A short time later the geode bearers stirred. Sunset rubbed her head. “Uh...what happened?” Her eyes tried to adjust. “Oh no...” She noticed Flash's unconscious form, head wrapped in bloody bandages, and stumbled over to him. Her eyes moistened. “I-I should've listened! It's all my fault...” She covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. She'd gambled that with his helps they'd unlock the power needed to save the city. But had they released something even worse than Tirek?

Twilight struggled to breathe when she approached the bloodied sheet. With a trembling hand, she slid it down, hyperventilating when she stared at Moondancer's corpse. “It-it's a sh-shared failure,” she mumbled. “One Moondancer paid for...” They had went along with the plan out of desperation, hoping it would pay off in the long-run. “I'm so sorry.”

Fluttershy touched her warm bosom. “Well, um, what happened to our geodes...?”

Chrysalis stretched wide before them, flesh obscured in a fashion which drew attention to her naughty bits. “They're part of you now!” She spun her sword and pirouetted with melodramatic laughter. “The experiment was a success!”

“Yeah, but like, at what cost? Sombra murdered Moondancer and almost killed Flash Sentry, too.” Tree Hugger shook her head, holding Flutters and stroking her hair. “I think Inky Rose, Pacific Glow, and for some reason Sunny took off with him. Uh, byt the way, Chrissy...you won't, like, turn on us now, will you? That would be totally uncool and stuff.”

“Hmm...” Chrysalis stroked her chin as if she seriously considered it for the first time. “Nah. I'd rather work with you all, for now. Don't worry. I'll warn you when our interests no longer align! No, I think this'll be way more fun!”

“Well, that's comforting.” Like the others Rarity struggled to take all this in. The demise of one of their own, another badly wounded, several allies who'd deserted them, not to mention the chaos outside. And now these changes to their bodies, too! “How do we activate the geodes now? I assume they're our only real hope against the forces of darkness.”

“Just concentrate and you should be able to unlock your full potential,” said Chrysalis with a wink.

The geode holders did as instructed, warm and power flooding throughout them, from their core to their extremities. They underwent a similar transformation as the Queen, amidst a swirl of neon hues, until they were also enshrouded in strategically-placed tribal-style tattoos over their unmentionables. They felt an unknown strength surge in them once it settled.

Pinkie Pie snickered. “Ooh, neat! Sexy, too!”

“Speak for yourself,” scoffed Rarity who stared down at her pretty much naked form. “Must we be naked?!”

“I'm afraid so,” mumbled Sunset who touched Flash's cheek. “I think clothes will interfere with the resonance...” At the moment all she could focus on was what to do next. “Let's head to the old portal, see if we can seek help from Equestria.”

Rainbow Dash ran down the basement stairs to meet them, her bare flesh similarly marked. “Hey! Guys! Uh-” Her excitement turned to dread when she saw Moondancer's remains, not to mention Sentry's wounded form. “Not the best time, huh?”

“You could say that,” said AJ who crossed her arms and shook her head. “I knew that snake would show his true colors!”

“We'll make Sombra pay,” swore Sunset who wiped her eyes on the back of her arm. She pursed her lips, not certain whether to be more enraged with him or herself. She focused on that anger, knowing the second she stopped it would turn to self-loathing, and that wouldn't help anyone. No, she needed to somehow set all this right. “Is everyone ready to move?”

“I need to bury Moondancer,” said Twilight. “We owe her that much. Besides, someone has to watch over Flash.”

Trixie squeezed her hand. “Trixie will help,” she offered.

“Me too. I'm not worth crap in a scrap anyhow,” admitted Hugs whose mind was still focused on the idea she may have damned the most important woman in the world to her. She tried not to think about, but the idea constantly ate at her.

“Count me in,” added Sonata who still feared she'd run into her sisters out in the wild. And that she'd fall under their spell.

“I'll leave my servants here too,” said Chrysalis. “As another concession to our alliance!”

“No phone service,” noted Hugs. “It's on the fritz.”

“I can rig us up some walkie-talkies,” said Twilight who continued to hover over the now clammy body. “Moondancer and I prepared them in case of an emergency like this. Of course, the further apart we are, the more likely they'll cut out. They can only function over a certain range, but I have a few backup generators here I can connect them to should we lose power.”

“You think of everything,” said Sunset who smiled and tried to hug her.

