While she couldn't provide any proof, Spike wisely trusted Somnambula's vision of disaster, and made Ember sound the horn to abruptly end the ritual orgy. There were cries of disappointment all over, but he stilled them with a wave of his claws, summoning up his followers to address them. Thankfully the dragonesses, Twilight, Sunset, and Shining Armor moved to support him. “Ahem! Sorry to cut this short, but we have reason to believe the Eldritch are on the move in this direction!”

“Now don't panic,” called Sunset when she saw several pale or shrink like they wanted to hide. “We don't know for certain, but better to play it safe. We can bunker down here and fortify our defenses. Isn't that right, Twilight?”

“Yes,” she assured stepping forward. “Remember, we have three dragons here, plus a number of powerful mages and warriors!” She tried to assure them and herself, reminded that they'd somehow survived worse disasters.

“Have faith in the Dragon Lord,” said Shining whose white armor and sword had quickly been retrieved and placed on him by Trixie, making him look like the noble knight his parents always wished him to be. She stood close by and smiled with a wink, supporting him. “He's taken care of you so far, hasn't he? Without him we wouldn't be here, either!”

Finally Fancy stepped up, still fumbling with his suit. He'd hastily redressed too to appear more dignified and his wife helped him into his crumpled suit. “Yes, I do believe Spike can uphold his claims. He took us in when he easily could have abandoned us.” He pulled Fleur close by the waist. “We have more than enough resources here to endure an extensive siege.”

Fleur nuzzled his snout, posing on him without bothering with a stitch of clothing. She maneuvered herself so that his hand brushed over her posterior, still addled with lust by pheromones she'd breathed in from the plants.

However she was left to whine in disappointment when he gently rebuffed her, knowing his organizational skills would be needed. “Perhaps this will perk you up, darling?” Rarity carried over the stylized halberd, its pole now lined in runes. “I hope you don't mind, but it didn't need much modification, so Sweetie and I took the liberty of enhancing it!”

“Um, what she said! Look, it's glowing!” Sweetie Belle squeaked in delight at their latest masterpiece.

“Wonderful,” observed Fleur who took it, stepped away, and spun it with both arms which left a white trail in the air.

Knowing there was no time to waste, Rarity and Sweetie headed off to enchant and craft more runes, which would be fitted into the weapons and armor Ember and Smolder forged in the volcano's heart. Fancy and Fleur helped direct the noncombatants, Twilight and Sunset prepared magical defenses, and Limestone went to inform the Diamond Dogs not here.

“Don't mess around,” warned Trixie who took Shining's arm. “Trixie didn't find you just to lose you!”

“No worries. I can't leave you until our daughter's born,” he said with a cheeky smile while drawing her close.

Octavia retrieved her instrument from its case and played a soothing tune to calm the more troubled bystanders. Vinyl shot her a sad smile, wishing she could play too, but most of the necessary equipment she needed was long trashed. Instead she danced alongside Pacific Glow, figuring at the least maybe they could help boost morale.

“Bah. Maybe I should have taken up potion-making like Apple Bloom,” muttered Diamond Tiara with a pout.

“We all have our roles to play,” assured Somnambula. “Your time to shine will surely come.”

“Just soak in the vibes and relax,” said Tree Hugger who lounged next to Fluttershy. “We'll make it through this.”

Inky started to say something but shut her mouth, aware negativity wouldn't help. But without Sombra around she couldn't help but have her doubts. “I can scout ahead, check and see if the Eldritch are anywhere nearby.”

Somnambula shook her head. “Too dangerous.”

“I'm swift,” she reminded her.

“I know you wish to feel useful, and perhaps even hope you'll somehow find Sombra out there waiting despite all odds, but he wouldn't wish his favorite lover to place herself at risk.” The priestess wrapped an arm around Inky's shoulder.

“I-I suppose not,” said Inky who swallowed her frustration and anxiety the best she could.

Catching her eye a ways further in, Spike smiled at the goth mare who ignored him. He frowned but shrugged it off, having much bigger concerns. Sombra was an old enemy so it made sense his consort would loathe him, too. And while its true he'd had Twilight and Sunset attempt to track the magical signatures of Sombra and Beatrix, he was almost glad the former had vanished. Only concern for the latter's whereabouts kept him from completely hoping the former tyrant was dead.

“You're far from home,” practically purred Adagio. She and her sisters were no longer singing, the alien harmonics of thee Eldritch now cast into the heads of their prey, left to loop and eventually drive them insane. They writhed helpless on the seaweed-covered rocks, silverfish skittering over the crags. “Wallflower Blush, wasn't it?”

