you a griffin to scan.” I beamed, patting Jason on the  back.        .

“I told you I’m fine...” He grumbled, crossing his arms.

“Don’t care, I’m not going to let anything happen to you or the baby,” I replied, crossing my arms as well. “Even if I have to be an overprotective dick to do it.”

“I will punch you Vash. Hard. In the face.”

“You’re not going to avoid this by intimidating me, Jason.”

“I could actually do it.”

“And what would that accomplish in the end?”

“A court case for domestic abuse at best,” Zinnia chimed, chuckling. “And Vash’s funeral at worst. Please don’t do it Jay.”

Jason grumbled, looking away. Zed seemed to snicker watching a rabbit dart by.

“Hmm…” Patty hummed, before snapping her fingers, a cushioned wheelchair appearing before them. She snapped her fingers again and Jason found himself in the chair as the Void Dweller began pushing him. “Come along now! Much to do!”

“Ha!” I laughed, following after Patty. “I’m beginning to think that you and I are going to get along pretty well, Patty.”

“I knew you would!” Zinnia laughed. Jason growled, his eyes taking on a golden glow. He threw his hand out, sending Patty flying back.

“Bitch!” she cried, landing face-first in the mud.

“Do not patronize me.” He hissed, frost starting to form over the wheelchair.

“Did you really have to react like that?” I asked with a sigh. “We were all just having a bit of fun.”

Jason didn’t reply, just slumping down in the chair, out cold.

“Oh, would you look at that. You overexerted yourself,” I deadpanned at the unconscious Jotun. “Now you really do need the chair,” I finished, pushing the chair.

Jason lifted his head up, shaking it a few times. “Testing, testing is this thing on?” he asked, touching his throat. “Oh good, the voice is working, score one for the Hodge!”

“Hmm Hmge!” Patty called, her voice muffled by the dirt before she pushed herself up, spitting it out. “Hi Hodgey!”

“Who are you?” He asked, turning to look at Patty. “Besides needing a bath.”

“Oh, right…” Patty muttered in response, snapping her fingers and making the dirt remove itself from her body. “Time travel stuff. Dammit…”

“Hodgepodge? What are you doing in control of Jay’s body?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Well someone had too.” He smiled. “As you might expect, our current situation did not go over well with some of us.  Orm in particular wants to eat you. With Jay as exhausted as he was, Orm was able to come out for a bit. Didn’t expect him to tap into Odin’s power. Jay is... well, I put him down in our subconscious for the time being to get some sleep.”

“Uh, what was that about someone wanting to eat me?” I asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Orm. He’s the voice of our bloodlust. He wants to eat you.”

“That… I have no idea how to respond to that. No one has ever threatened to eat me before.”

“But you’ve been swallowed~” Zinnia sang with a smirk.

“Anyway, I just thought I’d pop out to let you know what was up.” Hodge smiled again. “And Zinnia, do be a good girl and don’t molest Jay in his sleep.”

“Don’t worry Hodge, I’ll keep an eye on her,” I told him with a chuckle.

“Can I molest you while you’re awake?” the Draconid asked, leaning over Hodge.

“Well that is a question isn’t it...?” Hodge asked, tapping his chin. “I mean technically Jay is the only one of us who isn’t a virgin...”

“Hodge, please do not go down this road while I’m the one pushing the wheelchair.”

“What, you wanna take it?” Patty teased, draping an arm over my shoulders. “Oh Vash, you devil~”

“Ya know, considering I was just told that one of Jay’s personalities wants to eat me. My mind isn’t really drifting towards more carnal matters.”

“Am I even interested in sex?” Hodge asked, looking deep in thought. “Maybe I’m not...”

“Trust me,” Patty said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You are. Or… will be.”

        

“Eh, maybe, maybe not.” Hodge shrugged. “I could be like Floyd.”

“Who’s Floyd?” I asked. “Is that another Displaced? Or one of Jay’s personalities?”

“Oh no, he’s Jason’s cousin. Megan’s brother’s son,” Hodge explained, “If I recall, he’s asexual.”

“Eh, to each their own,” I shrugged. “Anyway, it’s nice to hear from you again, Hodge. Did you get into any trouble since the last time we met?”

“Not really. Though there was that time I changed a city of unicorns and earth ponies into bicorns and taltzponies.”

“Wait, you combined ponies and tatzlwurms? What kind of Lovecraftian nightmare did that end up looking like?”

“Like a normal pony...whose jaw splits in half...and has tentacles...and tends to swallow things they like as a show of affection...”

“That last part sounds a bit like Zinnia,” I joked, looking over to the Draconid.

“Hey, you love it!” she shouted back, smirking. “But yeah, I agree. Lovecraftian nightmare and all that.”

“Hmm… sorry in advance Zi,” Patty muttered sadly, just quiet enough for Zinnia to not hear.

“Though, I’m not sure if you can molest me while I’m awake, I’m not exactly myself...” Hodge commented, gesturing to himself.

“Well, were you ever really all there, Hodge?” I joked.

“Keep that up and it’ll be R63 for you Mr.Stampede.”

“Well, I know Zinnia wouldn’t mind seeing me get in touch with my feminine side. But you might have to deal with a magical double rainbow to the face when Celestia and Luna find out,” I shrugged.

“I doubt they would hurt an expecting mother. Especially after they hear the horrible tale of how you tried to force yourself on me! For shame!!!” Hodge pointed dramatically.

“As if they would believe that story,” I replied with a roll of my eyes.

“They would if we all told them,” Zinnia chuckled. “Now Hodge, make with the Vash titties! And put him in a bikini while you’re at it!”

“Done!” Hodge smiled, snapping his fingers. A flash of light surrounded me for a moment, and when it subsided I was left feeling… different.

“Hodge, if you actually…” I clammed up before I could finish my sentence. The sound of my own voice surprising me.

“Hmm...I think those are a solid DDD.” Hodge reached up, poking one of the mounds on my chest.

“Ahhn!” I blurted out, blushing and covering up my own chest. Apparently I was surprisingly sensitive. I further examined myself and my mind was fried into crispy bacon by what I saw. Hodge was right about my chest, it had really ballooned out due to his spur of the moment transformation. And I was in fact wearing a bikini much to my dismay. A tight red one that seemed to match the color of my duster. He had removed my gloves leaving both of my arms exposed. Though Hodge had changed my metal arm to look a bit more feminine. My hair had really grown out as well, probably at my mid-back if I had to guess.

“Yay, squishy!” Zinnia cried, tackling me and pressing her face into my chest. “Mmm, you’re soft!”

“Get off me!” I boomed. “Hodge, change me back! I don’t want to be Valerie the Stampede!”

“Well, too damn bad!” Hodge just smirked. “Hey, look at it this way, you can’t knock anyone else up!”

“And imagine what Celly Lulu and Morning will say!” Zinnia cried, smiling for a second before gasping loudly. “Oh my Arceus! I’m gonna tie you up and give them cocks!”

“Please don’t! Patty, you’ve gotta help me out here!” I called out, reaching towards the Void dweller.

“I dunno~” she cooed, smirking at me. “I kinda like where this is going. I might just bring Morning here now, that tail could be useful in keeping you quiet~”

“He’s just jealous Jay has bigger meat bags.” Hodge piled on, a wicked grin on his face.

“I am not!” I screeched, my entire face overtaken by a blush. “Hodge, if you’re not going to give me back the proper genitals, can I at least get a pair of pants?” I pleaded.

 

“I got that covered,” Zinnia said with a smirk, reaching into her bag and pulling out some clothes. She then winked at Patty, and seconds later I felt myself being lifted up before she slipped the clothes up my legs.

        “Hot pants…” I groaned.

“You should have given him yoga tights.” Hodge commented, looking bored already.

“Can we just get into Griffinstone already?” I huffed, getting myself straightened out. “I’m thinking about drowning my sorrows in pastries.” I grumbled. “One shall be dedicated to my fallen comrades, Mr. Johnson and the Juice Crew.”

“You can borrow my toy if you like~” Zinnia sang, rubbing her shoulder against mine.

“And I can bring the tentacles~!” Hodge snapped his fingers, a tentacle growing out of the ground, slapping my ass.

“No!” I screamed. “No tentacles!” I then reached to my side in an attempt to grab my gun, but only came up grasping empty air. “Hodge, where’s my gun?” I asked calmly, trying to avoid popping a blood vessel. He smirked, twirling it around.

“Good work, my adoptive brotha!” Zinnia cried. I grumbled for a second before blushing, feeling a hand sliding under my hot pants and bikini bottoms.

“Hmm, firm~” Patty breathed in my ear, groping my ass.

“If I still I had my gun you would all be getting an Angel Arm straight up the ass,” I griped, resigning myself to my fate.

“Love you too Valerie!” Hodge said from behind me, reaching around and giving my chest a squeeze.

‘Why is this my life?’ I thought. ‘I should’ve just never picked up that revolver.’

“You should give the woman’s side a try, Val~” Zinnia cooed, hugging my arm. “We won’t stick anything in if you don’t want, but it feels good~”

“I have to say, I love how we’ve completely derailed Vash’s story.” Hodge giggled. “The readers must be so pissed.”

“I dunno about them, but I’m certainly tired of being the butt of the universe’s jokes,” I said, trying to worm my way out of everyone’s grip.

“But your butt’s so nice!” Patty argued, giving my ass another squeeze.

“It was nice before!” I shouted indignantly. “And it was attached to a body that I had grown quite fond of!”

“You know...I wonder if plants go into heat...?” Hodge inquired, looking away in thought.

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to stay like this long enough to find out,” I growled. “Now, can we please go to Griffonstone already? I’m sick of being groped.” I then stomped off towards the griffin village.

“No, Sexy, come back!” Zinnia and Patty called after me, simultaneously falling to their knees and taking up begging stances.

“Normally I’d say eat me, but in this case you’d take it the wrong way!” I called back, flipping them off.

“Huh?” Jason asked, blinking a few times. “I miss something?” he asked, looking down at Zinnia and Patty. He stifled a yawn, obviously still tired.

“Hodge is a legend, that’s what!” Zinnia answered, a huge smile on her face. “Look at Vash! Or Val! Whatever!”

Jason just yawned again, sitting back down in the wheelchair. “I’m too tired to care...”

“You should care!” I shouted. “Get Hodge back out here and change me back to normal.”

“Val, I can do it later, leave Jason be,” Patty chuckled. “I promise I won’t leave you like this, but you’re staying that way for today.”

Jason snored softly, having passed out again. He looked rather peacefully, hair falling down into his face.

“Thank you Patty,” I said softly, not wanting to wake Jason up. “Normally I’m up for trying new things, but changing genders was one of those things that never really crossed my mind.” Zed just sat next to her master, as if to stand guard.

“One rule though,” the Void Dweller continued, smirking.

“I know I’m going to regret listening to this, but if it gets me the boys back then I’m listening.”

“You try sex as a girl once,” she said, suddenly serious. “Just once. Do that, and I’ll change you back.” Pausing, she then added, “Either lesbian or straight, that’s your choice, but just be the chick in the bedroom once.”

Even though I knew this was where she was going, I still blushed heavily and was at a loss for words. “Just once, and then I’ll be me again?” I finally managed to get out, just above a whisper.

“Yes. Void’s Honour.” As soon as the words left Patty’s lips, her eyes glowed bright pink for all of three seconds.

“Fine,” I huffed, arms crossed under my chest. “It’s not like I’ve got much of a choice. You’ve literally got me by the balls here.”

“Thanks Val!” Zinnia cried, hugging me from behind, her arms brushing the underside of my new chest bags.

“I never said that it’d be with you, Zi,” I said with a smirk. “I might just grab a couple griffins here and see what they’re like in the sack,” I finished, walking away.

“Bitch!” Zinnia shouted after me, and I chuckled as I heard her hurrying to catch up. “I’ll tell the others!”

“And tell them what? That you’re the one who caused their lover to be unable to give them a child?” I shot back.

“I can give you the baby making toy, dumbass,” she replied, smirking. “You’ll just have to be careful they don’t put one in you.”

“Relax Zinnia, I wasn’t being serious about the griffin thing. I really, don’t want to have any foreign objects thrust into me.”

“That’s a joke on two levels!” Patty laughed, walking up on my other side with Jason’s wheelchair in front of us.

“Thank you, Patty,” I said with a bit of a chuckle. “Where would we be if you weren’t here to explain our jokes?”

“Stuck as a woman.”

“You make an excellent point,” I replied with a nervous gulp. “Anyway, let’s get into town, get Jason a scan, eat their famous pastries and leave.”

“I want pie~” Zinnia cooed, leaning against me.

“None of that until we’re back at the castle,” I told her, patting her on the head. “I was serious about dedicating a pastry to my lost manhood.” Zed snorted, her stomach growling.

“It’s not lost, silly,” Patty chuckled. “Just… stored away for later.”

“Fine, maybe I’ll just see if the griffins have invented donuts yet,” I said, starting to drool. “Here’s hoping they have, I could use a few after the day I’ve had.”

Snapping her fingers, Patty held out a tray of Krispy Kreme donuts. “Enjoy.”

I snatched the tray out of Patty’s hands and with tears of pure, unadulterated joy streaming down my eyes told her, “I think I love you.” I then picked up a donut and started munching away happily.

“Does that mean I’m invited to your one attempt later?” she asked with a smirk.

I slowed down my attempt to enter a sugar coma and chuckled nervously a bit. “Why not? I already know Zinnia is going to bring Tia, Lulu and Morning into this. What could one more hurt?”

“Famous last words have never been sexier~” Zinnia tittered.

“Let’s just see what Griffonstone is like,” I said with a sigh, not wanting to think about later. We all finally managed to enter the town and instantly noticed something. The town was a bit… rougher than I was led to believe. The buildings were in okay condition, but the griffins roaming around the street were another story. There were panhandlers everywhere and most of the citizens seemed to have a sneer permanently etched onto their faces.

Zed growled, as if daring any of them to get too close.

“Wow, I was really not expecting the place to be like this,” I thought aloud.

“I have an amazing idea…” Zinnia breathed.

“If you say orgy in the street,” I warned her.

“Not for you maybe,” she shrugged before grinning, reaching over and grabbing Patty before throwing her forward. “WHOEVER GETS THAT GIRL NAKED FIRST WINS A BAG OF BITS!!!!”

“I am so glad that she didn’t grab me for that,” I muttered under my breath.

Almost instantly, the street fell into chaos, Patty looking back at us just long enough to smirk before being consumed by the mob.

“The thought occurs to me, why didn’t she just teleport to avoid the mob?” I pointed out.

“She likes the attention,” Zinnia shrugged.

“Thanks by the way for not thrusting me into that mess.”

“Hey, if anyone’s getting a taste of that pie, it’s me,” she replied, smirking at me. “No use in ruining your mood for later, eh? Who knows, we may even get Jason in on it.”

“Oh like you wouldn’t have had fun trying to think of a way to put me in a good mood again,” I chuckled.

“Eh, true. I could walk around naked, for one.”

“I dunno, I’m partial to naughty maids,” I chimed.

“That can be arranged~”

“Nice,” I replied with a dopey smile before turning back toward the crowd. “Should we go in and get Patty out of there? I’m pretty sure I’m the only one of us with bits from this century, and those probably disappeared with the rest of my clothes.”

“You forget we have a Chaos avatar and a Void being with us,” Zinnia chuckled. “And she can get herself out when she wants t-”

“ENOUGH!!!”

“Told ya.”

“Whoa, was not expecting her to react like that,” I said, quaking slightly.

“It’s only her version of the Royal Canterlot Voice,” the Draconid shrugged, crossing her arms. A second later we heard a quiet pop behind us. “Hey Patty.”

“You owe me so much,” Patty said simply, her clothes in tattered shreds and her most intimate parts exposed.

‘Really wish I still had my phone,’ I thought.

“So, now that you’re back Patty, wanna walk around the village and find out if the pastries were an exaggerated rumor too?”

She shrugged. “Sure, why not. You want your phone back?”

“Does Japan have vending machines for everything?” I asked.

“What does Japan have to do with it?”

“I was trying to make a witty remark, and I was smacked on the ass with a tentacle earlier.”

“Eh, true,” Patty shrugged, pulling my phone from her bust. “Here ya go.”

“Thank you,” I said trying to put the phone in my pocket. Only for part of it to stick out of the hot pants. “Stupid girl pants and their half pockets,” I grumbled.

“Give it here,” Zinnia said, rolling her eyes and taking my phone. She plunged her hand into my cleavage before pulling back, leaving the phone there. “Perfectly safe. Never underestimate a big pair of tits in a tight bikini.”

“This feels weird,” I mumbled, shifting my shoulders around. “But I guess this’ll have to do.”

“It’s either that or down your pants,” Patty said, smirking. “And I can call you on vibrate~”

“I’d rather not mess up my phone, and my pants in public,” I replied with a blush. “Now, let’s go and do what we came here for before you two can find another excuse to grope me.”

“We need an excuse?” both girls asked simultaneously before grabbing one of my breasts each and giving them a hearty squeeze.

“Walked right into that one,” I groaned and walked away, covering my chest in a vain attempt to protect it.

“Aww, sorry Val~” Patty sang, pushing Jason along again. “We can make it up to you. I happened to overhear your little preference~”

“You’re not going to make it up to me by dressing up as a naughty maid,” I grumbled, looking around for a good candidate for Jason to scan.

“Well it’s better than staying in these,” she huffed, gesturing to her shredded clothes.

“Then why don’t you use your magic and fix your outfit?” I asked. “You didn’t have any problem making it see-through this morning.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” she yelled. “But I’m trying to cheer you up at the same time! Sorry for trying to be a good friend!”

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to offend you. Also, nice to see that the curtains match the drapes,” I called back.

“Of course they do, I’m a natural Pink,” she preened, tossing her hair. “But seriously, tell me what you want. Fuck sake, I’ll go naked if you say so!”

“For now, I just need your help finding the best griffin for Jason to scan. Think your magic can help with that? Otherwise we could have Zinnia go nuts and find the toughest griffin the old fashioned way.”

Rolling her eyes, Patty smirked. “You have no idea how the Omnitrix works. All it needs is a sample and it’s make the best form out of that for Jason.” Smirking, she snapped her fingers, a voluptuous and naked female Griffin appeared before us, her feathers soaked. Obviously taken from her shower or something… “But if you insist, here. The toughest and sexiest griffin in Griffonstone.”

“Just hold Jason’s wrist up to her and send her back. I don’t want to deal with a pissed griffin,” I sighed, facepalming.

“She’s in heat.”

“I don’t want to have to deal with a horny griffin either,” I deadpanned. “Lord only knows what that beak would do.”

“Fine,” Patty huffed. Holding the Omnitrix up to the Griffin, she waited for the yellow beam to shoot out before striding up to her. “I’ll be back for you later~” she cooed, tweaking the griffin’s nipple, and a second later she snapped her fingers and sent her back to her home.

“There we go, that takes care of that,” I said with a smile. “Was the nipple thing really necessary by the way?”

With the most serious expression I’d ever seen on her face, Patty simply said “Yes.” Jason mumbled a bit, his head lolling to the side.

“I think Jason’s waking up,” I said. “Either that or he talks in his sleep.”

“I don’t talk in my sleep...” Jason yawned, stretching his arms out.

“Well good morning to you, sleepyhead,” I cooed. “We managed to get you a griffin scan during your nap.”

“She was sexy,” Zinnia provided. “But Val said no, so we sent her home.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you’re awake, Jay. I’ve had to be the voice of reason, it’s been terrifying.”

“Bleh...” Jason reached into his pocket, pulling out a strange fruit with a question mark on it. He took a few bites, perking up.

“Was that an Enigma Berry?” Zinnia asked, raising a brow questioningly.

“Yes...yes it was.” he nodded wiping his mouth off.

“How and why did you have an Enigma Berry in your pocket?” I asked.

“I can answer that!” Patty chimed, smiling happily. “Medulla!”

“That only raised further questions,” I deadpanned.

Jason tossed away the core, getting out of the wheelchair, stretching out. “Welp, I feel better!”

“Glad to hear that,” I said with a smile. “Next time tell us about things like this, alright?”

“Eh, maybe.” he shrugged, looking around. “And they’re staring at us..”

“I wonder why?” I asked with a roll of my eyes. “Maybe it has something to do with Zed being an alien. Or the fact that we had a floating naked chick in the middle of town like a second ago.”

“And I’m still mostly naked,” Patty added. “You know what? Fuck it. I’m naked.” With a snap of her fingers, Patty’s tattered clothes disappeared, leaving her stark naked in the street.

“And this might further explain the odd looks we’re getting,” I sighed, waving a hand over to Patty.

“I see...” Jason stared at her for a moment. “Alright food!” he smiled, clapping his hands.

“Huh, alright,” I sighed. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find something to eat around here. Actually, griffins eat meat,” I started, coming to a realization. “I might be able to finally get a decent piece of steak here!” I cheered.

“I think I saw a restaurant back that way,” Zinnia said, pointing behind her.

“Good! Lead the way!” Jason commanded.

Zinnia shrugged, turning and striding back the way we’d come. “This way then.”

Jason, Patty and I eagerly followed after her, Jason excited about food in general and I was excited about the prospect of satisfying a craving I’d had for months. After a few minutes of walking we made it to a building with a dilapidated sign that read, “The Silver Quill Tavern.” Zinnia led us inside and the place had a few griffins milling about. The inside was clean enough, though nothing about it stood out. It seemed like your stereotypical medieval tavern. We all piled into a table at a corner of the room and looked around the tavern.

“This place looks like somewhere you’d get a fetch-quest in an rpg,” I mused aloud.

“Don’t tempt fate, Val,” Patty quipped.

“You make a good point,” I said with a chuckle. “Though if this were your standard rpg, some villager would come in shouting, “The bandits are coming!” Or something like that,” I shrugged.

“The bandits are coming!”

“God dammit Val…” Zinnia groaned.

“Yeah, next time I start saying something, feel free to punch me in the stomach,” I sighed. Mere seconds later, I crumpled over, Patty’s fist implanted in my stomach.

“Why wait?” she quipped, shaking her hand as she stood up. “Consider that a preemptive strike.”`

“Hope you weren’t planning on having kids Vash.” Jason snickered, moving out of the tavern.

I picked myself off the floor and shot back, “No, I’ll leave the genderbent impregnation to you. Now, give me back my gun.”

“Maybe I’ll give you a bun in your oven anyway,” Patty mused, patting my shoulder as she walked out. “Might be interesting to have a kid.”

By the time we got outside, Jason was already moving through the bandits, some of which had been frozen, torn in half or sliced a part.

“Well, I don’t think Jay needs any help here,” I said.

“Maybe not,” Patty shrugged, handing me my duster and guns. “But it’ll be fun~”

“True, can’t let the skills get rusty,” I returned with a smile as I put the duster on. I left it open, figuring I’d give Patty and Zinnia a show.  I drew my revolver and shot a bandit’s sword, shattering it before they attempted to sneak up on Jason. Jason seemed to move with unnatural grace, his dress splattered with blood, in some strange dance of death. I caught most of his fight in the corner of my eye, dealing with the bandits that he hadn’t gotten to yet. Like the first I shot, I aimed for their weapons and dealt with them without killing them.

Patty, however, ran in laughing like a madwoman, demonic wings sprouting from her waist and a pair of black-handled scythes with red blades appearing in her hands. She practically flowed through the bandits, her blades slicing through their flesh and bones like a hot knife through butter and their blood being drawn into the weapons, seeming to just make them sharper. In no time at all, the last of the bandits were dealt with, the ones I had shot scampering off while what was left of the others lined the streets.

