While she'd never been a medical doctor by trade, Time Turner had a fair amount of knowledge on the subject, which she'd passed on to Derpy through the Arton energy transference. A new medical wing was set up and the bubble-butted pegasus looked over Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush, who were laid out on beds with bellies still swollen. She'd injected them with sedatives, upping the dose to what they could safely take, hoping it would knock out the tentacled masses too while she worked.

In truth she barely knew what she was doing. So little was known about these eldritch abominations. But she had to take a chance or else they were doomed anyhow. “Please, just hang on.” She snapped some rubber gloves onto her hooves, used speculums to open their vaginas wide as she could, then reached carefully into their drooling, gaping cavities.

Luckily Cherry Jubilee volunteered to assist her, still feeling personally responsible for what happened to such mares. She moved deeper, carefully forcing open the walls to their cervices. “Turn on the machine.” Cherry did as instructed, and a low moan escaped the knocked out mares, the waves it emitted tuned to stimulate their vaginal walls, relaxing them like they were in labor, the entrance to their wombs blossoming open and allowed her to slip into their innermost core.

She encircled the fleshy mass inside their cores, and tugged at them, marecum oozing from their tunnels while she pulled the creatures free. She sweated and huffed once they were loosed, thankful that not only did the witches appear unharmed, but that she wouldn't have to cut them open. She tossed them to Spike who waited nearby in the clinical white room, and he torched the monstrosities, which blackened to ash in almost an instant. “Whoo. That takes care of that!” She tossed the gloves and wiped her brow. “Looks like they'll make a full recovery, but I'd better run some tests and keep watch just to be sure.”

Jubilee changed the bedding and cleaned the sleeping mares with a sad smile. She'd had to do similar work for the prostitutes under her care. After she wiped and washed them, she laid fresh blankets over them up to their necks. “It's okay sweethearts,” she whispered stroking their cheeks and recalling the parasite that infested her uterus. “I'll look after you, no matter what.”

Spike chomped down on the cooked monsters and burped once he finished. “Not bad.”

Derpy turned her attention to the mare Trixie who was similarly doped up, with magic chains still locked around her, watched over by the human Trixie and Beatrix Belladonna. She wasn't entirely certain how to break such deep mental conditioning, but had a number of ideas, ones she hoped might even be implemented to recover Vinyl Scratch someday.

It was similar to hypnosis. She set up machines to study mare Trixie's brainwaves. Of course there were other anomalies among her findings, including a energy which reminded her of Artron infused in the magician. “Hmm, interesting!” Over the next couple of hours she ran test-after-test and came to a conclusion. “Most likely she's been displaced from time.”

Human Trixie quirked her eyebrow. “So are you saying she's me from the past?!”

“Most likely if my hypothesis is correct. And they often are! Seems she has a similar creature implanted in her too, but luckily its barely developed.” She showed them an x-ray on a machine that showed the mass inside mare Trixie's womb. “Better extract it, too.” She put on a fresh pair of gloves, and spread the mare open, repeating the process. Marecum trickled from the witch while she slipped into her sticky walls, opened her cervix, and dug inside, drawing out the small beast.

She tossed the slop aside and Spike leapt up, catching and chewing on it before he swallowed it down. She scrunched her muzzle in distaste but reminded herself he was simply obeying his more animalistic instincts. Poor guy couldn't even determine if he was a dog or a dragon now. He'd still sniff a crotch or butt on occasion, despite how Rarity worked to teach him better.

Human Trixie watched over her mare self which Jubilee worked to clean up. “Trixie sure is beautiful! Of course, she was so much more naïve back then.” She stroked the fuzzy cheek of her former self with a smug smile.

Beatrix looked between her two mothers. “It's like I'm a cross between you two!”

“Yeah, everything wonderful about you definitely came from me, rather than your father!” Trixie posed with a hand on her hip and another raised to her mouth to cackle, Beatrix perfectly copying her mother's mannerisms.