“Not everything,” she whispered sidling apart from her. “If I had, Moon would still be...” She wiped her glasses on a napkin, shooting a look to Flash. “Him, too. What if he never wakes up? Or if he's not the same anymore?”

Sunset frowned. “He'll be fine. He has to be.” She tried to convince herself it had to be so. The party of now mystically-infused warriors moved out, borrowing Flash's car, while a few stayed behind on watch with Spike. Sunset recovered her motorcycle which she'd tucked away in the garage and revved it up. Chrysalis took the wheel to Sentry's vehicle, while her friends piled in, and with Shimmer in the lead they set off into the bedlam outside, stars now twinkling amidst an extremely dark red sky.

Within mere hours monsters had started to carve out territories for themselves around the city. Renaming herself Nightmare Moon, a Luna now consumed by darkness had been transmuted into a voluptuous figure which rivaled her sister, naked save for ceremonial crescent moon-shaped armor which barely obscured her breasts and crotch, her posterior almost completely exposed. Her mane flowed unnaturally behind her silver tiara. She decided to make ESG HQ her new domain.

She'd stripped Celestia and Cadance, collared-and-chained them to a prop throne which she lounged upon, and would occasionally press a heel to one of their faces. Her shoes were open foot, and she wiggled her toes in their faces, keeping their leashes so short they were forced to kneel and crawl on all fours like animals to her. “Do you understand how I feel now?”

Cadance shook her head. “This isn't like you, Luna! You're not evil-” She yelped when a backhand laid into her, lip split when her head was knocked aside. She choked back a sob more from the situation than the pain.

Nightmare seized the curl at the end of her hair and yanked it so hard she yelped when she brought her face-to-face. “The name is Nightmare Moon now! Luna was weak! She's dead! And I'm relieved that's so! She was always in your shadows!”

Celestia clenched her teeth. “That's not true, sister! It's all in your head! Now leave her be!” She cried out when a lashed out foot connected with her face and sent her to the floor. She rubbed her bloodied nose, cursing whatever monstrous force had corrupted her sibling. “Cadance has nothing to do with this! It's me you want! Let her go!”

“No! You've always preferred each other! You wish she was your sister instead! She's so sickeningly sweet it makes me want to vomit! Let's see how nice she is once I put her through absolute hell for a few days!” A leather whip suddenly materialized in her fist, and she struck out, lashing Cadance across her bare back. She shrieked and winced. “Ooh, what lovely screams!”

“Stop-” Nightmare struck her sister too for daring to try and impede her. She stood and whipped them both, leaving marks across their backs, breasts, and buttocks, which wobbled under repeated strikes, painted in nasty red lines that in some cases dripped thin slivers of scarlet. She laughed while she worked, Cadance being the first to break into choking sobs and curl up into a fetal position, begging for mercy, while Celestia steeled herself despite her tears, determined not to ever break.

“Crawl on all fours like the bitch you are around my throne,” she commanded. Cadance whimpered and trembled, rising to her hands and knees, and reluctantly did as instructed, staring at the floor the entire time while fresh tears fell. Her bared breasts swung like pendulums while she slowly made the rounds, her denuded hips and buttocks swaying with them. “You too.”

When Celestia didn't respond she lashed Cadance hard twice, tearing a couple of skin strips from her back. She screamed and crumpled once more. “Now,” she demanded. “Or I'll strip the flesh from her breasts!” With a sigh Celestia did so, making a clockwise circle like Cadance around her. “Good little bitches,” she mocked, holding the whip's handle in her mouth while she landed a slap on each of their pert buttocks, squeezing them as a reminder that they were now her possessions.

Next she placed head dresses with horse ears upon their heads, and gaped their assholes wide, shoving buttplugs that terminated in horsetails up their assholes. She laughed when Celestia winced and Cadance whined. “Bet you never let your husband touch this hole, huh?” She blushed. “Oh, you did? Well, your ass is mine, now! Never forget that!”

There were a limited number of places Sombra considered suitable to make his lair. He settled on a Wax Museum located in the downtown area, not too far from one of the sections where the Shadow Dimensions once laid. Once he'd had to shift his shop often due to criminal investigations. The moralists of this petty little town were determined to stamp out all vice. But they'd never been able to tie him to anything serious; at worst he'd had to close up shop and pay the occasional fine.