Patty grabbed one of the bandits as he tried to slip past her, baring her fangs. “Who’s your boss?” she demanded.The bandit seemed too scared to respond, the only sound escaping him were a series of choked whines.

“She said who’s your boss!” Jason snarled, putting the tip of his sword to the bandits throat.

“I-I can’t tell you. She’d kill me if I told you anything,” the bandit replied, their eyes darting around.

“You’re better off telling us what we want to know,” I told the bandit, placing a hand on their shoulder. “You’ve just seen that these two have no qualms with killing. And that they mowed your friends down in no time at all. So, what do you think will happen if you annoy them and don’t tell them what they want to hear?”

“And I haven’t tasted blood in so long…” Patty said, her fangs bearing down on the bandit’s neck. “Give me an excuse, I dare you.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll lead you to the boss!” The bandit screeched, openly sobbing.

“Good.” Jason lowered his sword, looking at Patty. “Release him Patty.”

Patty rolled her eyes, dropping the bandit. “Don’t tell me what to do, Jay. I know full well how to deal with these types.”

“Settle down you two, save the hostility for the bandit leader,” I said, hoping to defuse a situation before it could occur.

“I’ll take care of her,” Patty grunted, turning and grabbing the bandit again. “I’m drinking someone’s blood today. Don’t wait up.”

“Can we at least try to finish this without any more bloodshed?” I asked with a sigh.

“No.”

“What about death? Can we settle on no more death?”

“She won’t live without becoming a vampire, so no.”

“Is there anything I could do to talk you out of this?”

“No.”

“Not even extreme sexual favors?”

“No. A vampire’s bloodlust is stronger than a succubus’s sex drive.” Sighing, Patty turned to me, smiling sadly. “I promise you I’ll clean up before coming back.”

Jason reached into his pocket, tossing Patty a small pack. “Don’t say you don’t owe me. Those are at least twenty blood vials, courtesy of a hunter from Yharnam.”

Patty sighed again, grabbing the vials and tossing them into her mouth whole. She spent a minute crunching them up, a small trickle of blood escaping her lips, before swallowing. “Thanks. I don’t like that part of me, but it’s a thing, so nothing I can do.”

“So, think we can finish this bandit leader without tearing her throat out?” I asked hopefully.

“I already have a plan!” Jason smiled, flicking some blood of his blade.

“Oh?” Patty asked. “Do tell.”

“Yeah, I’m all ears,” I agreed.

“The local orphanage  is about to get a sudden influx of occupants.” His eyes glowed gold and a second later, all the previously dead bandits were alive once more, only reduced to small children of various ages. “Wake me up when we get there...” Jason mumbled, collapsing to the ground, snoring loudly.

Patty sighed, bending down and lifting him into her arms. “Why didn’t he tell me to do that…” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Because he’s Jason,” I sighed.

“Oh well…” the Displacer shrugged, turning to our captured bandit. “Tell me, in exact detail, where your camp is.”

“Outside of Griffinstone, near the base of the mountain range. There’s a cave where we hide loot and a river that we use to hide our scent right beside it,” the bandit blurted out.

“Dibs on the loot!” Zinnia cried from the inn.

“Get out here and do something and we’ll talk about it!” Patty shot back.

“Why do you even want the loot that they most likely stole from this village among others?” I asked.

“Uh...” The bandit spoke up, looking at his former comrades. “Thou art not going to condemn me to the same fate as mine comrades, are thee?”

“That all depends on whether or not the information you gave us is good, or if you annoy the vampire and the Jotun. Or if we get bored,” I finished with a shrug.

“Maybe I’ll wipe your memories, too,” Patty added, placing Jason in what looked like a replica of Professor X’s wheelchair from X-Men. “Let you live a whole new life. Though if I find out you don’t make the right choices, I’ll come back and feast on you.”

The bandit looked at his former comrades and started to sweat profusely. “I think I am done with the life of an outlaw. Perhaps I shall become a florist like mother always wanted?” He wondered aloud.

“Good. Now leave,” Patty growled, glaring at the bandit. “But be warned, if this falls through for us, I will find you.”

“Of course not, I am done with dishonesty!” He whimpered before running off, hopefully to start a new, honest life for himself.

“That was an interesting use of bad cop, bad cop and good cop,” I quipped. “Anywho, now that we have a location, are we ready to deal with this leader?”

“You want her turned into a kid like the rest of’em?” Patty asked, snapping her fingers and covering herself up with a tight, form-fitting black latex outfit complete with corset, pants and a duster like mine.

“Eh, that all depends on how much trouble she is,” I said with a shrug. “If we can convince her to turn over a new leaf there really isn’t a reason to make her go through puberty a second time.” I shuddered as I thought of the idea. “That is a fate no one, no matter how evil they are, deserves.”

“But we could give her to Jason,” the Displacer reasoned. “He’s got so many kids now, what's one more?”

“Alright, I guess that could work out,” I shrugged. “Patty, would you please teleport us? I wanna get this over with so I can be the proper gender again before sunrise.” Patty snapped her fingers and all of us were teleported in a flash of light. When it subsided we were all standing at the edge of a crude outpost, just like the bandit had told us we would.

“Looks like that bandit isn’t getting his blood drained,” I commented. “Now the question is, do we try and be secretive about this, or do we just break down the doors with guns blazing?” Patty and Zinnia just shrugged at that and I rolled my eyes. “I’ll just try to wake Jason up. He did say he had a plan.” I reached down and gently shook his shoulder. “Jason, wake up, we’re about to get into a fight.”

“Huh...?” Jason asked blinking a few times. “That was not as long as I was hoping it would be...”

“Next time don’t overexert yourself when we’re in the middle of something and you might get a longer nap.”

“Shut up...” he grumbled, socking me in the arm. He got up, stretching himself out.

“So, you said something about a plan, would you mind sharing what it is?”

“Oh that?” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden spear. He drew his arm back, throwing into into the outpost. “That’ll keep the leader pinned until we get in there.”

“Huh, simple but effective,” I said. “I was kind of hoping for a complex plan that involved one of us being a distraction or something.”

“What? Nah, the spear will be enough.” He gestured to the outpost, where voices were already shouting.

“Is it a magic spear?”

“It’ll hit anything, no matter the skill level.” He smirked, moving up to the doors, pushing them open. “So, we letting them all live?”

“You know my style Jason, I let everyone live,” I said, walking up to him and flourishing my gun. “Think you can handle things using the flat of your blade?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Which is why I’m not using it.”

“Alright, let’s take on some more bandits. Maybe these ones will be tougher than the ones in town,” I offered.

“Yeah, I doubt it.” He chuckled, walking inside, humming a soft tune.

“Yeah, but maybe the leader’s hot,” I said with a chuckle of my own as I caught up with him. As bandits came into view, Jason just flicked his hand, making them all collapse, snoring away. “That’s a convenient skill,” I commented as I fired a few pot shots at some new bandits that came toward us. “You wanna take the ones on the left side of the outpost and I’ll take the right then meet in the middle?”

“You sure you can take them? You might miss, you do have a new center of gravity after all.” he snickered softly.

“You seemed to adjust pretty quickly. And what about you? You’re not gonna pass out in the middle of all this, are you?” I asked, snickering as well.

“Nah, probably after... and most likely be out all of tomorrow.” Jason chuckled. “Rarity is going to be pissed about the dress...”

“She’s going to be scarier than the guy who lit universes on fire, isn’t she?” I asked, firing another shot at a bandit.

“Probably.” He nodded, knocking out another group of bandits. “But, not like she can kick me onto the couch or anything.”

“I’m sure she’ll think of something,” I replied, pivoting around a bandit and uppercutting him in the jaw with my metal arm.

“I think we’re on the last of them.” Jason commented, seeing that no more of them were running out at us.

“Man, they do not make nameless bandits like they used to,” I laughed as I fired at three more bandits, their weapons shattering.

“Nope.” Jason commented, knocking them out with the same spell he had used on the others.

“Looks like that’s the last of them, better go see the bandit leader. She’s probably got a few words to say to us.” We movedtoward her little...hut thing, hearing her swearing from the inside. “They don’t sound like very pleasant words, but words nonetheless,” I commented.

We both entered the hut and found the bandit leader, a female griffin, sitting on a makeshift throne of sorts and wearing surprisingly nice looking armor that she had most likely stolen. As soon as she saw us her glare intensified and it nearly looked like she was going to explode.

“So, art the two of thee after my treasures?” She asked, reaching for a bastard sword sitting beside her. Jason was already there, having disappeared from my side, holding the sword with a smirk. “Impressive, I am not surprised to see such skill considering thou hast disposed of my bandits.”

“Yeah, your bandits weren’t all that impressive,” I said with a shrug. “They basically just charged at us and yelled before we knocked them out.”

She seemed to want to say something else, but considered her position and held her tongue. “Very well, take my treasure and spare my life. I am sure the spoils that I have acquired is the reason why the two of thee attacked this place.”

“Nope, I don’t care about treasure,” I said with a grin.

“We can’t just let bandits run around attacking people. I mean what kinda of heroes would we be if we let that happen?” Jason asked, fiddling with the sword.

“Heroes?” The bandit leader asked with a dark chuckle. “Griffinstone is not the place for lofty ideals such as justice. Greed and strength rule it, and I just happen to be the strongest and greediest.”

“You’re not exactly the strongest anymore, case in point,” I said, indicating at Jason. He smiled, grabbing the blade, crushing it. He didn’t seem overly injured, letting the broken blade fall to the ground. “And as you can see, he’s a showoff.”

“Very well, if thou dost not wish to take my treasure, then what dost thou plan to do with me?”

“Well, considering we sent the guys you sent into Griffonstone back to childhood, what do you think?” Jason asked, crossing his arms.

“What?! What insanity art thou speaking of?”

“The insanity that is our everyday life,” I answered.

“And mine is more insane than you know.” Jason chuckled. “What do you think Val? Diapers? Maybe all the way back to being an egg?”

“That depends, you wanna be the one to sit on it?”

“I could get Zed to do it...I think she lays eggs anyway...”

“Then let’s go with egg. Might as well put off changing diapers for as long as possible,” I shrugged.

“Hold still will ya?” Jason asked the bandit, holding his hand out, his eyes glowing again. The bandit leader’s eyes shrank and she began to panic. She attempted to get out of her throne but Jason kept her down. He smirked, sending the magic into her. “Also Val, if I pass out, I want this armor ya?”

“Be my guest, not like I’m gonna need it, and I can’t give it to Morning as a gift. The chest is way too small.”

“There...” Jason smiled, lifting a white, speckled egg out of the now discarded armor, starting to sway a little. I rushed over to him and threw an arm around the Jotun.

“There we are, can’t let you drop that egg,” I said with a sigh of relief. He mumbled softly, resting his head on my shoulder, out cold. “You’re making a bad habit of passing out around me.”I joked as I set him down in the throne as I turned and walked towards the exit. I looked over my shoulder and called out, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ve got to get your chair and the others.” Jason justed mumbled again, clutching the egg close. I had to hold back a d’aww at the sight of that as I quickly grabbed the chair and the others. Once we were back in the hut I carefully lifted Jason and the egg and put them in the wheelchair.

“There we go, they’re both nice and comfortable,” I said softly.Once the two of them were settled in their chair I collected the armor that Jason wanted and told Patty to teleport us back to the castle.

“I won’t teleport,” the Displacer replied, rolling her eyes. Snapping her fingers, she made a simple red door appear in the air. “That ain’t my style. Now come on, I think Zi-” Patty stopped suddenly, looking around. “Where did Zinnia go?”

“If I were a betting man, I’d say looking for the loot,” I sighed.

Patty opened her mouth to comment, stopping as our little conversation topic walked in casually, a comically large burlap sack slung over her shoulder. “‘Sup?” she asked as though she wasn’t carrying the stolen loot of a bandit clan.

“Huh, I should become a betting man,” I said with a grin.

“It was kinda obvious,” Patty groaned, rolling her eyes. “And I’m guessing that’s all for your little piece of arm candy, huh Zi?”

“Umbra is not arm candy,” the Draconid growled. “She is the single most beautiful woman in existence and I will kill anyone who says otherwise.”

“Okay, but you do realize that I’m not going to let you keep all that loot, right?” I told her with a cross look.

“Ugh, spoilsport…” Zinnia sighed, dropping the bag and reaching in. “Fine, here,” she added, flipping a single golden bit to me.

“Zinnia, you know that’s not what I meant. Those items belong to the griffins in Griffinstone and we’re going to return it to them.”

Rolling her eyes, Zinnia leaned back, sitting on the bag. “No, we’re really not,” she said. “I’ll give them something that’s infinitely more valuable to them, but this stuff’s coming with me on the grounds of ‘finders keepers’.”

“Zinnia, if you give back everything but one piece of the loot, and the loot you keep can be anything. Then I’ll let you do anything you want to me back at the castle.”

“I would just give it all back.” A new voice spoke, making us all jump. “At least, that's just me.” We turn to see a young man, draped in a cloak. “Sorry to just drop in, but I wanted to have a talk with Jason... who is asleep... and a woman...”

“Yep,” Patty said with a shrug. “He’s also pregnant, knocked up by the chick in the bikini top and duster over there.”

“Though if you hurt her,” Zinnia growled out, glaring at the newcomer. “I’ll hurt you.”

“Ease on the clutch there,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Who are you?” I asked, turning to the cloaked figure. “And how do you know about Jason?”

“I’m no one special.” The young man shook his head. “Please let him know that B wanted to talk to him.” He turned around, walking away without another word.

“Okay, that was weird. Even for us.”

“Yeah…” Zinnia agreed, staring after the guy for a moment. “But back to the point - when you say anything…”

“Yes, I meant anything,” I sighed, a blush creeping in on my cheeks.

“Hmm…” the Draconid hummed, tapping her chin in thought for a second. “Well… okay, but on one extra condition.”

“What else do you want?” I asked, slightly terrified.

Smirking, Zinnia reached into the bag, pulling out something at random. Turns out it was an ornate golden statuette, rubies and sapphires embedded in its surface. “I’ll give everything but this back, if you take it to the village stark naked. And no attempts to cover yourself at all, not even your own arms.”

“Oh that I must see.” Hodge smirked, having taken over Jay’s body again.

My blush deepened and I briefly considered just letting her take everything. But my conscience won out in the end. “Fine, I’ll do it,” I huffed.

“Good girl~” Zinnia sang, smirking to herself triumphantly. Standing, she sauntered over to me before grabbing my duster and yanking it off, sending me spinning in the process. “This first!”

“Damn it Zinnia! Can’t you let me prepare for this mentally?!”

Hodge whistled, leaning back in the wheelchair, holding the egg close.

“Nope!” the Draconid replied. “Get nekkid Val! Why do you have a problem with it now?”

“I don’t know!” I shouted honestly. “I just… feel weird being like this, okay?”

“Look, I’ll do it too!” Hodge pulled off his dress, tossing it to the side. “There. Feel better now that others are doing it?”

“Not really, but I appreciate the sentiment,” I sighed, unbuttoning the hot pants I had been given and pulling down on them. As soon as I bent over, Zinnia took it upon herself to spank me! “Gyahh!” I cried, turning to Zinnia with crimson cheeks. “Can you please not make this harder than it already is?” Hodge smirked, reaching on and pinching my ass. I jumped and shrieked, whipping my head at him with a pout. “Why’d you do that?”

“To see your reaction.” He smirked wider, a camcorder in his hands.

“You want a good reaction?” Patty chuckled, zipping up behind me and reaching around to grab my breasts, tearing the thin top away. On reflex, my hands went up to cover my exposed breasts, but stopped myself. I muttered something under my breath and rigidly put my arms to my sides.

“Oh come on! Don’t be lame Val!” Hodge complained, giving a cute pout.

“Grrr, urge to fire laser… rising,” I growled, slowly going to take off the last piece of my outfit.

Zinnia grinned, eyeing my naked body hungrily. “Hmm… I may just skip the public torture and eat you out now…”

“Whatever you do, I’m totally putting this on my multi-verse youtube page!” Hodge cackled, lighting striking above him.

“How are you going to put this on youtube? Doesn’t nudity and sex violate the terms and conditions?” I asked, picking up the bag of loot without bending over.

“Multi-verse youtube doesn’t have those.” He grinned back.

“Ooh!” Patty cried, grinning. “Put it on Multi-verse Facebook and tag me!”

“And now my life has become an episode of Rick and Morty!” I called out, mind thoroughly broken. “I have officially gone off the deep end and and derailed the crazy train!”

“Val, dear, you were already there,” Zinnia chuckled, hugging me from behind and making me drop the loot. Without warning, she lifted me up, throwing me onto the bandit leader’s old chair before kneeling in front of me. “And like I said, I’m skipping the public part.”

“And suddenly... I feel left out...” Hodge frowned, a bit upset everyone’s attention had left him.

“Silly Hodgey~” Patty sang, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her breasts on his head. “I haven’t forgotten you~”

“Aww shucks!” He smiled, still keeping the camera fixed on me.

“Oh no! This is not going down like this,” I hissed, covering my genitals. “I agreed to go along with whatever you wanted at the castle. And we are not going to be sidetracked from returning the loot to those griffins.”

Rolling her eyes, Zinnia pushed my hands away and slipped a finger into my folds. I bit my tongue in order to prevent a noise from coming out. “D-damn it Zi, I’m serious here.”

“Bow chicka woow wow...” Hodge muttered, snirking.

My eye twitched and my metal hand slowly reached for my armband. But I took a deep breath and dropped it again. “Can everyone please take a break from driving me insane for a little bit?” I asked as calmly as I could.

“Alright fine... I had my fun...” Hodge pouted, dismissively the camera, crossing his arms with a huff.

“Aww, Hodgey~” Patty cooed, still hugging him. “You can film me all you like later. Maybe even join in a little~?”

Hodge just blushed, nodding a little.

I was about to say thanks when I adjusted myself on the throne and noticed something. “Zinnia, can you please remove the finger from my lady bits?”

“Fine…” she huffed, doing just that. She then smirked at me, lifting the finger to her mouth and sucking it clean. “Hmm~ delicious.”

“Thank you,” I said, pulling myself off of the throne. “Now, I’ve got some loot to return, then the unspeakable things that Zinnia is going to subject me to, and then copious amounts of drinking to forget said unspeakable things along with the rest of my time spent as a lady.” I then picked up the bag of loot and strode out of the hut.

“Hodge, camera!” Zinnia cried, grabbing her iPod and racing after me.

Eventually, I was able to return everything to the griffins. I nearly died of embarrassment, partly from the gawking griffins and mostly due to the idea of my bare ass becoming a viral hit across the multiverse. When the last piece of loot was returned, Patty opened another dimensional door and we all walked through it. Once I was safely home in the castle I collapsed to my knees, exhausted.

“I am so done with today,” I groaned.

“Ah-ah-ah~” Zinnia sang, striding past me. “You made a deal~ Now come on, we’ve gotta find the girls.”

“Ugh,” I whined, getting up. “I hate my moral compass sometimes.”

“Catch you guys later!” Patty called, grabbing Hodge’s hand and starting to tug him away. “I have my own promises to keep~”

I waved my hand to the two of them without turning back as I caught up with Zinnia. “Zinnia, can’t I at least have my duster back if we’re going to see the princesses?”

“Wait!” Hodge cried out. “Someone has to keep the egg warm!”

“SONAR!!!” Zinnia Roared out suddenly.

Within seconds, a tiny black and purple bat creature fluttered up to us, chirping at Zinnia. She seemed to chirp back for a second before the bat glowed white, slowly expanding and changing into the hulking Noivern from before.

“What in the name of all things good and holy just happened?!” I shouted, confused.

“Pokemon in my world, if they train hard enough, can turn into their previous forms,” Zinnia explained, shrugging. “I have a Tyrantrum that does it too.”

That reminded me of something and I started to sing, “Digimon digital monsters, Digimon are the champions.”

“Eh, that was more my brother’s thing,” the Draconid shrugged again.

“What I was trying to say there was that the form changing thing you just described, basically sounded exactly like Digimon,” I chuckled. “Still that solves the egg problem.”

“Yay!” Patty cried, slinging Hodge over her shoulder and turning to walk off with him. “I’ll see you in a month!”

“Wait what!?” Hodge called, his eyes wide. “One of you help me!!!”

I turned to Zinnia with an evil grin. “Did you just hear something?”

“Nope~” she replied, closing her eyes and turning in the opposite direction to Hodge. “Just Sonar taking the egg to safety.”

“That’s what I thought,” I said, following after her.

“Damn you!!!” Hodge cried as Patty dragged him away.

I started to laugh a bit as Hodge’s cries became harder and harder to hear. “Ah, sometimes payback feels so good.”

“Yep!” Zinnia giggled, bumping her shoulder against me. “And now to find your women and show off your new body!”

“The throne room is probably our best bet,” I answered. “One of the princesses should be there.”

The two of us continued walking down the halls of the castle, and I was feeling increasingly nervous with every step. The only two things keeping me from bolting and hiding in one of the secret rooms I made in the castle was: one, the promise of getting back to my original gender, and two the promise I made to Zinnia. After what felt like an eternity, we made it to the doors of the throne room with two night guards standing in position.

“At ease,” Zinnia said, waving them off. “You won’t be needed for a while. Go enjoy an early break.”

The two guards exchanged a brief look before shrugging and walking off to the guard barracks. I heard one of them mentioning a card game as they turned the corner, shrugging at the info.

“You okay Val?” Zinnia asked, planting a hand on the doors.

“Just scared out of my mind… and cold.”

        “Oh,” she muttered, blinking. A second later she moved over to me, wrapping me in a hug, and I felt a warmth flowing from her body. “Sorry. I keep forgetting others don’t have fire in them.”

        “How is that something you forget?” I asked with a weak chuckle.

        “I’m used to it, and I hang around ponies. I forgot about being human for a while.” Pausing, she smirked, nuzzling my neck. “And if it’d make you feel better… you can get dressed if you want.”

        “I feel like if I agree to that you’re going to give me a cheerleader uniform or a latex bodysuit.”

        “No, I’ll give you actual clothes,” she muttered. “I… I want you to feel good too…”

        “Well, if you got something then I won’t say no.” I said, scratching my cheek.

        Zinnia just nodded, letting me go and reaching into her bag. She rummaged around for a minute before frowning, turning to shove her other hand in, searching again until she seemingly found what she wanted. “Uh… you want underwear too?” she asked.

        “Hmm, that depends, do you think I should go with something sexy?” I asked, mostly joking.

        “If you wanna. I’ve got briefs and boxers too though.”

        “Just pick something for me,” I said with a shake of my head. “I’ll trust you on this.”

        Zinnia nodded, pulling out a pair of black lace panties and handing them over. “These okay?” she asked, handing me a matching bra before plunging into her bag again.

        “They’ll do,” I replied, slipping the panties up my leg. “Mind helping me with the bra? I only have experience taking them off, not putting them on.”

        Zinnia chuckled, shaking her head and pulling a bundle of clothes out of her back before dropping them, taking the bra back. “Sure thing, turn around,” she said, making a twirl motion with her finger. I did as she asked and knelt a bit so she’d have an easier time.

        Zinnia reached around me, positioning the cups of the bra over my breasts before having me slide my arms in. She pulled the straps over my shoulder, moving to clasp it behind my back, straining a little with the effort.

        “Come on…” I heard the Draconid mutter. “This is the biggest damn bra I have left…”

        “Ow,” I hissed. “What the hell are you doing back there?”