“Looks like life is looking up,” mused Belladonna. Maybe she wouldn't have another shot at her father, but she still fantasized about him, knowing she'd never feel complete until she bore his spawn. It was what she was made for. Nopony could understand. She looked to a number of petri dishes and spotted a blob of umber-emerald slime. “Hey, is this...?”

Derpy shot a glance over her shoulder. “Oh yeah, bit of the Smooze I found. It's dormant, but don't touch it, just in case.”

With a nod Belladonna bent over, hands resting on her knees, and studied the translucent gelatin. “Sooo...is it true these things can attach to somepony's brain and control them? That's what happened to Spike and Rarity, right?”

Spike whimpered at the memory. “Yeah...” He lowered his snout in shame, remembering how he'd lost himself in the moment and made the love of his life his bitch. Thankfully, she didn't blame him and had even started a quiet relationship with him.

“If only we could turn it to our ends,” mused Trixie considering all the possibilities.

“Indeed!” Beatrix waited several minutes until everypony was distracted, and swiped the petri dish with the Smooze, figuring Derpy was so absorbed with her work she'd likely never notice unless it was pointed out to her. She took an empty petri dish, hastily copied the label, and stuck the closest thing to it she had on her, a lump of oddly colored clay from her art supplies.

She'd run her own magical experiments on the creature, which she doubted was born of science or anything natural, anyhow. Wasn't it from some unknown dimension? She'd turn it to their own ends to stop Starlight! Oh, and admittedly for personal reasons, too. She'd make Shining Armor understand they were made for each other. Sure, he protested now, but she was simply following her biological programming. How could anypony possibly blame her for simply obeying her natural instincts?

She kept the dish in the lining of her cape's many hidden pockets. The sludge stirred in response to the close proximity of such powerful magical energy. While she was far from having honed her full potential, it hungered to explore this mysterious mare...

For his own part a shameful wet dream about his second daughter struck Shining Armor when he settled down to sleep. He'd awoken in a cold sweat, overwhelmed by ambivalent emotions, realizing that Derpy and Sunset were missing from his bed. He stared at his massive boner peeking out under the covers with a sigh, realizing he'd have to take care of it the old-fashioned way.

He wrapped a hoof about its dark, veiny length, started to stroke the already precum stained rod, but images of Beatrix kept flashing in his mind. He groaned and knew he couldn't walk away unsatisfied. He tried to think of Cadance, Sunset, Derpy, heck, even some of the many mares he'd bedded in the past, anything to keep Belladonna's sexy little body from intruding in his mind.

“Damn it.” Maybe seeking them out would help? Of course, he didn't want to wander the halls with a hard-on, either. A knock sounded at the door and he casually placed a pillow over his crotch, holding it tight to his chest. “Um, come in!”

He breathed a relieved sigh when Tree Hugger and Mr. Bear entered. “Got a surprise for you, stud.” She stepped aside and waved towards Sunset Shimmer who trailed behind. His jaw dropped at the sight of the transparent, sparkling beauty.

Sunset laughed. “That nice, huh?” She winked at him with a sly smile. “This may sound crazy, but I communicated with a bunch of ponies in a dream. Consider this a final gift from Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse.” She strutted over to him and laid a hoof on his heart. “Forgive them. Please. If not for their sake, then for mine. Cadance would want that, too.”

“That's a low-blow, invoking her name. But you're right. I forgive them. Without Wet Nurse's help, we might not have overcome the nemesis.” He squeezed her hoof back. “Not sure I really understand all this, but is the pain gone?”

“Yeah. Plus, I was able to talk with your sister.” He beamed, much to her chagrin. “She wanted to tell you how much she loves you. And that apparently the afterlife is real and a very happy place. She really is wonderful, you know.”

“I know.” At least that made him feel a little better about her senseless death.

“So...” Sunset pulled off the pillow and blanket, exposing his still partially erect dick. “Want us to take care of that?”

“Us?” He looked to her and then Tree Hugger. “Well, it wouldn't be our first time! It's been forever, though.” He fondly recalled the time he'd made love to her and Fluttershy. “Sure, if you're both up to it.”

