Fire and Shadow: The Rebirth of Spike and the Descent of Sombra

by Dr Sharaz Jek

First published 27th of June, 2020

Spike is reincarnated, and loses control, as his friends and family try to calm him down. At the same time the Necronomicon stirs, and Sombra summons his apprentice and Somnambula to explore the tome's interior which is composed of many dimensions.

Many years after a hard won peace by the alliance, a number of disturbances arise across Equestria. First the Necronomicon begins to stir, and Somnambula swears she recognizes the creature that emerges, prompting Sombra to summon his apprentice and form a team with the last Pillar to seek the truth within the grimoire which houses many dimensions.

Elsewhere the Dragon Lands are a paradise, looked after by Spike's retainers, particularly Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder, but when the Dragon Lord who sacrificed his life for the alliance returns, the all-powerful drake loses control in a mindless rampage. Can his friends and family calm him down?

Note: Thanks to NotaPonyPerson, who will be contributing to this tale, including permission to use his characters! Go check out his work!

Chapter 1

Heavy eyes surveyed the civilization before him. Built under his instructions, Sombra's Empire now spanned a large portion of the deserts, yet he couldn't have achieved this without the aid of his Queen, Inky Rose, nor the priestess-turned Sphinx named Somnambula, who helped direct him behind-the-scenes and acted as sacred guardian to the land and its people.

From the side of the pyramid where he stood the sun bore down on his half-naked musculature, wearing the skirt-like attire that was custom of the culture, a silver crown adorned on his skull. A hot wind traced his pecs. His ear twitched at a swish behind him, they sway of Inky Rose's transparent costume announcing her presence, silks swaying when she arrived beside him.

You seem troubled,” murmured Inky who pressed her equally silky flesh to his, holding onto his arm and laying her head on his shoulder. She still wore her dark mane in braids, and kept her plume pressed close to her slender back.

He forced a smile onto his saturnine features, felt the soft crush of her breasts upon his chiseled chest. His snout pressed to hers, and she cooed into his wet, sensuous kiss. “It's probably nothing,” he admitted when their mouths withdrew in a trail of saliva. “The Necronomicon has been stirring, like the Demiurge is determined to break free...and I dread that it might one day succeed.” He held her to him. “Sometimes, I consider that we might seek outside help...”

“You mean Beatrix Belladonna,” she noted and he nodded. “But will she answer Somnambula's summons?”

“I don't know. And I'd rather not summon my apprentice on a false alarm. Much as I'd enjoy her company, we have our own lives to lead, and I prefer to take care of my own troubles.” He pursed his lips, proud of his people and children, who toiled away but were nonetheless content. His expression softened. “For now, let us indulge ourselves.”

Inky smirked when he cupped her bottom and squeezed, barely contained under a thin veneer of silk. “Make love to me my King,” she whispered huskily into his ear, which she nipped, her half-lidded eyes heavy in stylized makeup.

Scooped into his toned arms, she giggled and clasped her wings to him, and he reentered the pyramid carrying her bridal-style. They passed corridors lit by torches on sconces and lined in hieroglyphics, past bare-chested stallions who stood in silent vigil with spears in hand, and bare-breasted handmaidens who wore transparent gowns below, each picked by Inky for their beauty.

Up the tunnels they ascended to their bedroom near the apex. She continued to kiss him with soft coos, hands clasped around his neck, and he hungrily returned her fervor, tongues dancing as he almost stumbled in their eagerness.

“Father? Oh, sorry!” Cerise Silhouette stepped out of their path, his pigtailed daughter with dark fur like him, and the neon pink mane no doubt from her late mother, Pacific Glow. “I didn't mean to interrupt you!”

“It's no trouble,” said Inky who was gently set down on her feet. “What may we do for you?”

Cerise hesitantly looked between them. “W-well...I'm not sure exactly, but I want to be more useful to you! My siblings have accomplished so much, running parts of the country for you, but me? All I really know how to do is dance!”

Sombra smiled patiently. “We expect nothing more. These are peaceful times. You enjoy the fruits of the alliance's victory.”

“It's not fair, though. I know I'm not the brightest, but I'd like to chip in somehow, too.” She coiled a tied lock around a slender hand, her slender yet shapely figure contained in a scanty, bikini-like hot pink number. Attached to it were a few small bells that jingled when she moved. “Maybe I can help entertain guests who come here? Let me show you something. Can you dim the lights?” Sombra nodded, and with a flare of his horn deepened the shadows, the darkness snuffing out the torches with a hiss.

Entombed in darkness, Cerise began to wave her ample hips, arms upraised. Her bright eyes shined in the dark, her face suddenly drawn in concentration, Her breasts and buttocks swaying, barely contained with her sensual, deliberate movements that hypnotized even these two under her spell. Piece-by-piece, she removed her garments and let them fall.

Dancing naked before them, Cerise's thin coat began to light up in splotches of neon colors, like she'd been doused in spray paint to further accentuate her supple flesh. Heat radiated from her, the pair captivated.

Sombra realized he was falling into a trance, not unlike the mind control he'd placed upon his crystal pony slaves so long ago. Could she be working the dart arts too, unintentionally? It seemed absurd. She hadn't studied them, and it went against her earth pony nature. Yet a theory he'd long held replayed in his mind about her true nature, one he'd shared with Inky.

Could she really be a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow? Perhaps some of his darkness had passed onto Cerise, when he'd impregnated her mother? She stopped her dance, beaming with pride and shyly recovering her scattered clothes with a small blush. He felt a newly found responsibility for her, and like Inky couldn't help but feel he'd failed to protect her mother.

“Most impressive indeed. You wish to help me?” She nodded at him. “Very well. Return in an hour.” He pulled Inky to him by the waist, making it clear they needed to satisfy their own needs first, so their heads might be clearer once the stresses of ruling bled away. “You can help me check on the Necronomicon in the tombs below. There's a theory I wish to test...”

A volcano in the Badlands erupted. The sky shook and lava dribbled down its sides, rocks tossed about in the hellish rocky lands. From the smoking depths arose a dragon that matched the fallen Torch in size, this one with shiny purple scales, his leathery wings unfurled to a massive span, spiny tail lashing, nostrils flared with wispy grayish-black and eyes burning.

Having risen to the position of Dragon Lord, Spike sacrificed himself for the love of his people. His faithful retainers, Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder had buried him here, in hopes that a fable among dragons was true. Yet the promised rebirth was said to take centuries, possibly millenniums. Yet a quirk of the magic Somnambula used to unlock his potential now quickened his rebirth, but at a deadly price. Rather than be reborn as an egg, he blossomed to his full hulking size, mind swallowed up.

He howled skyward, his musculature flexing, surveyed a familiar land he didn't understand anymore on pure instinct. All he knew was something had gone awry, that he needed to locate someone that could give him answers. Familiar faces flashed in his mind, those of Twilight, Ember, Smolder, Somnambula, and Sombra in particular.

With another splitting cry he leaped up and beat his wings in flight, sailing in the crimson atmosphere. Molten rivers bubbled below, lava hardened and cooled, some still dripping off his form, more explosions thundering,

Most of his followers now lived underground, in an evergreen paradise cultivated by two of his lovers, Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. He vaguely recalled them, and so many others, some lost in a war with the Eldritch.

Wandering aimlessly, he sniffed the ashen air, stretched thick muscles covered in armor-like hide, his snout rumbling through jaws that opened wide and spat an inferno that made the heated air twist further. Embers danced between rows of teeth, his soft underbelly boiling inside, what consciousness there warring with predatory needs and a desire to reclaim what was his...

Grunting, Sombra thrust into his love with a certain desperation, and she mewled under him, ensnaring him with her plumage, her nails digging into his chiseled back lined in sweat, her legs crossed around his buttocks to pull him deeper into her. Her heavy breasts gleamed with perspiration beads under the thin lamp light, and she wetly kissed him, the squish of her moist pussy sounding each time his cock speared her, their mixed juices dripping down the curve of her ass and over its pink, puckered hole.

He peppered her wide nipples in pecks, erect and darkened after she bore their children. A combined, overpowering musk from both of them suffused the interior, their heads swimming in a drunken amorous stupor. Whatever urges he maintained to dominate and conquer she gleefully satisfied, allowing him to shred her garments and ravish her daily to his heart's content.

She adored how full he made her feel, empty without him inside her, completing her. He stuffed her, tickled her slippery foalhole, brushed over her spongy g-spot, making her whine and wiggle below his chest, lined in stringy dark fur tufts.

Sometimes he would take her right in front of his guards, who tried to remain stoic despite their visible erections, and the handmaidens, exotic beauties which Inky often invited into their bed to spice up their marriage.

Age hadn't slowed either of them down. In fact, it left them more ravenous than ever before.

Their lips repeatedly met, chewing on each other, his hands wandering over her soft flesh, greedily kneading them. “I love you,” he growled with lust, feeling that no matter how much he said it that was never enough.

She smiled and tightened around him, milking him, his voice and affection the greatest aphrodisiac to her, not that he remotely lacked for physical prowess. Her pulsing pink walls nursed his vein-lined tool, his flare embedding itself in her cervix, and she came first with a muffled cry, gushing over his loins. With a grunt he joined in, slamming himself balls deep and unloading in spurts that washed over her convulsing walls. “Ah...mmph...” She whimpered in quiet glee, squeezing out the last drops.

Inky panted under him. “M-much as I'd like to do this all day, we're almost late for our appointment.”

He brushed her gray cheek and tangled braids. “...yes.” He wanted to stay buried in her, and from the way her slit occasionally clenched on him, knew she wished the same. But with reluctance they withdrew their ragged forms, his still mostly erect penis popping loose of her wide hole, oozing with a messy white murk that dribbled down her inner thighs.