        “Trying to clasp the thing shut!” Zinnia shot back. “Your tits are too big!” She paused, and I swear I actually heard her blinking in shock. “Never thought I’d say that…”

        “Same… this has been a really weird day.”

        “Sexy though. You gotta admit being a girl is pretty cool.” She grunted, and a second later I heard her stumbling back, my chest suddenly feeling tight. “Success!”

        “Considering I’ve basically been sexually assaulted all day, my experience as a lady hasn’t been ideal. Oh, and my naked body is going to end up on the internet in other universes.”

        “I’ll convince Hodge to at least keep the tape to himself,” Zinnia said, smiling as I turned to face her again and handing me the clothes she’d dropped. “And maybe I can treat you to dinner another day, if you’re willing to give this another go. How’s that sound?”

        “Only if I’m a man when we do it,” I chuckled as I pulled the clothes on as fast as I could. Looking down, I noticed that I was now wearing a knee-length black skirt and a white blouse. “Hmm, I’m surprised how tame this outfit is.”

        “Well, you said you were scared, so…” she muttered, looking away with a blush. “I, uh… I wanted to try and make you more comfortable. Tight bra probably doesn’t help though…”

        “Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment. And the bra isn’t too bad.” I told her with a smile.

        “Oh… well, good,” she said, smiling back a little before turning and placing a hand on the door again. “You ready?”

        “Not really, but I really want to be a dude again so let’s get this over with as soon as possible.”

        Zinnia nodded, pushing the door open and stepping inside, holding it open for me. I walked into the room and Luna was on her throne, looking bored out of her mind as per usual. It seemed she didn’t recognize me because her only reaction was to quirk an eyebrow at the two of us.

        “Zinnia, who is this that thou have brought before us?”

        Zinnia smiled at me, wrapping an arm around my waist and bringing me closer. “I’m surprised you don’t recognise her, Lulu,” she said, glancing up at her. “You’ve shared a bedroom with her enough times, though I suppose she looked a little different then.”

        Luna seemed to study me a little bit more before her gaze settled on my metal arm. Her eyes widened as she asked, “Vash, is that thou?”

        I smiled weakly at her and waved with my left hand. “Hi Luna, how was your day?” Luna’s expression became hard to read for a while, not saying anything. I was about to open my mouth to say something else, but she started to laugh uproariously.

        “Hahaha! Vash, what has happened to thee that has caused such a sudden change?!” She asked between laughs, falling out of her throne.

        “Heh, ask Jason,” Zinnia said, giggling a little herself. “Or the voices locked in his head, I suppose. Hodgepodge decided to fuck with Val a little.”

        “Because you encouraged him!” I pouted, blushing.

        “Yeah, guilty…”

        “Well, we thank thee for showing us this. It certainly brought us some levity this evening.” Luna said, wiping a tear from her eye.

        “Actually~” Zinnia said, her voice going a little higher as she trailed off. “Hodgepodge outright refused to change Val back into Vash, and Patty said she’d only do it if…”

        “Just say it,” I said my blush spreading. “Why do you have to be so dramatic?”

        “Fine, fine, just thought you might like to tell her yourself,” Zinnia said, rolling her eyes. “Val has to have sex as a woman to see how it feels. You in?”

        “We see no reason not to,” Luna shrugged. “It seems that our subjects were not in dire need of our services anyway.”

        “Maybe we could wake Celestia and Morning too?” the Draconid suggested, starting to smirk a little. “And if Val’s up for it, you could use my toy again~”

        “That sounds like a fantastic time!” Luna cheered excitedly. “We shall go and get them!” She then teleported out of the room.

        Zinnia turned to me, smiling softly. “Wanna get ready?” she asked, shrugging her jacket off.

        “I don’t really have much of a choice,” I muttered. “I did agree to anything you wanted, remember?”

        The Draconid sighed, closing her eyes. “Val… Vash, I don’t wanna do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I want you to enjoy this.”

        “Look, just take the lead on this, and if you do anything I’m uncomfortable with I’ll tell you,” I told her, looking away from her.

        She just nodded, moving closer and taking my hands in hers. “It’s okay, Vash. I promise you’ll enjoy this, if you just relax a little.”

        I took a deep breath, held it for a little bit and released it. “Alright, I’ll try to relax as best as I can.”

        Zinnia smiled again, leaning forward and pulled me down into a kiss. Honestly there wasn’t much difference in the feeling than when I was a guy. I just focused on the kiss and pushed all of my discomfort away as best as I could. After a little bit, I decided to get a bit brave and let my hands wander. I reached down with my right hand and grabbed Zinnia’s ass.

        Zinnia gasped, smirking into our kiss and beginning to explore my body with her hands too. I felt her tongue pressing against my lips, asking permission to enter. Without thinking, I opened my mouth to let her in while my right hand moved up and under her shirt. I shuddered a bit as Zinnia’s tongue started to explore my mouth.

        The Draconid sighed happily, her right hand moving to start unbuttoning my blouse before she seemed to change her mind, instead grabbing the thin fabric and tearing it off of me completely. I rolled my eyes, though the gesture was lost considering they were closed. While Zinnia was working on the bra, my left hand met up with my right and I quickly unhooked hers and pulled it off of her. Zinnia was quick to follow suit, my bra coming off and my breasts seeming to spring out, and she wasted no time in sliding down to pull my nipple into her mouth, suckling it gently. I bit my tongue, trying to avoid making any noise. This only seemed to spur Zinnia on as she started to swirl her tongue around my areola.

        “Ahhn!” I cried, as I wrapped my arms around Zinnia’s head. She smirked, gently biting my nipple as she reached and began to fondle the other breast, squeezing and kneading it. “Z-Zinnia, s-slow down!” I whined, though my arms tightened around her head.

        Zinnia rolled her eyes, using her tongue to flick and push my nipple around her mouth as she used her free hand to roll my skirt up. I gasped quietly when I felt her begin to rub my folds through the thin material of my panties. I started to pant a bit and had to fight to keep my tongue from lolling out of my mouth.

        “Z-Zinnia!” I moaned, my entire face crimson.

        “Hm?” she hummed, glancing up at me without stopping.

        “I…” I paused, not wanting to say anything else.

        Zinnia frowned, letting my breast go. “What’s the matter Vash?” she asked, stopping her actions. “D-do you not like this?”

        “N-no, that’s not it!” I blurted out, a little too quickly.

        “Then what is it?”

        “I… I wanna do the same to you,” I muttered, looking away from her.

        Zinnia chuckled, going back to what she was doing before. “Later,” she said, pushing my panties to the side. “This time’s about you.”

        I was about to say something in protest, but the words died in my throat as her tongue dragged across my slit. I let out a hiss of air and my brain stopped working for a second as an electric tingle worked through my body.

        “You like that?” Zinnia teased, smirking as she planted a kiss over my clit.

        Words were failing me at that moment so I didn’t say anything in response to her teasing. “J-just shut up and keep doing what you’re doing,” I managed to get out.

        “Whatever you say, Val~” she cooed before diving in, pushing her tongue past my folds and lapping at my inner walls. I let out a long moan at that and nearly fell to my knees, my hands gripping at Zinnia’s hair.

        “Hmm~” Zinnia hummed, smirking as she pulled back. “You’re delicious. But turn around, if I know the girls at all I’ll need to get both sides ready for them.” Without giving me time to process that, Zinnia pushed my hands off of her head and spun me around, grabbing my ass and spreading it before lapping at my asshole.

        “Gah! That feels weird,” I whined as I squirmed a bit. Zinnia chuckled, pushing her tongue further in as she massaged my asscheeks. “At least slow down a bit!”

        “Thou were not lying sister,” A voice chimed in. “It truly does seem that Vash has been transformed into a mare.”

        My entire body seized up at the sound of that voice, and sweat formed along my brow. I slowly looked over my shoulder and was greeted by the sight of my three marefriends.

        Zinnia removed herself from my flesh, smirking at the three mares. “Hey girls, who wants the first go?” she asked, patting my ass fondly.

        Funnily enough, Morning was the first to step up. Well, slither up, but that’s just nitpicking really. “I suppose I could try. It is a rather rare opportunity after all.”

        Zinnia smirked again, pulling out a familiar looking toy. My eyes widened a bit at the sight of the toy and I instantly knew what Zinnia was thinking.

        “H-hey! You can’t really be thinking of using that thing, are you? I mean, I’m technically a virgin like this and Morning is monster-sized when she uses that!”

        “You’re not a virgin,” Zinnia said, rolling her eyes as Morning slithered over to her. “Patty said she made sure of that. And you can take as much as me, so you’re good.” Smirking, she slid the toy into Morning’s slit, the familiar purple glow flashing before my marefriend’s twin members sprung to life.

        “Calm yourself, Vash,” Morning said with a small smile. “I promise to be gentle. And thou only need to say one word and I will stop.”

        “F-fine,” I grumbled. “If you really wanna do this then I’ll try it.”

        “Thank thee,” Morning replied as she wrapped her arms and body around me. I took another deep breath and kept my focus on her face as she dragged her serpentine shaft along my folds. I buried my face into her neck in order to muffle any noises from coming out. Once she felt that she had done enough teasing she started prodding my entrance with her tip. I let out a muffled squeal as she started to ease herself into my slit.

        “Heh,” Zinnia chuckled, draping her arms around Celestia and Luna. “Looks like someone’s enjoying this more than they let on.”

        “Shut up!” I cried, whipping my head towards her. “It’s all Hodge’s fault for giving me this sensitive body!”

        “Oh just take it like a woman,” Zinnia laughed. “Morning, in you go!”

        “Already there!” Morning laughed, pushing another inch into me, causing me to bite my tongue. Eventually, Morning’s hips stopped moving and her member was as deep as it could go. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it Vash?” She asked as she nuzzled me.

        “I don’t know how you and the others do this,” I answered, squirming. “This… it feels… weird.” I finally managed to get out.

        Zinnia smirked, sliding up behind me. “Oh, it always does when it’s your first time,” she cooed, kneeling down and licking Morning’s second member. “But it gets better. Especially when there’s two~”

        “I am so drinking when all this is over,” I said with a blush. I then let out a little squeak as Morning shifted her hips, pulling out much quicker than she had put it in.

        “Then perhaps I should make haste,” She said as her tip was the only thing left inside. She then thrusted back in and a short moan passed my lips before I bit my tongue once more. I heard Zinnia let out a muffled cry too, looking down to see her mouth stuffed with Morning’s huge horsecock. Morning hummed in delight before pulling me into a large kiss as she started picking up speed, her coils tightening slightly.

        Zinnia pulled away, staggering back slightly. “A-as much fun as that would be,” she gasped, moving over to Celestia and Luna’s side. “I think I’ll sit this round out, let you guys have some bonding time. I’ll take him for a spin last.”

        “Very well,” Morning replied, pulling away from the kiss for a brief moment. She dove back in, wrapping her forked tongue around my own. She then pulled her serpentine member out, completely coated in my juices. She then adjusted her hips slightly so that it was lined up with my other hole. My eyes snapped open when she started to prod at it and I silently begged her not to do what she was thinking of doing. If she noticed my pleas she didn’t pay them any mind, burying herself deep inside in one thrust. I let out a gurgling groan just as she lined up her horsecock with my folds and thrusted. Letting it take up residence where her snakedick had just been.

        “Wow…” I heard Zinnia breathe. “That’s hot…”

        I leveled a glare at her that quickly turned into a wince as Morning started to thrust. I squirmed in a feeble attempt to get free, but Morning’s coils held fast. My body eventually stopped resisting and I went slack in her grasp as her thrusts started picking up in speed. I tried to say something but it just turned into a pitiful gurgle. At one point, Morning’s thrusts began to get jerky and she pulled away from the kiss.

        “Vash, I am close. Where wouldst thou like for me to finish.”

        I was about to say I didn’t care, but the idea of cleaning jizz out of my ass made me reconsider. “Outside,” I said, catching my breath. Morning nodded, untangling her coils from around me and slipping out of both my holes. I collapsed without her support and looked up to see that she was stroking both of her shafts.

        A few seconds later, Morning let out a cry and both of her members started to erupt, splattering my body in several places. I just lay there, taking my impromptu facial until Morning finally finished. Seconds later, Zinnia, Celestia and Luna came into my view, all three smirking at me.

        “You shouldn’t waste that, Vash~” Zinnia sang, before all three of them began licking my body, lapping up the cum and taking the time to pause over my most sensitive areas as they did. The Draconid slipped down, licking up anything on my hips and legs before shoving her tongue deep into my folds, all while Celestia and Luna cleaned off by breasts before sucking a nipple each into their mouths, biting and flicking my nipples with their tongues.

        “Ahhn!” I cried weakly, my body barely twitching. “C-can’t a guy catch their breath before you start doing that!”

        “Thou art not a “guy” right now, Val~” Celestia shot back, smirking before pulling my tit into her mouth again.

        “Indeed,” Luna added, reaching down and playing with my clit as Zinnia slurped my folds. “Thou art a female, which means thou art ours for the night.”

        “D-damn it, you knew what I meant!” I snapped before my body jerked from Luna pinching my clit. “Gahh!”

        “Val?” Morning said, and I looked up to see her positioned over my face, both cocks rock hard once more. “Wouldst thou mind ‘cleaning’ mine tools?”

        I briefly considered saying no, but figured fair’s fair and that she’d done the same for me. I weakly nodded and lifted my head toward her. Morning smiled in response, lining up her snakedick with my lips before pushing it in halfway and holding it there, bracing herself on my shoulders. I nearly retched from the taste but I steadied myself with a quick breath through my nostrils. Figuring it was best to get it done quickly, I wrapped my tongue around her and dragged it along her tool. Morning let out a low moan, causing me to blush again.

        All at once, they pulled away, leaving me a panting, shuddering mess. “Well,” Zinnia giggled. “Who’s turn is it next?”

        “D-does it have to be someone else’s turn?” I asked, catching my breath.

        “Yes!” they all shot back, laughing between themselves.

        After the collected themselves, Luna and Celestia shared a look. “Perhaps we could try something with Val next?” Celestia asked, putting an arm around her sister.

        “We like thy thinking sister,” Luna giggled, shedding her dress. She paused after a second, though, her smile seeming to become more forced than genuine as she revealed her lacy, powder blue bra and panties. “Ah, We have just remembered… wouldst thou care to explain Our new undergarments?”

        “Zinnia!” I cried in fake indignation. “Why would you mess with Luna’s clothes like that?”

        Zinnia smirked, shrugging as she slipped the toy out of Morning created two copies of it. “One, it was my gift to Vash,” she said simply, helping Celestia out of her dress too, her smirk growing at the pink and white striped panties she was wearing along with a matching bra. “And two, I changed all of your underwear. Morning’s too, as I’m sure she knows.”

        “I do, but considering how hard it is to get garments in my new size I considered it a nicety,” Morning shrugged.

        “Okay, so maybe I really liked the idea of you three getting underwear from my time period,” I admitted. “But can you blame me?! Bodies like yours should not be hidden by those cloth prisons that you had!”

        “Relax Val, we are not angry,” Celestia said sweetly.

        “In fact, let us say thank thee in a… special way~” Luna sang, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

        “Lay back and spread your legs girls,” Zinnia cried, smirking as she held the twin toys up. “The Rod Twins are ready for fun!” The two sisters followed her directions and laid on their backs. Zinnia smirked at me, not breaking eye contact as she inserted both of the toys into them, sliding their panties to the side. I gulped as the familiar purple glow shined through the throne room. When it passed both princesses stood up, causing their magically grown members to bob up and down

“Art thou ready, Val?” Celestia asked with smoldering eyes.

“If I say no will I get out of this?” I asked with a hopeful smile.

        “If you say no, it’s my turn,” Zinnia growled seductively, smirking at me.

        “And even then we would simply take our turn afterwards,” Luna said with a wink, getting in front of me while Celestia got behind me. The two then put me on all fours and I gulped again as I felt them press against me from both sides.

        “I don’t suppose we could… Mmmph!” I was interrupted as Luna shoved her length down my throat, causing me to gag for a moment. Not to be out done, Celestia shoved her own member into my folds, her crotch slapping into my ass, causing it to wobble slightly and me to lurch forward, more of Luna’s shaft sliding into my throat.

“Hmm~” Zinnia hummed, watching with some sick pleasure. “That certainly does look fun. Maybe I’ll join in myself, you do have another hole free~”

I tried to shout something at her in response, but it turned into gurgling hums along Luna’s tool. She moaned as I did that and started thrusting a little faster in response.

“Now, now Zinnia,” Morning chuckled as she patted the Draconid on the shoulder. “She’s busy enough as it is. Mayhaps thou could find something else to occupy thyself with?”

        Zinnia smirked at that and, in a flurry of movement, tore her clothes off, pouncing on Morning and knocking the Naga onto her back. “Or someone, hmm?”

        “I suppose that could be arranged,” Morning replied, making a show out of sighing. Zinnia giggled at her display before leaning down, kissing Morning roughly and grasping her breasts.

        “Don’t pretend you don’t wanna get revenge on me,” the Draconid breathed, nipping at Morning’s lower lip. “You can do whatever you want… this time…”

        “I think nearly choking thee with my magically grown phalluses is revenge enough for me. But thy offer is appreciated,” Morning smiled as her coils instantly wrapped the two of them. “And noted.”

        “Oh, I only choked because I wasn’t expecting it,” Zinnia chuckled, moaning happily as Morning slid over both of her entrances. “I’ve taken much bigger than you into my mouth, trust me. I can probably take both your dicks actually.”

        “Either way, I am not one for petty revenge,” Morning giggled, grasping Zinnia’s breasts in turn and twisting a nipple slightly. “Though thy other offer is intriguing.”

        The Draconid moaned, biting her lower lip. “And it sta-hands~” she moaned out. “Just… just make sure you cum inside…”

        “I’ll consider it,” Morning said with a smirk as she twisted Zinnia’s nipple a bit more, making her cry out.

        “I-I am yours to use…” Zinnia moaned. “M-my Mistress~”

        “Thou dost certainly seem quite ready to don the role of pet,” Morning teased, twisting and pulling at both of Zinnia’s nipples and teething on the Draconid’s exposed neck. Zinnia moaned again, reaching into her back and pulling out a black leather collar with purple markings and a tag shaped like a Dragon’s claw, pulling back and holding it out to Morning.

        “A-A Mistress always has the honours…” she mumbled.

        Morning rolled her eyes a bit and took the collar from Zinnia’s hands. “Quite the lover of theatrics, aren’t thee?” Morning asked as she put the collar on Zinnia’s neck before picking up the movements of her tail. Zinnia bit back a moan before replying.

        “S-says the Shakespeare ripoff…”

        “I have no idea what thou art talking about, but keep talking like that and thou shalt not get any release,” Morning told her, stopping all of her ministrations.

        “No!” Zinnia cried. “No, I’m sorry MIstress! Please don’t do that to me!”

        “That’s much better,” Morning said with a kiss on the cheek as she picked up where she left off, slipping the tip of her tail into Zinnia’s folds and wiggling it. Zinnia moaned aloud, arching her back and bracing herself against Morning’s chest, her hands sinking into the Naga’s large breasts. Morning let out a coo of her own as she pulled Zinnia into a rough kiss. Then, she thrust a bit more of her tail into the Draconid’s hole.

        “Mmmph~” Zinnia cried into the kiss, closing her eyes and allowing Morning total control.

        Morning pulled away from the kiss for a moment and asked, “Toy with my lower lips. I desire a release as well.”

        Zinnia nodded numbly, reaching down and rubbing her hand over Morning’s slit lovingly. “Mmm,” Morning cooed before diving back into the kiss, nipping at Zinnia’s lips with her fangs.

        “M-Mistress…” Zinnia moaned, shuddering in Morning’s hold. “M-may I… please you… with my m-mouth?”

        Morning feigned thinking it over, but eventually said, “If you wish, but my tail is staying where it is.” She then unwound her coils and allowed Zinnia to fall to the floor.

        “Oomph!” Zinnia cried, glancing up at her Mistress and smiling gratefully. “Th-thank you Mistress…” she said, bowing her head before sliding down Morning’s body, her face hovering above the Naga’s slit before she began to lap at her lower lips.

        “Very good,” Morning said, resuming her thrusts into Zinnia. “Don’t be afraid to… nibble on my clitoris. That always drives me wild.”

        Zinnia nodded, moaning into Morning’s folds as she began to dart her tongue in and out of her, dragging her teeth along the edges of her lips. Morning shuddered in pleasure, pressing her tail in as deep as she could and wiggling it along the inner walls. Again, the Draconid let out a low moan, repositioning herself and pulling Morning’s clit into her mouth, nibbling it slightly and flicking it with her tongue. Morning moaned as well, toying with her chest as her tail started to thrash around erratically inside of Zinnia.

“Mmm, that feels fantastic!” Morning complimented enthusiastically. Zinnia smiled in response, doubling her efforts and biting on the Naga’s clit a little harder. Morning let out a scream of pleasure, her tail threatening to batter past the Draconid’s cervix as her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

“Gah!” Zinnia cried, arching her back and her tongue hanging out of her mouth in bliss. “M-Mistress! Please, g-go deeper!”

“Art thou sure?” Morning asked, coming out her pleasure high slightly.

Smiling dopily, Zinnia lowered herself back to Morning’s slit, close enough that her breath washed over it with each word. “Y-yes, please~ I-I love the f-feeling~”

Morning nodded and bit her lip as she pushed her tail further. She shuddered in pleasure as the tip of her tail struggled against the entrance to Zinnia’s cervix. With a grunt and one mighty push, the tip made it inside causing Morning and Zinnia both to cry out in pleasure.

“A-ah, Mistresss~” the Draconid hissed, closing her eyes and arching her back in bliss. She leaned back, sliding further on to Morning’s tail.

“Z-Zinnia, I did not tell you to stop what you were doing,” Morning said, trying to sound authoritative, but the effect was lost due to her pleasure drunk appearance. Zinnia, however, had the decency to look ashamed before diving back into her task, inserting two fingers into Morning’s slit as she returned to nibbling her clit. “Mmm that’s so much better,” Morning groaned, bucking her hips. “I can almost feel my control slipping away~”

Zinnia said nothing, merely continuing her efforts to pleasure her Mistress as much as she could. Pausing for a second as a thought occurred to her, she then glanced up at Morning's face, watching her intently as she bit down roughly on the Naga’s clit.

“Aaah~!” Morning cried, squeezing her eyes closed as her tongue slipped further out of her mouth. “Do that again, harder!” She demanded. Nodding a little, Zinnia pulled off for a second.

“C-can I t-try something, Mistress?” she asked, showing off her teeth as they seemed to sharpen themselves, electricity arcing between them. “Th-this always provides p-pleasure for me.”

“Do it!” Morning demanded, her pupils becoming more slit-like. “I wish to feel thy best.”

As soon as the words reached her ears, Zinnia’s eyes also became slitted, and she immediately removed her fingers from Morning’s slit. Waiting for the Naga to open her mouth in protest, she then formed a fist before jamming her whole hand roughly into Morning’s opening, opening her hand once inside and allowing a Dragon Claw to erupt in her depths even while she leaned down, chomping roughly on Morning’s clit once more, this time sending shocks through her with a Thunder Fang.

“Ahhh~!” Morning screamed, fluids erupting from her slit while her tail spasmed inside of Zinnia. Her entire body twitching with aftershocks of pleasure. Zinnia screamed into her clit as her own orgasm crashed down, using her claws to brush the insides of her Mistress’s walls in order to bring her the most pleasure she could.