“St-stop,” cried Blush as waves lapped around them.

“Why should we, shrimp? You're nothing but a meal to us,” snapped Aria who flicked her nose.

“A little thin,” noted Sonata. “But this one's plumper!” She nodded at Bellatrix Primadonna.

“Mmm. Now how to divvy them up,” said Adagio who caressed her chin. “We can take our time with these two. Pick them clean at our leisure.” Gradually she traced her nail between Blush's small but pert freckled breasts, which spilled into the open when she tore the fabric. Lower she teased, dividing her clothes to reveal her tight vulva. “Now, who to start with?”

“She's more of an appetizer,” said Aria who was similarly slender, but with wiry muscles.

“Isn't this one important to the Eldritch, though?” Sonata prodded at the succubus with pokes to her stomach. The youngest siren was also the most voluptuous of the three, her assets brazenly bared and soaked in seawater.

While the eldest sister wasn't quite as shapely, Adagio far surpassed their middle sibling, boldly flaunting herself with a lazy swish of her tail. “They gave us free reign of the ocean. It's not our fault Bellatrix was dumb enough to wander into our territory. Let's start with her, shall we? We'll save the stringy piece-of-meat for dessert.” She slowly licked her chops.

“She sure has fat in all the right places!” Sonata giggled, squeezing a tit and buttock on the she-devil.

“Duh. She's a demon of lust,” reminded Aria with a roll of her eyes. “Shame we can't keep her as a pet.”

“Too dangerous. She could get the upper hand and turn on us,” said Adagio. “Why don't we experiment with the enhancements the Eldritch provided a little? It's been a while since we've dined on something finer than the dregs of the ocean.”

“Yeah, I'm sick of being a bottom-feeder.” Aria spat to one side.

Sonata flashed her teeth. “Being so scrawny sure makes you pissy! You sure someone so flat can call herself a siren?”

Silence you two,” warned Adagio who cut them short before their usual squabbling. “Start on her wings. And make it slow.” She slid between Primadonna's thighs which she spread, extending her elongated tongue and probing the she-devil's slit.

All the while Primadonna had been attempting to shape-shift, but her flesh refused to respond, like her new partner reduced to a quivering mass. “The-the Eldritch still need me,” she managed to cry out. Not that anyone of them seemed to care, their leader fishing out her insides experimentally, while her sidekicks pulled her wings fully taut.

Teeth sank into the membranes on both sides. Blood gushed between their chompers, munching and crunching sounding as they stretched and ripped the leathery flesh. While the demon was used to enduring lots of pain, she still screamed, Sonata and Aria messily chewing down to the bone. They slurped chunks down, runny gore streaming down their lips and chins.

Crimson ran down Wallflower's lower lip once she bit into it. Unlike the demon she was used to being patient, to focusing while on the hunt, shutting out all else; which allowed her to momentarily drive out the voices in her skull. In a zen-like state she rose, plucked up one of her scattered arrows, and jammed its head into the side of Adagio's neck in a spurt of scarlet.

“Sister,” cried Sonata who turned wide-eyed.

“How dare you,” snarled Aria who flashed claw-like nails.

Yet Bellatrix rose, trying and failing to flex her skeletal wings. “You ruined my perfect looks, you filthy whores!” Her yellow eyes glowed and she charged at them. Sonata yelped and shrank away, while Aria returned her hateful glare and took a combative stance. However Adagio broke the shaft, clutching the bleeding wound, and shook her head, deciding that for once discretion was the better part of valor. She hastily dove into the waters, and after a moment her sisters followed.

Wallflower grabbed the demon's wrist. “L-let them go.” She shook her cloudy head. “They'd have the advantage, anyhow.”

Bellatrix inhaled deeply and relaxed her predatory poise. “I suppose it is their home turf. But my poor wings,” she whined caressing them with an exaggerated pout. At her mental command, the skeletal remains collapsed inside her back, the wounded flesh partially closing over. “My sister used to have this wonderful healing elixir from Sunburst that could-”

“Sister? You're full of surprises,” admitted Blush.

Wincing when she pinned the bony wings to her slender back, Primadonna stared into the murky depths. “You have no idea. Every kind of horror you can imagine lurked in the labyrinthine Necronomicon. Those sirens are small fry in comparison!”

“I almost feel sorry for them. Like Chrysalis, they threw away their dignity to survive.”

“Sombra was right. The Eldritch really are desperate if they're turning to every petty villain for support. Wouldn't be surprised if there's merely a few thousand of them left!” She cackled. “Serves them right after what's happened to me!”