“I want first crack at him, though.” Sunset rolled next to him.

“No problem, babe. Mr. Bear'll keep me company.” Hugs tickled the furry beast's chest. He had to admit he found their intimate relationship pretty weird, but she could apparently communicate with him, so who was he to judge?

Sunset laid herself back on the bed, opening her thighs. “Go ahead. I can't wait to test this new body out!” He rubbed his cock over her moistening slit a few time, until it filled with blood, then sunk into her love tunnel, watching in fascination as he watched it sink inside her flesh. He'd never seen that before, even when he'd slept with Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse. “Neat, huh?”

He nodded and went balls deep in her, watching his flared cock sink incredibly deep into her. He grunted and came a little at the side, trickles of his seed shooting into her pussy. “F-fuck, that's hot. Damn, you're even tighter, too!”

She blushed. “You're just saying that!”

“No, really. I'd think you were a virgin if I didn't know better! You're so warm and wet too, Sunset.” He kissed her, and she blushed, feeling like a time so long ago when she popped her cherry. She'd been in human form then, though. He started to slowly slide in-and-out of her, his flared tip scraping her sponge-like walls, the pair watching in rapt fascination.

Worked up by what they were witnessing, Mr. Bear laid a paw on Tree Hugger's skull and bent her over the bed, impatiently mounting the mare who looked back at him with a goofy, crooked grin. She chuckled when he pushed his equipment in and started to roughly hump her with that usual desperation, the bed creaking as his claws dug into her fatty buttocks.

She moaned in a husky manner, grinding her ass into his crotch to take him deep as she could. He drooled upon her back, slamming into her, his testicles slapping upon her cunt while he drove into it. He huffed and growled and grunted in a bestial manner, hammering into her, eager to empty his nutsack. She mewled under him, chewing on the bedding.

“I'm close,” warned Shining who felt a familiar fire burn in his loins.

“Inside,” demanded Sunset. “Watch this.” He jettisoned his load into her, watching his flared tip's emissions, and the creamy sauce which sputtered and pooled within her translucent birth canal. She flushed at the sight, oozing with him.

Studying them helped Mr. Bear and Tree Hugger over the edge, the latter roaring when he poked his claws into the soft folds of her buttcheeks and filled her fuckhole with his batter, the latter almost passing out as her limbs shook and she gushed over his pelted crotch. “Totally wild stuff man,” she wheezed under him, milking the cock still locked inside her. “Ready to switch?”

“I...I don't know,” admitted Sunset who looked between Shining and Mr. Bear. “I mean, I don't mind you having a turn with Shiny, but me and Mr. Bear?” She had sexed up a horse when she was a human though; was this really that different? He certainly seemed up for it if the way he hungrily drooled at her was any indication. “Oh, what the heck.” She only had a limited amount of time left anyhow. Why not go crazy? So long as nopony was hurt, she was up for almost anything.

With a pop Hugs pulled free, her inner thighs thoroughly soaked. “Take me, stud. Any way you like.” He grinned and lifted her up, resting her upon a wall as she wrapped her limbs around him. “It's been quite some time, you know?”

“Yeah.” He started with a few kisses, smacks sounded while their lips met, before he slipped into her wetted hole. “Fuck.”

Sunset carefully bent herself over in the same place and manner the hippie had, hooves stepping in a mixture of their juices. His dominant, muscular weight fell upon her, and her pussy watered despite how strange it seemed, her heart thudding when his hot breath fell upon her. He groped her crystalline tits, plunging his dick into her and making her yelp with a deepening blush.

Her beloved was watching her. Seeing her be taken by this bear, pounding hard into her pussy while she moaned, staring into his eyes while he in turn smacked Hugs into the wall with each push of his muscular hips. They continued to fuck with their eyes, using the partners they'd traded as proxies, not that either of them seemed to mind, lost to their own hedonism.

