The brewing storm increased in intensity over time. Drawing on Sunny's strength, the she-demon summoned the dead which littered the torn city, and the cadavers touched by the red tears slowly rose. Little more than aimless revenants, they hunted for the living, almost aimless in their slow but tireless pursuit. Undead officers and civilians roamed the streets.

When their destination was reached Sombra ditched the bicylcle. He carried Tirek's head with him, dripping crimson which drenched his black robes. The roads were slick and he'd almost lost control a number of times. “To think I'd be reduced so far...again. Hardly suitable for a would-be conqueror.” He'd once proclaimed himself the most evil man in the world. A title that was almost a pet name to Inky and Pacific. That was, until he'd tried his hardest to live up to his self-proclaimed destiny.

Shielding his eyes, he headed in the direction Tirek had told him to, seeing a muscular black steed rise. Arrows were still embedded in Onyx who snorted and stared ahead with cold, blank eyes. “You can tame the beast,” stated Tirek who'd fully recovered his voice from drinking sweet nectar falling from the heavens. He'd healed his wounds but couldn't reclaim his body.

Forced to rely on the warlock for aid, they were two of the last standing, both determined to reach the source of this hellish atmosphere and claim its power. Sombra stared down the obsidian mass before him. Its forehoof traced the ground, ready to charge. He met its stare coolly. “Heel,” he commanded, and after a few moments, the twisted beast obeyed.

He hopped onto the steed and mounted it. “Yes,” he whispered as the horse trotted under a tree for shelter from the rain. “This is much better!” He laughed, leaves and limbs twisting overhead, buffeted by a torrent of wind.

“Tie me to the back,” requested Tirek and with a shrug the occultist did so with a leather strap he'd found. “The storm has already started to die down,” he observed. “We should be safe to travel soon.” While Sombra was distracted, his neck subtly embedded itself to the horse, starting to merge with it. His strength returned, and with it, a chance to finish what he'd started.

“Lead me to the source,” demanded Sombra, and once the worst of the weather abated, Tirek did so. They rode off at speeds that no normal horse could have matched, Onyx still retaining some of the nightmarish essence Nightmare Moon had filled him with, and they hurried onward, past the rows of undead which now started to wander the wastes of a once thriving town.

Finding an unoccupied office, Sunset took Flash's hand as they slipped away. Her friends were busy talking and readjusting to life. Could she really call them friends anymore? She wasn't certain whether some of them would ever forgive her. She'd seen three of her close companions sacrifice themselves to help her put this right. It was another reminder of her own mortality.

Worse still, unable to give them a proper burial at the moment, she'd wrapped them in shrouds and tucked them away in a supply room. She slid a finger under her collar and traced the red scar where her head had been separated from her torso.

Pushing him against a wall, she peppered him in hungry kisses, all over his face, lips, necks, and well-toned chest when she practically tore his shirt open. He blinked a few times but grinned. “It's like the first time you made love to me.”

Tossing his top off, she trailed more smacks down his six-pack, impatiently undoing the button and zipper to his jeans. “We didn't make love. We fucked.” She slid his pants down to his ankles. “Huh. Briefs today. I expected boxers.” She shrugged and yanked those down too, admiring his half-erect cock which she pressed her mouth to. “I was such a bad girl back then.”

“I loved it,” he admitted tentatively placing a hand on her head. When she didn't resist, he ran his fingers through her hair, shuddering with a low moan when she took him into her mouth. Willing her geode tattoos away to further tantalize him, she was soon completely denuded, his dick now fully hardened while she sunk all the way to the base.

They'd certainly had a lot of practice. “You're sexier than ever in this angelic form.”

She popped off to speak, drenched with saliva strings that attached them. “Angel outside the bedroom...devil within it.” She wanted to slap herself for letting such corny pillow talk slip out, but thankfully it seemed to amuse him if his dopey smirk was any indication. She stared into his eyes while she serviced him, enjoying the way his face twisted in appreciation.

“Why did we ever break up?”

“Because I used you,” she reminded him pulling back only for a moment before she resumed her service.