“Whatever the case is, we'd better beat it. Then again, now that you can't fly, this could be a problem...” She ran a hand through her messy hair, considering. “Can you make new wings? You know, shapeshift replacements?”

“Afraid not. Can't alter my mass too much, and those suckers were pretty huge at their full span!”

“I see, whatever you summoned up probably wouldn't even be fit for gliding.”

Shrugging, Bellatrix morphed her lower half into a mermaid-like form. Like the sirens gills shuddered on her belly's side. “It's going to sting like a bitch when my raw skin touches saltwater,” she complained rubbing the torn flesh around her shoulder blades. “And there's a chance those three might try and attack again, but if they do they'll regret it!”

“Hopefully they won't.” Wallflower looked to the dried blood Adagio had left splattered on the stones. She took a moment to test her plume, then sailed off back towards the beach, the devil following close behind.

It would be a long swim back, but Bellatrix happily splashed, despite the sting of her wounds, taking to the water rather quickly. They raced back towards the relative safety of the beach, grateful this portion of their adventure was finally over.

Everyone raced about in preparation for the coming attack. It struck in mere hours, the Badlands rumbling when he Eldritch's machines tore across them, carving up the earth and leaving molten lava to leak about. Dozens of undead dragons enhanced by cybernetics made their advance, powered by blood siphoned from their ritually sacrificed victims.

And at their head was the largest of all, the former Dragon Lord, once the most physically powerful force in all of Equestria. The Eldritch had been losing badly at the height of the war, scores of them falling while they tried to take control of their opponents with mental attacks; until they'd changed strategies, instead their legions focusing on him, driving the ancient drake to insanity. It had been an absolute bloodbath when he turned on his allies, scorching them to charred husks in an instant, ripping them apart with his claws, swallowing them into the boiling cauldron that made up his belly.

Chaos had ensued, most not knowing why he'd suddenly betrayed them in a mad rage. His companions were forced to battle him, innumerable lost in the process to bring him down, leaving a smoking crater when he finally fell to their combined efforts.

“Father,” breathed Ember who stared from her vantage point on the volcano.

“So the rumor's true then,” said Smolder with a claw on her hip. “Guess we're screwed, huh?”

“No, this time we're organized.” Spike gripped the Bloodstone Scepter, like them fully decked out in armor. Maybe it wasn't dragon tradition to bother with such things but he wasn't about to take chances. “Ready Twilight, Sunset?”

“Let's hit them with all we have,” answered Sunset.

Beforehand both mages had set up a number of hidden traps all over the surface, imbuing boulders with tons of raw magical energy. Now they set them off in a chain reaction, booms sounding when the explosions burst in a myriad of blinding colors. They cheered when a few of the advancing siege engines were swallowed up, reduced to embers which hissed and faded.

Nor was the vanguard spared, the ancient dragon's skeleton roaring and bloodied marrow loosed from its bones as the eruption cleaved apart chunks of its ribcage. Buffeted by the sheer force, it rocked and dipped, but continued to hurtle straight at the volcano. Figuring the current Dragon Lord was their greatest threat now, the Eldritch had committed nearly all their forces.

Spike led the charge, aided by his closest allies. They swarmed the beast in a whirlwind of fiery breath and spellcraft.

While below he'd placed Shining Armor in command of the ground forces. In his white armor and brandishing a blazing sword, he rushed in with his troops, under the cover of smoke bombs and fireworks Trixie provided to hopefully confuse the enemy. She'd enhanced them with her illusion magic to disrupt circuitry and overwhelm the senses of the Eldritch.

Behind him came Limestone with a pack of Diamond Dogs, Fleur, Vinyl, and Octavia, knowing that if they fell the Pleasure Gardens would be left open to the invaders; it would be an absolute slaughter. Rarity and Sweetie had enchanted as many armaments they could in the short window available, making certain they were at least well-equipped for the battle to come.

Weapons flashed, cleaving through calcified remains that splattered a red mist. Ashes billowed in air choked with grayish clouds and steam, Shining directing them to stay in formation, determined not to lose another comrade if he could help it.

A mass of Eldritch soldiers were moving in, scarred and mutilated, weighed down with weapons that buzzed to life. But before they could launch a concentrated mental attack, Trixie hurled more bombs in their direction, carried further by her telekinesis.

“Move in,” commanded Shining who pointed with his broadsword. His initial stroke removed a head from its body.

“Go back from whence you came,” yelled Fleur who impaled one's heart in a messy gush.