Morning allowed the top half of her body fall to the floor as she tried to slip her tail from Zinnia’s abused hole as she panted in an attempt to catch her breath. “Th-that felt… nice,” she managed to get out, shooting Zinnia a tired but satisfied look.

Zinnia said nothing, diligently licking Morning’s fluids from her tail, though she did pause to smile appreciatively at the praise.

“Mmm, you don’t have to do that,” Morning shuddered. “You’ll just make me want more.”

Immediately, Zinnia sped up. She even glanced up at Morning, flashing her a cocky smirk.

“Zinnia~” Morning cooed with discolored cheeks. “Thy mistress ordered thee to stop.”

“With all due respect, Mistress,” Zinnia replied, smirking at her. “No you didn’t. You said I didn’t have to.” With that, she returned to her licking, rubbing Morning’s tail gently.

“Then let me make myself clear,” Morning chuckled darkly. “Stop, or Vash and I will punish thee severely when he returns to being himself.”

“But…” the Draconid whined, glancing from Morning’s eyes to her slit. “You… You taste so good!”

“Be that as it may, I have just had two very large orgasms and would like some rest. We can pick this up later after I have rested.”

“B-but…” Zinnia stammered, clearly struggling with something. She glanced back to me, Celestia and Luna, me getting pounded from both ends while the princesses were moaning out my name. “Can… can I at least suckle on your breasts while I wait for my turn with Val?” she asked almost desperately.

“Only if I can do the same to thine later,” Morning said with a wink.

Nodding eagerly, Zinnia straddled Morning’s waist and laid her head on the Naga’s left breast, pulling the right nipple into her mouth and suckling it gently whilst hugging her Mistress.

“Mmm, does that feel better?” Morning asked as she wrapped her arms and coils around Zinnia and stroked the top of her head.

“Mmhm,” the Draconid replied, nodding a little. She cuddled a little closer to Morning, watching me and the Princesses go at it.

“How does this feel?” Luna asked as she let her head loll a little bit. I didn’t answer. Not that I could with my mouth as full as it was. Instead, I screwed my eyes closed and focused on breathing through my nose as Luna thrusted faster and faster.

Celestia was just as rough on my other end. Groping and spanking my ass as she pounded into me with reckless abandon. The sad thing was, my body was receptive to her actions. Lubricating fluids dripping to the floor as she pushed further and further into me. Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, both of their thrusting started to take on a fever pitch. The sound of their hips smacking into me echoing throughout the throne room.

“Sister, we art close!” Luna moaned.

“Us too!”

Watching intently, Zinnia began to subconsciously nibble on Morning’s nipple, drooling all over her breast.

“Shall we finish together?” Luna asked, starting to jackhammer into me.

“Yes, let’s!” Celestia beamed, matching her pace.

I tried to say something and wiggle away, but judging by their enthusiastic cries, this only served to pleasure them more. Within a few more rapid thrusts, both of them buried themselves to their hilts, unleashing a large load into my mouth and pussy with thunderous cries of release in their royal voices. Causing the room to shake slightly. I shuddered a bit as I felt their loads taper off. I swear Luna tasted like blueberries as her length left my lips with a wet *pop*. Without both of them supporting me I collapsed to the floor and started gasping for air like a fish. My chest heaving with each breath.

Zinnia wasted no time, rushing over and helping me to my feet, Celestia slipping out as she did so. I went to thank her, only to find my hands bound above my head, suddenly attached to a length of rope that fastened me to the ceiling.

“You deserve a quick breather, Val,” the Draconid explained, smiling sweetly as she planted a quick kiss on my lips. “In the meantime, I think I deserve a turn in charge, don’t you?”

“Umm, Zinnia, why am I tied up?” I asked with a nervous gulp.

“Because I wanted you tied up,” Zinnia replied with a giggle, booping my nose. “Now hush, or I’ll add a gag and a vibrator.” I clammed up instantly at the mention of that and remained completely still in my bonds. “Good girl~”

I watched as Zinnia turned and sashayed away, swaying her hips almost teasingly.

‘What is she going to do to me?’ I thought as I continued to watch her. ‘Is she going to break out something like a whip or a riding crop? Or is she going to dress me up in some outfit and tell me to act like something?’

Zinnia smirked, beckoning Morning over as she removed the toys from Celestia and Luna, the copies fading away shortly after. “Alright ladies,” she said, pushing the sisters to their knees before her and sending Morning a look saying she should do what she could to do the same. They all shared a look and Celestia was the first to seem to go along with whatever Zinnia was planning as Morning lowered herself a bit.

“I thought thou wanted a turn with Vash?” Morning asked, confused.

“Val, darling,” Zinnia chided. “Her name is Val for the time being. And you brought to my attention that she may need a break, therefore, I’m having my fun with you three. Unlike some, I can go almost ten rounds before tiring.”

“And what dost thou plan on having us doing?” Luna asked.

“Oh, mostly pleasing me,” Zinnia said dismissively, taking on a thoughtful look. “Maybe doing something embarrassing to earn your own pleasure. Maybe even putting on a show for me, seeing as watching you two go at it is pretty hot.” She said the last bit while pointing between Celestia and Luna, grinning evilly.

“Ok!” Celestia beamed, totally on board with whatever Zinnia had planned.

“And what makes thou think I will just go along with thy plans?” Morning huffed with slightly discolored cheeks.

“Because I have an ace in the hole that I’m going to be using anyway.”

“What in blue blazes art thou talking about now?” Luna growled with a tilt of her head.

Smirking, Zinnia just crossed her arms and waited. A few moments later, a slight “Fwumph” noise announced the arrival of a figure almost as tall as the Draconid, with light lavender skin and black hair styled really strangely, a segmented black dress covering it’s body.

“Next time you hitch a ride through dimensions,” Zinnia said, glancing to the figure. “Do me a favour and tell me, instead of sending me the sounds of your masturbating in my head while you watch me fuck.”

“And what fun would that be?” The figure asked as my eyes widened.

“Umm Zinnia,” I started, rattling in my bonds a bit. “I know you told me not to talk, but I think I just understood that Gothitelle when she talked.”

“I’m Psychic, you sexy little thing,” the Gothitelle ‘said’, turning to smirk at me as she roamed her eyes across my body. “I’m not ‘speaking’, I’m projecting my voice.”

“And the Pokemon just hit on me,” I deadpanned. “Ow, that just hit me right in the childhood.”

“I’ll give you a child to raise in a minute if you don’t go back to your hushing,” Zinnia growled, frowning at me.

I clammed up with after a quick sorry and hung limply in my restraints.

“Zinnia, I thought that thou said that Sonar and Writher were the only two of these Pokemon creatures that came with thee to our world?” Luna asked looking between her and the Gothitelle.

“I did,” Zinnia said, nodding. “Because I didn’t know about this one until I figured out the voices in my head weren’t some side-effect of the mental asylum. Which was this morning.”

‘Convenient,’ I thought.

“And what manner of creature is this Pokemon?” Morning asked.

“Like I said, I’m Psychic,” the Gothitelle said, giggling slightly. “Or rather, I’m a Psychic-Type. I use my mind to attack and influence others.”

“And I’m fairly certain she knows Hypnosis,” Zinnia tittered, nudging the Pokemon.

“Hypnosis, what is that?” Morning asked.

“And we do not like the way… she said influence,” Luna noted, glaring at the Gothitelle.

        “Luna, it’s okay,” Zinnia giggled before baring her teeth, which had once again sharpened. “If she tries anything, I’ll just take her out. But hypnosis is used in the bedroom a lot to make people more… agreeable, and to make them feel more than they normally would. For example…” She trailed off, and a second later I gulped as the Gothitelle giggled and turned to face me.

        Psychic waves flowed into my mind visibly as the Gothitelle’s voice rang out. “The very air around you makes you aroused. You take sexual pleasure from merely being looked at.”

        I let out an odd squeak as I could feel my body heat up and an electrifying tingle worked into my netherlips. “Ahh~!” I cried as I rubbed my legs together. “P-please stop looking at me!” I pleaded. “This is so weird!”

“Thy Pokemon’s hypnosis can do that?” Luna asked nervously.

“Looks fun!” Celestia quipped.

“Oh, it can be~” Zinnia giggled before nodding to the Gothitelle, who released my hypnosis with a wave of her hand. “So I planned to have her make you three incredibly submissive to me, and to heighten your senses.”

“Oh, I could do that~” Gothitelle purred.

“This is only temporary, correct?” Luna asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Of course,” Zinnia said, nodding. “I don’t want permanent control, just for this one session. What would I do with your kingdom anyway, I live in another universe!” The three exchanged looks before shrugging at one another.

“I suppose there’s no harm in trying this hypnosis once,” Morning relented.

“We agree, we have already tried new things sexually anyway,” Luna nodded.

“Looks fun!” Celestia repeated.

Zinnia smirked, snapping her fingers. Gothitelle giggled and nodded, holding her hand out to the girls as blue-tinted psychic waves began flowing towards them, splitting into three and sinking slowly into their foreheads, right between their eyes, just below their horns. I watched in awe as their eyes pulsed a soft, powder blue for a moment.

“Look at me,” Zinnia said simply, her voice carrying an underlying authority. All three of them turned and stared directly into her eyes without hesitation. Staying stock still as they waited for Zinnia to speak again.

“Zinnia,” I called out, wiggling in my restraints slightly. “You’re not going to make them do anything too… extreme, right?”

“That depends~” Zinnia giggled, turning and glancing at me, sending pleasant tingles through my body. “I’m not sure how I feel today. I may make them run around the castle naked, then have Gothitelle erase all but their own memories. I might make Celestia ram her horn into Luna’s ass. Or I might just sit back and let Gothitelle have some fun.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “I trust your judgement.” The three girls remained where they were, still waiting for Zinnia and her next order.

The Draconid chuckled almost darkly, a hint of an evil glint in her eye as she turned back. “Hmm… Celestia, Luna, go behind a pillar and put these on,” she said, reaching into her bag (does she ever take that off!?) and throwing two bundles of clothes over, which they grabbed in their magic before walking stiffly over to a pillar each and disappearing behind them.

“Morning, I just want you in these,” Zinnia continued, producing a set of royal purple nipply pasties with red and gold tassles. Morning nodded obediently, presenting herself as Zinnia and the Gothitelle leaned down. They grinned, taking one of her massive breasts each and running their tongues slowly over her nipples, leaving them glistening with their saliva before pressing the pasties slowly over them, pushing so that her breasts sank in before letting go, watching the orbs of flesh jiggle as they bounced back to shape.

‘Damn, that was pretty hot,’ I thought with slightly discolored cheeks. ‘But what kind of outfit could Zinnia have put the princesses in? Bunny girls, or something else?’ I turned my head to the pillar where Celestia and Luna were changing and narrowed my eyes to see if I could catch sight of anything.

As though answering my silent calls, both princesses strode out, a sway in their steps as they modeled their new]http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/shantae/images/f/ff/Dancer_Shantae.png/revision/latest?cb%3D20131003094317&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNHMGCgr4eP38Vs9YtKBNi1vDCm-VA]new outfits, Celestia's a vibrant blue and Luna's a striking red.[/url] Zinnia glanced up at them and smirked, snapping her fingers to gain their attention.

“Very nice girls,” she praised, nodding approvingly. “They suit you. Now then, from now on, Celestia will be known as Candi Ass, and Luna as Sugah Tits.”

‘Seriously?’ I thought with a deadpan look. ‘Really hoping she doesn’t try to give me a name like that. Can only imagine what Luna would think about that name without the hypnosis. Celestia probably loves hers.’

“Yes, Mistress Zinnia,” both mares said, smiling gently as they bowed to her.

“Good girls. Now then, put on a good show and dance a little for us, either side of Valerie.”

They bowed again and sashayed over to me with exaggerated movements in their hips and their wings twitching on their backs. The two stopped when they were only a couple feet away from me and had the most devious of smirks on their faces as they struck a pose.Then, they started doing what looked like a belly dance, swaying their bodies to music that only the two of them could hear and toying with their outfits as if to tease exposing their bodies. The two continued, gyrating and twirling as whatever melody they were hearing seemed to pick up its tempo. Eventually, the two finished with one last big spin and pressed their chests together, their hands interwoven and staring deep into the other’s eyes.

‘Sweet mother of god was that hot!’ I screamed in my head as I twitched in my bonds again, my face feeling flush.

“That was good, girls!” Zinnia cried, apparently having taken a seat in Morning’s coils, using the Naga’s breasts as a pillow. “Now, start making out, but if a single hand goes under clothing you won’t be able to cum until I say so.”

The two instantly pressed their faces together, their hands staying exactly where they were. From where I was… hanging I got a good look of everything they were doing. I rubbed my legs together, my underside starting to burn up as the two continued their passionate display.

“Oh, and Val?” Zinnia called, catching my attention. I felt Gothitelle’s presence in my mind again and gulped. “You can now feel yourself being fucked by countless ravenous men, each one filling you with their seed, but you can’t cum once. Not until  I fuck you myself.”

I cried out, suddenly feeling every hole of my body being filled. Even my mouth felt like there was something in it down to my throat, but my breathing was still normal. It was one of the hardest things to describe. I turned to Zinnia with the meanest glare I could manage, but I’m sure it was just a strained look. “F-fuck you, Zinnia!” I choked out, my body thrashing wildly.

“Please,” Gothitelle chided, gliding up next to me and flicking my nipple. “Call Mistress by her proper title, or I’ll punish you myself.”

‘Eat me,’ I thought darkly. She just smirked, flicking my nipple again.

“Only if Mistress permits it,” she replied, pinching and twisting my nipple harshly. “Now, her title, if you please?”

‘How did she....’ I started before the realization hit me. ‘Oh, right, Psychic-Type. She can read my mind.’

“I’d do it, Val,” Zinnia chuckled, reaching between her legs and playing with Morning’s slit. “I’ve already given her free choice over what to do with you. She might just drop you in the Guard Barracks.”

“Grrr,” I growled out before I remembered my promise. “Mistress Zinnia,” I muttered.

“Louder,” the Draconid purred, smirking evilly. “I want you to shout it.”

“Mistress Zinnia!” I shouted, my cheeks beet red.

“Again,” Zinnia said, leaning into Morning as she spoke. “Oh, and all of the men are now me. And you can see them. Scream my name as your hallucinations drive you mad.”

Just as she said, several illusions of her wavered into existence. Each one thrusting wildly and had that same evil smirk that she was currently leveling at me. I gritted my teeth and let out a harsh hiss of air before screaming, “Mistress Zinnia!”

        Zinnia chuckled, standing and stalking over to me. She ran her hand over Cel- Candi and Sugah as she passed them, making both moan quietly into the other. Once she reached me, she leaned down, breathing into my ear. “Even when the control is over…” she whispered, pausing to nibble on my earlobe. “There will be a part of you that yearns for it to happen again. That’s not a command, that’s a fact.” I didn’t respond with words. I simply stared into her eyes as the illusion Zinnia’s kept at their task and my body felt like it was on fire. I let out an odd squeak and twitched  for a moment.

        “Hmm, there’s your orgasm…” Zinnia breathed, smirking at me as she stepped away. “They’ll just keep building up now… until you feel like you’ll explode~” She chuckled, turning and striding away. “But I’ll let you free when I feel generous. For now… Morning, come here!”

        “Yes Mistress~” Morning cooed happily as she slithered up to Zinnia and bowed before her.

        Zinnia hummed in thought for a moment before smiling, cupping Morning’s chin and raising her gaze to look in her eyes. “Your name is Cum Whore. Tell me, what is your name?”

        “Cum Whore~” She purred, nuzzling Zinnia’s hand. “Thy Cum Whore, to fill and fuck or deny as thou wishes~”

        “Good girl. Now then, rise and start to play with yourself.”

        Morning nodded, putting her left hand on her breast and tweaking her nipple as her other started to slowly toy with her folds. She locked eyes with Zinnia and never broke her gaze as she played with her body.

        “Beautiful,” Zinnia praised, smirking at her. “Candi! Sugah! Come here!”

        The two pulled away from each other, a stream of saliva connecting them for a brief moment as the rushed over to Zinnia.

        “Yes Mistress?!” They chimed together with a bow. Zinnia held her arms out to her sides, not even looking at them.

        “Undress me. But don’t touch my body,” she said. “That is reward-only.”

        “Okay,” They chimed together, though they seemed visibly disappointed. They slowly and carefully peeled away Zinnia’s clothes, making sure they didn’t touch her skin. Eventually, Candi and Sugah were finished and Zinnia was laid bare again, a devious smirk on her face.

        “Good girls~” she cooed, turning to them. “Now then, a single touch to any part of your body from me will send you straight to climax. Do you understand?” Both nodded quickly, enthusiastically awaiting their reward with wide grins.

        “Yes Mistress!” Candi enthused.

        “Thank thee, Mistress!” Sugah beamed.

        Zinnia reached out to them, stopping just short of touching them as she suddenly frowned. “Yeah, that’s getting old. Okay girls - Cum Whore, you too,” she added quickly, and Cum Whore nodded to show she was listening. “Whenever I’m present, you speak perfect, modern English… Equish… whatever the language in Equestria is. Basically how Val and I speak.”

        “Yes Mistress,” all three mares agreed, nodding.

        “Good. Now then~” With that, she finally placed her hands on one of Candi and Sugah’s breasts each, squeezing them roughly and making both mares scream in bliss.

        “Ahhhh! Thank you so much, Mistress!” Candi cried, writhing on the floor as she rode out her climax.

        “Yes! Thank you so much, Mistress! This is simply amazing!” Sugah agreed, toying with her slit to prolong her orgasm. She frowned, however, when the feeling cut off, leaving her panting and unfulfilled.

        “Oh, Sugah Tits…” Zinnia sighed, shaking her head. “Don’t you remember? I told you not to place a hand under your clothes or you couldn’t cum until I said. Now you have to be punished.”

        Lu...Sugah’s face fell and she looked like she was on the verge of tears as she threw herself at Zinnia’s feet. “I am so sorry, Mistress! I forgot due to the pleasure of your generous gift. Please, forgive me!”

        “...No,” the Draconid said coldly, frowning at Sugah. “You disobeyed me and must be punished. Now stand up.”

        Sugah quickly agreed and shot up to her feet, steeling herself to face whatever punishment her Mistress saw fit to deliver. “I promise to never disobey again, Mistress.”

        “Of course you do,” Zinnia replied, fastening a collar around the mare’s neck and pulling her along by a leash. Quickly removing me from my bonds, Zinnia then tied Sugah up, dangling her from the ceiling and adding wing covers, a horn ring and even a spreader bar.

        “Val, your treatment’s over,” Zinnia said, and second later all of the ravaging I felt in my body vanished, causing me to sigh in relief. “Sugah Tits, you’re going to feel your ass fucked and filled over and over, but you can’t cum from it. If you make so much as a single noise, you won’t be filled, only fucked. Understood?”

        “Yes Mistress,” she nodded. “I deserve something like this for being so bad,” she finished with a whimper.

        “Yes, you do,” Zinnia agreed, her tone cold. “Perhaps if you behave for now, you can taste me. We’ll see. Your punishment starts now.” Sugah’s body shot up and she bit her lip to avoid making a noise. Her wings twitched wildly in her covers as her hips started pumping as if someone was thrusting into her. Sugah locked eyes with Zinnia, making sure she got a good look of her punishment. Then, her hips started moving faster and she bit her lip until a small trickle of blood formed at the corner to make sure she didn’t so much as squeak.

        Leaning in, Zinnia kissed the blood away, gently fondling Sugah’s tits. “You don’t need to bite your lip, Sugah…” she whispered, producing a bar-gag and fastening it around Sugah’s face. “There, now you can bite down on that. I don’t want you hurt, after all.” Sugah nodded fast just before her hips started moving in a violent blur. She threw her head back, biting down on the gag as hard as she could.

        Zinnia watched her for a moment longer before turning around. She locked eyes with me, a dark grin on her face. “Now then, Valerie~”

        “Wh-what is it… Mistress?” I hastily added, not wanting to end up in another illusion.

        Zinnia chuckled, holding out her hand to help me up. “Ah, good girl, you remembered~” she purred.

        ‘I’m still a man on the inside dammit,’ I grumbled in my thoughts as I let her help me to my feet. I just stood there, not saying anything as I waited for whatever it was that Zinnia was planning.

        “You realise Gothitelle is sharing what you think with me, right?” she asked teasingly. “And I’m sure she could alter your memories. I can persuade Patty to leave you like that.”

        “Don’t even joke about that,” I growled.

        “Who’s joking?” she growled back, glaring at me challengingly as her eyes bacame slits. “You’re mine for the night.”

        My anger melted for a moment and I let out a long sigh. “Zinnia, do you know how much I kept of my old body when I became a Displaced?”

        Zinnia faltered for a moment, her eyes shifting between slits and normal for a moment before settling on slits. “Don’t care right now. Submit, slave!”

        “Alright then, let me answer that for you,” I continued, ignoring her. “Basically, just my gender. The hair? I dyed it to make it blonde. The eyes? Colored contacts. My height? I used to be just a few inches taller than what you are now.”

        Again, Zinnia faltered, actually stumbling back this time until she hit a pillar, sliding down it and clutching her head. I rushed over to her side and placed a hand along her back.

        “Zinnia, are you okay?” I asked, genuinely worried.

        The Draconid was silent for a moment before her shoulders began shaking, small sobs filling the room. “G-Goothitelle…” she stammered, huddling her knees close. “Release them…”

        “...Yes Mistress…” Gothitelle replied, waving her hand and releasing all three mares from her control. She even undid all of Luna’s binds.

        “Zinnia?” I asked, starting to rub her back.

        “...I’m going to bed…” she muttered, snapping her fingers. I heard Gothitelle sigh in my mind before she teleported, taking Zinnia with her.

        “Oh, you are not getting away that easy,” I muttered as I dashed out of the throne room. I ran naked along the halls until I stood in front of the door to the room Zinnia was staying in. I saw Sonar sitting in front of the door in his Noibat form as he cradled the gryphon egg. I patted behind his ears as I threw the door open. I found Zinnia sitting on the bed, still not under the covers.

        “And why did my Mistress leave me?” I asked as I sat next to her on the bed.

        “Go ‘way Vash…” Zinnia muttered in response, holding a pillow close to her chest as she curled up, refusing to look at me. “‘M not in the mood anymore…”

        “Val, it’s Val when I’m like this,” I reminded her with a smile as I put a hand on her shoulder. I frowned when she flinched, though, shrugging me off seconds later. “Zinnia, please talk to me.”

        “...Vash…” she said, still not looking at me. “I-I… I was going to hurt you…” She paused, fighting back tears. “I-I know you think I w-wouldn’t, but…. but I-I was going to… to…” She broke down then, burying her face in the pillow and weeping openly.

        “Shhh,” I told her softly. “You didn’t hurt me, and that’s the important thing. You controlled yourself. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that must’ve been.”

        “I-I’m still doing it…” she muttered. “Th-the Dragon… she w-wants you, Vash. A-and she’d r… sh-she would…” She paused again, choking on the word. “I-I can’t even say it…”

        “I know, but you’re stronger than her,” I said with a warm smile.

        “No… N-no I’m not…” Okay, she’s growling now. “P-please, Vash, just go…For your own safety...”

        “I’m not going anywhere,” I stated adamantly. “Look at me Zinnia,” I ordered firmly.

        “N-no…” she stammered, shaking again as tears streamed silently down her face. “P-please, Vash… D-don’t make me…”

        “I’m not going anywhere,” I repeated as I forced her to stare me in the eyes. My circular pupils meeting her slitted ones. “You are my family now and I’m not leaving you like this. Just focus on me, not the dragon.”