She whined while Mr. Bear humped her for all he was worth, much like the hybrids had, looming over his smaller, submissive mare, licking his chops while he watched her buns bounce, her asshole clench, and his red dick spear her slimy cunt. His paw upon her skull pressed her muzzle down hard into the bedding, making her ass stick up as much as it could, angling himself so that he bottomed out each time, pushing harder-and-harder until she whimpered for mercy, her snatch soaking him when he drained his fuzzy balls into her. They slapped on her again-and-again, as he drove into her until the last drop flew out.

Insanely turned on by what he saw, Shining dug his hooves into Tree's plush asscheeks, gritting his teeth as he impaled her deep and hard as he could, so lost in the moment he didn't see her as anything more than a plaything for his pleasure. “Unf,” she cried between giggles. “Fuck yeah, baby. Wreck my cunt. Totally break it!” She chewed on his lower lip.

He lifted one of her backlegs and railed her sideways, her forehooves pushing on the wall, her frame quivering each time he speared her to the hilt. Drool leaking from the corner of her mouth, tongue lolling out, her eyes rolling back. She shrieked and orgasmed again-and-again, and Mr. Bear pulled free of Sunset and wandered over, grabbing her head and pushing his length into her maw. Shining came first, groaning, and the bear followed, yanking free and shooting thick loads all over her face.

She nearly slipped and fell from the wall, slurping as she licked up the seed dripping down her messy features. “Hell yeah,” she mumbled. “Talk about a wild ride, man. Wish we could do this shit more often!” She finally sunk to the floor, spent.

“Me too,” admitted Shining who noticed Sunset's needy look. “However, there's one thing I want to try...” He wandered over to the still bent over Shimmer, spreading her anus open, and pressing his snout to it, sinking his tongue in. She tensed for a moment then relaxed, as he traced the warm walls of her sphincter, able to see his tongue while he fished inside her.

She nibbled on a pillow and rubbed her clit. “Hey,” called Hugs who lazily stumbled over. “Let me help.” She slid beneath her, lapping at her dripping, opening flower, and even Mr. Bear joined in, offering his cock to Sunset who happily suckled on it. After a short time he busted his nut all over her face, forcing her eyes shut while his seed slipped down her cheeks into her mouth. She squirted into Tree's mouth, who greedily swallowed it down her gullet with licks of her lips.

Once they finished the foursome collapsed into the bed, and Tree Hugger used a lighter to lit a joint, taking a puff and passing it around even to Mr. Bear. Sunset shrugged and tried it, coughing a little, and while Shining was about to turn it down he decided to go with the moment, his lungs burning when he sucked in a breath. “Good stuff, huh? Always helps me relax.”

“Yeah, not bad.” He wrapped his forehooves around the mares while Mr. Bear slept at their backhooves, thankful he'd at least gotten those icky fantasies about Beatrix Belladonna out of his head for the moment. He rested his forehooves on their soft buns, patting them in a playful manner, and they curled up closer to his muscular chest to rest their cheeks upon it.

Starlight rested on her crystal throne back in the ruins of the Crystal Empire, feeling she'd rested on her laurels too long. Oh sure, she'd gotten the Atrocity Exhibition back up and running, but she'd lost an entire village including her favorite lieutenant. She lazed over the sid with the two-pronged staff in her forehooves, watching the snowflakes drift with a sigh. “I expected so much more from her. Too much, I guess. From you, too.” She looked over at Sunburst who was chained at her side.

She'd had the cult place the last neutralizing ring on his horn. He rarely ever looked or spoke to her, simply staring at the black-cloaked unicorns who drank down magic-enhancing potions in preparation to raise-and-lower the sun and moon each day. The earth ponies and pegasi were given wands forged from unicorn horns to help in the daily ritual, since the cult was running low on unicorns acolytes. She'd remind him she was saving Equestria, that she loved him, but he refused to engage with her.

“I'll never love you,” he'd said. “Your very existence makes my skin crawl.”