Bones cracked under Octavia's repetitive blows, fighting back-to-back with Vinyl. She huffed, surrounded by fallen bodies. The DJ smirked and offered her a thumb's up, her horn lighting as she used her aura to rip out their bloodied machinery.

“This is for my sisters you assholes!” Muscles flexed when Limestone slammed her pick axe through an Eldritch's skull, splattering her growling face in brain matter. Around her the Diamond Dogs were tearing through droves, fur drenched a shade of vermillion and dripping with gore. Despite the small numbers they had at their disposal, they were winning!

“Maybe we should be out there helping,” mumbled Inky to herself while she paced about the Pleasure Gardens.

“We'd merely be in the way,” said Somnambula. “I was once a fighter, with the other Pillars, but I tried to leave that life behind. However, should the Eldritch breach our defenses, I shall take up arms once more.”

“Let's hope it doesn't come to that,” replied Inky. Like most huddled up here she'd redressed, the former paradise no longer seeming as inviting, but more like a potential death trap. Fancy Pants was making comforting speeches to the scared mares, assuring them that their Dragon Lord would prevail, trying to convince himself as well as they all had memories of the butchery the Eldritch were capable of. Some were openly weeping or cowering, convinced they were all doomed.

“There, there.” Fluttershy drew one of them close and patted her back.

“Chill,” said Tree Hugger who offered another some fresh fruit. “This should, like, calm those nerves.”

“I could be out there fighting too,” admitted Autumn Blaze. “But somehow I have this feeling it's better I hang back here, just in case! Until the Dragon Lord's seed comes to fruition, I'm pretty much the last of my kind, so I'd better not risk it!”

“Good call!” Pacific Glow beamed.

So deep were they underground that the war above could barely be heard here. Nonetheless the area shook on occasion, fruit dropping from trees and rolling about. All the unicorns available had helped Twilight and Sunset lay a magical barrier over the Pleasure Gardens, and while it was far from indestructible, it would at least buy them valuable time if necessary.

“We're like trapped rats waiting to die,” complained Diamond Tiara.

We've made it this far,” reminded Sweetie Belle who took her friend's hands. “Have faith, okay?”

“Sure, I'll try. If only Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were still here,” she lamented as they bowed their heads.

“I should have been there with them, and Babs Seed, too! Of course Bloom would rush off to help the Apple clan, and Scoots always wanted to fight alongside Rainbow Dash, but I stayed behind with my family...” Sweetie's frown deepened.

“You made the right decision,” started Rarity who overhead and wandered over. “What difference would it have made if you were simply another who died in battle? But now that you're still here, think of all those we can still aid.”

“I suppose.” Sweetie hugged them. “What the-?!” She squealed, nearly thrown from her feet when the earth quaked.

Screams sounded from everywhere when the first abomination tunneled its way up, the land yawning open and the undead dragon rising from a black pit. Large rocks were tossed about, trees creaked and toppled, fruits and vegetables were mashed into goo under its bulk when the beast advanced, followed by several more of its kind.

Somnambula stepped forward to defend them, unfurling a cat-of-nine-tails with a snap. “Behind me, all of you!”

“I can fight too,” announced Autumn Blaze who summoned a ball of bluish-red fire onto her fist.

A few of the Diamond Dogs had also stayed, forming into a pack to support them. At the same time Fancy waved the mares into orderly lines. “This way. Please remain calm. I'm certain we can-” His eyes widened, his midsection skewered by a nightmare which seemed to some from nowhere. The bony digit withdrew from his midsection, barely pausing while he collapsed.

“Fancy!” Rarity's eyes welled with tears, and while she'd never been much of a warrior, she refused to sit idly by anymore. She telekinetically raised a boulder, soon aided by Sweetie, who helped her hurl it full-force so that it smashed through bone.

“Are the Eldritch forces outside a diversion so they can massacre us?!” Inky pursed her lips, trying to guide a weeping Pacific Glow to safety. After all, the new generation might be born here; perhaps the Eldritch wished to remove the Dragon Lord and his offspring before they could take root and mount a proper offensive. She shrieked, a crack sounding as her wing was smashed by a claw, bending at an unnatural angle. She continued to drag the raver with her, seeking shelter amidst the bedlam.

But there seemed to be nowhere to turn. Tree Hugger shoved Fluttershy ahead, the hippie swatted by a spine-like tail that hurtled her through the air. She slammed into a trunk, her limp form sliding down amidst a trail of dark blood.

“N-no!” Shy yelled and searched for an improvised weapon, but realized there was little of use against these monstrosities.