        Zinnia did just that, staying into my eyes almost reluctantly. I watched as one pupil - the right one - grew again, returning to normal. My concern grew a little, though, when it seemed that a fire ignited behind her left eye, seeming to burn bright the more she struggled.

        “Vash…” Zinnia stammered, slipping between scared and angry tones. “P-please… I-I can’t…”

        “Yes, you can. I know you can,” I told her softly, refusing to even blink. I frowned, though, when I saw her glance up, seeming to start panicking more. “Zinnia!” I barked. “I told you to just focus on me.”

        “Vash, get rid of them!” she screamed, struggling to get away. “They’re not safe!”

        “Zinnia!” I roared as I held her even tighter. “You’re not going to hurt anyone, I promise you.”

        “H-how do you know that!” Zinnia cried, her wings fluttering in her panic. “Please! Just let me run!”

        “I know because I believe in you. Do you trust me?” I asked with a weak smile.

        “T-trusting you isn’t the problem…”

        “Just answer the question.”

        Zinnia was silent for a minute, her eyes wavering as she glanced from me to the door and back. Her wings furled and unfurled, her hands flared with energy before is was dispersed, her muscles tensed in my grip.

        “...Yes.”

        “Then trust me on this,” I told her with a giant toothy grin.

        Zinnia nodded, eyes filled with both terror and hope.

 

        “Focus on me and match my breathing, nothing else matters but that.” I said as I started taking a few deep breaths. She nodded again, slowing her breathing to match mine as she locked onto my eyes.

        “H-help… me…”

        “I am, I won’t leave, I’m here for you.” This continued for a while, and it slowly seemed to work, her other pupil becoming more rounded.

        “Do you really think it’s that easy?”

        Zinnia’s eyes widened again in fear, a black cloud of mist spewing from her mouth and enveloping me.

        “Wh-what is this?!” I shouted as I felt my mind slip into unconsciousness.

A Dragon's Nightmare

“Do you fear the darkness?”

“The hell? Did someone just say something?” I mumbled as I rubbed my head.

I groaned as I felt my eyes flutter open. What greeted me was not what I was expecting.

“Hello, Draconid’s plaything.” I looked up at a creature made of shadows, it’s body resembling a flowing black cloak as dark as a black hole with a blood red collar that looked like a predator’s teeth. A long, white, wispy head held a single glowing, cyan eye, the pupil nothing but a slit. If stood before me on long, spindly legs, it’s thin arms folded behind it’s back. “Welcome to the Dream Realm. Or, more specifically, the Draconid’s Waking Nightmare.”

“Huh, a Darkrai, and here I forgot to bring my Master Balls with me. Isn’t that a shame?” I joked with a forced grin.

“Hiding your fear behind a lackluster attempt at comedy,” the Darkrai said with a sigh, shaking its head as it turned to a pair of large, circular monitors. “How pathetic.”

“I’ll give you pathetic,” I told the Darkrai with narrowed eyes. “But how dare you insinuate my jokes are lackluster!?” I boomed as I jabbed a finger at him.

“You joke that you lack the one item that is supposedly guaranteed to capture me,” Darkrai said in a bored tone. “And yet you do not use the brainpower necessary to create these jokes to realise that I am not truly here.”

“Ya know, I am not in the mood to be insulted by an admitted illusion. So, I’m just going to flip you off, wake up from this dream and then I’m going to go back to doing what I was doing with Zinnia. Like this,” I then showed the Darkrai both of my middle fingers and closed my eyes as I strained to wake up.

“Again you act like a fool,” Darkrai sighed, turning to the screens again. “If you have any intelligence in your inferior mind, come and observe. For you have been taken from your body, so unless you find the true way out, you cannot simply ‘wake up’.”

“Even an idiot is smarter than a genius illusion,” I shot back with a smirk as I sauntered over to the monitors. When I did, my smirk instantly fell.

I was looking at my own limp, lifeless body. Zinnia’s hands raised slowly into view, the same blue, flaming energy from before trying to flare up again, this time mixed with the shadows of the room flying to her hands before falling again.

“Do you see now, young fool?” Darkrai asked, no hint of emotion in its voice. “Do you see what I mean?”

“All I see is a crappy tv show. Come on, let’s change the channel to something else.”

“Still you refuse to think. What you are looking at is the Draconid’s view, what she is seeing at this very moment.” I watched as the view slowly rose, Celestia, Luna and Morning Star appearing in the doorway to Zinnia’s bedroom, Sonar fluttering behind them with the egg in his claws. “It will not be long now. Her grief will feed me, allowing me to grow and fully command her Dragon within.”

“You’re lying,” I spat. “What you’re showing me isn’t real. I know your game Darkrai. You show people and Pokemon nightmares until you can break them. Make them into something you can use. Well, it’s not going to work on me. Because you’re not even the real Darkrai. At best, you’re the shadow of a shadow. So do your worst to me because I’m getting out of here and helping my family member.”

“Deny the truth all you want, fool,” Darkrai said, waving dismissively as it turned and strode away. “But luckily for you, a human’s brain operates at one billion times the speed of what you might think. You have a long quest ahead of you to escape, Vash the Stampede. I suggest you get started.”

With that, Darkrai sank into the ground, and an entire landscape flew together in the white space. Mountains rose, rivers flowed, fields rolled, and at regular intervals between them, buildings built themselves, seemingly random in order. The closest, it seemed, was a school.

“Guess I’d better go back to school,” I muttered as I approached the building. “Good thing I always bring a shiny red apple to get on the teacher’s good side.” I pushed past the doors and walked inside. The building seemed to be in okay condition, but it was empty. No one was around me. I shrugged and started walking in a random direction, figuring I’d stumble into something along the way.

As I turned a corner, however, I caught sight of something that made my blood run cold.

There, in the middle of the corridor, was two children. A little girl, and a slightly older boy. The boy lay unconscious, blood running freely from a large gash on his forehead that stained the three white stripes in his otherwise coal-black hair.

The girl stood over him, cowering under the gaze of three… nightmarish, I guess, figures. Each of them pure black with glowing blue eyes.

“Weave my bwutha alone!” the little girl cried, tears in her eyes. She let out a scream of pain, however, when the figure in the centre struck her, sending her to the ground in a bloody, broken heap from the first blow alone. “Mommy!! Help, pwease!!”

        “Hey!” I cried as I rushed at the three black figures and attempted to shoulder tackle them. “Leave those kids alone you pieces of shit!”

        “An interloper?” the leftmost figure asked, its voice cracked and distorted. “How? Did our Lord bring him here?”

        “He must be new entertainment!” the rightmost figure cackled, revealing a set of jagged crimson teeth. “How thoughtful of our Lord!”

        I pushed past the three figures and stood between them and the two children, shielding them from the darkness as best as I could. “Yeah, I’ll entertain you,” I chuckled darkly. “But I’m not letting you anywhere near these children.”

        “P-pwease, mistah…” I heard, turning and blinking when I realised that the girl clearly a much younger version of Zinnia, her hair tied back into pigtails. Her eyes were the same, though, still a bright red. “Help my bwutha…”

        “Don’t you worry about a thing,” I told her with the biggest grin I could. “I’m gonna stop these three. You grab your brother and get him to the nurse.”

jHN}BGI

        “Nurse?” the central figure asked before scoffing, straightening out and taking a large swig from a bottle. “They never paid me enough to ever ‘nurse’ these brats.”

        I turned and scowled at the figure, leveling my best death glare at it. “Say that again and I’ll shove that bottle so far up your ass that you’ll puke it out again.”

        The figure scowled, breaking the bottle over the right one’s head and levelling the shattered remains at me. “You wanna go, bitch? I can kill her bastard brother, I can kill you too.”

        “Yeah, and it’s three against one too,” the rightmost figure chuckled, levelling what looked like a spear at me.

        “And what weapons do you have, anyway?” the left figure asked, priming a large hammer. “Not like you could take us unarmed, could you?”

        “Heh, you’re right, it is three against one. You wanna take a few minutes and grab a few more guys to make this a fair fight?” I snarked with the cockiest grin I could manage under the circumstances.

        All three of the creatures actually paused at that, looking between each other before laughing. “If you insist,” the spear-wielding one laughed, blowing on what looked like a whistle. Within seconds, all of the doors lining the corridor burst open, more shadow creatures swarming out and surrounding me and the children.

        “Um, I remember saying a few more guys. This is clearly more than a few. You’re disqualified and I automatically win this fight.” I said, turning on my heel and grabbing Zinnia and her brother. “Come along children, we’re done here. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

        What looked like a giant book stopped my path, held by a pure black, wrinkly old hand, almost skeletal actually. “You’re not going anywhere, sonny,” the skinny old hag holding the book sneered. “Our Lord wants you stopped.”

        “Okay, I understand what you’re saying but…” I offered before I reared back with my foot and kicked the hag between the legs. “...You’ll never take me alive!” I cried as I hoisted both Zinnia and her brother onto my shoulders and started running as fast as my legs could carry me. Loads of oversized, pure black, weaponised school equipment was thrown at me as I ran, either shattering on impact or destroying the ground before me.

        “This is not how to overcome the Nightmare Shadows,” Darkrai said boredly, rising from the shadows and floating along beside me. “Though I must admit, your odd tactics are… interesting.”

        “Tactics would imply I have a plan,” I huffed as I rounded a corner. “I’m just making this shit up off the top of my head.”

        “...you just lost the only shred of respect I have ever had for another being.”

        “Considering you’re an evil son of a bitch, I’m taking that as a compliment.”

        ‘He’s right though, this isn’t working. Come on man, you can think your way out of this. Use that greymatter for something other than scrap-metal and tits. Think through everything Darkrai’s said so far.’ I closed my eyes and focused on everything that seemed relevant. After what felt like an eternity, my eyes shot open and a manic grin overtook my face. ‘Wait a minute, Quest, that could mean something. This is either the single greatest idea ever, or I’m an idiot that’s about to die in a blaze of glory… I’ll take those odds.’

        I shifted Zinnia and her brother in my grasp and started to kick over any trash cans that we passed and slamming my shoulders into any and all lockers I could find in an attempt to force them open.

        “Yes! Finally!” I cried as one of the lockers opened, revealing… “Okay, this is a school and there’s a god-damn machete in one of the lockers. Though if the teachers are that fucked up… Well, I’m just glad that I’ve already graduated.” I put Zinnia and her brother down and started patting her on the head. “You take your brother and hide. I need to take care of those things.”

        “Thanks mistah,” young Zinnia said, hugging my legs as tears fell down her face. “You’re the goodest person I eva met.”

        “Heh, trust me, you’re going to meet much nicer people than me. Don’t ever give up, okay?”

        The girl nodded happily before wrapping her brother’s arm around her neck, moving down the hall with him. I sighed happily and started running in the direction that we had come from. ‘I am so going to die.’ I thought with a chuckle. Eventually I made it to the nearest shadow and swung my machete at it.

        To my surprise, the blade of the machete cleaved right through the shadow, making it fall to the ground and look like it was burning away. I smirked evilly as I looked between the shadows and my machete.

        “Normally I don’t approve of killing, but since this is a nightmare I’ll make an exception.” I then lunged forward and cleaved into the nearest shadow. The others jumped at me in an attempt to dog-pile on me, but I smirked and spun with my arm outstretched in a ridiculous looking maneuver.

        Kinda wish I had dressed as a certain other red-coated character now, but hey, circumstances. I kept running through the hoard, slicing into and through the shadows and leaving behind a trail of slowly decaying shadows. I kept cutting through them, switching the machete to my other arm in a flourishy move when my main hand started to get tired. Eventually, I was back where I started and the three shadows that started all this were waiting for me.

        “Huh, you found out how this works then?” the one with the hammer asked, now towering over me. Its features were much more defined this time - it actually looked like a giant, if really grotesque, man in glowing cyan goggles, with flowing white hair, pitch black clothes and a jagged crimson apron.

        “Hey, you all got makeovers, now that’s just adorable,” I said with a cocky grin as I rested my machete on the back of my neck.

        “Watch it, ya little twerp!” the ‘nurse’ growled, now sporting a flowing white ponytail, and a black nurse’s uniform with jagged red markings, a giant syringe in her grip instead of her broken bottle.

        “This one’s funny!!” the spear-wielder shrieked with laughter, now looking like a generic gym coach with thinning white hair and a black sweatsuit with a jagged red collar and cuffs, resting his javelin on his shoulder. “Let’s kill ’im!”

        “Heh, better men than you have tried to do that,” I laughed, keeping up my smirk. Now, come on, show me your moves!” I called out as I shadowboxed in place.

        The nurse cried out in rage, aiming the syringe at me and charging forward, the blade glinting dangerously. I swung my machete in an upward arc, knocking the syringe away from me before I pulled back with my fist and punched the nurse as hard as I could with the battlecry of, “Shut up, Nurse!”

        A cackle of mad laughter was the only warning I got before the Gym Coach’s javelin flew by my face, missing by mere inches purely because I managed to lean back.

        ‘I sure hope this works. Otherwise I’ll look like an idiot.’

        “Hey coach?” I asked as I grabbed at the javelin lodged in the floor. “You want your stick back?”

        “Yeah!” he laughed, holding his hand out. “Gimme!”

        “Okay,” I shrugged, somehow managing to free it. “Head’s up!” I cackled as I threw the javelin right at his face. It pierced his right eye, flying out the back of his head with his brain impaled on it’s spike and leaving the laughing body behind to burn away.

        “Did he just kill one of us?” the hammer-wielding one asked, lumbering forward and swinging it’s hammer over it’s shoulder. “Should I avenge him?”

        “Yes, you idiot!” the nurse bellowed, aiming at me and pressing the plunger of her syringe in, firing blasts of what looked like blood at me.

        “Hey, that’s no way to talk to your friend,” I pouted as I dodged the mysterious bloody liquid. The larger one’s hammer slammed down, and I just barely managed to dodge it.

        “What’s a friend?” he asked, struggling to pull his hammer from the ground. I pressed my foot down on his hammer in order to give him a harder time with pulling it out.

        “I’m glad you asked,” I beamed. “Friends are the people you can rely on. The ones that can always serve to make your day better and are with you in the highest and lowest moments of your life.”

        He paused at that, tilting his head to the side. “...What’s a life?”

        “Well, if you’ll be my friend I’ll show you,” I told him with a grin.

        “...Can I hit you if I’m your friend?”

        “No, but you can hit other things.”

        “...I think I’ll just hit you.” With that, he swung again, this time spinning with the hammer until it embedded itself in the wall.

        “What is it with you guys and throwing things at me?” I whined as I hacked away at the relatively defenseless shadow.

        “JUST FUCKING DIE!!!” the nurse bellowed, going for a jumping stab with her syringe after firing a stream of blood at me. I let out a totally not-girly scream and rolled away from the nurse’s attack.

        “You are a mean shadow lady!” I shouted, jumping back to my feet. She just let out a scream of pure, primal rage, charging forward again as her syringe seemed to change, becoming a sword with the blood vial being held in the centro of the blade. I brought up the machete and readied to defend myself against whatever kind of attack she had planned. She thrusted forward and I side-stepped, her bloody sword nearly grazing my cheek. I swung the machete, hoping to decapitate the angry nurse once and for all.

        I landed in a crouch, panting heavily. Silence reigned for a second before something rolled into my view, revealing itself as the nurse’s head as it stopped.

        “Fuck. You.”

        “Come on nurse,” I started with a smirk. “There’s no need to lose your head over this.”

        The last sound out of the nurse’s mouth before she burned away was a scream of pure rage. I turned just as the last of her body burned away, blinking when I realised it had carried on to impale the big hammer guy, meaning he was just finishing burning away too.

        “Yes!” I cried as I threw my arms in the air while a victory tune played in my head. “I can’t believe that actually worked!” I turned and scanned all of the decaying shadows all around me. “I guess I should go tell Baby Z that she’s safe now,” I said as I slipped the machete into my belt.

        I started walking down the halls and whistled to myself as I going to where I left her. Once I was right where left her I put a hand to the side of my mouth and called out, “Zi… little girl! You can come out now, everything’s fine!”

        A quiet rattling sounded from further down the hall, and I hurried over to a locker just as young Zinnia tumbled out of it, her brother falling out of the one next to hers. “Thanks mistah!” she cried, beaming up at me as she pulled her brother into her lap. “We’d be in a wot of twubble  without you!”

        I knelt down on one knee so I could look her in the eye and started patting her on the head. “I couldn’t stand to see two kids get hurt like that. Especially when one is a fair maiden such as yourself,” I finished, adding a grandiose tone to my voice.

        Little Zinnia giggled before going stiff, her eyes glowing golden. I stumbled back as she placed her hand on her brother’s head, his eyes flying open and glowing gold too.

        “You have done a great deed, Dream Warrior,” they called out, speaking in unison. “As thanks for your efforts, accept the first part of the power needed to purge the Nightmare from this mind.”

        With that, both kids burst into pure golden light, swirling into a small funnel of energy.

        “Step into the light to receive your reward.”

        Without thinking, I took a few jerky steps into the funnel of energy that was once the two children. When I did, my entire body felt… strange. I couldn’t really describe it well there was a lot of different feelings swirling around my body at once.

        “Who is this? What do you mean by Dream Warrior?” I asked, whipping my head around in the funnel of energy.

        “All will be revealed…” the voice said again, now sounding much softer, calmer… female. “In time.”

        The light gathered over my forearms, forming a pair of golden gauntlets with powder blue and light pink crescent patterns.

        I smiled as I rotated the gauntlets and chuckled to myself as I walked toward the closest exit. “And now I know who you are. Thank you.”

I walked out of the school and steadied myself for whatever this nightmare world would throw at me. There were no demonic shadows that greeted me as I returned to the odd landscape. I scanned the area and saw that the closest location was a park of sorts. I gulped a bit as I started to wonder what kind of horror awaited me. I eventually made it to the park, and much like the school it was devoid of life at first.

“No Daddy, I can’t swim!!”

I shot up as if I was struck with a cattle prod and ran over to the source of young Zinnia’s voice. Sprinting to the edge of the gigantic lake in the centre of the park, looking across the water to see a large Shadow, holding what looked like Zinnia in her early teens by the scruff of her neck, preparing to throw her in.

“Please Daddy, don’t do this!” she cried, struggling against his grip. “I’ll learn, I promise! Please let me go!”

“Your actions shame the whole family!” the figure, who I’m assuming was Zinnia’s father, bellowed, his voice echoing across the water. “If you cannot keep your hands to yourself you will spend your days under the lake!”

I felt a white hot rage overtake me from such an awful threat and I couldn’t resist roaring, “Hey dickhead! You’re the only shameful thing I see!”

The Shadow glanced up, rolling his eyes. “Stay out of this, you naive child. How I discipline my daughter is my business.”

“Not anymore it isn’t!” I thundered. “You lost the right to call her that when you made that threat!” I started running around the lake in order to confront the shadow. He watched me for a moment before letting out an exaggerated sigh, beginning to grow as large, almost majestic wings sprouted from his back. Being the idiot that I am, this didn’t deter me, stopping just a few feet away from him.

“What is it with you nightmare shadows and your costume changes?” I asked as I looked up at him.

“It is none of your concern how our Lord blesses us,” the shadow scoffed, casually throwing the young girl out into the centre of the lake, where she splashed down and began thrashing in a panic. “Now then, can you truly hope to fight me and save her at the same time?”

“I dunno, but I’m sure as hell gonna try,” I smirked as I dove into the lake.

I held my breath and stayed underwater as long as I could so that the shadow have a harder time hitting me. I swam as fast as I could in order to make it to Zinnia before anything could happen to her. Just as my lungs started screaming for precious oxygen I surfaced, whipping my head around to get a good look at Zinnia and the shadow.

As I thought, Zinnia was still in the water, thrashing about even as she started sinking. Just as I began swimming towards her, I felt a set of  large talons close around me, and I was lifted into the air above the lake.

“Pathetic,” the Shadow spat, spinning in the air and flinging me into a tree, where I crashed into it back-first.

“Gah!” I cried out in pain as I felt like my spine was nearly turned into powder. I slowly slid down to the ground and pulled myself onto shaky feet. “Y-you’re not gonna stop me that easily,” I huffed as I spat a small stream of water onto his talon.

The Shadow reared back, hissing as steam rose from where the water had splashed him. I smirked when I saw that and started laughing a little. “Oh, does the big, bad shadow not like water?”

He snarled, rearing back and taking to the air. “I am the Pheonix of Nightmares, the Immortal Pride of Darkness! A mere splash of water shall never end me!”

As soon as he said that I nearly doubled over in laughter. “Hey dumbass!” I called out to him. The Shadow snapped it’s gaze to me, snarling slightly. “I’ve got an entire lake to throw at you!” I laughed as I dashed towards the lake again, ignoring the pain in my back. I managed to breach the water’s surface again, diving and doing my best to make it to Zinnia while the shadow looked for an opening against me. When I needed air again, I surfaced slightly so that only my nose was exposed. I took all the air I could get in an instant and went back down and kept going towards Zinnia’s thrashing body. I finally managed to make it to her and threw an arm around her waist.

“Calm down, I’ve got you.” I said as I surfaced. Zinnia began coughing and spluttering, taking in as much air as she could before answering.

“Tha-” she tried before coughing again, managing to calm down a second later. “Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me yet, I’ve still gotta get you onto dry land,” I said with a smile as I started kicking my legs and slowly making way towards the other side of the lake. A piercing shriek rang out, not unlike a hawks, before a shadow began to grow around us.

“Look out!” Zinnia cried.

“Hold your breath!” I boomed before I pulled us both under the water as the shadow jettisoned toward us. Zinnia struggled for a moment before wrapping her arms around me, holding on for dear life. The shadow pulled away as its claws narrowly avoided us. I pulled us back over the surface of the water, both of us started taking gulps of air. “Keep looking out for that thing, I’m gonna focus on getting us out of the water,” I said, resuming my kicking.

Zinnia nodded, holding on to me as she scanned the air. “I-I’m Zoey,” she said shakily.

“I’m V… Peter, nice to meet you.” I told her with as big of a smile I could manage. Zoey smiled back before looking to the sky again, her eyes widening.

“Uh… he’s coming back around…” she said, her grip tightening. “A-and he’s on fire!”

“Alright, I’m gonna need you to hold your breath again,” I said in a calm tone. “His fire shouldn’t hurt us while we’re underwater.” Zoey nodded and I pulled us back down. I shielded her with my body as well as I could manage and hoped for the best as the shadow dove down. I clenched my eyes and started worrying about everything that could happen if I had just made the wrong choice.

Nothing happened for a moment, and I almost swam back up for breath before the Shadow’s talons breached the waters, the fire surrounding them managing to keep the water away from its flesh by turning it to steam.

‘Clever bastard…’ I thought, bringing an arm up to defend us out of reflex and closing my eyes. When nothing happened, however, I risked opening them again only to see the Shadow once more in the air, and when I breached the surface I saw steam rising from its talons.

“Ha! Looks like your little fire trick didn’t work!” I laughed as I loosened my tight grip on Zoey slightly, starting to swim again. The Shadow snarled at me and dived again, faster than before. “Oh shit!” I screamed as I brought up my arm again without thinking. I winced and put myself in front of Zoey in a vain hope of protecting her. Just when I was prepared for the Shadow to pluck me out of the water, the gauntlet on my hand started to glow with a brilliant golden light. Then, a gout of water shot out from the light and struck the Shadow, causing it to let out a pain-filled shriek. The Shadow pulled up and I looked at my hand dumbly. “This might just be the best gift I’ve ever been given,” I said to myself.