His words rang in her head. Sure, she could brainwash him into being and doing what she wanted, but it wouldn't be real. She watched him occasionally flicker and didn't dare attempt a time-travel spell again. She'd simply have to live with what she had. Maybe she'd wear him down...eventually. She'd ordered the Spike golem to keep watch over the Exhibition, which continued to pump out more armaments she would stockpile for the coming war to place the world under her control. The dragons and griffins that couldn't be successfully brainwashed into her services were chopped up and used to craft more hybrids.

Dried pages rubbed under her forehooves when she opened the Necronomicon. Eyes heavy with dark circles reread the same alien words which had now become her second language after so many evil spirits had attached themselves to her blackened soul. She could hear their otherworldly chants echo in her skull until they were practically her own.

The latest report from her spies was that Shining's force had been sighted in Baltimare. Well, she wouldn't let them escape this time. She'd summoned up her undead army, and sent them towards the dusty town, lazing about and tapping a backhoof. Who knew that being in charge could be so boring? Not to mention irritating. She almost missed the simpler times of running her old cult in that nameless town. Sure, she could return to those times...but wouldn't that only worsen the tiny paradoxes?

She turned back to Sunburst, feeling emptier all the time. There was no choice but to continue forward.

Trixie decided to go for a walk around the ship, followed by Beatrix, thankful that the dust storms had died down. She'd return to check on her counterpart later. For now, she was in Derpy's surprisingly capable hooves. She traced the curvy, silver hull of the reinforced airship, looking at the skeleton of its increased span which workers expanded upon around the clock. If everything went according to projections the force would be ready to take off within a couple more days.

At least she'd mostly enjoyed her short vacation, as had most of the others, if the odd spell Belladonna used to scry into their activities was any indication. The CMC were busy shacking up with some random stallions and a couple of mares they'd picked up at a bar and taken their orgy to a hotel Diamond Tiara paid top bits for. Capper had likewise found some hot pieces of asses to satisfy their lusts. It seemed that Rarity and Spike had also started up a relationship, to her bemusement.

Beatrix waved her finger in a circle as she cast these windows into what their comrades were doing on the ship's side. At first it had been a spell she'd conceived to spy on the enemy, only to learn its range was limited, and that there was a risk the viewer could trace her magical signature back, making her hesitant to use it for such a purpose.

She paused when she stumbled upon Shining Armor, who was lying prone in his bed, flared cock sunken deep in a translucent Sunset Shimmer, while Mr. Bear's cock was similarly visible being stuffed in her ass from above. Tree Hugger was resting her spread ass upon his face, burying Sunset's muzzle in her squishy, slimy cunt and pushing her in with her forehooves.

They were smashing her so hard between them it looked like she would break at any moment. But her crystallized physique had made her hardier than ever, yet still soft to the touch, allowing them to dominate her without fearing she'd be harmed.

“Oh wow,” whispered Beatrix who tried to pretend like this was entirely an accident.

Trixie smirked. “Hot, isn't it? It's okay to think so. I won't judge. You've certainly come of age. You've already had your first experience, haven't you?” She looked her daughter over, studying curves that even put hers to shame.

“Y-yeah,” admitted Belladonna who squirmed, continuing to weave her spell.

“Well, Trixie won't ask who popped your cherry. For all I know, it was Flurry Heart.” She winked and smacked her butt.

“No, not her. We're nothing more than close friends. It was a male.” She didn't dare say anything more, blushing cherry red, certain her mother a least strongly suspected. “It couldn't work out, anyhow. I accept that.” She pouted.

“Doesn't mean you can't have some fun,” she teased. “Mmmm,” she moaned, running a hand down her high-cut leotard, drawing aside the crotch section, and slipping a couple of digits in her wet slit. With her other hand she popped a breast from her top, rolling the supple mound in her palm. “It's okay. Touch yourself. I know you want to. You're your mother's daughter.”

Beatrix focused on channeling with her horn, mimicking her mother's movements, kneading her own bouncy boob and exploring her own cunt. “A-ah...” She moaned low, wide eyes locked on Sunset being dominated from all ends.