Quickly she hastened to wash them with a basin, toweled them down, and redressed him and then herself. Just in time, as a knock sounded at the chamber door. She opened it to see Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, dressed in a similar but fancier manner to the other handmaidens, and the pair smiled with a bow. “Somnambula awaits you,” they announced as one.

Leading the way, they descended down to the tombs where the pharaohs lay in sarcophagi, the spirits there to help watch over the Necronomicon. Past the piles of treasure, their golden glow shimmering in the torchlight, stood the Sphinx named Somnambula, sacred guardian who had inherited a similar form and duties from her closest, now deceased companion.

Slit eyes studied them, Somnambula settled on all fours, wings pinned to her feline back. Her large head rested on her front paws, and her leonine tail flicked about. “Welcome back,” she purred with Cerise already at her side. “I have sent a summons to Beatrix, but do not know if she will put in an appearance. Rising and stretching, she said, “Follow me.”

Previous rulers were carved into the sarcophagi that lined the way, and the light gave way to shadows further in, until they arrived at a stand where the dark tome sat. The Necronomicon was woven in stitched together, mummified flesh, the faces of the Eldritch a patchwork forever frozen in their final alien screams. Its embroidered surface pulsed at his approach.

His eye trailed over it and Cerise, noticed it pulsated more in her presence, like it sensed the darkness in her and her naivety. Even with all the powerful spells woven around it, and the spirits nearby to quell its potential, still it tried to compel her to grab it and set it free, so the Demiurge trapped in its labyrinthine pages might be loosed to bring death and chaos across dimensions.

“This may be a mistake,” he muttered to himself.

“It's horrible,” whispered Cerise who nevertheless stared without blinking with her wide, bright eyes, mesmerized. Inky gazed too, its hypnotic effect similarly trying to lure her in, while unlike them the Sphinx appeared completely lucid.

The spell was broken when the air itself split, reality opened into a bluish-white oval that hovered in the air which rippled around it. From this tear emerged a heeled boot, shimmering like the coat of an ursa minor, the attire coming to the shapely bare thigh that peeked out with a long stride. Beatrix Belladonna skipped out with a flourish, starry cape clasped by a stylized eye at the neck, her shapeliness clad in a high-cut leotard, her platinum hair with a violet tinge topped by a witch's hat.

“Sorry we're late!” She could have been her mother Trixie Lulamoon's twin, the tall unicorn wearing fingerless gloves that came to her upper arms. Her cleavage had a comical bounce, her lips drawn in a playful smirk, her skin a light violet and her eyes a darker shade. She called over her shoulder, “Hey Bellatrix, you're still there, aren't you...?”

Behind her arrived an angel with radiant pale skin, golden locks, and seraphic feathers, a halo above her head. Her bright blue eyes settled on them when she slunk through, garbed in a white lacy one piece that resembled lingerie. “We've returned,” announced Bellatrix Primadonna, former succubus-turned-angel by a holy book once wielded by Sombra. “My, you all appear well.” She traced her porcelain cheek with meticulously manicured nails. “So, what is the occasion? Pleasure, or...?”

“Business, I fear.” Sombra shook his head and managed a small smile at them as Beatrix closed the rift with a finger waggle.

“The Necronomicon,” said Bellatrix with pursed lips when they all turned back to study it. “Has the Demiurge escaped?”

“Thankfully no,” said Inky. “But we fear it might be necessary to travel into it and calm its growing power. I hear you're the expert.” She'd been told a number of tales by Sombra amidst their pillow talk of his past misdeeds within its pages.

“Hmmm...” Beatrix bent over for a closer look and scratched her chin in thought. “If this is similar to the former Necronomicon, there could be countless dimensions inside!” She managed a giddy giggle, simultaneously curios for the adventure it offered, and repulsed by the possible horrors. “I'm willing to try, but I'll need a team.”

Bellatrix sighed. “I suppose I'll help,” she said in a haughty manner and gave a dismissive, dainty wave.

“I too wish to explore its innards,” admitted Sombra who met his wife's frown. “Worry not, you're more than capable of running this land in my absence, and I'm certain Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow shall be happy to assist.”

“That's not the problem.” Inky clasped him possessively. “What if you never return...?”

“For you my love, I would storm the deepest parts of the underworld,” he assured cupping her cheek and meeting her worried gaze. Yet it was more than his flesh she feared for, but his very soul, like he might be tempted by that darkness and fall into old ways. “I've learned my lesson well. The darkness will always be a part of me, but it does not define me..”

Inky nodded once with watery eyes. “That's all I needed to hear.” Gently he kissed her thick-lashed eyelids closed.

“Awww~” Beatrix beamed at the couple, hands clasped behind her back. “We'll need more than that, though! I usually had a team of around five or so...” Starlight Glimmer, the one from her world, had in particular been instrumental!

Somnambula said, “I too shall come. Magic alone can only take one so far. You will need muscle as well.” She opened a large paw and flashed her claws and razor teeth, her massive bulk layers of sensuous curves on lithe muscles. “We may need to seek outside recruits. Mere soldiers shall not do, as the ones we have here lack the experience dealing with such evil.”

Contemplating all their options, Sombra returned to the now split alliance, their ties still close. Most of them were retired or had other duties that made it unlikely they could come to their aid. Assuming they would help him, who to choose? Fleur de Lis was quite skilled an active despite her age, but deep down she probably still resented him for how he'd treated her and Fancy Pants.

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia? Now a traveling band who had set aside their weapons. Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder? Possible, although they weren't exactly close friends with him. Shining Armor and Cadance were busy ruling the Crystal Empire, the latter and their daughter still partially crippled by what Chrysalis did, so they were likely out of the question.

Trixie would surely rush to aid Beatrix...but he wondered if she'd be more trouble than she was worth. Yet a shared look with Beatrix and he knew she was already ahead of him, desperate to be reunited with her family here.

“Very well,” he said. “I will send a request to Miss Lulamoon.”

“Tee-hee...if you want,” tittered Beatrix with a wink, barely able to contain a child-like enthusiasm.

Suddenly the Necronomicon rose from the column, its dried pages fluttering opened where it hovered, each inscribed with ancient runes that even Somnambula struggled to discern, pictures of various demons within the grimoire. Somnambula pounced into action with a hiss, repelled by an invisible barrier that hurtled her back into a bed of gold coins that bounced up.

The mages on hand acted almost as quickly, falling into a familiar pattern despite all the time that had passed, Sombra acting as focal point as he weaved a spell with chants, hand gestures, and a glowing horn, Beatrix and Bellatrix dropping all pretense to support him, knowing that if the Demiurge escaped the nightmare that devastated this Equestria could begin anew.

From the book arose a series of black tendrils. They coalesced around an obsidian shape, massive and horse-like, trying to birth itself from its confines. “No, it cannot be,” whispered Somnambula between her teeth. “I am the last of the Pillars! You-”

The shadows lashed out, seized Cerise Silhouette, who screamed and writhed. “S-so cold...”'

Sombra and his companions launched their spell, but were forced to restrain the destructive, combined elemental force, lest they slay the hostage. Flames licked at tendrils which smoldered, some were frozen and shattered, others lanced apart by shrieking winds, but the shadowy intruder withdrew into the pages, Cerise in tow when the Necronomicon slammed shut and went still.

Inky called, “Cerise~!” Tears leaked down her face, twisted in a pained grimace, and she spread her wings to fly forward.

“No!” Sombra barred her way and seized her, stroked her hair to console her. She shook in his arms, face warped between grief and fury, heart hammering and fists clenched then unclenched. “There's nothing we can do right now.”

“But...but we can't simply abandon her!” She tried to calm herself, aware she wasn't being rational, yet her mind raced with all the horrible fates that might befall her. “What if he devours her soul? What if we can't get her back...?”

“I shall. This, I swear.” His hands gripped her upper arms, aware that to her she was like having her friend Pacific Glow back, that to lose her would be to fail her again. “There's no time to waste. Will you chance it for Cerise's sake?”

“We're with you,” said Bellatrix who nodded with Beatrix. The aftermath of the spells settled, the air still hot and cold in certain areas, a wind whistling through. Otherwise, there was but eerie silence, each step and movement echoing.

Somnambula called, “Diamond Tiara, Cozy Glow, I leave this all in your hands. Send out messages to the alliance informing them of the situation and request aid.” They bowed, and she padded up to Beatrix, who opened the tome. Its surface was cool to the touch, and she flipped through, trying to guess the pages the creature had arose from off her memory. “Here,” said the priestess who pointed with a nail. “All we need do is concentrate, and it shall do the work for us. Pray we succeed.”

The travelers formed a small circle, and were sucked into the Necronomicon, their likenesses appearing in stylized forms within the dried flesh parchment. Next to it was the fabled 'Pony of Shadows', an abomination encased in supernatural darkness...

Chapter 2

A labyrinth stretched out before the travelers, like a thick haze that grew thicker the closer they ventured. Sombra led the small party of Beatrix Belladonna and Bellatrix Primadonna at his sides while Somnambula took up the rear to guard their backs. Stars swirled through the cosmos though thankfully, the air was breathable.

All of them were aware this was but one of the many dimensions within the pages of the Necronomicon. The walls around them loomed, carved of solid stone, a ceiling closing them in.

“Kind of nostalgic, actually,” noted Beatrix with a grin. “Like that one time, I was in a minotaur's maze! Shame, none of you were with me during the time. Would have been way more fun!” Her expression changed to melancholy as she traced the cold wall, the interior enshrouded in deep shadows. “You should feel right at home, teacher. All this darkness around us. Like that time, we battled in the depths of the Necronomicon.”

“Aye, that was... another lifetime ago, it seems,” replied Sombra, who turned to study the angel.

Bellatrix stood with her arms crossed and met his gaze with a calm expression. “You both saved me. Without you, I would have remained a wandering, aimless monster until the day I died, likely another victim to be experimented on by the Eldritch. You two are the world to me.” She pursed her lips, struggling to admit her feelings openly, thinking it far too sappy of her.