The Shadow shrieked loudly in challenge, circling us as I began pulling Zoey to the shore again, the girl keeping her eyes on it. Whenever it looked like it would dive again, Zoey tapped me on the shoulder, and I spun around to fire at it, narrowly missing each time but still managing to scare it off long enough to make some progress. This continued for some time until the both of us were able to start wading through the shallow part of the lake.

I turned to Zoey with a determined look and told her, “You need to get out of here Zoey, I’ll deal with this guy.”

Zoey frowned, steadying herself. “No!” she cried. “I’m not going to run away and leave you with that… thing!”

“Are we really going to have this argument?” I sighed as I looked between her and the Shadow. Zoey huffed in response, crossing her arms.

“Get down!” she cried out suddenly, tackling me to the floor just before the Shadow swept past, it's talons tearing up the earth where I had just been standing.

“Hey, I’m supposed to be the one saving you here,” I joked with fake indignation. Zoey chuckled from her position on top of me before smirking, giving me a lidded gaze.

“Hmm, maybe you can save me from something else later~”

“Well, uh… first we have to deal with that thing,” I stuttered as I tried to bring myself to a sitting position. Zoey blinked before blushing, standing and helping me up.

“Right, sorry,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm.

“YOU HARLET!!!” the Shadow screeched, bursting into flames and diving at us. “CAN YOU NOT KEEP YOUR SINFUL HANDS TO YOURSELF FOR ONCE IN YOUR DISGRACEFUL LIFE!?!”

“Didn’t I already say that the only disgraceful thing here is you!” I roared as I thrusted both of my fists at the Shadow and fired as much water at the thing as possible. The Shadow’s flames died as soon as the water made contact and it let out the loudest shriek yet. The Shadow faltered in the air and crashed to the ground in a small explosion of dirt and rocks. I turned to Zoey and said, “Come on, if you wanna help then let’s finish that thing off.”

Zoey nodded, charging forwards and grabbing a rock before hurling it as hard as she could. The Shadow stopped, hovering there as the rock bounced off its chest, giving the girl a ‘did you really just do that’ look.

“Hold on, allow me to try something,” I chuckled as I punched the air with my gauntlets and fired more water at the Shadow. The giant bird-thing dived under the blasts, skimming the ground as it flew at us at tremendous speeds. “Shit! Get out of the way!” I cried as I pushed us down, feeling the Shadow’s talons rake across my still very sore back. I let out a hiss of air through my teeth and forced a smile onto my face. “You okay?”

Zoey stared up at me in shock, blinking. “Y-yeah…” she stammered.

“Good because I have another idea,” I chuckled to avoid groaning in pain as I slipped off one of my gauntlets and held it in front of her. “Let’s split up and fire at that bastard from two sides to make it harder for him to dodge.”

Zoey nodded dumbly, taking the gauntlet and fastening it to her arm. She turned, aiming her arm as the Shadow came back around for another strike and letting loose a stream of water, striking it in the side of the face and making it shriek in pain as it veered away.

“Nice shootin’, Tex!” I beamed as I followed her example and shot at the Shadow in continuous bursts. The Shadow rolled and attempted to dodge, but one or two lucky streams of water managed to hit it in the wings, causing it to shriek in anger and pain as it spun out toward the ground. “Looks like I clipped the little birdie’s wings,” I told Zoey with a grin as the Shadow continued to fall, the girl letting out a short bark of laughter.

“How dare you!!” the Shadow boomed, climbing to it's feet and looming over us. “You take away my Lord’s gift of flight!?! I will tear your flesh from your bones and use what’s left to pick my teeth!!”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but first you gotta throw ‘em!” I laughed as I leveled my fist at the Shadow and fired right at its face. “Zoey, let ‘im have it!”

        

        “Sir, yes sir!” Zoey cried, laughing madly as she skirted around the Shadow’s side, blasting it with a barrage of watery projectiles. We both circled around the Shadow, steam obscuring it from our view as the thing started to shriek pitifully. I almost felt bad for the thing, but then I remembered what it had tried to do to Zoey and started blasting it with more intensity. This went on for a few minutes and eventually the Shadow’s cries of pain died off.

        “Alright, I think we’re done here,” I said as I lowered my hand and carefully watched the steam that veiled the Shadow. As the cloud cleared up, I chuckled as I saw the Shadow again, back into it’s more human-like form. “Hmm, now who’s pathetic?”

        “Shut… up…” the Shadow panted, glaring at me as it struggled to lift itself. “You… will see… your end…”

        “Maybe, but not because of anything you’ll do,” I smirked as I fired one more blast of water right between the Shadow’s eyes. The Shadow let out one final scream before wavering out of existence. I then looked over to Zoey with a confident smirk and smoldering eyes. “So, what was that about saving you from something else?”

        Zoey smirked, taking the gauntlet off and tossing it back to me. “Perhaps another time, Dream Warrior,” she purred, her eyes beginning to glow  bright gold.

        I slumped over and let out a long sigh. “Figured that was gonna happen. Alright, turn into that golden light thing like before,” I said as I put the gauntlet back on. Zoey smiled serenely, spreading her arms wide just before she burst into the golden light from before, this time leaving behind a faint, powder-blue figure with pale yellow hair and soft pink ribbons connecting it’s shoulders to it’s wrists.

        “As each obstacle is surpassed,” the figure chimed, holding her arm out as the funnel of light formed again. “More of my form is restored, and more of the Draconid’s mind is saved from her past. Step into the light, Dream Warrior, and receive your reward.”

        “Can you answer a question for me?” I asked as I stepped forward. “Was there a reason why I was pulled into Zinnia’s mind? Or did I just happen to be close by when Darkrai’s influence was spreading?”

        “What you saw was the foul substance poisoning ‘Zinnia’,” the figure explained. “I, however, managed to alter it, to pull the consciousness of Zinnia’s most trusted individual in range into her mind to purge it.” She paused, a light giggle sounding out. “So I suppose it was a combination of the two, in answer to your question. Should another, more trusted one have been nearby, you would not have been chosen, but that you were is a statement in and of itself.”

        “Okay,” I shrugged stepping into the golden light. “Either way I was still going to do everything I could to help,” I chuckled and grinned at the figure.

        “I had no doubt,” she nodded. “Good luck, Dream Warrior. Things will only become more difficult ahead.”

        I nodded back as she faded away, looking down as the golden light followed suit and inspecting the new addition. A pair of golden, plated boots with powder blue cuffs and a small pink crescent on each of my ankles shined in the sunlight.

        “Hmm, a little too flashy by my usual tastes. But if they’re half as useful as these gloves have been, then I love them,” I smiled as I walked out of the park. I surveyed the landscape to see what the closest location would be.

        “Of course…” I muttered with a slight grin, seeing a large, purple-painted building in the distance with a giant neon sign of a busty woman on a stripper pole above it. A large white canopy hung over the front door, with another neon sign above that simply read ‘XXX’. “Looks like I’m going to be paying “Zeta” a visit,” I chuckled as I made my way down the hill and towards the city-scape that the building was a part of. It didn’t take me long to make it to the building. I figured the fact that I was inside a dream had something to do with that. I tried to make myself as unassuming as possible (something that is pretty hard to do with gold-plated boots) as I pushed the door to the building open and slipped inside.

        It was pretty dark inside, with posters of what I assume were adult films in Zinnia’s world lining the walls. Titles like ‘Cum My Way’ and ‘Lady of the Cock Rings’. I blinked, pausing as I passed another two - ‘The Trouble with Tribbing’ and ‘Futa Fever’. Ever one of the posters showed Zinnia in a state of undress and in a different position each time, but these two were… wow.

        “I think I’m just gonna…” I mumbled as I took those last two off the wall and slipped them into my pocket. “... save these for later. Now, let’s see where ‘Zeta’ is so I can purge whatever darkness is here.”

I pulled myself away from the posters and started to look for where the ‘magic’ happened, figuring that was where I was most likely to find her. I passed through a long, dark hallway, the smell of perfume and stale sex heavy in the air. Eventually, there were bright spots of light shining at the end of the hallway. I quickened my pace and after a minute of jogging, I had found what I was looking for.

        A professional film set - at least, I think it was - with hazy grey figures walking back and forth behind the cameras, working all the equipment. I reached out as one passed me, my arm phazing right through.

        “Huh…” I muttered. “Passive memories, I guess.”

        I looked up as a figure walked onto the stage, recognising her as Zinnia - or Zeta - in an incredibly tight dress with a low neck, her nipples showing through the fabric.

        “Uh, I’m not sure about this one…” she said nervously, rubbing her arm.

        ‘Never thought I’d hear her say something like that,’ I thought as my eyes roved along her dress. ‘But, this is a younger Zinnia. I think I know who’s going to be the monster I have to fight this time. Cue the asshole, abusive director!’ I thought with a smirk.

        One of the grey memories stood up, moving over and speaking to her for a moment before she gave it a quick hug. “O-okay, I guess… I guess I can try…” ‘Zeta’ muttered before the figure left the stage, taking a seat in the director’s chair. Zeta took a deep breath before nodding to the cameras, slipping into character as they began rolling. “Ugh, where is that landscaper…” she muttered, crossing her arms and pushing her breasts up.

        ‘Huh, so the director was a bust,’ I thought with a frown. ‘So who’s going to be the crazy monster I have to fight? This just looks like a classic porn scenario is about to play out. Do I have to find some other place to purge darkness?’ I scanned the room, only finding gray figures instead of the shadows like I had at the last two locations.

        I looked up as Zeta gasped, seeing the door on the side of the set swing open. “There you are!” she cried, putting her hands on her hips in mock anger. “What took you so long!”

        “Shut the fuck up, you fine little bitch!” a feminine voice boomed out, and a second later a tall, busty Shadow stepped in, grinning madly and brandishing a stall knife. “There’s much better things you can do with your mouth.”

        ‘Oooh, it was the co-star,’ I thought with a look of realization as I snuck along the set, trying to get behind the shadow. ‘And it’s a woman too, now that is a clever twist on the whole landscaper and the rich debutante trope.’ I finished my thought as I made it to the doorframe that the Shadow had emerged from. I then jumped out, attempting to bring both of my fists down on the Shadow’s skull before she could transform.

        The Shadow spun and swept her arms towards me, a blast of air sending me flying back. “Pathetic,” she spat before turning to Zeta again, slashing out with her knife. I crashed into a nearby wall, spare equipment and props clattering to the floor as I cried out in pain when I landed on the slash marks that I got earlier. I let out a low growl, picking up a dildo that had flopped onto my head and throwing it at the Shadow, flopping against her cheek harmlessly.

        “Hey bitch! I’m not done with you yet!” I roared, standing up again.

        The Shadow turned slowly, blood dripping from it’s blade. “Oh, does the little boy wanna get frisky?” she purred, a lecherous grin forming on her lips.

        “What I want is for you to stop attacking my friend!” I growled, fists clenched at my sides. I took a step forwards, the boots glowing as I did and a block of stone shooting up from the floor, which I instinctively spun and kicked at the Shadow.

        The Shadow dove out of the way, glaring at me as it stood afterwards and it began to grow, chest and rear expanding as it’s clothes shrank away. “Friend? Please. You just want her for her body,” she spat, standing tall and thrusting its chest out, eyes closed proudly. “Like how you’re staring at me right now.”

        In response, I stomped on the floor several times, stones shooting up which I punched right at the Shadow’s face. All of them made contact and she opened her eyes to continue glaring at me. “I’m not in the mood for head games you ugly cunt. So let’s just fight so I can kill you and save my friend!”

        “UGLY!?!” the Shadow cried in indignation, rearing back. “How DARE you!?! I’ll milk you dry until all that’s left is dust!!”

        “Try me, bitch!” I boomed.

        The Shadow thrust her hands forward, sending a gust of wind at me. I stomped on the ground again, a wall of rock preventing the wind from pushing me into the wall again. I punched the wall, sending it flying towards her. She sliced it in half with a wave of air and I tucked and rolled to avoid her attack.

        The Shadow pressed her attack, advancing on me and sending constant blasts and slices of air with fluid swipes and kicks, jumping and flipping as she did so with some kind of martial art. I barely managed to dodge, erecting walls of earth when I couldn’t and sealing her in boxes of stone when I was cornered. I rushed over to one of the boxes of stone and roundhouse kicked one of the walls in an attempt to crush her. The wall started moving, but before it could hit her she sliced it in half with another wave of air. My eyes widened as the wave continued hurtling towards me. I wasn’t able to dodge and the wave sliced into my chest, causing me to cry out in pain and fall to the ground. I put a hand to my chest and examined it, groaning when I saw a thin layer of blood on it.

        “Oh no~!” the Shadow cried sarcastically, stalking closer. “The whore’s ‘valiant knight’ isn’t a perfect fighter after all~!”

        “You’re right, I’m not a perfect fighter,” I said with a groan. “But I’m not a valiant knight either,” I continued with a small smirk, stomping my foot to cause a jagged pillar of rock to erupt between the Shadow’s legs. “I fight like a rotten, no-good bastard.”

        The Shadow froze, eye twitching as she let out a pathetic-sounding whine of pain. “Mother!” she cried before exploding in a flurry of shadows, the remnants sinking into the floor.

        I laughed and allowed my head to fall to the floor, exhausted. “And here I thought a porn-star would love to have a long, hard pillar between her legs. Guess I was too much for her to handle.” I winced as I put a hand to my wound, pushing myself to my feet and stumbling over to Zeta, who lay sobbing in the centre of the stage, the grey passive-memories surrounding her and seeming to be in a panic.

        “It’s okay now, she’s gone.” I said as I knelt down beside her. Zeta looked up to me, tears in her eyes, and I winced when I saw the huge cut across her lower back.

        “I-it hurts…” she muttered shakily, looking up at me pleadingly.

        “I know,” I said as I took one of her hands and put it on my chest wound causing me to flinch slightly. “But the pain will go away eventually.”

        Zeta sniffled, whimpering slightly as she pushed herself up, wincing. “P… Promise?”

        “For a girl like you? I’d promise anything,” I told her with a goofy smile. Zeta smiled shakily, moving over and hugging me gently.

        “Th-thank you…” she muttered, shaking again as tears poured from her eyes. “Thank you… s-so much…”

        “You’re welcome… I just wish I could’ve been faster. Then you wouldn’t have gotten that cut,” that last part I muttered to myself.

        The girl went still, a golden light overtaking her body before splitting away, leaving the pale blue figure from before. Instead of swirling into a cone, however, the light wrapped around me, forming a white strap across my torso and a large, golden sword on my back, the guard and handle being a mix of blue and pink.

        “The girl’s injuries were unavoidable, Dream Warrior,” the figure said sadly, stepping away. She was more defined now, a pale yellow  gown covering her curves as she blinked with pure pink eyes. A large pink gem appeared in her forehead as she began floating. “They  are a fixed point in her memory, the pain a part of her character. Ask about scars when you awake, and you shall see.”

        “Okay, but could you maybe change up my weapon?” I asked as I tugged at the sword. “I’ve kinda gotten used to being a gunslinger.” The figure tilted her head curiously before nodding, holding her hands out.

        “Of course. Merely hand me the weapon.”

        I did as she asked and carefully placed the sword into her outstretched hands. Her hands glowed with a golden light that overtook the sword until it was a silhouette. The silhouette started to shift until it looked like the outline of a large pistol. When the light died down, the figure offered me the new weapon, a large golden revolver with two chambers that seemed to flip to line up with the barrel, both decorated with pink and blue crescents. The handle had a large guard around it, coloured pink and blue, and there was a large crescent moon on the side.

        “Is that more to your preferences, Dream Warrior?” the figure asked, smiling sweetly. She then held out a much smaller, two-shot pistol with a gold body and blue/pink handle.

        “I might have to get used to the double barrels,” I said as I took the guns and examined them. “But yeah, this is totally my speed,” I told the figure with a grin as I holstered the guns with a flourish.

        “Wonderful. Now then, do you have any questions that need answering before you continue?”

        ‘None that wouldn’t offend,’ I thought as I stole a glance at the figure’s curves.

        “Nope, I think I sated my curiosity last time.”

        “I know of your urges,” the figure giggled. “Do not worry yourself about offending me. Please feel free to speak your mind.”

        “Uhhh…” I drawled as a blush spread across my face. “I’d better get going, Zinnia needs saving!” I thundered as I ran out of the studio, the figure’s giggling ringing in my ears.

        I burst through the doors and whipped my head to see where I’d need to go next. For some reason, one building in particular seemed to stick out. Which is strange considering it was one of the most typical houses I’ve ever seen. Two stories, white picket fence, the whole nine yards. I started jogging over to the house, wary of what I was going to find this time. I made it to the front door rather quickly and put my ear to it in an attempt to hear something. I didn’t hear anything so I slowly turned the knob with my hand hovering over my double barrel revolver. I walked inside to find a rather dark living room, no signs of life at first. I craned my head, keeping an eye out for anything that could sneak up on me.

        “I don’t believe this…” I heard from further in the house. “You’re a prostitute? Really?”

        “No, Mom,” a second, familiar voice groaned. “I’m an actress. I just happen to be in the adult film business.”

        “All I hear is ‘whore for hire’,” the first voice spat.

        ‘Oh this is just going to end well,’ I thought as I drew my revolver and followed the sounds of the voices. Turning the next corner, I saw a young man with long black hair peeking around a doorframe. ‘That  must be her brother, Ace,’ I thought as I got a good look at him.

        “Hey, where’s Zoey?” I whispered.

        Ace jumped, spinning to face me before glaring openly. “Great…” he muttered. “First Mom finds out about Zo’s job, and now some crazed fan wants to kidnap her.”

         “I’m not here to kidnap anyone,” I deadpanned with a roll of my eyes. “I’m a friend of Zoey’s,” I said as I put the gun out of sight. “And you’re Ace, right? She’s told me a lot about you. Like what you did for her 18th birthday,” I finished with a knowing smile.

        Ace blushed, turning away with a huff. “Alright, fine,” he grunted, looking around the door again. “Zo’s in there, talking to our mom. I wouldn’t go in there though, Mom’s got kind of an… explosive temper.”

        “Yeah,” I chuckled as I strode towards where he indicated. “And I’ve got a winning personality, I think I’ll be just fine.” Before Ace could stop me, I walked into a kitchen to find Zoey and her Shadow mother in the middle of an argument. I cleared my throat to get their attention and said, “Hey, sorry if I’m interrupting something,” I paused and chuckled to myself for a moment. “Actually, that’s a lie, I really wanted to interrupt this argument.”

        Zoey glanced up at me, her eyes widening. “Peter…” she breathed in disbelief.

        “And just who are you?” the Shadow-Mom sneered, crossing her arms. “Another of my whore daughter’s boy-toys?”

        I couldn’t resist the opportunity and struck a pose. “I am a hunter of peace, and I search for the elusive mayfly of love. And I am a friend of your daughter’s. Not just a dick attached to a body to scratch her feminine itches.”

        “But you have scratched her itches, hmm?” the Shadow persisted, quirking her brow. “I can tell. You are just as sex-driven as her. You both disgust me.”

        “I actually haven’t slept with your daughter,” I told the Shadow.

        ‘At least not at this point in her life.’

        “I don’t believe you,” she spat. “The way you keep glancing at her, you know her much more than you let on. You’ve clearly been between her whorish legs on more than one occasion.” The Shadow huffed, turning and striding out of the kitchen. “I want the two of you out of my house. And you can take that money-wasting brother of yours with you, slut!”

        “Mom, please!” Zoey cried, following after the Shadow. “Punish me, sure, it’s not like I want to stay anyway. But leave Ace out of it!”

        “No! I’ve put up with that bastard child of mine long enough - if he wants to live off of his mother’s income, he can go and find his real mother!”

        ‘Oh… okay did not expect to hear that,’ I thought as I blinked in confusion. ‘Might have to apologize to Zinnia later for listening to all this private drama. ‘Anyway, better go shoot this nasty shadow-bitch right between the eyes.’

        I stomped after the Shadow, a glare on my face. “Where the fuck do you get off talking to those two like that?!” I roared at her.

        “I raised them, that’s where,” she spat, turning and glaring back at me. She reached behind herself, taking small wooden box from the fireplace and grabbing a key from it. “Where do you get off talking to me like that, hmm?”

        “It’s called empathy, and respecting the choices of a fellow adult! What’s wrong with Zoey being in porn? Or Ace spending money, money that he earned by the way, on video games?!”

        “They are not adults, they are children. Pornography is a disgusting and disgraceful use of a person’s body, and video games are an utter waste of their time which could instead be used studying, or maybe looking for a job.” The Shadow rolled her eyes, shoving past me and moving into the hallway, opening a small door under the stairwell with her key. She disappeared down the stairs revealed, returning a few moments later in a suit of dark, traditional Samurai armour, a large sword in her hands. “Now then, got out of my home before I throw you out.”

        “See, now you’re threatening me,” I sighed as I pulled out the revolver that the figure gave me. “I don’t respond well to threats.”

        “Zoey, let’s get out of here,” I heard Ace say, and a few seconds later I heard them running out the door.

        “Cowards,” the Shadow spat. “Spineless cowards, both of them. I can’t believe even one of them is mine.”

        “Neither of them is really yours,” I growled. “You’re just a bad memory,” I finished as I fired a shot at the Shadow’s exposed face. It dodged to the side just soon enough for the shot to ricochet off of it’s helmet, glaring at me.

        “Well, that’s a relief then,” she grunted before charging forward, swinging the sword at me. I brought up my revolver in an attempt to block her swing. I stumbled a bit and pulled out the side gun, firing both of its shots.

        “You are a coward too,” the Shadow growled, jumping back and blocking my shots with a blur of motion, her sword glinting with the movement. “A firearm is such a coward’s weapon. No skill, no intimacy.”

        “And now I know you’re an idiot,” I laughed as I lazily spun my side arm on a finger. “A gun can be a tricky weapon to master. Especially if you’re like me and have vowed to never kill an opponent.”

        “You refuse to take a life?” the Shadow gasped in shock, actually stumbling back. “You would dishonour your opponent like that!?”

        “There is no honor in taking someone’s life,” I told her with narrowed eyes. “I’m no one’s executioner. Even if the devil himself fought me I’d let him live,” I finished as I fired a couple more shots.

        “You clearly have no respect for tradition!” she spat, charging again with her blade held high. “I will rend your head from your neck and use your skull as a chalice!”

        “Ya know, that threat sounds more viking than samurai,” I chuckled as I peppered shots aiming at various parts that seemed to be unprotected by her armor. “And you’re right, I don’t respect traditions. If an idea’s stupid, I’ll say it’s stupid. Doesn’t matter how long people have been doing it.”

        The Shadow let out a scream of rage, swinging at me and ignoring any shots I took. She attacked with a flurry of motion, her blade blurring out of sight at the end of each swing and seeming to leave a trail of steel light behind.

        “Oh shit!” I screamed as I tried to dodge her sword. Despite my best efforts, I felt the blade cutting into me several times. I groaned in pain and jumped back in a vain attempt to get away from the Shadow’s swings.

        ‘Shit,’ I thought with a pant as I looked between her sword and myself. ‘Wait… maybe,’ I thought with a faint smirk.

        “That’s it, I’m putting my foot down, young lady!” I boomed as I stomped on the ground and tried to pull off the same trick I had with the last Shadow. The Shadow arched her brow, stepping back and slashing the pillar of earth in two, kicking it back at me.