“How dare you threaten my friends!” Autumn Blaze warped into a demonic creature shrouded in black and surrounded by a crackling inferno, embracing her fury in a bout of righteous indignation as the Kirin allowed her Nirik form free reign. A fiery trail swept behind her when she galloped at an invader, ripping through it with ease until only a melted pool remained.

However for all her raw power it was impossible to be everywhere at once. Somnambula's practiced swings were able to shatter joints in the machines, crippling them, the legendary former Pillar showing why they'd once protected Equestria.

“It's no use,” muttered Diamond Tiara who squatted down and shook while mares fell around her.

Suddenly, in the midst of the battle, the air around them whirled and crackled near the center. Within it, a swirling bluish-white void sliced through reality and out from the nexus emerged Beatrix Belladonna and Sombra; wasting little time in firing off powerful spells and casts from their horns and palms. A whirlwind of destruction rained down on the intruders, warping metal and crystallizing bone.

He wasted no other action on boasts or commands; focused on the chaos in front of them. Nor did she bother with any quips or theatrics as any moment's hesitation would mean more injured or dead.

Working in tandem, they called upon the elements; tossing them about with miniature tornadoes, freezing them in large chunks of ice, swallowing them in flame and washing them in floods.

Once the smoke clear and power exulted, the last one fell. Silence settled over the Pleasure Gardens while others sobbed over the many victims of the raid. No matter where one looked, something was broken, destroyed or torn up; an apocalyptic sight that mirrored in a way when the Eldritch first invaded their once luscious land.

“I shouldn't have stalled us from returning,” began Beatrix, her inner turmoil unfairly pointing her as the reason behind this. "I-If we had gotten here soon-"

"It wouldn't have made any difference," Sombra insisted, shaking his head. “What matters is that we're here now. So let's see what we can do to help.”

With that said, she took to his side as they marched onward, past the crushed bodies and torn earth.

Their first encounter was Fluttershy; kneeling beside the hippie earth pony while trying to staunch the bleeding. “Tree Hugger! Wake up, please! Wake up," she bawled desperately.

“That wound is far too deep. She's most likely bled a lot of blood. Let me replenish her,” he said, brushing her aside to further study the warm body at his feet.

Kneeling beside the hippie, he placed his hands over her cheeks to lean her head up before he pressed his lips onto hers. While others gasped and before Fluttershy could intervene at the act of potential necrophilla, a warm glow immolated from chest; traveling past his throat before it passed through their kiss into Tree Hugger.

This was one of the more advanced spells in his arsenal. Normally meant for stealing a person's essence and life force, he found a way to reverse the spell in giving life back...at a critical cost. In short, this spell allowed him to share a bit of his essence with the fallen earth pony.

His body withdrew with a raspy heave before Hugs began to have a coughing fit; until she could breath normally. As she opened her eyes with a flutter, she slowly moved to a sitting position; as if she had gotten over large hangover. "Whoa.... What hit me?" She muttered before being tightly embraced by Fluttershy; letting her sob in relief. After a moment, her own eyes widened as she grasped at her belly. “Is...is the baby okay?”

“Kirin are tough,” said Autumn who reverted back to her usual self. “I think they'll be fine!”

“Oh Tree,” wailed Flutters. “Thank goodness you're alright! A-And your wound. It's healed completely! H-how did-”

“Sombra breathed a portion of his soul into her,” stated Somnambula. “A rather precarious decision. It's a miracle it worked.”

“Miracle?! It's outright necromancy!!” Rarity stared daggers at him. “You've damned her!”

“I didn't have to forfeit a bit of my life to save her. The least you can do is show me some gratitude for my selflessness.... U-Ugh,” coughed Sombra, struggling to keep his limbs from giving out on him. The act had left him unbelievably weak; his body looking much older and wained. There was bits of grey in his main and his eyes sporting bags.

Just as he looked to be passing out, Somnambula and Inky rushed to support him; the latter despite how she struggled to hobble over with her mangled wing. To his surprise, Belladonna also remained close at his side; her expression heavy with concern. It seemed despite her freely defying him, she held a certain leave of loyalty. For once he'd used the darkness to save another, like he'd intended in his youth.

It was nonetheless no mere act of altruism; it was a demonstration of his power. And if not for the act and how tired he was, Sombra would most certainly be boasting. After all, he had come to their rescue, shown an impossible feat and more than proven he was capable where their precious Dragon Lord had failed. He could see the many of the onlookers wavering; conflicted in admiring that he was indeed their best suitor for protection. He had won in a sense, and it kept great control to not let out a wicked smile showing how much he relished it.