Riots were underway when he and his small party broke in. They had passed looters, the occasional fire, people fighting, raping, and murdering, almost like everyone was on the verge of losing their minds. But one look at his demonic visage when he hissed at them and nobody dared confront them. The occultist stalked his way into the eerie gloom. Rows of colorful figures were propped up behind glass cases in rows with information about them on plaques below, most famous historical figures of note. Perhaps one day he too would be listed with them. If the world was still around after he finished with it.

Part of him was tempted to cross over to Equestria and test his newfound power here. But no, he still needed to build up his strength here, to bring this realm to heel. “Soon, all shall bow down and worship me.”

“Got to love the classics,” deadpanned Sunny who tried to lighten the mood. Even so she couldn't hold her cigarette steady.

Inky Rose leaned on Pacific Glow for support, struggling to walk after how violently their keeper had taken her. Her sore loins burned and despite her attempts to seem normal she would occasionally sniffle. “I'll be fine,” she assured her.

Pacific frowned. She was used to Inky looking after her, but for the moment, it seemed their roles had reversed. “He's always looked after us,” she assured her with a whisper. “He's like the father we never had! And you're like my sister!”

He made his way into an office. “This will do.” The museum was closed down for the season, with only the most basic utilities set to function, and if someone was unfortunate enough to come investigate, well, he'd be able to dispatch them rather easily now. His eyes drifted over all the old movie posters, mostly horror in nature, which adorned the walls.

Sunny finished her smoke and stamped it out. “So, what now?”

He settled into a chair at a dusty desk. “Time to break you all the way in. You swore to serve me no matter what, isn't that so, Inky Rose? Pacific Glow?” The pair nodded. “Strip her,” he commanded, and after the 'sisters' exchanged a look they reluctantly removed Sunny's clothes. She shivered but didn't resist when they peeled off all her garments.

He drank in her curves. She seemed just a smidge softer and shapelier than the 'real' Sunset; perhaps because she didn't bother to take care of herself much. “Now, hold her in place. It's time for her baptism.” They gulped but held her arms.

“H-hey now,” she muttered when he stood, unwrapped the sash to his robe, and let it fall away, standing naked before her. He knelt, grabbed her by the ankles, and lifted up her legs, spreading them wide open. Unlike her counterpart she didn't bother to shave her carpet much either, her crotch decorated by wild, fiery forest. She shivered when he placed his horsecock on her slit.

His gazed bored into her own. “You want my dick, don't you?” He rubbed himself over her moistening vulva. “You want me to bury this deep and claim you as my own.” She wasn't certain what possessed her, but she found herself unable to break his hypnotic stare, nodding and then whimpering when he sank his flared tip cervix-deep into her cunt. She whined when he started to move, a small bulge poking out from her distended abdomen, flushing when he added her to his harem of sex slaves.

“Mash her tits together,” he demanded and with their free hands his followers obeyed. He leaned forward, took both of Sunny's erect nipples into his mouth, and tugged on them while he continued to spear her. She panted and her glazed-over eyes crossed. Could he control any woman attracted to him? Dominate their will and make them completely subservient to him?

He emptied his first spray into her, then pulled out, taking aim and splattering her face, her titties, and her belly. When he finished he wiped the last specks on the ring of her butthole, slowly tracing it to tease her. She looked at him dully, stupefied with bliss. He had her. “Drop her,” he said and the trio let her fall to the floor with a thud, awash in his spunk. “Now for you two.” He needed to remind them he owned them. That they were his property to do with whatsoever he wished.

“D-don't hurt her,” said Pacific with a trembling lip as if she noticed for the first time how dangerous he was.

He backhanded her. “Pacific,” cried Inky who ran to her blubbering sister's side. “Stop this!” She stared back at him with her lips drawn. “Didn't you promise to take care of us? That if we served you, you'd always look after us?”

“I will. So long as you're valuable to me, I'll continue to make use of you.” For a moment a glint of regret was visible on his face but he quickly crushed it. Isn't this what we always wanted? The possibility of absolute power? He couldn't afford to surrender to sentiment. No, better to stamp it out now, even if it meant losing the affection of the only two who'd ever truly cared about him. “You're nothing but pawns to me. Like you've always been. This is what I want you to do...”