        “Did you think you could use the same tactics twice?” she asked in disbelief, arching her brow. “We know how the others are defeated, and we learn from their mistakes.”

        “Really, cause you all seem to be making the same mistake,” I said with a confident smirk despite cursing internally at the failure of my trick.

        “What might that be?” she asked. “Our vanity? The fact that we all know that we are better than you?”

        “Well considering the fact I’ve beaten all the other Shadows that came before you, I wouldn’t say that you’re all better than me,” I laughed. “But no, that’s not the mistake you all keep making. It’s that you all think you can get away with terrorizing somebody I care about,” I finished as I stomped on the ground again, creating a wall of stone.

        The Shadow charged forward, slicing through the stone before sliding to a stop. “...Where did he go?”

        “Yeah, where did that handsome devil go?” I said as I pressed the revolver to the back of her neck. The Shadow froze, sighing and dropping her blade as she straightened out.

        “As much as I am loath to admit it,” she muttered. “That was… well played. Congratulations. Now take my life.” I frowned a bit and pulled both triggers of my gun, the Shadow not making a sound as it burst out of existence.

        ‘You didn’t actually take a life,’ I assured myself with a deep, steadying breath. ‘These are just corrupted memories, nothing more.’ After collecting myself for a little bit I looked around the room and quirked a brow.

        “So, where’s the golden light? It’s usually here by now,” I wondered aloud. Looking around, I realised that the younger Zinnia from the dream was actually gone, her and her brother nowhere to be seen. “Oh, great. Now I have to find them.” I sighed as I opened the door to the house and called out, “Zoey, Ace, where are you?!” I looked around the dreamscape and they didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight.

        ‘Okay, if I was Zinnia and her brother where would I be?’ I thought as I scratched the side of my head. ‘Uh… I don’t know all that much about Ace, really should’ve asked Zinnia more about him. Okay, my stupidity aside let’s try Zinnia. Hmm, where would she feel safe after being thrown out by her mother?’ I strained my brain for a moment before my face lit up. ‘Wait a second, back at the studio she seemed to have a good relationship with her director! I should head back there!’ I patted myself on the back for a moment for my brilliant idea and ran off to Zinnia’s workplace. I stopped in front of the door and caught my breath, all my cuts and injuries acting up and causing me to wince.

After shaking my head and pushing the pain to the back of my mind as best I could, I walked inside and called out, “Zoey, are you in here?”

A grey memory looked up from the desk in front of the door, seeming to say something before pointing down the hallway.

“Thanks,” I nodded before walking down the hallway and back into the studio. When I entered the room I found Zoey talking to a grey memory, Ace stood leaning against a wall not far away. “Zoey!” I called out, waving at her with a relieved smile. “You’re okay!”

Zoey looked up, a bright smile crossing her face as soon as she saw me. “Peter!” she cried, standing and rushing over to me, tackling me with a tight hug. “Thank you so much!”

“Gack!” I whined as I returned the hug as best as I could. “Careful, you might open up some of my cuts if you keep squeezing like that,” I managed to wheeze.

“Your what!?”

“I knew it…” Ace sighed, shaking his head. “I warned you about our Mom.”

“A few flesh wounds is nothing when it comes to defending the honor of a lady!” I beamed with a goofy smile at him. Ace just rolled his eyes, smiling a little.

“Well… thanks, I guess,” he said. “For helping us out when you did. Not many people in this world would do that.”

“Hmm, yeah,” Zoey hummed in agreement, still hugging me, though a lot more gently. “I feel so safe with my own Guardian Angel watching over me…”

“Heh, I’m no angel, Zoey, but my arm is!” I joked as I held up my right arm.

“Yes, quite,” a familiar voice chuckled, and I looked up to see Ace’s eyes glowing gold. Seconds later, Zoey pulled away, walking over to her brother with her own eyes glowing golden before taking his hand. Both of them seemed to merge into one, their bodies becoming golden light as they did before the figure from before appeared, now looking completely solid as she floated down to the ground, her gown fluttering in a non-existent breeze. “Congratulations, Dream Warrior. You now have but one demon to defeat in this quest, but be warned, he is the most powerful of your challenges.”

“I haven’t come this far just to give up now, Cresselia.” I said with a warm smile. “Even if I was the kind of person to abandon my friends, I’d still have to finish this quest to get back to the real world.”

Cresselia chuckled, shaking her head. “Of course you recognised me,” she said, waving her head and dispelling the dreamscape, leaving us in the white void from before, the twin monitors appearing behind me and a large, black castle before me. The building seemed to be steaming with shadows, it’s foundations spiderwebbing out and digging into the white void’s ground. “But no matter. Like I said, now is your greatest challenge, for you are fighting Darkrai’s Puppet himself. My final gift will help you, but only your skill will purge his darkness from this poor girl’s mind.”

Cresselia paused, looking up with a sad face before speaking again. “Although… I am afraid we may already be too late…” she sighed, gesturing to the monitors. I looked back to see them tinted red, my heart almost stopping when I realised that Morning was there, held by the throat with the hand holding her burning with blue flames, another hand coated with shadows ready to strike, presumably going for the kill.

“M...Morning,” I muttered, my legs buckling and threatening to go out from under me. Before I could collapse I steeled myself and turned back to Cresselia with determination in my eyes and a tear falling down my cheek. “I already said that Darkrai’s tricks won’t work on me. I’ll finish this fight, and I’ll make Darkrai regret ever screwing with me, and more importantly, Zinnia!”

Cresselia gave me a sad look, blurring out of my sight before I felt her slam into me, her arms wrapping me in a hug. “I am sorry, Dream Warrior…” she muttered. “But Darkrai spoke the truth. The images you see are true. But we can prevent any more damage from occurring, if we move fast.”

“I didn’t dress up as a character called Vash the Stampede, or the Humanoid Typhoon because I like moving slow,” I said with a cocky grin as I petted Cresselia’s hair.

‘It’s a shame she’s a Pokemon because she’s really cute like this,’ I dimly noted in the back of my head.

“Now, I’m kind of hoping your final gift is a Master Ball. I do like the irony in turning Darkrai into a servant considering everything he’s done to Zinnia and her friends,” I told her with a smile.

The Lunar Pokemon smiled, stepping back. “As poetic as that may be, that is not the case,” she said. “This gift is the most powerful of them all, to match the upcoming battle. As such, bestowing it upon you is going to require me being much more…” She paused, blushing a little as she looked away. “Intimate…”

“Uhh… what do you mean by intimate?” I asked with a dark blush of my own.

Cresselia’s blush grew, and she looked away as she crossed her arms almost self-consciously. “I… I am going to require you to disrobe…” she muttered. “You must be wearing only what I have gifted you.”

‘Is… is she serious?’ I thought with a dumb look. I turned back to the monitors again and my stomach lurched. ‘Damn it, I can’t hesitate, time is of the essence.’ I took a deep breath and practically tore all my clothing off, the various pieces of my outfit strewn about the white mindscape.

“There, n-now what do you need me to do?” I asked, staring down at the ground, seeing some of the red marks along my body from where the Shadows had hit me.

Cresselia glanced up and gulped. “I-I…“ she muttered, shaking slightly. “I-I… Um… I am extremely nervous right now…” Taking a deep breath, she turned to face me, face bright red as her dress falling away. “This does not need to finish, but we must be in the most intimate embrace two beings can partake in. Please, Dream Warrior… insert yourself into me.”

‘Goddammit,’ I thought as my blush overtook my face. ‘I’ve gotta do it with a Pokemon to save Zinnia. Couldn’t I have just slayed a demon army or something?’ I took a shaky breath and stepped up to Cresselia and took her in my arms.

“Ok I’ll… I’ll uh just… yeah,” I stuttered as I leaned down, tilting her head up as I pressed my lips to hers. Cresselia locked up as I did, shaking visibly even as she slowly placed her hands on my shoulders. I pulled away slightly and my blush intensified as I placed a hand on her cheek, stroking it softly. “R-relax, it’s not like I’m going to hurt you or anything,” I offered with a nervous chuckle.

Cresselia flinched slightly, closing her eyes. “... I know the pain of this embrace…” she muttered, resting her forehead on my chest. “I have heard of the pleasures, but only experienced pain. Please, just… get it over with…”

“Wait, what are you trying to say?” I asked, confused.

“... I have had to bestow this power before…” the Lunar Pokemon said. “And every time, when my Shards returned to me, all I felt from their experience was the pain of pen-” she stopped, seeming to choke on the word slightly. “P-Penetration.”

        I pulled away from our embrace slightly, and got down to my knees. Then I grabbed Cresselia by the hips and brought her forward. “I know time is of the essence here, but I’m going to make sure that this is as painless as possible for you.” I said as I ducked my head between her legs and licked her slit from the bottom to her clit.

        Cresselia gasped quietly, her hands flying to the back of my head. “O-oh my…” she muttered, her shaking calming slightly. “W-what did you do? Why… why are my nethers becoming wet?”

        “I’m trying to stimulate you,” I answered between licks. “If you’re properly wet and aroused then it won’t hurt nearly as much when I penetrate you,” I finished before pulling her clit into my mouth and swirling my tongue around the little nub of flesh. Cresselia gasped again, doubling over slightly as her hands gripped my hair.

        “O-oh… oh my… th-that is… r-rather nice…” she stammered, her breathing becoming ragged as she began gently pushing me further in. “P-please… do not s-stop…”

        “Well, I have never been one to deny the requests of fair maidens,” I said with a grandiose tone as I looked up at her and wetted two fingers. “And it seems that habit extends to fair maidens that happen to be Pokemon,” I winked as I latched onto her clit again with my mouth, one of my fingers gently pressing at her entrance before going inside.

        Cresselia winced out of habit, slowly calming down when she realised that the intrusion wasn’t hurting her. “H… how?” she muttered, a small moan escaping her lips. “How are you making me feel this way?”

        “A true gentleman finds a way for a lady,” I winked at her, surprising myself with how easy the words came out of my mouth considering how uneasy I still felt about the whole situation. I shrugged the feeling away and continued slowly pushing my finger into her folds, rubbing it along her walls in an attempt to further stimulate her.

        This continued for a time, with Cresselia letting out small moans and whimpers of pleasure, before the Lunar Pokemon stumbled back slightly, kneeling down with me.

        “I think…” she said, flashing me a shy smile. “I think I am ready. For you.”

        “If that is what the lady wishes,” I smiled at her, standing up. “I’ll let you take the lead. I don’t want to hurt you after all.”

        Cresselia nodded, eyeing my member nervously before standing and reaching out. Slowly taking hold of it, she moved closer, stroking me gently as she did before leaning in and kissing me.

        “Thank you, Vash,” she breathed, slowly guiding me to her opening. “Thank you for showing me the pleasurable side.”

        “I just couldn’t stand the thought of hurting a beautiful lady,” I smiled at her. “A simple thing like that doesn’t deserve thanks,” I finished with a stroke of a cheek. “In fact, I should be thanking you for all the help you’ve been giving me throughout this quest.”

        “Maybe,” she giggled, before pressing close to me, her slit resting on my tip. She shuddered a little, closing her eyes. “But… you have done more for me than any other in over ten thousand years. So thank you.” Smiling sweetly, Cresselia looked up at me, placing a quick kiss on my lips. “Now please… take what you have earned.”

        “If that is what the lady wishes,” I repeated, moving my hips as slowly and gently as I could, parting her folds at a snail’s pace. I then wrapped my arms around Cresselia and kissed her deeply in an attempt to get her mind off any possible pain. Cresselia whimpered quietly, wrapping her arms around my neck as she pushed herself down a little faster, freezing when I felt a barrier within her.

        Pulling back, Cresselia looked to me with wide, tearful eyes full of fear. “Please… be gentle…”

        “Of course, I already said I didn’t want to hurt you,” I told her before pulling her back into a kiss, inching myself into her as slowly as I could manage. An idea popped into my head and I flicked my tongue at her mouth, asking permission to enter. The Lunar Pokemon shuddered at the feeling, slowly opening her mouth too and meeting my tongue halfway. I lazily wrestled her tongue with my own as I finally made it past her hymen, going rigid when I did.

        Cresselia froze, holding me tightly for a moment as she let out a whimper of pain. I did everything I could to replace the pain with pleasure, kissing her deeper and running my hands up and down her body. Even circling her clit with a finger a few times. After a moment, the Lunar Pokemon seemed to relax, leaning on me.

        “...Th-this is…” she muttered, shifting and sliding down further with a quiet gasp. “This is m-much better than before…”

        “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” I said with a quick squeeze. “D-do I have to be all the way inside you before the… uh final gift thing can be given?” I asked, my nervousness returning.

        “Y-yes… W-we must be as close a possible.”

        “O-okay then, wanna help me with that then?” I asked with a nervous chuckle that I tried to play off as I squeezed a cheek of her ass. “This sort of thing is better if we work together.” She nodded nervously, rocking her hips slowly as she sank down my length, closing her eyes and moaning quietly. I did my part, slowly pushing inside her, desperate to avoid doing something that would hurt her. I had to bite back a moan myself as I slid further and further inside her velvet walls.

        ‘Damn, I really have to fight back the urge to just go wild. She feels... incredible.’ I thought as I let out a low moan. Cresselia pulled me close, kissing me passionately as she slid down the last few inches, suddenly wrapping her legs around my waist. I moaned into the kiss, reluctantly pulling away.

        “I-I think I’m all the way in now. Are… are you feeling okay?”

        Cresselia said nothing for a moment, resting her head on my shoulder. “...I feel… amazing…”

        “I’m glad I could make you feel that way, even briefly,” I said with a bright smile. “So, is this the part where I get surrounded by a golden light again?”

        The Lunar Pokemon smiled back. “Not quite,” she said, before leaning in and kissing me again, her whole body glowing golden before she melted into light, surrounding my body again.

        I closed my eyes as the light blinded me, opening them moments later to find Cresselia gone. Looking down, I found myself clothed again, this time in a golden duster with blue and pink crescents on the collar and sleeve cuffs, a powder blue shirt with gold buttons, pale gold pants and a pink belt. Golden goggles hung around my neck, the strap blue and the lenses pink.

        “The goggles will enhance your aim further,” Cresselia’s voice said, echoing in my ears. “The clothes are the lightest, strongest armour known to the Dream Realm. And the duster allows you to use your Angel Arm infinitely, with no repercussions to your health or Zinnia’s mind.” She paused and, a second later, reformed before me, fully clothed again and with a blush and a smile on her face. “Good luck, Dream Warrior. I hope to meet you again.” With that, she leaned in, planting a kiss on my cheek before vanishing. 

        I looked over my clothes one more time as I walked towards the dark castle. “Hmm, thoughtful and beautiful… kind of like the one that gave them to me.” I noted, trying not to blush as what Cresselia and I just did together replayed in my head. “Zinnia is going to have a field day when I tell her everything about this trip inside her head.” I chuckled while shaking my head. Eventually, I made it to the front gate of the dark castle and I smirked down at my right arm.

        ‘She did say I could use it infinitely.’ I removed my right gauntlet and concentrated for a moment. My arm shifting and morphing into the grey, and massive cannon that I feared going off in the real world. The Angel Arm was monstrous and almost beautiful at the same time. The back end of the gun looked like multiple wings atop each other. The center was an opening for a glowing yellow sphere that looked like a miniature sun. The front was the strangest of all, several female-looking faces circling it with another wing coming from the side of one of them. And around the barrel was what looked like a golden halo. A strange sound echoed through the mind scape as the Angel Arm charged. I took a deep breath and fired a pure white beam that punched into the castle doors, blowing them off their hinges.

        “My my…” a deep, condescending voice chuckled. I stalked into the castle, seeing Darkrai himself sat on a large black,white and red throne at the end of the room. “Don’t you just love the theatrics, hmm? Let me guess, that stupid Cresselia gave you her virginity, just like all the other ‘Dream Warriors’ she’s managed to recruit over the past ten thousand years.”

        “Look, can we not go over what Cresselia and I just did?” I asked with a sigh. “I am still in the middle of burying some confusing feelings deep into my subconscious where I’ll never be able to find them again. Right now, I just want to get you out of my friend’s head,” I finished, pointing my right arm at Darkrai in a threatening manner. “So, are you going to leave quietly, or is papa Vash going to have to give you a spanking?”

        “I’m afraid I don’t swing that way, boy,” he chuckled, standing up. I blinked as he began to grow, a black scythe with a red crossbar, white blade and single glowing blue gemstone in the head appeared in his hand. “And I’m afraid it’s going to take more than pointing at me to get me to release your friend.”

        “Oh, this arm can do a lot more than point,” I said with a cocky grin as I formed the Angel Arm again. The strange noise rang out through the room again and I fired the beam right into Darkrai’s face.

        ‘Vash used Hyper Beam,’ I snarked in my head. ‘Hyper Beam was super effective.’

        I smirked, watching as the dust cloud the shot had kicked up cleared before blinking. I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

        “Is there a problem?” Darkrai asked nonchalantly, a small, glowing green disc hovering in front of his face. “What? Did you not expect me to Protect myself?”

        ‘Well shit, this isn’t going to be a fun experience,’ I thought with a grimace as I put the goggles Cresselia gave me on. ‘Probably should’ve convinced Cresselia to let me finish.’

        “Oh, I saw that coming,” I lied, pulling out my revolver and shrugging. “I was just letting you know what to expect from this fight. By the end of this, one of those is going right up your ass.”

        “I thought I had already said I don’t  swing that way,” the Pitch Black Pokemon sighed, stepping forward and twirling his scythe in one hand. “And I see you haven’t listened. You’re still not thinking. What’s to stop me having Zinnia kill one of your little girlfriends as we fight? Or even herself? I could literally ensure my success either way.”

        “Well, for the latter it’s rather obvious,” I laughed. “If Zinnia dies, you do too. You’re not the real Darkrai. You’re just a piece of him left behind to corrupt her. Face it, you’re scared of death,” I said, getting into a fighting stance.

        “Why would I fear He who I will soon command?” Darkrai shot back, a Dark Pulse forming in his hand “I am already the Master of Darkness. I command Satan, and I corrupted Loyalty and Kindness. The Moon Herself kneels before me, and it will not be long before her Sister joins her.”

        “Maybe if you were the real Darkrai, but you’re not. You’re barely a piece of him. Like I said before, hell even you said you were an illusion, you’re the shadow of a shadow. Nothing more,” I taunted a sweet smile on my face.

        ‘Vash, why are we taunting the giant Pokemon?’ I... or a piece of me asked. ‘Because if I get him angry he might get sloppy?’ I offered. ‘Or he’ll just kill us faster… Yeah, haven’t really thought this out too well.’

        “How is that conversation with yourself entertaining you?” Darkrai asked, arching a brow. He held a hand out behind him, a dark purple portal opening behind him. “In the time it took you to have that, I decided to call some reinforcements.”

        I gulped at that, watching the portal as a tall figure stepped out, dressed head to toe in black plate armour, the plates each ending with jagged red trimming. A horn extended from her head, and a long, almost gaseous mane flowed back from her head, almost seeming to hold the night sky within…

        “Wh-who is this?” I asked, stumbling back, not wanting to believe my eyes.

        “You called for me?” the new figure asked, completely ignoring me. “You of all people should know that the Dark Lord is not one to take me from.”

        “Now now, Nightmare,” Darkrai chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m sure I can deal without you while I borrow you for a while. I am merely having some… pest troubles.”

        ‘No, she can’t be real,’ I thought with wide eyes as my revolver clattered to the floor. ‘This is just Darkrai trying to get inside my head. It has to be!’

        ‘Nightmare’ turned to me, sneering. “Is this the pest then?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “He looks pathetic. Can’t even hold on to his weapon.”

        I trembled as I continued to look at Nightmare Moon, from her black fur, her cyan cat-like eyes, her dark armor, and her pointed teeth.

        ‘She’s not real,’ I repeated to myself slowly lifting my trembling right arm. ‘This is just an illusion created by Darkrai. Luna’s back home at the castle, waiting for me to come back safe. This… thing can’t be her!’ I screamed in my head as I clenched my eyes shut and tried to create the Angel Arm again.

        “Hmm, he seems like he recognises me,” the mare sneered, turning to me. “I take it he’s seen the me from his world then?”

        “Not quite,” Darkrai chuckled again. “He is from before your first Nightmare.”

        “Oh? You’re in my past?” Nightmare asked, surprise in her voice. “Huh. How am I, then? Am I as ample here as I was in my own past, or did Tia take that away early?” she spat, suddenly glaring angrily.

        ‘Damn it, why does she sound so much like her?!’ I screamed in my head as I clenched my eyes tighter. ‘Come on, she’s just an illusion, you can’t let this beat you!’ I snuck one more glance at her and fell to my knees, my right arm falling to my side.

        “I… I can’t kill you,” I said, barely above a whisper. “Even if you are an illusion. I just can’t bring myself to do it, Luna.” I finished, tears falling to the floor in steady drips.

        “Illusion?” Nightmare echoed, before bursting out into cruel laughter. “You think I’m an illusion!? Haha!!”

        “She is no mere illusion, boy,” Darkrai sneered. “She is perfection. She was the first to take my gift, the first to fight in my name, and the first to fall in my return. Nightmare Moon is my QUEEN.”

        “Just wait,” Nightmare spat, smirking. “Wait until your pathetic little Luna turns. If you can’t stop her, then the world will fall - I know mine would have. I was without true purpose on my first turning, and would have frozen the planet had I not been stopped.”

        “Yes, a mistake on my part, I must admit,” Darkrai nodded. “I had not counted on your young mind affecting your true form so much, and was not prepared for you to dive straight for the final goal.”

        “What did you just say?” I asked, my tears stopping and my eye twitching slightly. “Did you just say that that is Luna’s true form?!” I roared, grabbing my revolver. “This is nowhere close to who she really is!”

        “That,” Nightmare growled, phasing into a cloud of smoke before charging at me. I fired into the cloud, but she just opened holes that my shots passed right through before surrounding me, knocking the gun from my hands and reforming as she pulled me into an armlock. “Is a matter of opinion.”

        “Yeah, and mine is the right one,” I said as I pulled out my sidearm and fired both shots at her horn. Nightmare staggered back, crying out in pain, and seconds later the giant Darkrai charged at me, firing his Dark Pulse and holding the stream as he closed in. I hit the ground to avoid Darkrai’s Dark Pulse, reaching out and retrieving my revolver before letting loose on the charging Pokemon.

        “Gah!” Darkrai cried, skidding to a halt and blocking the shots with his scythe. “Coward!”

        “Coming from a rapist and manipulator that means nothing!” I shouted at him, stomping on the ground to create a spire of rock to send at him. Darkrai slashed through, quickly firing another Dark Pulse before diving into a Dark Void portal.

        I dodged the Dark Pulse, whipping my head in a vain attempt to try and find him. ‘If I were Darkrai, where would I attack from?’ A lightbulb went off in my head and I pointed my gun directly beneath me and fired.

        “Nice try!” Nightmare cried, tackling me from behind. As I fell, she turned to mist again, flying straight up as another Dark Void opened directly above me, Darkrai surging out and a giant, glowing mouth tearing open in his head.

        “Dream Eater!!” he screeched, moving to chomp down on me.

        I whipped my arm out and turned it into the Angel Arm. “Eat this!” I shouted as I fired the Arm at him. A green barrier appeared in front of the Pokemon seconds before the attack hit, Darkrai halting in the air and waiting me out.

