Celestia, popcorn and assorted candies in her magical grasp, gave the gelding a curt nod after being shown her seat. He hurried off back to the admissions counter. Free labor, was probably fed the expired junk food to keep costs down. Probably even slept in the theater as well. He was also a lanky stunted thing that she would never even consider purchasing for her palace.

Sitting down, she took a quick look about. The voluminous theater housed hundreds of ponies, mostly nobility, though the main cast of the film were there as well. To her irritation... and lamentation, her nephew, Blueblood sat beside her. Oh, how she had requested on several occasions he be gelded. But his parents were adamant. Him being their only son. Not for lack of trying.

The colt had been lucky his mother had birthed twelve sisters before giving up. As any alternative to him would have resulted in his eternal servitude at the hooftips of his Auntie. Of course, being her nephew, she would have allowed him to remain a simple gelding, rather than a full eunuch. There was some compassion in her heart for family.

"Aunt, Celestia," the stallion said with a big shit-eating grin. "I didn't know you were a fan of this series."

She managed to return a convincing smile. "Er, of course. Fallout Equestria is only as big a trend as it is because I endorsed it."

Blueblood nodded. "So true. The common pony can't help but just imitate such an incredible mare such as yourself."

Stupid ass kisser, Celestia thought, but she kept her manner civil. He was family, and they were out in public. "Yes. I am somewhat of an inspiration, aren't I?"

"Naturally," the prince said, then he wrapped a hoof about a mare that was on his other side. "Oh, by the way, this is Opal Inset, my date this evening."

"Only this evening?" Celestia asked. She didn't know who to feel more sorry for, the stallion who couldn't seem to hold onto a mare for than a few hours, or the mare who had agreed to be his date in the first place. He was probably just as good as a gelding, never even mounted a mare in his life.

"Well, he was just so... insistent," the mare grinned in a most unconvincing manner. Celestia knew who to feel sorry for now.

Celestia glanced at her watch, which more or less just appeared out of thin air. "There's still forty minutes before the movie starts. don't know why I got here so early."

"That long?" Blueblood asked, ears perking up. "He checked his own golden pocketwatch. "I say. The invite told us to come rather early. Perhaps it was just an oversight on their part. Well, I'm gonna take this opportunity to... freshen up. Excuse me ladies."

He waggled his eyes his date in a way that would have made a sociopathic rapist lose his libido, before squeezing past his aunt. He followed behind a mare in a tight black dress to the the exit door.

Celestia waited until he had exited the room before turning to the mare. "Save yourself, child. By all means. Get the hell out before he comes back."

The mare took a moment to process what she had been told before giggling and doing just that. Celestia nodded. She would hate to see what kind of foals came from any union with that colt.

"I'll just keep these warm," she said to herself as she made her refreshments vanish. Except the peanut butter cups. Those were too good to be parted from for even an instant. She also kept her eyes locked on a certain group of ponies near the front row.

A blue stallion, and a pink mare. She kept her eyes on them. Surely they weren't here just for the premier. She was not letting them out of her sight.

Blue blood ignored the sign of NO COLTS ALLOWED on the mare's bathroom, having followed that mare's tail all the way. No one would question why his auntie's favorite nephew entered the mare's bathroom after all.

The mare whirled around to face the prince. "Alright, make it quick."

Blueblood nodded as he magically locked the door, sealing them from the outside world. "Alright, Dez. You have a thirty-five mintues before the movie starts. Celestia would be suspicious if I missed the opening scene of the movie."

Dez nodded as she reached into a stall and pulled out a big black bag. "Playing the rich playboy gives you a reputation, Blueblood."

The stallion nodded. "I just hope Celestia convinced that mare to leave after I left. For a while I was actually afraid she was expecting to be laid by a prince."

"Ooh, Applejack wouldn't've been happy about that," Dez teased him as she removed her dress and began pulling equipment from the bag.

The stallion nodded as he watched her with some satisfaction.

"Though his wanderin' eye does git mighty annoyin'," came a voice to the side.

Blue blood glanced over to see the mare in question step out from one of the stalls where a plumbing uniform. She smirked at him and shook her head like he was a little colt with his hoof caught in the cookie jar.

"As if you're upset with me just looking," the prince chuckled. The orange mare rolled her eyes and came to give him a passionate kiss on the lips.

"Oh, it's been too long," she said, breaking away. "How is the grand-prince of Equestria, by the way?"