Beatrix threw her arms around them and snuggled them both with a laugh. “Cheer up, Sis! We're all together again, free to love and conquer whatever stands in our way. Hey, Sommy! you want some of this?”

The Sphinx chuckled with a shake of her head. “Do not mind me. My concern is simply for our welfare, dear Cerise Silhouette, and the creature that spirited her away. It was touched by the dark arts like you, Sombra. Its mind and spirit were warped beyond recognition. I fear that, like you claimed to have done in that other dimension, this being shall-”

“Seize control of the Necronomicon's interior and manipulate the dimensions inside to its own ends,” finished Sombra with a dark look. “I'm surprised this hasn't already begun as we speak. Makes me wonder if the Demiurge melds with its new, potential ally.” His boots echoed with each step, having summoned up a sword sheathed at his hip and silver armor complete with a crimson cape that trailed after him.

“There isn't time to waste then. We must complete the maze as soon as possible,” answered Somnambula, who padded behind them in the narrow corridors. “I overcame the former Sphinx's riddles several times, and have inherited her knowledge on top of my own. I do not mean to indulge in hubris, yet I also have faith that working together, we may overcome any challenge.” She steeled herself in determination, slit eyes narrowed, glowing in the dark and reflecting off Bellatrix's natural ethereal radiance.

Quickly they arrived at the first crossroads. “We don't exactly have the numbers to split up,” muttered Beatrix to herself, who scratched her chin. “Unlike last time where we had Starlight Glimmer, who could teleport us away. Or help from the Smooze! Without him, I've felt pretty vulnerable ever since,” she continued to nervously ramble to herself.

“Stay focused,” gently chided Sombra, who cupped her cheek and made her flush, her heart skipping. He returned a sly smirk. “There are few who can master the teleportation spell. Thankfully, it only took me a few years to get it right, just in case something like that should happen again.”

Bellatrix quirked a brow. “Why not simply fetch whoever we need, then, before we undertook this journey?”

“That would take time, which Cerise may not have. I would have to negotiate with anyone who might aid us. And in truth, while I might claim mastery, such a spell takes time to recharge after each cast and puts an enormous strain on me,” he confessed with a certain bitterness. "I come upon the limitations of this form. Taking on permanent flesh for my rebirth weakened me.”

“Beats being a cheap smoke monster. Lord knows Inky would be miserable without having her physical husband to claim her~” chided Beatrix with a wink, trying to stir him up for old time's sake.

He chuckled at her tease, then turned serious again. “I see no visible difference between these paths, other than the runes.” He started to read what words he could aloud in an alien tongue, and Somnambula joined in, filling in the blanks.

“This way.” Somnambula pointed a path towards the left. She now took the lead, wary of what they might encounter on the way, be it unspeakable monstrosities or traps. “Spirits guide us,” she whispered in prayer, having taken the more difficult route of the two, sensing that it would eventually lead them to the exit...if they survived the tests to come.

From the walls opened a pair of eyes, watching them intently, following each movement. They rested on Somnambula in particular, sensed an old kinship between them, now lost with what the creature had become in a state somewhere between life-and-death. It also sensed the darkness within Sombra, wishing to swallow it up and claim it for its own.

In the bountiful gardens below the Badlands, a pastel paradise stretched wherever one looked, littered with exotic, oversized fruits and vegetables, and partially tamed wildlife that thrived in the vast greenery. The sun somehow shined down below, the rush of waterfalls echoing in the distance, turning into rivers that ran through the spacious arena.

Most of the inhabitants didn't bother to wear clothing, choosing a more naturist lifestyle, those closest to their former Dragon Lord, Spike, doing their best to maintain the utopia he'd set out to create. Twilight Sparkle, Ember, and Smolder were at the head of his lands, a number of his offspring inheriting various portions and setting up their own tightly-knit clans.

Twilight Sparkle sat her plush bottom on the riverbank, letting her feet dangle into the calm, sparkly waters. She flexed her wings, enjoying the breeze and the sunlight caressing her completely bared form, her exclusive diary opened in her lap where she exchanged notes with Sunset Shimmer. “I hope the Dazzlings are behaving,” she wrote with her quill dipped in ink.

“They've been fine,” came the reply from Sunset, the words materializing on the page. “They're still working on their band, running odd jobs on the side, and I've been helping out after... you know.” She didn't like to talk about Adagio's loss, nor the Eldritch who had caused them all so much grief. Instead, they simply tried to put those dark times far behind them.

Twilight sighed and paused in her reply, remembering her own part in all that. Her meddling with the dark arts, Starlight Glimmer conditioned to be a tool of the enemy.... Best not to focus on that. She watched a number of her friends enjoy the fruits of their victory all those many years ago, Tree Hugger lounging nude with Fluttershy who she fed strawberries to, Rarity and Sweetie Belle bathing together, splashing and giggling. “It's peaceful as ever here,” she scrawled back.

No sooner did she speak when an ear-splitting roar reverberates throughout, causing a number of those who lazed about to shriek and cower in a panic. Leaving a hasty farewell to Sunset, Twilight was instantly on her feet, horn flaring with a prepared barrier spell to challenge whatever was to come. “Wait...Spike?!” Her ears flicked, barely able to believe it.

Yet the roars were so familiar, shaking the area, the titan thundering closer. She was met by Ember and Smolder, who landed at her sides, both garbed in armor and carrying weapons. “It's him,” said Ember. “Our plan worked.”

“Impossible,” cried Twilight, who didn't want to get her hopes up. “It should take centuries, at least!”

“We saw 'em ourselves,” said Smolder, who rested a hand on a muscular hip. “Trouble is, he's not exactly aware at the moment. We gotta try and calm him down, somehow. He's tearing apart the rock above, trying to claw his way in!”

Twilight swallowed, realizing the lava could leak into her, killing hundreds. She knew he'd never intentionally harm them, but he'd been reduced to a bestial state, all instinct and raw emotion. “Fleur de Lis,” she called to the head of her soldiers, and the unicorn strode over with a sway of her wide hips, naked as the day she was born. “Escort everyone you can to safety.”

Fleur saluted them. “Leave it to me.” She turned and rushed in, quelling the pandemonium and organizing them as Fancy Pants once had, not bothering to waste time fetching her clothes. Her long legs moved with unmatched grace, and she tossed back her silky mane, the smooth globes of her buttocks swaying with a ripple of bare flesh with each calculated movement.

With no time to waste, Twilight took the dragonesses by their claws and blinked away in a flash. They resurfaced amid the hellish wastes above, although to the dragons, she knew this was preferable. She choked on the grayish-black smoke, tearing up her eyes, the waves of heat making sweat begin to build on her skin, reminding her of how naked she was.

She cast a spell to summon up a simple tunic with a skirt and sandals, weaved another spell to make the atmosphere around her radius more bearable, swishing aside ash and vapors with a beat of her wings. Her stare settled on the muscular behemoth ahead of them, the hulking brute of a dragon matching Torch, scales gleaming while he clawed through rocks, tossing them about. Cautiously she sailed closer with the duo, watching him snort and snarl, desperate to burrow in.

Aware that he could bring down the surface at any moment, she approached the hulk of a drake, who was like family to her...

Goosebumps prickled all over Cerise Silhouette's skin, through her thin black coat of fur, the stone slab of the altar cold upon her slender back. Her captor had chained her by the wrists and ankles, stripped her nude, and left her in the dark. Her breasts rose and fell with each sucking breath, nipples stiff in the eerie, whistling wind that passed through the chamber.

Her bright pink eyes widened, seeing the creature poised in the shadows, a phantasmal stallion surrounding in a series of writhing black tendrils, a horn jutting from its forehead, its eyes like sunken white pits. Its wispy mane and tail rolled behind it like a cold fire, its demonic plumage widened to fullness, like it was poised to consume its prey.

“H-Hello?” Her squeaky voice echoed about the room. “Please, if you can understand me-”

The abomination swirled with the dark arts like this was a mere shell composed of energies drawn from the abyss itself. Even while it loomed over her in a predatory fashion, eager to siphon the darkness within her, she sensed the stallion that lay buried inside, lost, and detached. “I am called the Pony of Shadows,” it stated. “You can relax, little one. I will not harm you as long as you draw the others here.”

“You mean my father?” She gulped, hopeful that he'd rescue her, but fearing what might happen if he tried.

“Yes... His power will add to my own. And.. perhaps yours. I sense raw darkness within your soul. And it is very delicious.” His empty gaze trailed over her, taking little interest in her body, instead concerned with the essence that animated her. “You don't have any idea how unique you are, do you? Haha, I suppose fair; I doubt he comprehends, either~.”

“W-What do you mean? I'm just a dancer.” She turned her head aside. “Nobody important, not really.”

“And yet, you could be! There is so much potential, you're vessel is dripping with it! Given time and the opportunity.” Portions of her skin and coat started to glow a hot pink neon again, lighting up the dungeon, the gray stonework illuminated by dancing spots of color she cast. “When Pacific Glow was seeded by Sombra, he infected her womb with part of his dark essence. It altered you long before birth! And on your mother's deathbed, her soul transferred to yours, mixing together and creating a hybrid between her and what you were meant to be.”

Cerise struggled to take all this in. “You're saying I'm a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow...?”

“Precisely. So much raw power, and you don't even understand how to wield it. Sombra may believe he mastered the darkness, but I shall debase him of that notion. And I shall have my vengeance on her...the last of the Pillars,” he stated with finality, his eyes staring at the drab walls, more speaking to himself, his thoughts trailing obsessively over past wrongs.

She whispered, “You mean Somnambula? You knew her?” She rattled in her binds. Realizing he intended to sacrifice her, subjecting her to a fate likely far worse than death as her soul was consumed, she couldn't help but a whimper, teary-eyed.

He shuffled about the dungeon, ignoring her, savoring the moment he enacted his vengeance.