“Maybe I like being used. At least, if it's by a beautiful woman like you.” He was laying on the charm thick. Just like she'd taught him all those years ago. Thankfully, she rather liked it. They'd become quite endeared to each other's quirks; even the ones that would irritate most. “I was just some awkward nobody, until you showed me how to make a woman happy.”

“How to score chicks, you mean.” She winked and traced his veiny length like she was busy trying to clean a melting ice crema cone. A low moan escaped when she licked the precum beaded on his tip. “Now, now, don't lose it yet.” She rubbed the side of his cock upon her cheek in a loving manner. “It's about to get much better!” She whistled loudly.

The door opened with a mild creak, and in strolled Trixie and Sonata, who'd already stripped down to sheer lingerie that matched their color schemes. “Sunset said she could use a hand. Or a few. And Trixie is happy to help!”

Sonata sucked in a lollipop and drank in his naked body. “Oooh, he's even cuter this way!” She smacked and groped a muscular buttock, and he smiled nervously, watching the newcomers remove their bras, then step out of their panties.

“Is it really okay?” He fantasized about things like this a number of times, had some threesomes with Sunset and Twilight, but he certainly didn't want any hurt feelings or jealousy between them. His lover helped him remove the remnants of his clothes around his ankles when he kicked them and his shoes off. Soon he too stood completely bare as the trio kneeled before him.

“Shut up and enjoy it,” ordered Sunset in that old commanding tone she'd once held. But now there was a sly playfulness to it.

She continued to suckle his head, tracing her tongue around it, while Trixie and Sonata lapped down the sides, pressing their lips so tight the pair kissed around his rod. He thrust forward into Shimmer's throat, while taking handfuls of hair from her friends and guiding them. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind the hands-on approach, either!

Sometimes Sunset would tap one of them on the back, and they'd switch places with her, gorging themselves on his meat with similar enthusiasm. Of course Trixie seemed to like teasing him more, taking her time and denying him at points, while Sonata attacked him like a starved wolf, since Adagio had never allowed her or Aria to have a boyfriend all their lives.

“Such a shame I can't keep you,” said Sonata who breathed in the masculine scent of his crotch.

Trixie cupped his balls and playfully rolled them in her palm. “We could always do this again? Assuming we survive this.” She took one of his testicles into her maw, sucking and pulling on it. They could die or be turned into monsters at any time. So why hold back anymore? Might as well indulge in hedonism, not that she'd ever held back much from that before!

While they took turns working him over, he reached down to fondle their breasts, squishing glands and lumps of soft fat between his digits. Sonata's rack dwarfed even Sunset's sizable mounds by some distance, while Trixie's were smaller but still a nice handful. He pinched and twisted their nipples, drawing circles around their areolas.

When it was Sonata's turn she bumped aside Lulamoon with a wide hip, staring up at him with those innocent, puppy-dog eyes that Adagio had made certain she'd mastered early on. After all, she didn't have the brains or might of her older siblings, so she'd taken a different route. She submitted to him willingly, as was the nature of the sirens when mating with a male.

But unlike so many that had abused her kind she sensed he was trustworthy. Almost to a fault. She drew back, her sweaty udders heaving. “You don't have to hold back with me! Want to grab my ponytail and skullfuck my face like I'm a living fleshlight?!” She managed to almost make it sound innocent, and after a moment's hesitation he rammed himself down her gullet.

Doing as she'd instructed, he took control, roughly using her. He still studied her eyes for signs of discomfort, never having been too comfortable with this sort of violent domination, but her face twisted in absolute rapture while he yanked and twisted her hair so hard the ribbon holding it snapped. He grunted an thrust his hips, sinking all the way in, muscular buttocks shaking each time he brutally pounded her. They lost themselves in the moment, Dusk's snatch drooling a puddle where she squatted.

“C-can Trixie drink from you? I don't need much,” she admitted.

“Sure. I think Flash will appreciate the show,” teased Sunset with a smirk.