        ‘What!?’ I shrieked in my head as I watched as my attack harmlessly bounced off the barrier. ‘How was he able to use Protect while in the middle of an attack?!’ Once the Arm was done firing I scrambled to my feet and started to run, Darkrai hot on my heels.

        “Surprise, motherfucker!” Nightmare laughed, materialising and sticking her leg out, tripping me. I reached out with my flailing arms, grabbing Nightmare and pulling her down with me in a pile of tangled limbs.

        “Gah!” I cried out as I fell.

        “Let go of me, you disgusting prick!” Nightmare growled, kicking me viciously. “Or I’ll cut your dick off and feed it to you!!”

        “Would you be surprised to hear that my Luna has threatened my junk before?” I laughed, grabbing her horn in an attempt to keep her from using her magic. Figuring that Darkrai wouldn’t eat me if I had his “Queen” hostage.

        “Unhand me!” she screeched, rearing back and punching me in the face.

        “Not gonna happen,” I said woozily. “This is what you get for tripping me, and threatening my dick. I’m still not done with the thing yet.”

        A blade slammed down inches from my head, and Darkrai appeared over me. “Let her go,” he said simply. “Also, your physical body is female. Shut up.”

        “Or what? You’ll do what you were already going to and kill me?” I asked as I stood up, my hand still firmly on Nightmare’s horn.

        “Not,” he growled. “Worse. I’ll Nightmare you, then let you loose on your loved ones. You will be responsible for the fall of your world, and the deaths of your women.”

        “Huh, that is a pretty terrifying threat,” I said simply as I shoved Nightmare over to Darkrai by her horn. The mare cried out in pain, stumbling through him and curling up on the floor, clutching the base of her horn tenderly.

        ‘And now I feel like a dick.’ I thought with a slight wince. ‘But right now the lives of Zinnia and the girls are more important than her feelings.’

        “Hmm, so you can be rather ruthless when the moment calls for it,” Darkrai chuckled, charging a Dark Pulse right in my face. “A shame I’m being told to kill you. Another world is not useful until ours in conquered, and you are in the way.”

        “Gah!” I cried as I stomped a wall of rock to block the Dark Pulse from hitting me. “Come on, can’t we at least try to be friends?” I offered with a weak chuckle. “I think we might’ve just gotten off on the wrong foot.”

        “Yes, quite,” the Pitch Black Pokemon agreed, stepping through a Dark Void he opened in the wall. “You tried to stop me. I’d say that is most definitely the wrong foot.”

        “Yeah, see,” I chuckled. “Maybe we should just bury the hatchet?”

        “Is your name Hatchet?” Nightmare suddenly chimed, pushing herself to her feet.

        “Uhh, no, my name is Vash.”

        “Well then I’m afraid there will be hatchet burying,” Darkrai chuckled. “One of us is dying today. Nightmare, you are dismissed.”

        “Yes, my Lord,” the mare said, bowing and stepping through a Dark Void that opened beside her.

        “Why did you send her away?” I asked, blinking in confusion. “She gave you the advantage over me.”

        “Because I realised that you are truly pathetic,” Darkrai spat. “You cannot defeat me, not alone. And you have no way to call for help.”

        “Does he not, brother?”

        “Cresselia?” I asked, looking around the room.

        “Ah, wonderful,” Darkrai grumbled, straightening out. “How are you, sister dearest? Still lowering yourself to helping mortals?”

        “Enough of your hatred, Darkrai,” Cresselia spat, materialising with a swirl of golden light in her humanoid form, a golden-headed cane in her grip, the wood painted a swirl of pinks and blues. “You do not belong in this girl’s mind, let alone this world. Leave now, or be destroyed.”

        ‘Uhh, I suddenly feel a lot less important,’ I thought, blinking a bit.

        “Cresselia, what are you doing here?” I asked, bewildered by her sudden appearance.

        She turned and smiled at me, pulling on the head of her cane, which slid back, revealing a long, thin blade. “Assisting you, as I have been this whole time,” she said, walking up to my side. “I just got tired of sitting on the sidelines.”

        “Was part of it the dramatic timing?” I asked with a weak chuckle. “Because I can totally understand doing that.”

        “Forgive me,” the Lunar Pokemon replied, looking away. “I had to gather my strength. Darkrai’s influence weakens me even now.”

        “And I will destroy you because of it!” Darkrai roared, charging forward and swinging his scythe. Cresselia pushed me back, countering with the wood of her cane before striking with the blade, pushing Darkrai back.

        “I still have my Light, brother!” she cried, pressing forward. “And we both know that you cannot defeat me while I hold that!”

        I snuck around the two fighting Pokemon. Dodging the backlash of their attacks as I put myself behind Darkrai. While the two were distracted, I formed the Angel Arm and aimed it at the Pitch Black Pokemon. I charged the Arm with as much power as I could get into it, for some reason all of the items Cresselia gave me started glowing with an intense golden light. Before the thing could fire I shouted, “Cresselia! Get out of the way!”

        The Lunar Pokemon looked up, eyes widening at the sight before she dived out of the way. ”Fire at will, my love!”

        ‘Wait, what did she just say?’ I thought as an intense golden beam shot out of my arm, hitting Darkrai right in the back of his head. For some reason, this shot seemed to be pushing me back, sending me flying down the entryway of the castle.

        “Ahh!” I screamed as I kept flying, feeling my back hit something and drifted off to unconsciousness.

Lingering Guilt

I slowly felt myself wake up, my entire body feeling like it was coated in a layer of lead and my head pounding with an awful headache. I let out a long groan as my mind started working again. One thought in particular shot through me and I bolted up from where I was on wobbly feet.

        “Morning! Zinnia! Are you okay?!” I asked, whipping my head around the room. The girls were nowhere to be seen, making me panic a bit. Bolting up, I sprinted down the halls, desperately searching for them, barely registering that none of the guards were at their normal posts.

        Quiet sobbing reached my ears as I neared the throne room again. I narrowed my eyes and ran even faster, crashing through the doors of the throne room and stumbling my way inside.

        “Morning?! Zinnia?! Please tell me you’re in here!” I boomed, taking a moment to catch my breath.

        ‘Damn, that dream must’ve taken a lot out of me. I shouldn’t feel so tired from that short of a run,’ I noted as I collected myself. Looking around frantically, I saw Zinnia stood there, still as a statue, with Morning on the ground before her. Celestia and Luna stood off to the side, shock and fear in their eyes as guards surrounded Zinnia, holding her at weapon-point.

        I frowned and pointed my left arm at the surrounding guards, silently thanking Hodge as the hidden gunbarrel within it was revealed.

        “Guards, put those weapons down or I’m shooting them out of your hands,” I said with as much authority as a naked woman could.

        “We cannot do that,” one guard said, not looking away from Zinnia. “She has attacked our captain and threatened the lives of the princesses.”

        “And if you would put those weapons down, I’ll tell you exactly why it wasn’t her fault that she did that.”

        “No,” Zinnia whispered as the guards shared a look, slowly backing away. “No, Vash… They’re right. I’m a danger…” She paused, sniffling slightly. “I-I should’ve just gone home the first night…”

        I looked her right in the eye, smiled and said, “Zoey, can’t you just shut up and listen to a little story from your ‘Guardian Angel’?”

        She went rigid at that before a small, almost reluctant giggle escaped her lips. “Huh… I coulda swore I’d made him up…”

        “Vash, what are you trying to say?” Luna asked, tilting her head in confusion.

        “Zinnia going out of control wasn’t her, or even the dragon in her’s fault. It was Darkrai’s. He left a piece of him inside her during one of their meetings back on Zinnia’s world,” I explained, giving Zinnia a sad look. “But, that shadow gunk that surrounded me allowed me to enter her mind and purge that piece of Darkrai from her mind… with a little help from Cresselia.”

        “Huh,” the Draconid muttered, hugging her arms self-consciously. “S-so Darkrai was in my head? A-and I didn’t even know?”

        “Apparently, but he’s gone now. The fact that you and I are able to talk to each other like this is proof of that,” I told her with a bright smile.

        “What are you talking about?” Celestia asked. “Who are Darkrai and Cresselia?”

        “They’re two Pokemon from Zinnia’s world,” I answered. “Think of them as two sides of the same coin. Darkrai representing nightmares and darkness, and Cresselia representing good dreams and light. That sound about right, Zinnia?”

        “Y-yeah,” Zinnia nodded, shivering slightly. “They’re siblings, though I guess all the Legendaries are related. Though their official titles are ‘Harbinger of the New Moon’ for Darkrai and ‘Paragon of the Full Moon’ for Cresselia.”

        “Well to me, Darkrai is the Harbinger of the Assholes,” I laughed. Zinnia managed a small chuckle before looking to Morning, tears building in her eyes again.

        “I…” she breathed, dropping to her knees. “I remember everything… the rage, the… the need to kill…” She paused, holding her hands in front of her and whimpering slightly. “I-I hurt her… I…” Sniffling quietly, she slumped over, her shoulder shaking with her sobs.

        I walked over to her, going down to one knee and taking both of her hands in my own. “Zinnia, that wasn’t you, that wasn’t even the dragon in you. You didn’t hurt Morning, and once she hears what really happened I know that she’ll understand. You can’t beat yourself up over this. If there’s anyone that you should be beating up over this, it’s Darkrai. And when you do, call me, I’d love to kick his ass again,” I added a quick laugh at the end of that, smiling as brightly as I could. Zinnia managed a small smile too, for all of a second, before she glanced at her hands and winced again.

        “Vash…” she mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear. “I… I have blood on my hands…” Taking her hands back, she turned the left one over, the side of it streaked with blood. “Literally. I… I can’t be here if there’s even the slightest risk that Darkrai is still in my head…”

        “Zinnia, before I went inside your mind you said you trusted me. So trust me when I say that Cresselia and I kicked the everloving shit out of Darkrai and he is gone from your head. Forever.” I finished, emphasizing and drawing out that last point. “In fact, I’ll tell you exactly how I did it, but not here. We might wanna go somewhere private considering some of the details of my story.”

        “We’re interested in your story too, Vash,” Luna chimed, walking up to our side and placing a comforting hand on Zinnia’s hand, giving the Draconid a soft smile. Celestia joined her not long after, resigning herself to just smiling. I flinched a bit at seeing Luna, Nightmare’s face appearing before her own for a brief moment. I shook off the sight as quickly as it appeared.

        “Well, my complete story involves personal details of Zinnia’s life, so it’s up to her if she wants you to hear anything like that. Whaddya say?” I asked

        “I don’t mind,” Zinnia shrugged. “I… kind of owe them something after all this. And don’t say I don’t, because I feel like I do.”

        “Yeah, and I feel like there should be dangly bits between my legs, doesn’t mean they’re there,” I joked, sticking my tongue out at her and winking. “But, if you’re okay with sharing things with them then that’s up to you.” I stood up and offered her my left hand (without the gun being out) to help her up. “Now, let’s go find a comfy place to talk. And maybe we should grab a few snacks. This is going to be a long and entertaining story. And there’s one bit that I know you’re going to like.”

        Zinnia giggled, taking my hand and standing slowly. We turned to leave, Celestia ordering the guards to take Morning to the nurse to make sure she was okay and to stitch up any cuts, the mention of which made Zinnia wince. Just as the guards left and we reached the doors leading towards our bedroom, the main doors were flown open, Patty charging in, seeming to be in a frenzy of panic.

        “What the fuck happened?!” she cried, bare naked with twin scythes drawn. “Where is everyone!? WHO HURT MY BABY GIRL!?!?!”

        “Oh, hi Patty,” I said in an impression of a certain frenchman. “And the answer to your question is Darkrai, but I already took care of him. You can go back to having insane sex with Hodge now, or you can come and listen to the awesome story of how I saved the day. Spoiler alert, lasers will be involved.”

        The Displacer blinked slowly, seeming to come to her senses before she blushed brightly. “We, uh… We just ended up playing strip Twister. But yeah, let’s go.” She turned to follow us, dismissing her weapons and snapping her fingers, thin but covering clothes appearing on all of us.

        “Aww, I kind of liked walking around the castle naked,” I whined playfully. “I was starting to feel really sexy in this body.”

        “Fine,” Patty shrugged, snapping her fingers again and making my clothes disappear. “Not like I’m gonna pass up the view.”

        “I must say, it is a very nice one,” Luna giggled.

        “I concur,” Celestia nodded, staying behind me and her eyes locked on a certain part of my anatomy.

        “Good to know I can get a good reaction from you two no matter what gender I am,” I laughed as I entered the bedroom and took a seat in a chair in the corner of the room. “Now, who wants to hear the story of the great and noble hero Vash the Stampede… not to mention handsome, and how he defeated the douchebag Darkrai?” I asked in the voice of a stereotypical storyteller.

        “Oh, just shut up and tell us,” Zinnia giggled, taking a seat next to me and leaning on my shoulder. “Hope you don’t mind. I just… I need to be held right now.”

        “Not at all,” I enthused, wrapping my right arm around her. “I’m yours for the night, remember? And I don’t skip out on my promises.” I then cleared my throat and retold the story of what happened in Zinnia’s mind. From my initial meeting of Darkrai, to the fights with all of the corrupted memories, finishing off with the final defeat of Darkrai. I briefly considered leaving out what Cresselia and I did together, but I figured that Zinnia could use a bit of levity. What I did leave out though was the arrival of Nightmare Moon, I… I don’t know exactly why I did that, but I just didn’t feel comfortable talking about her. I finished my story with, “... and then all the stuff Cresselia gave me started to glow, and my Angel Arm fired a golden beam right in the back of Darkrai’s head. And that children, is the story of how Vash saved Christmas, and Zinnia. The end.”

        Silence reigned for all of five minutes before Celestia piped up. “What’s Christmas?”

        “Hearth’s Warming, hun,” Patty explained, chuckling to herself. “With a few changes here and there. I’m sure Vash can explain it another day.” She then sighed, leaning back on her hands and frowning. “I just… I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that.”

        “Me neither…” Zinnia mumbled before she sat up, frowning playfully. “Hang on a second. You fucked a Legendary Pokemon in my head? I don’t know whether to feel violated or jealous.”

        “Yes Vash, do explain to us again why it was absolutely crucial for you to sleep with that whore… I mean, Cresselia?” Luna asked in a threatening tone, her horn glowing with her magical aura.

        I gulped nervously and replied, “Well, like I said before, she said it was so I could get the power necessary to defeat Darkrai. And that’s the truth. Oh, and Zinnia, get this. Apparently she’s a ten-thousand-year-old virgin. Crazy, right?”

        “Actually, I can believe that,” the Draconid said with a shrug. “From what you said, she was terrified of sex, probably because any ‘Dream Warriors’ she had to give that final gift to abused her trust of them.”

        “I guess,” I frowned. “But I can’t see how anyone could do that to her and feel right. Even if she is a Pokemon, she still has feelings. So, other than questions about human holidays, does anyone else want something cleared up?” I asked, my frown turning upside down.

        “Yeah,” Patty said, sitting up. “You said you think you heard Cresselia say something as you were blasted out, right? What was it?”

        I scrunched my face up and tried to recall what she said. “Yeah, I think she said, “Fire at will,” and there was something after that but I couldn’t make it out between the sound of her fight with Darkrai and the noise that the Angel Arm makes when it charges. She probably just called me Dream Warrior again,” I shrugged.

        All the girls shared a quick, concerned glance before turning back to me. “Vash…” Luna said. “Do you… do you know how it makes a girl feel when they’re scared of something hurting, and a man shows her how good it can be?”

        “Uhhh…” I drawled, not sure how to respond as I gaped like a fish. “No?” I finally admitted weakly.

        “I think she may slightly like you, dude,” Zinnia provided. “Like, like like you.”

        “What?!” I shrieked, a dark blush on my face. “Th-that’s… I mean she… and I… she’s a… and I’m… I… uh… there’s just no way she could like me that way,” I managed to get out with a nervous chuckle while I rubbed the back of my neck.

        “Are you sure?” Patty asked. “Because I could bring her here. We could just ask her.”

        “Vash, you’re an idiot,” Luna deadpanned.

        “Thicker than the castle walls,” Celestia commented as she shook her head and dragged a hand down her face.

        “Uhh…” I drawled again, not quite capable of processing what Patty just said.

        Zinnia sighed, nudging me in the arm. “Let’s just leave it for now,” she said. “I’m tired and feeling guilty, so I need snuggle sleeps. Who’s with me?”

        “I’m in, and Patty,” I said turning to her. “You might wanna hold off on changing me back to a man. Zinnia still hasn’t had a proper turn with Valerie the Stampede,” I winked at her. “And neither have you for that matter. With the way you’ve been eyeing and groping me, it’d be rude to have you change me back without at least a little taste.”

        “Oh, would you fucking drop that!” Zinnia shouted, rounding on me angrily. “I don’t care anymore, don’t you get it!? I’ve said it how many times now that you’ve done more than enough!” She paused, breathing heavily with tears in her eyes before huffing and storming out.

        “You really are terrible with women’s feelings, aren’t you?” Patty sighed, following her out. “Don’t follow. Trust me, you’re not needed this time.”

        “Zinnia wait!” I cried, darting after her and Patty. I caught up to them fairly quickly and put a hand on Zinnia’s shoulder and spun her around. “Look, I’m an idiot. I’m fully aware of that. I know more about the conductivity of metals and how to make a jury rigged tesla coil than I do being tactful. I just… I was trying in my own stupid way to make you feel better. I’m sorry.”

        Zinnia was quiet for a moment, Patty stood to the side (I swear I saw a brief flash of metal in her hand). After staring at me for a time, Zinnia just sighed, shaking her head.

        “It’s okay Vash, I just…” she said, sighing again as she stepped back, turning and walking away. “I need some distance for now.”

        “Yeah, take all the time you need,” I said weakly. “I’m just… gonna go now. Patty,” I started turning my head to her but not looking her in the eye. “Can I have those clothes back? I plan on hitting the forge. Need to clear my head.” The Displacer said nothing, turning as she snapped her fingers and walking away. My normal clothes appeared on me, complete with my regular body. “Thanks,” I mumbled, sighing as I walked down the halls.

I slowly made it down to the forge, putting on my leather apron and looked over my work area. I sorted through various things from the scales I got from Zinnia to the plans I drew up for the changeling village, even the notes I had on magic theory. I grumbled something unintelligible and just threw all of that on some table and picked up a random piece of metal and lit the forge. Various thoughts ran through my head as I worked. From what I said to Zinnia, to the possibility of a Legendary Pokemon having feelings for me. Most of what dominated my thoughts was Nightmare Moon. I had been terrified of her. Not because she was strong or anything like that. But because of what she represented. She could easily appear and take over my Luna if I wasn’t careful. And with the way I handled Zinnia, I wasn’t confident that I could prevent her arrival. I don’t know how long I was working or thinking, but when I actually thought to look down I just saw a malformed piece of metal with no possible function. I cursed for a few minutes before putting the lump into the smelter to start the process all over again.

“Vash.”

I jumped, spinning around to see Patty stood in the darkness of a corner, arms crossed and armour back on, though this set covered her a bit more. “What is it?” I asked softly, turning back to my mindless hammering.

She was quiet for a time, just watching me, before speaking up. “I know you mean well,” she said simply. “But sometimes you need to pull back a bit. See if your jokes will be appreciated first.”

        “I figured out that much between the first and second time I started on this piece of metal,” I said, still hammering away.

        “...I know how you can make it up to her.”

        “How? I don’t care what it is, I’ll do it.” I said, finally putting the hammer down and turning to face her.

        “Well first of all,” the Displacer said, walking into the light of the fire. “I’m taking her home in the morning. And I know it won’t be ready by then.” She held up her hand before I could protest, giving me a sad look. “She asked me to. Trust me, it’s for the best right now.”

        I trembled for a bit before turning and picking up the hammer and banging away angrily on the metal. “God I’m an idiot!” I roared, pounding the metal into oblivion. “Why can’t I ever learn to just shut my fucking mouth!? If I can’t even keep my friend happy, how am I ever going to keep Luna from…” I stopped, clamming up as I started to sob silently, tears flowing down my face in steady streams.

        “One step at a time,” Patty said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We’re all idiots, Vash. There isn’t a being in existence that doesn’t make mistakes, not even gods.” She paused, wiping some of my tears away. “All you can do for Luna is be there. Don’t let her be alone when she needs a shoulder to cry on. You’ve already changed the timeline for the better.”

        “I just… this isn’t easy for me. Wires, machines, that stuff came easy to me. All this, living up to the character I’ve become. Having an entire world depend on choices I make. It’s so much, and I don’t think I’m up to it,” I admitted, still trembling.

        “It’s never easy,” the Displacer said, smiling sadly. “You get better at it, sure, but there are always times when it’s hard. It just so happens they get less often as you get better.” She paused, looking away for a second before closing her eyes. “...I know how you feel. About the world depending on you, I mean. My homeworld… I failed it.”

        “I’m sorry to hear that,” I sighed before letting out a weak chuckle. “Quite the pair of idiots we make right now, huh?”

        “Heh, yeah, I guess we do,” Patty chuckled. “That’s why I only displace people to help them. Because I’ve already failed an entire planet. This… this is how I’m making up for it.” She paused, shaking her head. “But enough about that. I was telling you about how to make up to Zinnia.”

        “Please, I really want to see her smile again. I’d rather take on Darkrai again than make her feel bad.”

        “It’s not you,” Patty sighed. “Not entirely. She still blames herself for what happened. She… she thought you were dead, Vash.” She paused again, sighing once more as she leaned on my desk. “...You know the claws from the Predator movies?”

        “Yeah?” I asked, not sure where this was going.

        “Make her a set if you can,” she continued. “Left handed. Four inch long blades. Trust me on this.”

        “I can totally do that,” I said, smiling softly for the first time in… however long I was down in the forge. “Now, if I could get some help from an admitted time traveler so I can get this done in time,” I said, nudging her playfully.

        Patty chuckled, shaking her head. “Sorry Vash, but some things I can’t mess with. There’s a certain point in her timeline you have to give her those, no sooner than that. You’ll know when.”

        “Ugh…” I groaned slumping over. “Throw me a bone here, Patty. Please, I can’t stand how much I’ve fucked this up. If I can’t give her the claws now. Isn’t there something, anything I can do that can help her even a little before she leaves?” I pleaded, desperation bleeding out of each word.

        “I’m sorry,” she sighed, shaking her head. “That’s it. Nothing else you could do would be ready in time, even if you refused to sleep. The most I can do is give you something to make the claws out of.”

        “No.” I said simply, balling my fists.

        “No?” Patty echoed. “Vash, it’s the Rules of Time. There are fixed points that have to happen!”

        “Fuck your rules of time!” I growled, picking up my hammer again. “I did not go through what I did with Darkrai to start failing now! I’m going to make those claws, I’m going to finish them. And not even Physics is going to stop me!” I thundered, rushing over to my materials and grabbing the World Serpent scale that Jason gave me. “Now, do you wanna help me with this? Or am I going to bend the Space-Time continuum over the table by myself?!” I asked her, a manic grin on my face.

        Patty gave me a sad look before sighing. “I’m sorry Vash…” she muttered. “I hope you can forgive me for this.” With that, she clicked her fingers, and suddenly I felt my eyes getting really heavy.

        “D-don’t do this Patty,” I said, trying to fight off the spell. “Please,” I pleaded again.

        She just shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry. But I have to protect the fabric of time.”

        “At least… At least tell her… I’m sorry,” I muttered, collapsing to the floor in a heap.

        Patty knelt down, and in my last minutes of consciousness, I felt her lift me onto her shoulder. “I promise…”

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Delta Guardian

Mature Rated Fiction

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