“Bah! This vessel has reached its limit. You will have to do... until someone far more worthy is within my grasp~.” The creature's form dissipated into a wispy smoke cloud, and she huffed when it enveloped her, slowly flowed into every opening it could find. She writhed and panted, broke out in a cold sweat, dotted in goosebumps, and shaken by an unnatural chill that bit into the marrow of her bones.

Within moments she and the entity were united as one. The binds around her wrists and ankles broke, and Cerise Silhouette rose with a malicious smile, the earth pony mare trapped inside and forced to watch her body manipulated like a marionette. "Oh yes... this form will do very nicely for the time being~" It purred through her voice while taking a moment to fill up its new body before a whimpering sound caught its attention.

With cool detachment, she surveyed the unicorn slumped naked before her. “Stygian, was it?” He shook, curled up in a fetal position. “Hmm, I could kill you. But why waste what precious little energy it would take when you're already on the verge of death?” She kicked his side, and he whimpered, a rib snapping under the impact from the blow.

Whistling, Cerise's hands flared with an aura, and she summoned up her usual clothes. She wandered out of the dungeon, the door creaking on its rusty hinges, out into the clammy, crumbling stonework in pursuit of her father.

Stygian groaned and swayed to his knees once she'd gone. “S-Somnambula,” he whispered. He'd let the darkness consume him, use him, reduce him to nothing more than its tool. He pushed himself to rise out of desperation, ignored the pain that wracked him, the weakness of his tired muscles, determined to seek out the last Pillar, and somehow set this all right.

He stumbled out into the gloom. Water dripped between the cracks with an echo that made his ears twitch. He leaned on the cold stone for support, uncertain what exactly had happened to him. Far as he could tell, the Pillars had saved him from his fate as the Pony of Shadows, so how had he ended up like this? The last he recalled was the arrival of the Elritch, and...

He understood. They must have slain him at the height of the war like so many others. But the Necronomicon drew in those touched by the darkness, which included him, and the entity that contaminated the dark tome's interior, the Demiurge, must have been able to reawaken the Pony of Shadows within him once his departed soul ended up trapped within the pages.

Yet he was a mere dabbler into the occult, a scholar. Sombra had attempted to master the shadows. Doubtless, poor Cerise would be forced to seek him out and transfer the power to him. He gritted his teeth, almost collapsed, pushed onwards...

Fin shaped ears flattened against Spike's head. He paused before the familiar trio before him, sniffed the air, and his consciousness threatened to resurface, however momentarily. He couldn't understand the unicorn, who took the lead, but immediately knew she was somehow important to him. Yet, for some reason, she barred him from others he wished to see, far down below.

“Can you understand me, Spike?” She placed a tentative hand on his massive snout. “It's Twilight Sparkle! Please, if you're in there, listen! I know you want to see everyone again, but if you tear a hole down there, you could end up hurting them!”

He titled his head, unable to comprehend the gist of her words, despite his inability to understand her language. A whine escaped him, wingspan pressed to his scaly musculature, saddened that he couldn't reunite with his friends and family.

“It's okay,” she assured him, holding his snout. “I'll find some way to fix this, I promise!”

“Whew. That was easier than expected,” said Smolder, who rested a claw on her powerful hip. “Close one, though!”

Ember shook her head, arms folded. “It's not over yet. A Dragon Lord isn't supposed to be reborn like this. At least, not according to the legends. He should have come back as an egg and started his whole life over!”

Smolder heaved her shoulders. “Well, it was a fable. We didn't really expect it to work, no matter how much we hoped.”

“I'll help him find himself,” said Twilight, who narrowed her eyes. “I won't let him be reduced to a mere animal!” She pressed her head to him with a soft sob, thankful that one of the many she'd lost to the Eldritch had miraculously returned. She'd lost far too many, most in senseless ways, all because a mythic race had arisen from the Necronomicon to wreak havoc.

They had slain the Eldritch to the last. Yet their dark messiah, the Demiurge, could only be contained in the tome. Even if they were to somehow annihilate it, she sensed it would only return in a new form and continue to build its power.

It was an idea, a force-of-nature, and how could one ever honestly hope to be rid of a concept?

Smolder said, “So what do we do with him for now?”

“He can stay in the Dragon Lands,” replied Ember. “Plenty of room to relax and play here.”

“Now, you're talkin'! We'll keep him company! I don't like it as much down there anyway,” admitted Smolder. “I mean, it's an okay change of pace once in a while, but I prefer the smoky air, the hot bubbly lava, the-”

While he couldn't make out the words, Spike listened anyhow, felt the warmth and humor in his old friends. With them, he'd been able to push past any obstacle, despite what the invaders had repeatedly thrown at Equestria. He lazed by them, curled up in his spiny tail, tried to settle down into a slumber that would finally ease his restlessness with a tired snort.

He kept an eye open, felt his heart slow, and his muscles slacken. But before he could lose himself in dreams of his former life, a psychic scream threatened to shred his brain, and he roared, rising to all fours and breathing a cone of hellish fire at the air.

“Spike! What's wrong?!” Twilight kept her distance, unable to fathom his sudden burst of rage.

Instinctively aware that in his current state, he was a threat to them, Spike hurtled himself into the crimson sky and beat his massive wings in a desperate, aimless flight. His addled mind recalled familiar horrors. The Eldritch. The Demiurge.

He swooped past the Badlands, to where an old enemy-turned-ally lived, sure the Necronomicon would have the answers...

Chapter 3

The labyrinth inside the Necronomicon began to shift. This made Sombra theorize that perhaps somewhere, sealed in the bowels, the Demiurge had taken control. If this were the case, then they needed to hurry. However, that task proved difficult when a solid stone wall slammed shut before him, sealing him off from his companions. “Damn..." he hissed.

Knowing that it would take too long to destroy it with brute force magic, he attempted to dissipate into a black cloud, only for his power to fizzle out. He snorted on frustration. “I've taken flesh for so long, that avenue's been cut off from me.”

He silently cursed the limitations of his physical shape. His silver armor and crown gleamed in the gloom, and he unsheathed the black sword at his muscular hip, confident that with Somnambula present with them, Bellatrix, and Beatrix would remain guided through this everchanging maze. He shook his head, hopeful that his apprentice would manage without going in over her head.

It had been his idea to summon her, after all. They were forever tied to the black tome and its machinations.

Aware there was no way to turn back, he was forced to continue onward. His boots echoed on the stone, and he navigated the maze, his face drawn and weary. He'd promised his loving queen to bring back their daughter. And that was a task he would not fail!

For an hour, he walked alone as darkness began to swallow the light before him. He once thought that he was most comfortable in the shadows. But as he kept walking for what felt like hours, he felt a longing to see his family and friends. Another reminder of how much he had changed. That with his new life, he now had infinitely more to lose.

A chilling shiver crawled up his spine, distant giggling could be heard through the halls. It sounded... child-like? Was the Demiurge playing tricks on him? No, wait.... This felt much more ancient. Much more...sinister. Malevolent thoughts and feelings all too familiar to him coursed through his body. When did the air get so cold that his breath was visible? He could no longer see anything, except the pitch black of the abyss before him.

Something within that abyss was gazing back.

Then...something moved towards the corridor's termination. Shaking off this daze, he followed it as the light appeared again, providing a silhouette in the mouth of the entrance. "No more tricks! Show yourself," he demanded as he unsheathed his sword.

“F-Father? Is that you...?!” Into view came Cerise Silhouette, stumbling her way towards his side. Completely naked, her dark fur-coated her shapeliness, neon pink pigtails looking messy. And bright, watery eyes that complimented the sadness in her smile. "You came for me! I knew you would."

It pained Sombra to take a step back, but he was still uncertain after the tricks of the Demiurge he experienced a moment ago. “Daughter.... How do I know it is you?" He asked in a stern tone.

“Daddy, please.” She whimpered with a soft sob and padded closer. “I barely managed to get away!”

“Stay back,” he warned, wishing to believe it was true. Yet he was far too familiar with this trap. Whatever demon was using his daughter as a facade, it would force him to pierce its heart with a double-edged sword.

"Father..." Cerise said, her smile more bright and cheerful before she suddenly started to dance. Her arms were upraised, her massive breast jutted out, her body swaying in tune to exotic music that began to play around them. Her hips, buttocks, and tits jiggled, splotches of neon color swirling over her supple flesh, a soft blush on her cheeks, eyes half-lidded, full nipples erect and her tight labia moist.

And Sombra could do nothing but watch his daughter put on such an alluring display. Much like Pacific Glow before her would do. Whatever illusion was cast, it was working...

“Daddy,” she cooed. “Wouldn't it feel more comfortable if you were naked, too?”

He gulped uneasily but nodded weakly as his blade fell with a clatter. More clangs sounded when he removed his armor, piece-by-piece until he too stood denuded. He approached her with a swollen cock; his body filled with suppressed lust between them.

Subconscious and unspoken, a taboo he'd never dare even think of breaking was spinning around his head. But for every 'no' going off, a subtle 'yes' was hissing into his ear pleasantly, like a snake.

Before he realized what he was doing, Sombra was upon her, lifting her up by her thick thighs and pressing her against the cold wall. She whinnied in anticipation, and he sank his flaring genitals into her, past the medial ring, fully buried in her warm, moist, and incredibly pink tunnel which clenched in desperate need around him.

Huffing, Sombra made love to her, her arms and legs wrapped around him. Their lips met with a smack, tongues wrestling, and he peppered her neck and breasts in more kisses. His fingers and nails sunk into her buttocks, so soft and pliable.

“Y-Yes! Ahh~! Give it to me, Daddy! M-make love to me! Make a foal with me~,” she pleaded in a sensual whisper with heated cheeks and smoldering eyes.