With her fangs extended, Trixie sunk them into one of Sunset's tits, clamping down and slurping like she could nurse milk from her. Shimmer's face went almost as red as her hair, the duo leaking down their inner thighs while Trixie nipped at her nipple, flicking it with her tongue. “Oh Celestia,” she cried without thinking, rubbing her free tit and fingering her tight snatch.

Trixie cupped her prey's buttocks, spanking and smooshing them between her greedy fingers. She turned so that Shimmer's backside was visible to Sentry while he continued to slam Dusk's mouth, purposefully spreading open Sunset's cheeks to show off her puckered pink butthole. He tensed up, easing his hold on the Dazzling. “I-I'm about to-!”

Breaking free of her small feast, Trixie and Sunset were immediately back to kneel before him like she'd told them to once he lost it, opening their mouths wide and sticking out their tongues. He jerked himself off to completion and took aim, dousing each of them with at least a couple spurts of his seed, unloading first on Sonata, then on Trixie, and finishing with his beloved Sunset.

Giving each of them a facial, and painting their tongues white, he squeezed out the last drops, which the trio took turns licking from his cum-beaded penishead. They made out before him, swapping his splooge between them and licking it off one-another's faces. He smiled dumbly, not certain what he'd ever done to deserve such a wonderful woman. “Th-thanks.”

Sunset wiped spunk caked between her lashes and licked it from her fingertips. “Hey, I always wanted to try this, too!”

“It was nice. Trixie is pleased!” She swallowed down the last of his load.

Sonata was still playing with hers, gargling and swishing it about like it was mouthwash, loving the way it clung to her gums and embedded itself between her teeth. To her it was even tastier than blood, something she'd longed to try all her life, simply to be denied release by her oldest sister. She continued to chew-and-chew until she'd regrettably dissolved his cumshot.

Collapsing into a pile, the foursome relaxed, sated and sleepy. Sunset could almost forget the nightmare around them, one she'd have to face anew tomorrow. She'd wanted to visit Adagio's, Aria's, and Inky's soul jars with Sonata, but when Twilight had glared at her she'd backed down from the request. She held them all close, especially Sonata, who acted like she'd bounced back from the loss of her sisters, but there was no doubt she was still in incredible pain. She'd have to look after her now.

At the same time Rarity and Rainbow Dash attempted to readjust after their absence. Having fallen a bit out of practice, they sparred with Applejack and Pinkie Pie respectively in another wing of the museum. They called upon their geode powers, summoned up a variety of weapons from all-around them, and experimented with abilities they'd barely had a chance to use.

“A shame some scars shall always remain,” remarked rarity who raised a barrier to deflect one of AJ's kicks.

“Count on you to be worryin' 'bout your looks at a time like this,” said AJ who punched so hard she almost shattered the translucent shield, her opponent tossed backwards from the shove wave of the impact and landed on her tush.

“Not what I meant dear,” she replied sharply while she rubbed at her red sit spots. “Although it is admittedly an inconvenience.” She studied the doll-like joints visible all over her. They were almost attractive, in an exotic kind of way.

AJ offered a hand which she took, helping her up. “Glad to have you back, sugarcube. You too, Dash.”

“You think a minor inconvenience like death would keep me down?” Rainbow laughed and tried to play it off, but she couldn't deny how scared she'd been, trapped in that cold and lonely space. She wasn't certain what to think knowing that Adagio and Aria, their murderers, had somehow turned around and sacrificed their lives to revive them.

She summoned up a javelin, tossing it butt-first at Pinkie, who skipped out of the way. With a snort she flicked a few coins back at Dash, who barely evaded a series of small explosions. Smoke hung in the air. “Oops, better be careful or I might set off the sprinklers!” She stamped out tiny fires, puffs of curls trailing while Dash whipped around her at high speeds.

“It's unfortunate the others aren't here to train with us,” noted Rarity who made delicate patterns before her.

“You know how Fluttershy is about this sort of thing. Besides, what's she gonna do, summon a bunch of animals to attack us?” Rainbow couldn't help but laugh, but she knew if Spike and the sphinx rushed to her aid they'd be quite deadly.