“Damn it,” cried Sunset when she kicked the statue where the portal to Equestria was located. Even with aid from Twilight's old machine it refused to activate. Nor was there any reply each time she wrote into her diary. It's like whenever the bubble formed around the city it had cut them off. She started to bawl in frustration with clenched fists. “Stupid, useless piece of-”

“Cool it,” said Rainbow who seized her from behind, for once the voice of reason. While they could switch between their usual attire and these tribal tattoos on the fly, they decided to walk around in the latter in case they were attacked. Normally they would have stuck to their civvies in fear they would draw attention, but with the chaos underway it hardly seemed to matter.

“S-so,” said Fluttershy who struggled not to cover up her nakedness. “Um, what now?” She looked around Canterlot Academy's lawn which had been built upon the torn-down Canterlot High. Celestia and Luna had made their students their personal projects and had been directing them behind the scenes until it came time to graduate from college.

“I don't know,” muttered Sunset in defeat when she slid down the statue's base and landed on her bottom in the grass. What had possessed her to make an alliance with one of their worst enemies? She tried to tell herself it wasn't her fault, but her stomach turned whenever she looked around her, and she covered her face with both hands while she sobbed.

Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, dear. It will be okay. Somehow...” Crickets sounded and a soft breeze tickled their bare skin. It was unusually peaceful here. At least, until a motorcycle suddenly whipped by with a roar.

Pinkie's eyes turned to saucers. “What the heck was that?! It seemed like a modern day knight?!”

At this moment Sunset didn't really care. She needed to blow off steam and somehow make amends for this disaster. She ran to her bike, straddled it, and sped off, oblivious to the words of her friends. Wind whipped her hair around her when she climbed to top speed, until she gained on the headless rider, who sped down the asphalt with helmet in one of his armored hands.

Moonlight reflected off the ceremonial armor which had supernaturally hardened yet remained light. She'd had her ride modified to illegal levels, but had never dared push it this far before. They raced side-by-side. She should have been terrified. One slip and she could wipe out and be shredded up. Maybe she had a death wish after all? No, she needed to do this!

He suddenly swerved into her and she nearly spun out. Tires screeched when she was forced to pull to a sudden stop, almost thrown from her bike, and he circled her like a shark, letting loose his head which suddenly floated beside her. (Sinner.)

She heard the words telepathically cast in her head. The voice was distorted, almost machine-like, but she heard something familiar in it. “Shining Armor?!” He skidded to a stop, and his suit of metal clanked when he hopped off the cop motorcycle, his modern day steed. “St-stay back.” She suddenly wished she had an offensive power like most of her friends.

He could sense the 'evil' within people and dedicated himself to hunting them down. Even his fellow officers hadn't been spared his self-righteous wrath. However he'd hesitated to cull Cadance. Not because they had been married. No, he'd sensed the almost impossible purity of her innocent heart, and spared her, convinced she was perhaps the most noble person in the city.

But there was a darkness in this one. She'd been spiritually reborn better, but the sins would not be so easily forgotten, no matter how long she lived. All he could see was the she-demon that once lived in her heart.

At her will a bow-and-arrow manifested in her hands. She knocked back a shaft, took aim, and fired. A thud sounded when it slammed into his shiny carapace. He rocked a little but continued forward. She drew another from her quiver, and unleashed it, this one passing straight through to little effect. “Damn it!” She backed up and readied another, while he drew his sheathed sword with a ring, raising it when he prepared to sever her head from its body. “Wait, that's it!”

She channeled energy from her geode, her neon tattoos glowing with a low hum when they resonated with her, and arrowhead took on a white blaze. She loosed it upon the helmet. A metallic scream sounded when it caught aflame. The metal cooked and melted, and the suit of armor collapsed, the ghost of Shining Armor purified and put to an overdue rest. Crackles sounded while his entirety caught ablaze. She huffed and collapsed to her knees with her bow lowered. “Is it...over...?”

No. He was the first of many. Such monsters had been sighted all-across the once quiet town. She was convinced it was their responsibility to hunt them down. Would this have happened anyway due to Tirek's ritual? Perhaps not on this scale. She banished her arsenal for the moment, returned to her motorcycle, and headed back to her companions.

Author's Notes:

Sorry if this seems a bit rushed, wanted to get another chapter out since I may not be able to work on anything for a couple of days!