Grunting, he wrapped his teeth around a nipple, pulled and distended a tit, and she whined with her head tossed back. Her pussy clamped around him, milking him for his royal juices. He slammed into her faster, more forcefully, pounded her ass into the stonework, her ass slapping on it, her twat shooting spatters of her juices and running down his groin, desperate to take his seed into her womb.

He was similarly compelled to plant it there, groaning in desperation for release, “Oh daddy,” she repeated over-and-over with a flutter of her lashes between moans. She clamped her twat down on him, shrieking and squirting over his crotch.

“C-Cerise~!” His cock flared, locked within her cervix to properly seed her, and he unloaded directly into her slippery womb, painted her walls in repeated shots of his hot, sticky essence. He huffed, unable to stop himself even if he wished to.

The tainted deed was done. Sombra held his daughter to his broad chest, unable to think clearly as the pair were still intertwined. “Oh, thank you, Daddy. I love you so much,” she murmured. Still locked in her cum-packed uterus, he gripped her tight, never wanting to leave her warm confines.

What had possessed him? He'd mocked Shining Armor and Beatrix Belladonna for a similar dalliance they'd had in another world. Still, they'd been compelled by the Demiurge inside her to break the taboo, to create a vessel for the dark messiah of the Eldritch.

Holding her to him with a pained smile, he pondered how he would ever explain this to everyone. Let alone his own queen.

Just as he kept pondering what he would do, a flash of dark pink caught the corner of his eye. Something hopped back into the darkness of the labyrinth.

Beatrix Belladonna swiveled her head about. “Teacher? Sister? Sommy?” Her words reverberated back at her. It had happened in seconds, the walls had slammed down, the party separated. She considered one of the tubes hidden in the sleeves of her inner cloak, an alchemical concoction that could blow the stones away, but worried she'd be caught in the blast. “That would be a rather embarrassing end...plus, if this place is constantly shifting its dimensions, they could be miles apart by now!”

With a shake of her head, the witch wandered on. Her heels skipped on the stones, and her wide-brimmed cone hat bounced on her head, while her platinum hair and cloak swirled past her. She came to a junction. “Hmm, which way to go? They all look the same to me.” She scratched her chin, pulled a coin from seemingly nowhere, and after a flip where it called tails, she shrugged and moved to the right.

Shivering, she felt a pair of eyes upon her, and darted her gaze back, but they closed before she could see them. Her shadows trailed on the corridors, brought out by the torches that crackled on the sconces. It felt like anything could happen here.

Her ears flicked when she heard a soft moan coming from the distance. It was followed by an unmistakable male growl. “Wait, is that...?”

Peeking around the corner, her eyes and mouth went wide, and heat rose into her cheeks upon her discovery. It was Sombra, though he appeared much younger than she remembered, atop a lovely unicorn and gently pushing into her flanks. They were locked in a tender embrace while they made love. Her proportions were average but well-shaped, her coat a soft lavender, her mane azure. “Sombra.... My love,” she murmured tenderly and caressed his cheek.

“O-Oh Radiant Hope...I'm close...!” He stroked her locks mid-coitus. “Please...become my Queen, and let's rule the Crystal Empire; together!” His hand slid between her supple breasts, rested over her heart, and he listened to its gentle beat.

“All I want is to be with you,” she cooed each time he slid in-and-out of her silky wet slit.

The two shared a beautiful climax with each other. Never had Beatrix seen her teacher looked so serene, not even with Inky Rose or herself! A twig of jealousy struck her heart, but not enough to distract her from the scene. As the two lovers caught their breath and shared another kiss, Sombra rose up with an all too familiar smile. "Oh, Hope.... My ambitions will be much more than this. I've...done a lot of studying in some...powerful magic."

"W-what kind of magic, my love?" She asked with a confused look.

"Magic so ancient and so vast, not even the former Queen could control it. But I have discovered that I am a much suitable vessel. I just need a bit more time...a bit more power... Before...ugh! Before I can claim what is rightfully mine~!"

His eyes radiated with a wispy glow. Radiant Hope gasped, and his maw opened, fangs exposed, his horn twisting into a jagged mess. Black smoke arose from his muscles. He gripped her harder before resuming to thrust into her again and again, hammering into her body with relentless aggression. Clawing so hard into a breast and asscheeks, he left small cuts and bruises on them, he nipped a tit until it bled from small marks.

Radiant Hope paled, horrified. She tried to resist and pushed him to stop, whimpering in pain. “S-Sombra, slow down! S-stop, you're hurting me...” Yet he ignored her. He was a stallion possessed, his hand wrapped around her throat, as if to strangle her very life while impaling her cervix.

She sobbed when the flare buried there and he howled. His muscles clenched and he dumped his seed into her womb to claim his Queen. Yet the darkness of the Necronomicon had infected him, and he lost control in a bestial rage. She screamed.

“Stop!!” Cried Beatrix with wide eyes and wrapped her aura around him to try and fling him off. Yet her magic levitated nothing. It was like she wasn't really grasping anything. She kept trying before her magic depleted as the scene continued on, leaving her to watch with little choice of stopping it.

Radiant Hope closed her eyes with a muted whine when her body betrayed her, and she came on him. In the throes of his orgasm, he sunk a claw into her breast and tore out her still-beating heart, presenting it to her wide eyes. The very last image this poor mare would see is her lover with a manic grin, and glowing red eyes devour her own love for him, blood sliding down his chin.

Beatrix shook like a leaf. Even though this was an illusion, the smell of blood hung heavily in the air. As the monster imitating her teacher left, she slowly crawled towards Radiant Hope's body remained. “W-Why...?” Was her only response. Not to why this happened, she knew better.

It was a vision of the past, the stallion he'd once been, when the darkness of the Necronomicon infected him. But why show her this gruesome scene? She didn't really know this unicorn, and yet she felt strangely connected. She kneeled down by her side, covered her face with both hands, and softly sobbed for her anyhow, still in disbelief.

She told herself he wasn't a monster anymore, that he'd changed, and she'd been instrumental in that. She'd seen and known the terrible deeds he'd been capable of, but it was a stark reminder, and she couldn't help but feel guilty, that she too was culpable for every sin he'd committed if she loved him. Yet his apprentice couldn't deny she still felt strongly about him.

As she mourned for this false lover, she failed to notice two tiny glowing eyes peering over her. A low, rumbling chuckle emanated from the vails of darkness around her as if the Necronomicon was laughing at her.

Spike circled around the pyramid. Scales gleamed under the baking sun. He stared down at the arrivals, a legion of guards that flanked the Queen, Inky Rose, armed with crossbows and spears. “Stand down,” she ordered with a wave. “We couldn't halt him anyhow.” Her sheer, transparent black gown whipped about her ample form while she studied him with a frown.

They were forced to scatter when he descended with claws outstretched and smashed into the lower portion. Masonry crumbled and stones were tossed into the dunes. He took care not to harm anyone but proceeded to dig into the tombs, where he sensed the Necronomicon was buried, an alien scream pulsing in his head, drawing him to it in his quest for answers.

With the guardian of the sacred tombs, the Sphinx currently absent, Spike tirelessly clawed his way into the depths and unearthed the treasury. Under normal circumstances, dragon greed might have driven him to procure the vast treasures, but he ignored them and plucked up the black book, the mummified and stitched faces of the Eldritch drawn taut across its covers.

Inky pushed past her guards and came between him and the grimoire. Her heart raced, but she stood at her full height with her plume unfurled, her bare feet upon the piles of gold, and staring up into his eyes in grim determination. “Spike, can you hear me?” He tilted his head and paused. “Please... You'll make a grave mistake if you continue down this path. Control yourself!"

Spike raised a claw, ready to swat her aside, but not wishing to harm her. Still, the Necronomicon called to him, and another psychic headache threatened to split his skull. He howled, and beat his wings, whipping about a sand storm.

Inky stood her ground until she was forced to instinctively cower before his primal display of dominance, a reminder that to him, she was mere prey. His nail hooked into the cleft of her garment between her breasts, and shredded off her clothes, clasping the pegasus in his claws, his jaws slavering and dripping hot drool all over her writhing, naked form.

“S-Spike! Don't do this,” she whispered before shuddering in disgust as he dragged his tongue over her flesh.

He opened his mouth, baring his rows of razor teeth. Arrows and magic bounced uselessly off his hide, spears snapped on his armored scales, the Queen's loyal followers determined to lay down their lives if necessary to save her.

A blink sounded. “Spike!” He turned to the familiar voice, some awareness returning. “Stop it! You're not a monster!”

He managed to find his voice. “T-Twilight...?” He shook his head, trying to blot out the psychic reverberations, and gently set down Inky, shamefaced. “I...I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me.”

“I-It's alright, you're forgiven,” said Inky, who tried to wipe off the saliva coating her pale gray body. "Just...try to regain control sooner next time..."

Twilight Sparkle said, “It will be okay. I promise. We received your message, Inky Rose. I went around and gathered several allies to help.” Behind her stood a number who'd answered the King's and Queen's summons; Rarity who'd come for Spike, Sunset Shimmer who by studying Beatrix's powers the had been able to travel back over through an experimental machine which had broken down after one use, Fleur de Lis who claimed she had 'unfinished business,' and Trixie Lulamoon and Flurry Heart, who came in support of Beatrix. “I put together a team to rescue everyone from the Necronomicon!”

“Well done,” said Inky. “Please, save my husband and daughter. I'll be eternally in your debt.” She clutched the ankh hung by a chain that dangled between her bare breasts, which made her wonder if her destiny was always tied to this exotic land.

Twilight nodded. “Let's not waste any time, then.” She stared at the book deep into the unearthed pit, settled atop a column. Carefully she approached the tome, which made her shudder with its mere, eerie presence, cold to the touch.

Rarity sidled up to the dragon and pressed her white dress clad curves to him. “My Spikey-Wikey,” she purred. “We were so concerned, dear. Especially poor Fluttershy. I promised to make you see sense and bring you back home.”