“Twilight's preoccupied with her research as usual,” stated Rarity who wove an art piece before her that depicted all their closest friends. “And as for Sunset...well...” She wasn't certain who was most to blame for their current predicament. She decided Tirek and Sombra took the bulk of it. “We should ask her to come. Aren't we supposed to be about second chances?”

AJ folded strong arms decorated in freckles, the light from her geode markings casting an alluring glow across her flesh that brought out her tan lines. “Even so.... She's been actin' rather rash and selfish as of late! Just like when the Dazzlings meddled with her last time! She's been makin' decisions without us, and if she's not a team player then I can't trust her!”

“Eh...” Pinkie shrugged. “All water under the bridge? We could use her help, and besides, she's in pain, too! Can't be easy to lose so many of her friends at once! Adagio, Aria, Pacific, Inky, Wallflower...” She counted them on her fingers with a frown.

“Poor Wallflower...we hardly knew her.” Rarity pursed her lips.

Rainbow thought it over. “Sunset did help save us. Plus, most of us did go along with her plan, so it's kinda our fault too. And she is still trying to set all this right, isn't she? What the heck, I say we let her back into the fold!”

“Okay,” said Applejack. “But I reckon Twilight won't like it.” She tapped her collar. “Sunset, ya busy?”

A moment passed before Sunset replied, “Nope. Um, what's the matter?” Her voice was strained after her little love-making session, and she tried to hide the huff in her strained breaths. “We're not under attack I hope?”

“Nah, nothin' like that. Meet us in the south wing when you can. Er, over.” She clicked off the collar. “And now, we wait.”

“Let's switch partners,” said Pinkie who lined up before Rarity. Applejack and Rainbow nodded as they faced each other down, ready to test speed and nimbleness versus strength and durability. “Time to see how big an a boom those shields can take, huh?” Already the cowgirl had summoned up her lasso which the athlete struggled to weave between whenever it looped.

Sparring over several minutes, Sunset finally arrived, fluffling her still messy hair to look presentable. “So, what's up?” She crossed her arms defensively. “I'm relieved you're all okay. I was worried you'd be lost forever.”

“We are rather fortunate,” said Rarity.

“Us too!” Pinkie beamed. “Chrysalis could've gotten us killed!” Thankfully she and AJ couldn't remember what they'd done under the Queen's instructions. They'd slain quite a number of Somnambula's slaves while under Chrissy's control.

Dash smirked, a hand on a slender hip. “Wanna train with us? It would help us switch it up!”

Sunset returned her smile. “Sure, but won't I make the odds rather uneven?”

“Nah, I can handle two at once!” She spun a spear with one arm at her side. “Besides, you don't have an offensive power!”

The cursed blade appeared in Sunset's hand and the blade erupted with a spectral white blaze. “Don't count on that.” It was a constant reminder of what happened to Shining Armor, and her own brush with mortality. “Careful now. I don't want to do any permanent harm. Ready, AJ?” She helped the cowgirl flank their would-be challenger between them.

Applejack's expression softened. “Why not?” Her muscles tensed as she spun her lasso. “Time to put up or shut up, Dashie!”

Despite her second thoughts, Rainbow's pride wouldn't let her back down. “Bring it on!”

A renewed battle broke out between the geode bearers. They'd need to be in tip-top shape when it came time to face Sunny, Sombra, Tirek, and whatever else might await them. Thus they pushed themselves to their limits, experimenting more with their powers and training with a variety of weapons until they'd worked themselves to almost complete exhaustion.

No matter how many times Twilight Sparkle experimented with the soul jars she'd made no progress. Whatever dark magic entombed the souls inside was beyond them. She was aided by Moondancer who still seemed rather delirious at times. They'd converted a spacious room into a makeshift laboratory, the relics laid out on a table she'd dusted before them.

A part of her thought its what Adagio and Aria deserved after all the suffering they caused. She'd lost her big brother forever, not to mention all the other damage they'd caused here, not to mention back in Equestria. But it seemed too far for Inky, who'd simply made some bad choices and been mislead. Plus, she was admittedly led by her own curiosity in this endeavor.