"Oh, you know," Blueblood shrugged, "bored, tired of driving away every pretty mare who thinks she can claim me. I must say... Rarity was the hardest."

Applejack shrugged. "Well. I wouldn't have been too miffed. She's a good friend. Though, just so you know... I'm the head mare of your herd. Got that, mister?"

Blueblood nodded as he pulled her into a hug and laid his chin upon her head. "So... hows my common mare doing?"

Applejack blushed at the nickname. "Common". From any pony else it was have been annoying. But from Blueblood it made her feel exotic. Weird how love worked. "Oh, lonely. Not exactly much to do anymore since we were forced to leave the farm before the bomb went off."

"Well, we do have some time now," Blueblood smiled suggestively.

"Not just yet, you two," Dez said, drawing their attention. She was now wearing a black sneaky-suit with nylon saddle bags and a pair of tranquilizer pistols at her side. "The portal, Blueblood, please."

The stallion nodded, begrudgingly releasing his mare and lighting up his horn. "I'll keep it open until you return. Do not forget where it is."

Dez nodded. "Got it. I will return in a half hour, or find an alternate escape."

A black circle appeared on the floor. "This portal works like a blackout curtain. No light or sound can pass through. It'll dark on the other side to camouflage it. It'll be next to impossible to see. You have to remember."

Dez nodded again. "Got it."

Without further ceremony, she dove into the black hole and was gone.

Applejack looked at the hole for a moment. Then she looked back at Blueblood. "So... can you keep that up while we... you know..."

Blueblood's face flushed. "Now? I thought you wanted to wait until it was official between us. And... here of all places?"

Applejack nodded as she slowly began removing the plumbing uniform. It wouldn't have done for either of Speedy's well dressed mares to be seen entering the theater with a mysterious black bag. A podunk mare was much less conspicuous. "Well... seein' as things'r gettin' mighty dangerous nowadays... This might be a rare chance."

"What would Granny Smith say?" Blueblood asked, he was actually a very proper stallion. To take a mare before the wedding night? How... exciting.

"Here, read this," Applejack said, holding up a card.

He obeyed. "I do?"

"You may now kiss the bride," Applejack cried, leaping forward and kissing him again.

"W-what?" the prince asked, bewildered at what had just happen.

Applejack grinned as she slid a hoof down to caress his testicles in a loving fashion. "Well... I pleaded my case to Granny Smith... and she agreed that we should get together and make her some great grandfoals real quick. On the condition there be an official wedding. So... well... I got ordained as a minister said all the lines and whatnot, and all that remained was you saying 'I do'. Though she wants us to have another proper wedding in the future."

"Ah, but you didn't declare us stallion and wife," Blueblood informed her. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"By the power invested in me by the Crystal Empress, I now declare us stallion and wife, you may rut your bride silly. Now, make me your broodmare, stud."

Dez had taken a few moments to note the position of the portal. It was under a desk in a dusty room that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Blueblood must have scoured for hours to find this place for the portal. But, soon enough, she was leaping through the shadows.

Every once in a while, she had to pause as a guard or stall member walked by. Thanks to some padded shoes, she could silently by them once their backs were turned. It would certainly help her meet the deadline, or escape via another route if need be.

But, she was forced to stop at one intersection when some guards refused to move. Crouching low, on her belly in the shadow of a large potted plant, some exotic thing, probably from a remote tropical island. He kept her breathing even as she listened. She was here to locate information of the projects Ascendance and Transcendence, maybe they had something to say. So she listened. If they didn't move soon, she would risk using her tranquilizers.

"Did you see those mares Celestia brought into the palace?" one asked.

The other nodded. "Though pretty little ditzes?"

"Dude," the first one said. "You can't say that about them. If she heard you, you'd get your nuts cut off. Or maybe vanish."

"We'd get castrated if we look at them too long," the second said. "Don't get what's so special about them though. It's as if they've never seen a stallion before... or even the outside world."

"Well, whoever they are, at least Celestia's not going crazy and killing the help anymore. They've finally gotten rid of all of the blood stains in the east wing." The first one shuddered. "Just as long as we don't go near them in the north wing we should be just fine."

"Whatever happened to the old Celestia?" the second one asked, started to walk forward. "You know, when you could be a gelding and still have some respect."