Spike nuzzled her back, ignoring the buzz in his head. “Thanks.” He grinned at the other arrivals.

Sunset approached and laid hands on him, dressed in her old costume. Her eyes went white when she peered into him in search of answers. “Huh.” Answers flashed by her thoughts in rapid succession. “It's...it's the Demiurge all right. And the...Eldritch? No, that's impossible, we must have destroyed them all! A-ah!” She suddenly screamed, overwhelmed by rapid visions.

She collapsed and quivered, still howling, going into seizures when the psychic howl threatened to shred her psyche.

“No!” Twilight sank to her side, tears in her eyes. With help from her companions, she held her down and stuffed a cloth into her mouth so she wouldn't bite off her tongue. “We have to sedate her until we can fix this!”

“Leave it to me,” said Flurry Heart with pursed lips. She wore a simple dress with a cloak over it, reached into her satchel, and opened a tube. The bubbly contents were poured down Sunset's mouth, dripping down the side of her lips. Within moments Sunset settled into a deep slumber. “She'll be okay. Physically, at least. But her mind...”

“I'll save her. I swear it.” Twilight grit her teeth and balled up her fists. “It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought her-”

Rarity held her. “You couldn't have known. It seems the scars left by the Eldritch shall never leave us.”

Fleur de Lis was dressed in form-fitted white attire enchanted to serve as armor. Her stylized halberd, its blade shaped like her namesake, was leveled at the cursed book. “I shall proceed into the Necronomicon and slaughter any Eldritch that remain!”

“We had better return home, darling,” said Rarity to her love. “Your family misses you dearly, as do I...”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, I...agh~!” His mind threatened to split again as another psychic shock wave pulsed through him.

The Necronomicon shot into the air, hovered, and opened up to admit them in. “Guards,” shouted Inky as black tendrils shot from its interior. One wrapped around Rarity's midsection, and she squealed, dragged towards the tattered pages.

“Rarity!” Spike growled and dived past them after her, only for the pair to vanish amidst a brilliant light, sucked into it.

“Inky, please look after Sunset. Let's go.” Twilight nodded to Flurry, Fleur, and Trixie, who followed after her.

“My little Beatrix,” said Trixie in her dramatic fashion. “We'll be there soon, I swear it! Nothing will keep me from you!”

They too shrank and were sucked into the brightness. Twilight couldn't help but think the tendrils looked familiar somehow. The black cloud Sombra had once been? The Pony of Shadows? The darkness that once transformed Luna into Nightmare Moon?

Somehow she sensed they were all connected, perhaps a byproduct across dimensions, an infectious evil that warped one into a monster. The Eldritch were merely another tool of this malevolent force of nature. She swore to put an end to it.

Somnambula carved her way through solid stone with her claws, but it was far too late. “At least I managed to locate you,” the Sphinx said to Bellatrix Primadonna. Her slit eyes surveyed the decrepit gray and lime-colored stone maze, which could be infinite in its dimensions. “Be wary. Anything may occur within the accursed Necronomicon.”

“I know. I was born here, in a sense.” Bellatrix crossed her arms and sighed. “I wonder, was I a demon drawn here, like so many others? Or was I merely a fictional character that Sombra breathed life into when he liberated me?” She'd been a typical succubus once, and with Somnambula's holy book, he'd eventually altered her into her current seraphic state.

“I feel partially responsible. For all this. I released Spike's full potential and sacrificed his life...” Soft sobs escaped Somnambula. “I have always done whatever it took to preserve Equestria, and yet my sins are heavier than most.”

Bellatrix shrugged. “So what? You're not a bad person now, are you? Without your knowledge or guidance, we'd likely all be dead.”

“Curt like always. Yet you may have a point. Wisdom from unexpected sources,” she mused with a soft titter. She paused and sniffed the air as a scent wafted their way. “You smell it too, do you not? The reek of blood...” She padded towards it, and spreading her plumage Bellatrix sailed next to her, her white radiance shimmering off the cracked tunnels.

“S-Somnambula...” Stygian tried to focus and leaned on a wall for support, bruised, and bloodied.

“Stygian?!” She bounded over to him, stricken. “Please, hang on!” He sank to the floor with a thud.

“The-the Pony of Shadows...has returned,” he managed before he slipped unconscious.

Somnambula chanted a prayer, and in a flash of light, temporarily abandoned her Sphinx form to retake her pegasus shape. She sat in her silk gown beside him and placed his head in her lap while she stroked his forehead. “Poor Stygian. We Pillars made a terrible mistake when we underestimated him. Was he delusional, or has the Pony of Shadows truly returned, independent of him?” She closed her teary eyes, eaten away by guilt and hopeful she could still save him.

“I may be able to heal him,” said Bellatrix who placed her palms on him. She concentrated and filled him with her holy warmth. Gradually his cuts and bruises receded, and his bones knitted, but he remained unconscious. “There, that should... ugh...” Her form suddenly felt heavy as she collapsed onto her knees.

“I am thankful for your help, but that act has left you terribly weak,” observed Somnambula pensively.

Bellatrix wavered in place, struggling to stay conscious. “I...I'll be fine. I just need to rest.”

“We may not have the time. This place is infinitely more dangerous than Tartarus. We have seen only the outer edges.”

“Again, I used to live here... not really that surprised,” Bellatrix sighed with a prissy huff. “I mean, the constant shifting plains is new to me, but everything isn't unrecognizable...” She struggled to her feet and carried Stygian the best she was able. “Still, we're going to need your protection if we're to get out alive.”

Somnambula nodded and, with another chant, return to her Sphinx form. “Leave it to me.” She led the way ever more profound with her transformation, her faith placed in the spirits to guide her. All her life she'd been committed to her sacred duties above all.

The possibility that they might never escape frightened her. Yet she steeled herself, knew she couldn't let doubts creep in, and crush her spirit. Without her, Bellatrix, Stygian, and perhaps the rest of their distributed team would be doomed to an eternity of suffering.

They needed to find them and fast!

Chapter 4

“The spirits must be disturbed,” observed Inky Rose, who stood with her arms crossed and studied the overturned tombs. Phantasmal energies swirled about, and she swore faces were visible in them, which made her shudder. “If only Somnambula were here. She'd know what to do. Alas, at least I don't believe they wish to harm the custodians of their land.”

"Perhaps I can be of assistance, yer majesty," a calm, gentle voice called to her. The queen jumped in alarm and turned to see someone walk into the open. Mystical blue robes flowed with her movements while she walked with a staff that resembled a dreamcatcher. Curved horns protruded from her hood that tried to hide her face with light blue hair braided underneath. Warm, honey-colored eyes looked back at Inky's cautioned expression. "If you'll permit me, that is..."

"And who am I permitting?" Inky asked, covering her arms over her exposed breasts.

"Oona Ewe, dream shepard of a lost world. Normally I would never come physically to people's affairs, but..." Her smile disappears upon looking at the Necronomicon. "I fear trouble is brewin' by all those who've messed with that lil' black book."

The pegasus clutched the book as if trying to protect her friends within it from this stranger. "W-what business do you have with the Necronomicon?!"

"O, plenty yer majesty, plenty," the goat woman responds, slowly easing Inky to place the book down as she flipped through the pages. "You're probably aware that this book connects many worlds and dimensions with its black magic, aye?"

Inky narrowed her gaze while watching her. "Of course! Our world has suffered thanks to it. It brought upon the Eldritch who nearly eradicated our existence."

"So it has. And just where do ya think the Eldritch come from?" Ewe asked before finding a page near the very end of the book, coated in nothing but black ink.

"T-the... the Demiurge..."

"Ha. If only that were true. All my problems and worries would be just that. But I'm afraid something else is the culprit. Something, not even the Demiurge, is likely aware of."

"T-then speak, shepard!" The dark queen demanded, tiring of this goat and her riddles. "If you're here to help, then please explain what it is! My husband and friends are trapped in there!"

Ewe touched her cheek if only to calm her nerves. Her caress was so soft, Inky felt herself growing drowsy.

"Queen Inky Rose, I assure you I will help protect your king and anyone else whose fallen victim by the torments of the Necronomicon," Lady Ewe insisted. "But ye must understand. The purpose of it was to contain the most wicked and darkest of spells and magic. It's the only thing keeping him from breaking free.."

"Him..? You mean the Pony of Shadows?"

She shook her head before beginning a light hum left the ram's muzzle as blue aura formed into a single dewdrop to wet the paper. And by its majestic, the mysterious black page was revealed. And what it showed frightened Inky to her very core.

The page detailed a dark mass of a black...thing. A thing with many tentacles and appendages wrapping around what looked to be a sun, many eyes sketched into it. And near the base of where all the tendrils met was what seemed like an endless pit of teeth.

"Sombra, Luna, and Stygian have all tasted the madness that came from this creature. None do know where it came from, only that it has existed before time. It is known by many names; Sun-Eater, Sen-me, the Shadow of Humanity itself. His real name... is Zeloph."

"Zeloph..." The very mention of this thing's name left an unsettling shiver roll through her spine.

Ewe nods, her own face contorted with dismay. "Another shaman and I managed to seal the demon away into this book, in hopes that no one would read it. But time and desperation proved us wrong as many would find it through different periods, different dimensions, and give into it's insane and illogical design; forming and creating new spells that cost many their lives...just for a taste of power. I fear that if the Demiurge digs deeply into the source of the Necronomicon, Zeloph will break free."

"T-THEN WE WARN THE OTHERS!" She yelled in a panic. "Beatrix, Sombra, Spike, Twilight, Sommabula. None of them are aware of what lies waiting for them!"

"It's why I am here," Ewe exclaimed, clutching her staff while casting a spell over the cover to activate a new portal into its confinement. Clutching the queen's hand, she would whisper, "Pray for us, your highness. Pray for our swift return. And above all, keep hope we will succeed!" And with that, the mystical ram vanished into the Necronomicon.

Inky Rose could only stare blankly at the black book before hesitantly picking it up. She just couldn't process what she just discovered. All this nonsense about many sources of darkness linking to one primordial being, all from this strange goat woman. What could she genuinely believe in? What would make this all go away? What would bring her husband, their child, and friends home safely?

“My Queen,” said one of her guards who flanked her. Her handmaidens had retrieved another sheer black gown for her, and a golden sheen reflected off them from the scattered treasures. It seems they failed to notice Lady Ewe's entrance. “There is no need to despair! King Sombra will return soon.”

Her gaze softened before she managed to force a smile on her face. “Yes,” she agreed before looking to the Necronomicon and then resting it back on its column. “They will make sure of it.” She clutched the ankh between her breasts, a symbol of her faith, and sighed. “Oh, Beatrix...I hope you'll return to him. I know your love for him is strong too...”

With their mistress away, Somnambula's priestesses Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow stayed close at Inky's side to watch over her. “You're restless,” said Tiara, who quickly added, “Understandably, under the circumstances.”

“We'll take care of the trivial stuff,” offered Cozy with a smile.

“Thank you all.” She would have to trust in everyone who entered the dark tome, for the sake of Pacific Glow's daughter, who she'd raised like her own, and with the knowledge that if they failed, it could incite an incident between the alliance.

The Eldritch and the Demiurge still haunted her, like they did many of the survivors. And even after their defeat over many years ago, new scars kept showing up in their new foundations of Equestria.

It hurt her as much as it hurt looking towards the sun or the moon, reminded of the mistakes of the alicorn sisters. “The old rulers are mostly dead,” she whispered. “We must build a better world on our own.”

It's the reason she had given herself to Sombra, tried to soothe his pains, and turn that darkness towards the betterment of all. He would help her create a society they all wanted.

A united Equestria that outdid what Celestia and Luna ever achieved.

But as she glared over to that accursed book, and the image of the beast within it clear, doubt began to root into her faith on if there would ever be peace in Equestria.

Knowing she couldn't mope forever, Beatrix Belladonna wiped her eyes on the back of her glove and started to rise. She half-stifled a shriek when the mare whose head rested in her lap stirred. “What the!! Y-you're alive?! N-no, this is just this wretched place tricking me.... It can't be?” She studied her with eyes dilated, uncertain whether the dimensions here were playing more tricks on her.

Yet Radiant Hope slowly rose up, holding her chest were the hole in her heart was. Her eyes looked pale as she looked over the place and the quivering unicorn. "W-Where am I...how am I...alive?"

"Here...let me...geh!” She helped her stand back to her feet before removing her cape to wrap around her. “This place is crazy, but we're gonna find a way out, I promise! My name's Beatrix Belladonna, and if we can find my sister, maybe she can heal that up," the witch introduced herself while pointing out the mare's wound.

“Radiant Hope..." She coughed. "And considering you're the only one here present, I'll follow you. Just...don't do anything to harm me, please?"

She grinned and raised her index finger, which sparkled with magic. “You can trust me!”

A sad smile graced Radiant's muzzle as the two traversed the labyrinth, steps echoing, and the chipped walls would audibly shift on occasion, which chilled them to the core. It was a reminder they were trapped here, little more than prey, observed every moment.

Beatrix knew there were many potential exits from the Necronomicon. The trouble was locating one. Especially if the Demiurge really had seized control over the interior and could twist it. They could wander aimlessly forever, or quickly fall for a trap.

She stayed close to Radiant Hope, thankful that at least she didn't have to undertake this venture alone.

Neither spoke unless necessary, and their footfalls echoed in the silence. There was so much Beatrix wanted to ask her new ally but figured it was better left for another time, especially since it involved Sombra. She at least wanted to know her teacher's side to this grim tale.

“Wait, is that...?” Just as she was thinking of him, he suddenly appeared resting around the corner, a naked mare by his side.

"Sombra! Sombra...” Radiant Hope repeated, her voice hissing low without a hint of emotion.

At his name being called, he and Cerise turned to them. “My student, you came to-” Any joy he would have had in reuniting with her died the moment he laid eyes on his 'deceased' lover. And after the tainted deed was done with the awakening mare beside him, guilt and shame were difficult to hide on his face. Swallowing, he gently rose up with hesitant steps. “R-Radiant Hope...” He whispered. "I-is it really you, or is the madness of the Necronomicon starting to overcome me?"

She exposed the cavity in her breast where her heart once rested. “You tell me.”

Beatrix bit her lip, wanting to hug him as well as yell at him. With a breath inward, she settled for as neutral an approach she could manage. "There are...many questions I need to ask you. The first being... well..."

Sombra nodded uneasily. “I can't comprehend how this place plays with our minds, but during that moment, it felt...right," He brushed his daughter's hair, who cooed with a smile. “It's like we're being compelled to obey a greater force, much like you did when the Demiurge was inside of you," he pointed out, recalling the time it overwhelmed her to rut with Shining Armor.

“Y-yeah, don't remind me. The Demiurge saw him as a perfect mate for me to try and bring about a suitable vessel for it to possess.” And while she had more than moved on from that compulsion, she still had trouble getting over Sombra, like the obsession had transferred. Of course, she wasn't ready to admit that to him. Her faces flushed at the thought. "Just so we're clear, say it wanted us to sleep with each other. What would you..."

“Contraceptives are easy to craft,” he reminded. “I'll make sure there are no accidents." The witch sighed in relief, though a darker part of her felt disappointment.

"I'm sterile now anyhow," mumbled Beatrix.

Cerise rubbed circles around her belly with a soft blush and murmured, “I wouldn't mind, daddy...”

"Hush love!" Sombra insisted, struggling to keep a calm composure. “We must find a way to escape here.” He stood and helped Cerise to her feet. They collected their scattered garments and redressed, though Sombra kept his distance from Hope. “I have done as I swore. Now then, my student. I'll trust you to guide out of this horrid place."

Beatrix clicked her tongue. “I mean, I'm doing my best here, teach. I'm not worried, but I've gotta keep hope I'll figure something out!"

And like that, they were off, Sombra wisely choosing to let his pupil figure up while his daughter and former lover followed behind them. Still, he couldn't help a dark chuckle, unaware that the darkness came from within. The Pony of Shadows had successful phased into Sombra when he gave in to his lust with his daughter.

Soon, he would take root within his new vessel and show him who the real master of shadows was...

With claws and flame, Spike tore through the walls that closed in on him, determined to find one of his loves. Due to his bulk, whatever traps he triggered were easily dealt with. He smashed and melted stone, straining his muscles below his armored scales, smoke swirling out his flared nostrils while he made his ceaseless advance. “Rarity,” he cried.

“I'm here, darling. Come closer.” Her sweet voice whispered sensuously from the gloom.

His ears flicked. To his wide-eyed shock, his body started to shrink. “What's happening to me...?” He could still hear Rarity call to him, and he found himself unable to resist her sweet voice, which drew him closer despite his reservations.

A sparkly mist like moon dust rolled around him, enveloped him in a dense shroud, and chilled him into a dazed stupor.

“My little Spikey-Wikey.” Her bright eyes appeared in the miasma.

He gasped and realized he'd shrunken down to his average size, thankful that he hadn't been turned back into the awkward drake with a crush he'd once been. Still, he couldn't help but feel intimated in her presence, not helped by the fact that he was naked.

Her eyes trailed over his muscles in approval. She wandered closer, nude as he was, her mane swirling about her. Her fur had turned dark, and she had filled out even more to an impossibly voluptuous figure. Somehow she had become 'Nightmare Rarity,' or 'Nightmarity' as he'd nicknamed her, and moved with a sensual grace that swayed her wide hips and massive tits.

Frozen to the spot, he practically drooled. Her smile widened, half her face obscured by her wavy mane. She cupped her pendulous breasts in both palms, rubbed them inc circles with a squeeze, and tweaked her dark, erect purple nipples.

His twin cocks rose and twitched at sight. She moved so close, her breasts pressed upon his bare chest, and his shafts rubbed on her belly, beaded with precum. He grunted and resisted the urge to simply seize her with his claws and ravish her. She made a move for him, guiding his claws to her generous buttocks, and he squeezed the soft marshmallow flesh with a needy groan.

“This...this is wrong,” he whispered, trying to maintain his sanity.

“Why? Don't you want me, dear?” She batted her lashes. “I'm yours for the taking, however, you wish.” She dragged her tongue around the inside of an ear, tickled him with her warm breath. “I know how much you love to stuff my lower holes full...”

Unable to restrain himself anymore, his eyes glazed over, and he bared his teeth in a show of bestial dominance. Flipping Nightmarity over onto all fours, he mounted her like an animal, desperate to rut her absolutely senseless. She whined in appreciation when he yanked her thick mane, and he pounded into her pussy and asshole, spread her wide amidst his relentless assault.

With his loose claw, he alternated between squeezes and slaps at her buttocks and tits. He'd pull her head back, pressed his snout to hers, force his elongated tongue down her throat. She cried out encouragement at his dominant behavior, determined to make him hers, aware that she'd missed her chance to be his favorite with her coyness and fallen out of his favor over the years.

With each grunt and hammering thrust, her body rocked under him. He left small red claw marks on her tits and ass, bite marks on her neck, spank marks from the beating he handed her plush derriere. She blushed and whined, clenched her fuckholes around his fleshy, ridge-lined tools, and he plunged balls deep past her cervix, all the way into her slippery womb.

“Shoot it in me,” she demanded with a hiss. “I want to bear more of your offspring!”

Spike's cocks pulsed and unloaded. An excess of cum filled her up, made her belly swell up as he'd heavily impregnated her, and he fired into her with such force she came too with a lusty, continuous moan, repeated squirts painting his groin and sluicing down his heavy balls. His leather wings flared out, silencing her cries with another forceful kiss.