For hours the Smooze trapped within the petri dish had altered its composition, until it took a new shape that allowed it to soak up traces of magic each time Beatrix cast a spell in close proximity, imbuing itself with a tiny portion of her power. Of course, that was all it needed to empower itself a tad, to the point where it was eventually strong enough to puncture a tiny hole in the glass. It pushed through the crack, and plopped onto the earth below, looking between mother and daughter.

Finally it settled on Trixie. “Hey, my little pony...want to try that spell we were working on? You know the one...”

“Sure.” It was difficult to work two spells at once, but she'd been practicing multi-tasking with Flurry Heart, figuring it might come in handy the next time they did battle. They had come up with a spell to remove weapons and armor from the enemy, but now she could put it to a much kinkier use! They cast the spell together with a flourish, making their capes and leotards vanish, standing nude save for their hats, fingerless gloves, and thigh-high boots. They continued to fondle their now unobstructed flesh.

Schlicks sounded while mother and daughter masturbated themselves in rapid succession, slimy trails oozing down their thighs and into the insides of their thigh-high heeled boots. Realizing the opportunity the wetness soaking them provided the Smooze, not to mention how distracted they were, it slithered up Trixie's boot, following the line of moisture over her loins.

It poised between her glistening pink slit, watching her delicate fingers stroking her swollen clit while she sunk a couple of digits into her snatch, and it slipped in between strokes, worming into her warm and wet confines. It pushed past the entrance to her cervix, and she screamed in surprise, loins quaking as she gushed hard and her knees shook until she almost collapsed.

Her breasts heaved while she toppled to her knees, and she raiser her wetted fingers to her lips, not noticing the speck of the Smooze which hitched a ride when she tasted her cunt juice soaking her digits. “Mmmm,” she moaned breathing in her own sexual musk, unaware when the alien creature made its way to her brain and attached itself to place her under its control.

She swayed and rose to her feet, eyes glazed-over in an almost drunken state, studying her daughter who was enraptured by the show while she continued to touch herself. She slipped behind Beatrix, grabbed her slippery thighs, and suddenly pulled her into a full nelson as she lifted her up. “Huh?!” She stared in shock at Trixie's most coveted work, a pair of cocks suddenly jutting out from her mother, their lengths tracing over her fuckholes and dripping in anticipation. “Mommy?! W-wait-”

Trixie's mind blanked out. All she knew was hat she suddenly wanted to breed Belladonna. She slammed her down upon her cocks, which sunk into her holes, taking her all the way to the base. “A-ah,” whined Beatrix when she was lifted up until only the tips rested in her, and then was smashed back down, her heated face drooping forward and drool running from her mouth when her tongue lolled out. She'd never been taken so roughly, so completely, blanking out until her eyes rolled skyward.

She sucked on her daughter's ear, the Smooze infecting her brain until she couldn't see her as anything more than a piece of meat, one which she desperately wanted to fill with her seed. Even with her arms keeping Belladonna's limbs locked, she was able to cupped her palms around her spawn's squishy mounds, squeezing and slapping them about with a cackle.

Their faces twisted lewdly as they came, Trixie spraying Beatrix's insides, painting her loveholes with viscous globs of goo. Belladonna huffed and went completely limp in her grasp, continuing to shoot small sprays from her snatch which stained the ground and the ship's hull. Trixie suddenly snapped back to awareness, and in horror dropped her daughter. “What the fuck?!”

Beatrix moaned low, breaking her scrying spell and rubbing her throbbing temple. Warm cum oozed from her sore holes. “Ugh...I think I know what happened...” She summoned back her cape, digging through the hidden pockets sewn into its lining, and finding the cracked petri dish. “I...um...kind of...swiped that sliver of the Smooze in Derpy's lab,” she muttered.

“What?! And it's inside me?! Get it out, get it out!” Trixie rubbed her aching skull.

“Relax, mom. It's such a small amount it couldn't control you for long it seems!” She watched Trixie's magically induced penises shrink back into her like they'd never been there. “Hey, look!” She pointed at her mother's slit where her marecum dripped out in a trickle and the slime hitched a ride out. “It's trying to escape! Oh no you don't!” She scooped it up with her hat.

The blob tried to crawl out, but they acted in unison, trapping it within their combined aura. Their horns flared as they strained to keep it locked in place. “Can't keep this up forever,” reminded Trixie. “What should we do with it?”

“It's getting more powerful all the time,” said Beatrix with starry-eyed wonder.

The Smooze suddenly drew into itself, then expanded like a bubble, bursting from their aura which popped into sparkles. The duo were tossed onto their butts when the alien life-form broke free, arising and reshaping itself before their gaze. It transformed itself into the shape of a nude, bald, muscular humanoid figure, staring blankly back at them.

It extended an open-palmed arm and studied it. (What am I?)

Trixie scooted back on her bare ass. “Y-you can talk?! What do you want?! Don't eat us!”

The Smooze looked them over with blank features. Were it not so creepy its new guise would have been handsome. (I must understand who and what I am. I know not what my purpose is...other than to consume. Will you help me?)

Before her mother could respond Beatrix shouted, “Yes!” She hopped to her feet, offering her hand. He stared at it for a moment before he took it, and she shook it. “I'm Beatrix Belladonna, and this is my mother, Trixie Lulamoon!” She looked to her mother. “Can't you see? He's like me! Just a lost soul trying to find his way! He doesn't understand what he did was wrong!”

“B-but...” Trixie lowered her voice to a hushed whisper. “He's killed thousands upon thousands of ponies, at least!”

The Smooze simply stared at the duo. (What is wrong? I do not understand. I simply obey my purpose like all creatures do. But I see my appearance apparently unnerves you? Allow me to fix that.) He recalled the faces he'd seen in that other world, searching for one he thought they might find comforting, and settled on an adult version of Flash Sentry, mimicking even his voice and mannerisms when he said, (Is this better? Or should I put on some garments, too?)

Trixie licked her lips when she traced his bare musculature. “No, this will do nicely! Trixie approves!”

“I doubt the others will accept you so easily, though. You have to understand. They've lost close friends and family.” Beatrix Belladonna didn't have a strong attachment to either world, having felt like an outsider from the moment she was born, but she understood their desire to preserve Equestria well. “Guess we'll have no choice but to hide you!”

“Are you serious, Beatrix? I mean, it's kind of hot, but we can't trust this thing!”

Beatrix smirked with a toss of her silky mane. “I'll take that chance! I can't explain it, but I feel this sort of kinship with it!” She took his hands. “We're both creatures that don't really fit in and most would claim shouldn't be! Hey, how about a show of trust? Can you stop the rest of yourself from enveloping Equestria? Please! It would mean a lot to me!”

(We share a sort of hive mind but can also act independently,) explained the Smooze. (I cannot control them from her. However, have me meet with the rest of my counterparts, and perhaps I can convince them to halt their consumption.)

She hugged him. “It's worth a try. Thank you, um...?”

(The Smooze is fine.) It's what his old friend Discord had called him. Friend? Yes, he suppose they had been close, despite what limited awareness he'd had then. But he'd lost him when the nemesis had enslaved Equestria. The cult had captured the docile creature, experimented on him, turned him into a mindless weapon of mass destruction, then sealed him away once he proved too dangerous. It had taken all this time and effort before he'd reclaimed even a hint of self-awareness.

He collapsed back in upon himself, transmuting back into a small handful of slime, which she tucked back into her cape's pockets. Beatrix and Trixie slipped back into their leotards, tugging them into place, and pulling the tight garments out of their unmentionables whenever the high-cut fabric crawled up inside, usually once they started to strut in the thong-styled lower halves. They headed back into the airship, heels clicking on metal, aware that their vacation would soon be over.

And in the desert wasteland the undead army finally closed in on its destination. The skeletons of innumerable fallen heroes were at first dark shadows in the dust clouds, moving in near silence and compelled to carry out their mission. Their sole reason for existence was to make certain Shining's force and anypony else who stood in their way fell...

Author's Notes:

Another breather.