"It's the AGO," the first one said. "They're turning ponies against each other. You saw the bomb they dropped on Ponyville right? Right bunch of crazies they are. Who knows what else they get up to. Equestria's pretty much the only place not harboring those terrorists."

Dez's ears perked up at the mention of strange mares in the north wing. That's where she would look.

It took only a few minutes, and this corridor was even more dimly lit than the others. She shuddered and thanked a bat pony ancestor of hers for the exquisite night-vision.

"But I just want outside for a few seconds," a voice made her heart skip a beat. She froze. That voice. Why was it so familiar?

It came from a door to her right. She tipped her way over and silently worked the latch before opening it a crack to see inside.

"You know she would be upset, and I don't want to go without dessert again," said another voice, an unfamiliar one this time. "Just have some patience while we contact the other side."

A communication spell? With who? Dez pressed the door open a bit more.

"Come on, hand over the testicles," said the unfamiliar voice.

Through the widened crack, Dez saw a yellow unicorn holding out a hoof in annoyance.

"But they're soft and pretty," the familiar voice said. Dez almost threw up when she saw the severed organs appear in the unicorn's grip. The way they were so nonchalant handled it made her even sicker.

"They're not for looking at," the unicorn groaned as she used her horn to cut one open. The sickening sound made Dez cringe. The unicorn then began to use the mutilated orb to write something out of Dez's view. She pushed the door open a crack more.

It was horrifying to watch as the mare drew a circle in blood and juice, and than an upside-down triangle in the center of the circle. Then she set both testicles on the center and set them on fire. A horrible stench filled the room.

"Oh great Olden Ones of the before and hereafter, I call into the near beyond to speak on behalf of the Sun," the unicorn chanted.

Dez, froze, not daring to open the door more as a strange visage appeared, hovering above the floor. Like a yellow black, faceless shroud, dropping heavy mist upon the butcher's circle.

"Who dare's call upon the great #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% of the nameless void?" the shroud demanded.

The unicorn looked for all the world as if this was a normal thing. "I do. Monarch Wisp, of Sun's master brood."

"It has been some time, Monarch," the shroud greeted her as though they might be old friends. "How is Celestia."

"She is doing better, thanks to your intervention, #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&%," Monarch said with a smile. "She sends her thanks, by the way."

"Good, good," the shroud said, bobbing a little. "It was unbecoming of her to have blood upon her head. It made our deal... less satisfying."

Dez was almost more horrified of Monarch's ability to pronounce the thing's name than she was of the fact that Celestia had made a deal with it.

"She wishes to inform you that the next shipment of flesh might be hard be less than the standard...," Monarch began, but was cut off, when the stretched out like elastic and wrapped around her in a tight hold.

"Less? Less?" it demanded as it tightened it's grip. "Does she forget in her old age that we can drown her world in blood and sewage as easily as crushing an ant? We ask only for the male flesh. Expendable things to fuel our unending hunger."

"I-it's just a minor inconvenience," Monarch gagged, looking terrified for her life. "There are those who are upsetting the order our mother created. Surely there is something else we could bulk up the shipment with to spare our world. Please."

The thing let her go and appeared in thought. After a long moment it spoke. "The breasts and uteruses of twelve mares of noble standing. They are to be torn out with great pain and agony to sate our hunger. And they must survive to live in pain until they die, either naturally, or suicide. It matters not. This is the price we demand."

"It will be done," Monarch bowed to the thing respectfully.

"We shall see," the shroud warned before vanishing, burning up the remains of the mutilated organs. Other than the smell, it was as if nothing had happened.

"Well... that was easy," the familiar voice said. Dez still hadn't gotten a good look at her. Now that the thing was gone, she slowly tried to open the door. Just a little more. She had to know.

"Do you think, if anyone knew we were saving the world, they would willingly go under the knife?"

Monarch sighed. "That's just it, Orchid. The Olden Ones could taste the willingness. The want to taste the suffering. If she told anyone... well... we wouldn't be here talking. Now would we?"

"But... wouldn't that make Ascendance pointless?" Orchid asked.

Monarch shook her head. "Ascendance is just a theory she plays with. I have a felling she has no desire to actually implement such an idea. I sometimes feel she has more compassion to males than she let's on. Even to herself."

"She's lying to herself?" Orchid asked. Dez Dared not move the door anymore.