But even then, the victory was hollow due to how much they'd lost. And no greater than a loss was losing Fancy Pants as he stumbled towards his corpse with grimace. This was not how in imagined victory when he was finally chosen between the two. This was far from the last thing Sombra wanted. His appearance remained stoic, but his mind was frantic; looking over the entrails flayed out from his open stomach. Maybe there was a way he could save him too, even if the reality was obvious.

Yet before he could even try to lift a hand towards his innards in attempt to pack them back in, someone grabbed at him and pulled him away towards her; fury and sadness in her tear-stained eyes.

“Don't you dare touch him, you devil!” Fleur grieved before looking backing to the corpse of her husband, her composure failing to keep up as tears ran down her cheeks. “Oh love.... Me amour!” She sobbed, sinking to her knees over the slack frame of Fancy and pressing it to her.

Sombra sympathetically let her be; giving her time to mourn her loss while turning his attention to the arriving forces of the Dragon Lord.

“Spike,” he greeted, the name tasting bitter in his mouth.

“Sombra,” he replied with the Bloodstone Scepter in hand. “Can't say I'm happy to see you again. But given our current circumstances, I think it's best we forget our history for the moment. Instead, I'd like to say 'thank you' for your help."

"If I may be so blunt, Dragon Lord, your gratitude means nothing to me. We may be allies against a common nemesis, but that's where I draw the line. Don't think I've forgotten how you've wronged me of what's mine by right," he scoffed.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Spike sighed. "Nonetheless, we managed to drive away their most powerful weapon. The thing is, we couldn't destroy it. Worse still, they now know our location!”

“It was probably inevitable,” Beatrix chimed in, arms folded protectively under her bust. “We've kicked a hornet's nest, so we better prepare for the swarm.”

“But like all colonies, they'll return to their nest. Perhaps now is the time to track them to one of their lairs,” Sombra suggested, looking over the chasm they made. “There isn't much time. If they're now powerful enough to break through these magical barriers of yours, nobody is going to be safe.”

“He right," Shining Armor admitted before he turned to salute the Dragon Lord. "We're running low on options. Permission to pursue the enemy, sir."

Spike rubbed the back of his scaly neck. “Granted. I'll leave you to your mission while the rest of use gather our resources. Good luck! And be careful; we can't afford anymore losses!” Shining and his daughter nodded while Sombra begrudgingly agreed as the three left to prepare; leaving him to focus on comforting his followers and picking up the pieces. There was little choice but to buckle down for the moment, many still too weak and wounded to move. He guided his closest allies to help him collect the dead for a proper burial here.

While casualties on their side were surprisingly low, it certainly didn't feel like a victory.

Beatrix forced herself to meet the eyes of her parents, fearful of judgment. But she squeaked in surprise when they suddenly embraced her. She sniffled and held them back, closing her eyes tight and shaking. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disappoint you...” She felt like such a pathetic coward, as if she'd shamed them through all her actions.

“We were worried sick about you!” Lulamoon heaved. “Well, mostly Shining! Trixie knew you wouldn't let us down.”

I-I wouldn't,” choked out Belladonna.

Shining wiped her eyes and smiled. “Will you come with us? I could always use another good soldier.”

Taking a moment to collect herself, Beatrix rapidly nodded. “Count on me! I've come quite a ways!” Her father shook his head in disapproval, knowing she'd been spending time with Sombra, but decided to let it lie for now.

“Sorry to ruin the mood,” said Sunset who finally stepped in. “But Spike's assigned me to help. At the first sign we're in over our heads, he asked me to blink us out. Sorry to play babysitter, but I agree it's best not to take chances.”

“Well you are part of his herd,” teased Trixie who kissed her cheek.

They descended into the tunnels. Most were busy in mourning, and Belladonna wondered if maybe that was too hard on her father, that any losses reminded him about what happened to Cadance, Flurry Heart, and his soldiers. While he probably didn't realize it consciously, he was trying to do something to distract himself, to feel useful and somehow made a difference.

Maybe that's why Spike had indulged him despite his reservations. Where she'd come from she and Flurry had befriended a version of Spike, one who'd once been a dog in that human world; but when they'd fed him potions to increase his intelligence and make him stronger, by the time they'd crossed the portal back to her world he'd become an odd mutt/drake hybrid.

He'd eventually sacrificed himself to save her Equestria, and she'd no doubt this version of him was just as noble. But would that be enough to stop the Eldritch, or was Somnambula correct when she claimed Sombra was their best hope in a dark world?

As if on cue, Sombra's boots echoed behind them. He looked a lot better than before, though slightly older. “I hope every pony here is ready to depart.”

“Not with you we aren't. We don't need you. It's probably better you stay here and try to regain your missing strength,” called Shining over his shoulder without looking back.

“What I lack in strength currently I make up with quick wit and intelligence. Besides, I have so much more to teach your daughter~” His words echoed teasingly while Beatrix tried to hide her blushing face. Earthworms wiggled through the torn up dirt, lit up amidst the gloom by the Paladin's shimmering white armor. “I'm at home with the shadows here. I'll use them to guide us.”

“Look, like it or not, we have to let him help us,” whispered Beatrix. “What we're doing is insanely dangerous! We can't let personal feelings get in the way of our mission. C'mon, guys...” She looked to Trixie for her opinion, who simply shrugged dismissively before casting a glance at Sunset, who drew her lips into a line.

“...very well.” Shining Armor sighed as he stalked ahead, and she pushed herself to follow his lead. His face stubbornly twisted with barely subdued anger; constantly fingering the hilt of his sheathed blade as if ready to draw it and smite the first Eldritch unfortunate enough to cross his path. His lovers marched close at his side, helping him keep an eye out as they crossed the threshold.

Ever further they traveled into the maze of hollows, the air becoming colder, thicker, more oppressive; perhaps they were following their enemies into the heart of Tartarus itself, now a warped abyss sleeping below the land.

They traversed the slopes in silence. Seeing that her father was driven silently and that conversation would be difficult at best for now, she dropped back to where Sombra was. “So um...” She began awkwardly with a whisper. “What about Inky and such. How are they all doing?”

“Fairly well considering," he responded in a soft tone. "I left her in charge. Your father has a point though. Maybe I should have stayed behind to rest. It would made things easier in convincing the others I'm far more suitable than Spike to lead this alliance. And yet...something is telling me there's an opportunity here I dare not miss.”

“Wasn't she badly hurt? She really looked like she needed you...”

“She may not look it, but she is strong. A lot stronger than the rest of them. Otherwise, I would never consider her a candidate in becoming my Queen. If I can claw my way up from the depths of oblivion, surely she's more than capable of doing the same. Consider it another test of her mettle, if you will.”

“You must have missed her a lot,” she suggested sweetly; brushing his cheek. And he seemed to lean into her touch for a brief moment before pushing her hand away with a grunt. She giggled, “Admit it. You do have a heart, even if albeit rather black.”

“Quiet. We're getting close.” He brushed her off as their small party started to slow down.

An iridescent emerald glow arose from one of the caves, which were slimy with moistness, squishing under their cautious steps. It stuck to their footwear like mud, sucking at them while they waded in. Were it not for Shining's armor it would have been pitch black otherwise, broken by the eerie radiance that wrapped around them. The Paladin unsheathed his white broadsword to point the way, illuminating the darkness. He entered first, like the rest of them prepared for almost anything.

“Stay close,” warned Shining while they started to explore the wide cavern. “Wait!” A pair of yellow eyes opened in the darkness. He strode over to the creature halfway trapped into the wall, tethered by innumerable sticky strings.

There laid the frail centaur; slumped with his arms stretched and muscles ruined from lack of use. “My, my.... Do my eyes deceive me,” the old man rasped. “I had not expected you all to have survived.” He wheezed between hacking coughs, his ribcage very visible between breaths.

“Tirek. Figures you would also be alive. But not for long!” Shining readied his blade to remove his head until Sombra raised his hand in front of the Paladin to intervene.

“Wait...” He glared at him before turning to the misshapen creature. “What happened here? Is this not Chrysalis' hive? Given her appearance, I assumed you were also on the side of the Eldritch.”

A hollow chuckle escaped Tirek's throat as he shook his head. “They've offered many times; promising me freedom and power. But a question always came to mind; what was the price at the cost of dignity? Chrysalis is a mad woman. And thanks to the 'enhancements' by the Eldritch her sorry state declined further. Why...I could almost thank you for setting her free, if only to relieve a bit of her pain,” he admitted with a wry smile.

“So it was her that trapped you here..." Sombra asked; earning the centaur's nod.

“The Eldritch offered me and Cozy Glow to her when we refused to accept their deal. They hoped she would break my spirit and force me to join their cause. But I knew the truth; the only reason they wanted me was because they themselves could not replicate my abilities in absorbing magic."

“Maybe that's how their machines breached the Pleasure Gardens,” said Sunset to herself.

“Unlike a certain few who won't be named, I would never allow such horrid things to break my spirit. And as time went on, I proved victories. But at any rate,” he paused to take a breath; sighing in pain. “I've grown tired of this world. The Eldritch have half of the entire world. And even though my spirit and dignity remain in tact... My will to live on is...no more.” He stared over his body; almost glaring at it for failing him. “Chrysalis embedded her eggs in my flanks. I fear she's already done worse with Cozy. She should be further in the cavern just up ahead. Now...I've never been one to ask any favours but...” His dim yellow eyes stared up into Sombra's ruby orbs, pleadingly. "When you find her...please put her out of her misery. I've... grown rather fond of her."

“Almost as if she were your own daughter of sorts.... You've changed, Tirek,” mused Sombra.

A sad chuckle came from him. "We both have, by the looks of it. I can hardly recognize the pompous, cocky warmonger back in Grogar's cave.... You know, I always thought any form of affection was a weakness. And yet it was Cozy that reminded me how truly lonely I was. I've endured many hardships and torturous endeavours here, but none were worse than losing her company. How pathetic I've become,” muttered Tirek with a scoff to himself while he looked away. “She made me realized even if I won, what would be the point? I'd be the ruler of a dead world.”

With a snort that made the septum ring shake he belaboured his point. “If you're going to kill me, please make it as painless as possible. I rather die right now in my misery then lay here imagining the horrors that await me. Please...finish me!"

Shining Armor raised his sword with both hands, ready to execute the centaur, but Sombra shook his head and mounted over top the centaur. He gave one weak smile before Sombra placed both hands over his head and with a quick jerk; snapped his head around. His wrecked body slumped lifelessly as his breath came to a slow halt. Within moments, he was completely still; finally at peace.

“Wow... You gave him a merciful death,” said Beatrix who raised an eyebrow.

“Call it what you want.... I would rather not leave the Eldritch a potential tool to exploit,” explained Sombra with a neutral expression. “Now let's find Cozy Glow...and quickly,” he insisted, then pushed on ahead with grim determination.

“Like I said, not completely heartless. Maybe all those nicer versions of you are inside you now," mused Beatrix.

“If they are, they're infecious,” he replied dismissively. “They've perverted my true nature! I can only stand for so much... kindness.”

“No, delving into the black arts did that!” She was wounding him up like usual, but he was too focused on more pressing matters to care at the moment. “I'm sure the real Sombra, under all that bloated pride, would have become a total sweet-”

Suddenly all the life seemed to drain out of her. Beatrix froze and went cold, shaking her head when she stared into the bleakness, unable to believe the evidence before her eyes. Her stomach turned and she almost lost her footing. But she gulped hard and steeled herself, creeping closer to what she spotted embedded like Tirek into the runny, fleshy walls.

First there was a pegasus she didn't recognized, stripped naked and her belly swollen to bloat with eggs which were visible through the stretched flesh. She was barely into adulthood, her once lovely curls now a scraggly mess. Her face was freckled and matted with perspiration, a trail of urine dribbling down her thighs and leaving a pool below her.

But far worse was seeing the pair constrained near her. She'd never been able to meet Cadance in her world, but here she was before her, the subdued alicorn similarly stuffed to overflow with unseeded eggs, her horn brutally chopped away and her wings a crippled mess like the other two. Her flesh was covered in bite marks and small cuts, no doubt the work of Chrysalis.

Yet the hardest one to look upon was poor Flurry Heart; her sister and closest friend in her dimension. She too was barely an adult, her natural beauty throttled away, like them nothing more than a breeding chamber turned hatchling deposit for the mad Queen. But with her demise they'd been left to rot and waste away, the broken living nests barely clinging to life.

"Beatrix.... We can't let them suffer like this..." spoke Sombra, his eyes locked at the terrifying sight before him. Not even this would he wish upon his enemies.

“No!” Belladonna rushed forward. “I'll get us out of here, sister, don't worry...” However the young alicorn stared blankly at her, vacant and with almost lifeless eyes. The near hysterical witch struggled to pry the binds which stubbornly fastened to her limbs.

“Sh-Shiny,” murmured Cadance weakly at her husband. “I knew you'd never abandon me...” She choked on a sob.

A clank sounded when Shining Armor dropped his sword. He stumbled to them, barely able to move his clumsy legs, wishing he could feel happier to learn they were against all odds still alive; but just as quickly deflated to see the terrible state of them. Sunset rushed to help him stand, while Trixie supported their daughter, who was on the verge of hysterics trying to free them.

While at the same time Sombra stood back and observed. They were simply the latest victims of the Eldritch and their machinations. Despite their differences, they'd had no choice but to remain allied against a common foe.