She summoned up a lab coat from her bag, and her glasses, but otherwise didn't bother with clothes since the tattoos obscured her unmentionables well enough. She felt comfortable this way, and after so many photo sessions for the ESG, she'd become rather proud of her body, too. Her eyes trailed over the fancy marks on the urns. “What do you think?”

“They're similar to canopi jars.” Moondancer adjusted glasses which tended to tilt sideways on her nose.

“I've read about them. I believe they sometimes contained mummified organs?” Twilight tried to keep her friend's mind working, worried she'd flash back to her final moments again. Better to keep her distracted so that she could help her get through this. She noticed her shaking, and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

“Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.” It came out a little more bitter than intended. With a sniffle she tapped her collar. “Tree Hugger, you there? Sorry to drop in unannounced, but we could use your help. We're in section 11A.”

“Gotcha, chickadee. Mind if Fluttershy comes too? Don't want my babe to spend her night alone.”

“Sure, that's fine.” She switched channels with a couple of taps. “Luna, can you meet us here at 11A? I've been told you maintain some of the...black arts. Perhaps they can help us crack this. Feel free to take Celestia and Cadance with you.”

“Certainly. Whatever I can do to help,” she replied despite her hesitation to use such forbidden powers.

A short time later they arrived. Tree Hugger clasped the soul jars, and closed her eyes, sensing the vibes within. But all she found was the same cold, lonely void which Sunset had sensed, and nearly passed out, overwhelmed. Luna took the next crack, but discovered no matter how much power she channeled into the urns they appeared to be indestructible.

“No progress.” Twilight chewed on a pen in frustration.

“Better to let the dead rest,” said Tree. “But it's a terrible fate for anyone. Wouldn't wish it even on Sombra.”

“I would.” Moondancer clenched her teeth. “That monster deserves to die horribly.”

Fluttershy squeezed her lover's hand. “I'm certain you did all you could.”

“These things take time,” reminded Celestia. “You can't rush it. Perhaps after this is all over?”

“Sorry. I hardly understand these abilities myself.” Luna turned to Cadance who seemed to be in her own world. Perhaps she ruminated over all that had happened to her. “Cadance?” She took a tentative step forward. “Are you okay?”

“As well as can be under the circumstances,” she admitted. “Shining Armor was my world. I'm not sure how to move forward without him.” She took Luna's hands and swallowed. “Listen. What happened wasn't your fault. It easily could have been Celestia or I in your place. But the fact that you overcame your transformation speaks well of you.”

Luna lowered her head and wept. It would be easier if she despised her. “No, my weakness led to this! What I did can never be taken back!” She sunk down and covered her face with both hands, simply to be caught by Cadance who hugged her.

“We'll work through all this together,” assured Celestia who embraced the pair. “We'd better get some sleep soon.”

“Yes, we'll all have clearer heads after some rest.” Cadance helped Luna to her feet.

Twilight sunk both hands into a lab coat. “Thanks for trying. All of you.” Maybe she just didn't want to feel useless. She'd been out of action for quite some time. She floated her equipment with telekinesis and packed it all away for later. Of course maybe it wouldn't matter if their team would soon seek out the tear which connected this world and what seemed to be Tartarus.

A part of her wanted to apologize to Sunset, but it still felt too soon. It was obvious Flash was torn between them, but he'd made his loyalties clear, even if that hadn't been his intention. Well, he'd always had trouble differentiating her from her counterpart in Equestria, anyhow. While she knew he didn't mean anything bad by it, she'd been a replacement for what he really wanted.

She sat by Moondancer and took her hand. “A silly schoolgirl crush,” she mumbled to herself. “That's all.” Her old friend squeezed back, thankful for another chance at life. Once she was certain they were finally alone, Moondancer planted a small peck on her lips. Twilight simply smiled and brushed her messy hair, unable to deny she was rather cute.

Uncertain whether she was ready for another full-on relationship, she decided to merely let things fall into place for now.