Monarch nodded. "It's just a thing I sort of sense around her. She's had to keep up this facade for thousands of years. And, over time, she's convinced herself... convinced herself she was doing the right thing. I think even Transcendence troubles here. But, it may be the only way we can keep the Olden Ones sated to protect the future."

"Why can't we tell anyone?" Orchid pleaded.

"Because," Monarch sighed, "they only trust us because mother created us separate from the rest of the world. Born of tissue, not of sperm. We don't taste good."

"She's fed us to them?"

Monarch shrugged. "It's just a rumor I heard once long ago. She apparently did clone some males before. But they didn't taste good."

"But then why is she cloning more?"

"Because we can mate with them and make ponies more to their taste, obedient ones who won't question her authority. Like Angle Retainer, how she's so picky with food."

"Oh, I get it," Orchid said. "Still. Makes me sad. I've seen some colts from the window. I don't want to hurt them."

"That's why Transcendence is so important," Monarch explained. "Now, give me a hug and get off to bed. I'll be the one to tell mother when she gets back."

Dez suppressed a gasp as a brown earth pony came up and hugged the unicorn. That face, those eyes. Dez knew them all to well. She tore herself away from the crack and sprinted back for the portal as fast as her hooves could carry.

Applejack's tail wagged sluggishly as she was sprawled on the clean floor. Yes, she had mopped it in expectation of the night. Atop of her, equally satisfied was Blueblood, slowly breathing as he glanced at his watch.

"She has... three minutes," he said as he tried to stand up.

But, Applejack, caught him by the collar with her mouth. "No. It stays in until the times up."

"But she could be here any minute," Blueblood groaned, looking towards the portal.

"Are you afraid she'll see us?" she teased him, giving her butt a wiggly that sent tremors of pleasure through the stallion. "If you don't keep it in, I'll tell granny that you cried like a filly."

Blueblood became indignant. "What? I did not."

"Element of Honesty," Applejack grinned roguishly. "If I lie, everyone'll believe it."

Blueblood sighed as he settled back down, but gave her a quick thrust to make her squeak like the rat she was. "Hmph. At least it's a pleasant position to be caught in."

Applejack smiled. "Next time... I get to be on top."

Blueblood nodded. "If there is a next time."

The mare flicked his horn. "Don't talk so dark. There'll me many more times. I'm your broodmare and yours only. And I expect to be bred like one."

Blueblood smiled and kissed her cheek. "May it be so, my wonderful common mare."

Not a second later, Dez flew backwards through the portal, both barrels firing. "Close it close it close it."

Blueblood did just that, narrowly clipping the mare's tail in the process. At the sight of her friend, Applejack got up, slipping off the stallion in the process. He flopped to the side and groaned. "Dez, what's the matter. Did you get caught?"

The other mare panted and coughed. "Have something... had to make it back in time.. had to. Blueblood, clean yourself off, you have to make appearances. Applejack, congratulations, may you... have many children."

Applejack could barely understand the mare as she rapidly spoke and changed out of her suit and back into her dress. "Don't worry. The guards will be asleep for several hours. We should be on a train out of Equestria by then. You should probably head back too. You don't have diplomatic immunity like Speedy, Pinkie, and myself."

Applejack nodded, seeing the urgency in her voice. "On it. Do you have a message for me to deliver?"

Dez nodded. "Tell... tell Cadance we have more enemies... and everything has changed."

Applejack quickly put her uniform back on and grabbed the bag. "I'll leave last. Dez, you first. Blueblood,. wait two minutes."

The ponies knew what to do.

Celestia noticed the stench of sex as Blueblood sat back down. She looked over to the mare who had come in a couple minutes ahead of him. She sat near where Speedy and Pinkie sat. She was probably just some strumpet invited some of the cast for the after party.

She snorted with some amusement that she had been wrong about her nephew. Apparently he could convince a mare to bump uglies with him. "Straighten your collar, nephew. We're in a polite place."

"Oh, of course, Auntie," Blueblood said with his usual flare, making a big show of obeying her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen just as the opening scene began. Blueblood, meanwhile tried to get comfortable as he could around his aunt. He had to still live around her for who knew how long.

"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria..."

Dez, for her part, was remaining as calm as she could. She dared not look around, or at her family, lest they know she was with them. But, she had so much to say. It just wanted to explode from her chest.

She wanted to charge suicidally at Celestia and demand why she had dared to clone her mother.

Author's Notes: