For quite sometime Ponyville had been a lawless hellhole, riots running rampant across fiery streets, opposing groups of mercenaries and slavers moving in, attempted to claim the area as their own. Aided by Fancy Pants' numbers and resources, Shining Armor and his force had managed to take it back, and now it was once more a relatively peaceful settlement, rebuilt over the last few years. It had returned to a hub for tourists and trade, now a mixing pot with other species.

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia had returned to their old home, brining a grief-stricken Lyra with her, hoping to cheer her up as they put on concert-after-concert which pulled in attendees from all over. Darkness started to fall over the open-air venue, stars twinkling above and the moon suspended in place, neon lights flashing from the stage and speakers booming an erratic mix of electronica and classical music fusion as the musicians came together in a frenzied harmony.

Behind them were a bunch of dancers they brought with them whenever they toured. She recognized Pacific Glow, Flitter, and Cloudchaser, with a bunch of other lovely mares decked out in glow-sticks and other such flashy trinkets.

Lyra watched from the front row, trying to smile amidst the cheering crowds. Actually she adored their music. However it had been hard for her to take much joy from life since Bon Bon's loss. Her lover had given her life to save her, grabbed by a bunch of cultists, stabbed over-and-over.... She shook such morbid thoughts away, eyes watering from the explicit flashbacks.

She sat on her haunches back in the chair, munching on caramel popcorn and slurping down soda from a straw. She raised a hoof and cheered as they finished another performance with a bow, doing her best to provide morale. The dancers continue to gyrate into a sweaty frenzy while Vinyl and Tavi retreated behind the curtains that led backstage.

She hopped down, nodded to the security guard stallion who moved aside, and slipped back there too. The dressing room was open so she let herself in, and Tavi was sitting atop the dresser with a mirror, her thighs parted while Scratch knelt and lapped messily at her pussy with a slurp. “Oh,” said the cellist with a blush. “Hello there, Lyra. Don't mind us!”

Lyra shrugged. “It's nothing Bon Bon and I haven't done a thousand times.” Every time she mentioned her lost love the mood immediately went dour. Normally Tavi would have stopped instantly, embarrassed to let anypony see her perform, but this time she buried her hoof in Scratch's wild electric blue mane, pushing her muzzle deep into her cunt as she ground hips into her.

Seeing that Vinyl's tail had lifted high with arousal, inviting her as her cute asshole and slit lay exposed, Lyra slid behind the DJ, tracing her tongue back-and-forth over both holes. They'd invited her into their bed despite initial reservations from Tavi, hoping their company would help heal her wounded heart. She seemed to greatly relish the sex, at least.

Another knock sounded outside. “Derpy's here to see you,” came the guard's voice.

Octavia winced. “Should we...stop?”

Vinyl drew back, her thoroughly met muzzle filled with thick strands of marecum and saliva connecting her snout to Tavi's glistening vagina. “Fuck no! She's seen it all before! We're all friends here! Come on in, Derpy!”

Derpy fluttered in, uneven eyes trying to meet the floor as she pinkened, seeing Lyra and Vinyl slurp away. “Uh, hello.”

Tavi waved back with equal embarrassment but knew her lover wouldn't stop her ministrations. “W-welcome back, D-Derpy.” Her nethers quivered to the point her hindlegs quivered and kicked. “H-how can we...fuck,” she cried with unusual vulgarity when her partner suddenly sucked upon her swollen clit, marecum splashing over the futuristic shades, face, and into her mouth.

“It's like I said in my letters, Miss Octavia. Shining Armor needs all the help he can get. The Smooze has come back. It already wiped out Las Pegasus. We probably lost Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis, and so many other wonderful ponies...”

The DJ licked her lips. “Who'd be stupid enough to release that thing? Even our nemesis knew that monstrosity was too dangerous!” She rolled onto her back, hoofs wrapping around Lyra's head to drive her snout into her love tunnel. “Or maybe the seal placed on it finally broke? Whatever. Looks like you'll need all of us for this one!”

“There's more. Um, the cult's really on the move again. And we spotted Bon Bon with them.”

A yelp sounded as Lyra bit the DJ. “What?!” She spun to face her, mouth still stained in female excretions, not that she cared about that at the moment. “Impossible! She's dead!” Her eyes watered. “Besides, she'd never...”

“Well, uh, we think they've used bad magic to bring her back. And that they've meddled with her head to make her serve them.” She nibbled on a hoof. “Bon Bon could be really tough, but she'd never do anything like this!”

The DJ panted, rubbing the bite mark on her vagina. “It's certainly possible.”

Tavi nodded. “Count me in. Bon Bon deserves to rest in pace. She saved our lives.”

“I'll find a way to bring her back,” said Lyra. “I promise.”

The cult continued its journey to the Crystal Empire. However they were forced to stop and occasion, and while Fleur feared she'd lose them, she slipped away in a mad dash, knowing that Ponyville was merely a few miles from their position. She'd intended to merely warn the citizens there and hopefully seek help. She'd never anticipated Shining Armor's entourage would be here, and seizing on this stroke of luck, she rushed over to the line of wagons parked on the outskirts.

“Open up,” she called rapping on a fancy wagon. “It's Fleur de Lis!”

The door opened and Capper popped out. Oh my, who is this luscious beauty?” He looked her over with a poor, her mane wild and her coat stained in a sheen of perspiration, which he found quite enticing in its own way.

“Never mind that! Where is Shining Armor?! The head of the cult's nearby!”

Overhearing her shouts, Shining Armor galloped onto the scene, his latest recruits rushing behind. “What?! Really?! Everypony, sorry I promised you some rest, but we can't miss this opportunity! Let's move out!” Fleur kissed his cheek and he cast her a tired smile. “I'm so relieved you're still alive! Fancy...?”

She shook her head, bristling at the haunting memory. “Let's make those responsible pay.”

Within moments they were back on the road, and Fleur plucked the well-marked map from Capper, pin-pointing a rough approximation of the cult's last location. “They have Starlight's and Sunburst's mechanized wagon, so they'll be able to outpace us! Move as fast as you can!” The stallions that pulled the procession strained to obey, tired after hours of work with little rest.

Knowing they couldn't afford to waste a second, Shining told the mercenaries to relieve them, and when they grumbled Capper offered them a sizable bonus, which made them rush to obey. The carts were hastily pulled down the roads back into the Everfree. The party prepared itself for the assault, determined to stamp out the enemy with finality.

They bounced down the roads, most of them out in the open, rifles and bows with knocked arrows at the ready. Babs Seed balanced in explosive atop her hoof, ready to chuck it at the first sign of a fanatic. “Remember,” said Silver Spoon. “They've captured Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, and apparently...Sunset Shimmer?” She found that hard to believe.

“Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful not to hit them,” said Babs.

Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes in determination. “They'll be sorry they ever crossed us!”

Below them a steady thump could be heard, not dissimilar to when they met with Capper each night. Indeed the con artist was busy inside his sensual lair, claws gripping around Tree Hugger's meaty thighs and buttocks, slamming her back into the wall with each thrust. She locked her limbs around him. He sucked on the joint she'd passed him while she puff on something far more powerful, wisps of smoke escaping her nostrils, her eyes bloodshot and her maw twisted in a dopey smile.

“Don't hold back, man. Cum inside as many times as you like. Don't think you can knock me up anyhow, you know?”

He decided to take her up on that challenge, as he'd came in dozens of mares to no results. Not that he minded unloading his seed inside them. It was the most fulfilling experience imaginable, and he hiss, painting the interior of her womb with warm splashes. She'd passed out in his arms, her smoke falling from her lips, and he stamped it out with a shrug, figuring she wouldn't mind as he pulled out, this time burying his cock in her ass as he started to fuck her unconscious body some more.

The moment he finished again Mr. Bear stalked from his corner in the interior, tired of being patient, and his paws pushed Capper aside, grabbing Tree Hugger and tossing her on the bed. She bounced a couple of times, bent over the side with semen leaking from her well-worn holes. She stirred back awake with a slurred moan, drool leaking from the side of her maw.

“Damn Mr. Bear, you really are, like, insatiable you know?” With a growl he plunged into her moist fuckhole, a messy splash sounding with his violent thrust. “W-well...have your fun,” she said with a mild blush, biting into a rather expensive-looking pillow. His claws dug into her supple cheeks. Nopony could fuck her like he did. No wonder Fluttershy loved him so!

“You can pretend I'm Fluttershy,” she wheezed. “I don't mind. I know you preferred her.” He whined a little at the mention of his former keeper's name, then violently redoubled his efforts, treating her roughly like Shy loved when they'd fucked hard.

He bit her neck's nape, scratched her hanging breasts and bouncing buttocks, careful not to break the skin but showing his dominance over her. She didn't mind at all so long as he kept it confined to the bedroom. Capper watched with bemusement as the furry beast slammed repeatedly into her, drooling hot saliva on her back when he finally blew his sticky load into her.

After he finished he pulled her by a pawful of her dreadlocks up to his slimy cock, wiping it on her face, and she licked up a mixture of their juices with loud smacks. They'd worked up a number of animals watching who wanted a turn at her hot piece of ass, and she hoped there'd be enough time to get them all off before they reached their destination.

They bunched up around her, and she took a pair of cocks in her hoofs, one in her mouth, and felt more sink into her asshole and marehood, moving rapidly in attempt to sate them all. She lost count of the times they came in and upon her, more beasts lined up to take their place, and she wondered how Shy dealt with this all the time without growing sore. Probably because by the time Shy finally crossed the line to have a physical relationship with them all she hadn't been long for the world...

Pretty soon she passed out once more, and the animals continued to have their way with the hippie, coating her in thick splashes of cum until she was completely drenched. Capper pushed his way in and added his own on her face with a smirk. He lifted her head up and used her mouth to clean his dick, grateful there were so many submissive mares ready to have fun with him.

With help from her new companions Mother parsed some words from the Necronomicon. Translating it was a painful, tedious process, but she suspected the problem was her lack of ability as a magician. Even with the most powerful unicorn horn she could attach at the time she could only call upon a fraction of its power despite all her practice in private. Thankfully a scant few had survived the Smooze's attack on Las Pegasus in case she needed to do another transfusion later.

She'd ordered her hybrids to entertain Sunset Shimmer in the meantime, the pathetic wretch submitting to the monsters to sate them all. The pleasure they supplied dulled the pain of her existence for a while. She actually felt for the unicorn, considered putting her out of her misery, but she needed somepony to confide in, and Sunburst's conversations were barely better than Bon Bon's clipped statements, while Starlight continued to relentlessly insult her with bitter sarcasm at every opportunity.

None of them could understand. The Necronomicon desired a far more powerful host. She was beneath its notice. Just like she had been when she and her twin served the Crystal Empire. Just another maid to be bred and forgotten.

She smiled when the alien words became a tad clearer. It couldn't resist her forever. She would master the tome!

Bon Bon hopped down beside her with th rifle readied. “Mother, they're almost upon us.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “What? Impossible! It's far too soon!” She wasn't anywhere near prepared for a direct confrontation, especially with a sizable force like Shining's. “Everypony, we're moving out!”

Sunset staggered out from beneath the part-hippogriff beast mounting her, dripping splooge. “Shining Armor's coming?” It was a hushed whisper but her pale eyes lit up, a small blush finding its way onto her cold pallid skin.

“Coming to die,” stated Bon Bon who cocked her weapon.

“Get her inside,” she ordered thankful Starlight and Sunburst were imprisoned in the mechanized wagon in case they attempted to interfere. She hopped onto the side of the machine when it fired up, ready to flee, when a bomb was chucked their way, only for Bon Bon to shoot it in mid-air, a fiery explosion erupting overhead which filled the sky with black smoke.

Everything seemed to explode at once. The cult was forced to dig in, confronted by Shining's force, a hail of bullets and arrows raining on her followers. A fanatic took an arrow for her as she ducked inside, his body slumping at her feet while she took shelter and frantically opened the book to the page Sunset had read from when she sent the Smooze away.

She'd memorized the words, mumbled them over-and-over, and the text shimmered a little, but refused to fully respond. “Damn it! Come on...” She could hear her minions fighting back outside, being slaughtered! “No-no-no!”

She chanted the words some more. Turned to see Flurry Heart and Beatrix Belladonna rushed their way despite the warnings of the others, flying and bounding respectively over the downed bodies all over the scorched and bloodied battlefield. Finally the book reacted to her, the glow from its pages reflecting off her mask as she smiled.

“We've got you,” called Flurry as she and her sidekick dove at the entrance. The air shimmered and warped as it was torn apart by the spell, nowhere near on the level of Sunset's, but a portal opened wide, swallowing the pair who dove at Mother.

“No,” cried Shining from the distance as he watched his daughter vanish to who-knows-where.

“Beatrix,” cried Trixie who watched in horror as they disappeared. Worse still the momentary link between parallel worlds made it far easier for the Smooze to break back through, cracks sounded as it started to split the air, tendrils of slime leaking out. It fizzled and fume, rolling out, ignoring the cultists who tried to telekinetically direct it again, consuming whoever was near. The force-of-nature cared not about their petty war. All it knew was that its hunger was deep and boundless.

Bon Bon continued to snipe the mercenaries, heads exploding with satisfy pops into pink explosions, but she knew they were losing badly. They needed to do something drastic. “Head out,” she ordered taking command. She grabbed the weakened Sunset Shimmer, removed her sidearm, and pressed it to Shimmer's skull. “Back off or I paint the wall with her brains!”

Shining Armor grumbled, barely able to believe his eyes. Sunset was really alive? It seemed too good to be true. She was still quite beautiful despite what a terrible state she was in. “Halt,” he ordered uncertain of his next move.

The mechanized wagon pulled out at rapid speeds. “Bon Bon,” cried Lyra who telekinetically seized the rifle with her aura, Bon Bon struggling back for control. In the scuffle Sunset toppled from the caravan and rolled down the path, tumbling repeatedly with a cry as she was scuffed up into a bruised and bloodied mess. The machine rapidly sped out of view into the darkness.

Shining Armor recklessly leapt in, deftly avoiding the pools of slime, scooping Sunset up and placing her on his back before she could be swallowed. He retreated back to his companions, huffing. Splotches of blood and grime painted his battered armor. “Damn,” he cried when they were momentarily safe, slamming a hoof upon a wall which cracked a bit under the impact.

Redheart was instantly at his side, she and her medics already at work on the wounded. “Give her to me. Carefully.” He used his psychokinesis to lift Sunset's unconscious body, placed it on a blanket, and they made certain she was properly supported, carrying her back to the medical wing. He watched with a sad smile, praying she would somehow make it.

He tried not to crumple. He had to stay strong for his forces. But he and Trixie shared a haunted look, their daughters lost, and for what? He shut his eyes hard, unable to prevent a tear from leaking out. His last link with Cadance. Gone forever.

He considered their next move. There were only so many places they could go from here, most likely north. Would they use Sunburst and Starlight as hostages next? Well, he couldn't let that stop him. “Ready up. We'll pursue them to the ends of Equestria if necessary.” He meant it, too. All this horrendous nonsense because of a damned book.

Author's Notes:

Most of the surviving old crew's back together, but how long will it last?