He slumped atop her, and she murmured, “Stay with me, Spike. Forever. I'm yours to do with as you wish. I led you on, teasing you, manipulating you, using you. Better that you let it all out, darling. Ravish me until I'm full of your love~!” She stroked his cheek, and he panted, still embedded deep in her. His seed sloshed within her stomach.

Part of him wanted to accept her offer, to finally have her love as he'd always wanted. Once she'd only treated him as a friend, and even after she became his lover in his harem, he could sense her resentment that she shared between several lovers who competed for his affection.

He partially surrendered, wanting to make love to her again.

Twilight Sparkle watched through a cloud of dark mist she couldn't penetrate. “Spike! Come back to us!” She tried to teleport in, simply to end up in the exact same place. She balled her fists and snarled in frustration. “Somehow, we have to find a way in there. The last time this happened to Rarity, it took all her closest friends to wake her up from this nightmare.”

Fleur de Lis tried to pierce the miasma with her halberd only to be rebuffed by an invisible barrier. “Brute force won't work.”

“Perhaps we need a touch of more magic,” said Trixie, who started to flare her horn.

“Allow me to help,” offered Flurry Heart, who poured her own aura into opening a way through the mist. At the same time, she had improved her artificial horn and wings, both brutalized by Chrysalis when she and Cadance had been her slaves, the extension sparked from the rush of pure power, barely able to contain it without cracking as it pulsed under vibrations that hummed.

“If only Sunset were here,” lamented Twilight with regret and added her own power to what they'd channeled. They strained themselves to the fullest, and Fleur added in her own aura, hopeful they could tear a simple rift in the blockade.

At the same time, Spike and Nightmare Rarity continued to intertwine. They lost themselves in flesh and its pleasures, moments drawn out like hours like they were trapped in a dream neither of wished to be awakened. Repeatedly he claimed her, and she submitted to her mate, driven to possess him in her own way, to make him a slave to her affection and desire.

Sweat poured down Fleur's strained brow. “It's...no use...”

“Don't give up,” called Flurry Heart who tried to redouble her efforts. “We can do it!”

“Too much...” Trixie swayed and nearly slipped unconscious.

Gritting her teeth, Twilight called, “A little more....!” The spell between them shattered with a crackle that tossed them all onto their bottoms. “Damn it.” She punched the stone floor below them. “If Sunset or Starlight were here-”

“You would have used me, just like before.” They turned and gasped at the sight of Starlight Glimmer, dressed in the same leather attire like she had been under the Eldritch, complete with the torn wound in her skull where their cybernetic implants had once been.

“Impossible,” cried Trixie with a snarl. “You're dead! We all saw it!”

Starlight pursed her lips, an unnaturally wide smile on her face. “Maybe you wished I was dead. I mean, it's far easier to accept that then deal with what has become of me. Or deal with the fact that it was your fault that I became an abomination!”

Trixie shot up. “Starlight wouldn't say or even think such things, I know it! You went off alone to face the Eldritch and abandoned me!” She balled up her fists, and tears ran down her cheeks as she vented her frustrations.

“Why would I ask someone who never believed in me? Or trusted I could overcome the Eldritch? That's why I went alone. And you.” She turned to Twilight while scratching at the cybernetic implants on her face, drawing black blood. “My dear teacher, look at your star pupil. Look at the mess you made! Is this what you had in mind? Just another friend, you made a monster?”

Twilight shook her head with watery eyes, refusing to accept this reality before her. “No, I-I never wanted this!” The weight of her failures hung heavily on her, ate at her soul, gnawed by the guilt she needed someone to absolve her of. “I'd do anything to set this right...”

Starlight Glimmer tilted her head to one side, a sickening crack in her neck. “How foolish. You could have set things straight from the beginning! Remember the spell I used to travel through time? Use that, and you could have made sure the Eldritch never attacked, then things could be like they used to be. Like how Equestria was~.”

“No.... No, that's too dangerous.” Twilight remembered she'd made a similar pitch to Beatrix, who'd almost accepted before Sombra intervened. She believed it was another trick of the Demiurge, that it would provide the Eldritch with another opportunity to make their plans a reality. “You're not Starlight. Just an evil phantom that's wearing her face!”

Taking a step forward, Trixie added, “That's right! The mare I love would never blame us for what happened!” She blushed a little at her confession but continued to press onward. “Now leave us, before you face the full brunt of Trixie's wrath!”

'Starlight' began to twitch violently before her body flexed backward, and a harrowing crackle echoed in the halls. Twilight and Trixie both readied their magic before a sickening sound stopped them. Flesh began to peel back from the other side of Starlight's face as shadowy tendrils sprouting from her appendages. Slowly, eyeballs opened from each tendril to gaze over the horrified expressions of the mares. Inside the void of Starlight's face, where muscle and bones should have been, was instead pitch-black darkness. Darkness and a set of teeth fixed into a smile.

"Phantom? Oh no, child~! I am but a truth you refuse to accept!" A voice emanated. It sounded like a deep octave mixed with different genders and tones, all while screams provided its bass. "Lurking within your very mortal minds, I've been patiently watching...waiting for these bonds to weaken. My time is approaching, little ones. I guarantee it~."

Wriggling about, the dark monstrosity bent its body crookedly backward and rapidly crawled back into the thick mists. Frightened by what they just saw, each mare clutched at each other for comfort in whimpers.

Whether that was an illusion or real being, it mattered not as they we're no closer to a way in, and could do little more than watch while Spike and Rarity mated, their words unheard. The foursome slumped down to rest, drained by the spell they'd attempted to cast as they tried to think up another method.

“It may be up to Spike,” said Flurry who massaged her horn. “Unless he chooses to reject the temptations, he'll remain trapped.”

“You may be able to influence him.” The voice came from Somnambula, who walked through the curtains of miasma with Bellatrix and the unconscious Stygian in tow. “I am aware you have questions,” she began raising a hand to silence them. “But for the moment, my concern is with our egress. The longer we tarry, the more likely we will end up corrupted, or lost forever.”

The priestess moved close as she could to the barrier that divided them, still in her pegasus form. “Focus your thoughts on Spike and Rarity. Try to draw them back to us. What happened to Spike is my responsibility.” She pressed her palms on the invisible wall, closed her eyes and concentrated, her faith in the idea that they would eventually be reunited.

Her allies moved to support her. Their emotions focused on Spike and Rarity, the latter who Twilight worried was far gone already, and she sniffled with the pain of another close companion now forever gone.

Spike paused between his latest session with his lover, flicked his fin-like ears again, and swore he could hear the faint voices of those close to him, but t no avail.

"Gotta be...somewhere," Beatrix groaned. It felt like they were roaming through the labyrinth aimlessly. Not helped that all parties with her were silent. Sombra and Raident wouldn't say a word while Cerise gripped her father's arm tightly. At this rate, she wondered if she would ever figure out a way out for them.

Suddenly, a door opened amid the maze and light spilled from the white room, blinding them in its serenity. “This way,” came the soft but firm voice. A goat woman appeared in the frame, horns curled about her head, her bluish-white curls pulled into braids that connected at the bottom by a purple jewel. Her tall form wrapped in robes and sandals covered her feet.

She beckoned them in with her curled staff, her features delicate and warm, eyes alight with wisdom that belied her youthful appearance. Inside was a stark contrast to the horrors of the Necronomicon. A blue valley of grass and life that faded into the light mist. It took Beatrix a few seconds to recognize this mystical land and the lady who welcomed them in. "I...I remember... Lady Ewe?" She asked, recalling the shepard during a previous adventure.

“Aye,” she replied and waited for all of them to enter before closing the gate. “Ya'll may relax. This place is safe from the Necornomicon's magic or the influences brought by it.”

Cerise swallowed, looking around suspiciously. “C-can we really trust her? This feels like a dream... too good to be true."

Beatrix nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Of all the people who I met, she's one of the few I trust with my life! Oh, I can't believe you're here~!" She took Ewe's hands and shook them, practically hopping on her heels. “How did you know where to find me! This place defies all logic?!"

Lady Ewe tittered with a smile. “By now, I've got a familiar lock on your powers whenever you've traveled. It takes me time, but I'm never far in case you may need me. Even with the Necronomicon destroyed, that was merely a shell that contained the wonders here. As I drew close to this world, I sensed familiar energy and chaos; compelling me to venture to you. I'd say though if circumstances were better, I'd be happy to see you~."

Radiant Hope sat and wrapped up in Beatrix's Ursa Minor cloak. “So what do we do now? Wait here forever?”

"Not forever, I'm afraid. You'll need to head out if you want to leave with your minds intact," Ewe warned.

“Then, for now, we take it easy, I guess,” said Cerise who settled down next to her. “I'm not afraid. Daddy will lead us out, won't you?"

Sombra did not answer, looking away while Ewe approached him with a stern look.

"You've gotten yerself into some wicked trouble, lad," she said knowingly. "I'm half tempted to release you back to the void and let the darkness consume you."

"W-what?! No," exclaimed Beatrix with concern. "Why would we, Sombra is my teacher, my friend, m-my..."

“Sombra,” interrupted Radiant, who sat up while quietly studying him. All he could do was stare back at her, unable to mouth anything in his defense. For he knew, both her and the goat woman were right. “He's not the stallion any of you think he is. I learned the hard way.” She brushed her fingertips around the hole in her breast.

Cerise winced. “W...what happened to you?”

“Only know that your father is to blame,” she replied curtly. “And hope the same fate doesn't befall whoever your mother is.”

His eyes bore into hers, full of guilt and sorrow as he turned to walk away, unable to face her. Beatrix, in her emotional state, pursed her lips while walking past Oona.

"Let me try and talk things out with him. I'm sorry; I just don't wanna lose any more people in my life..."

Oona simply nodded with a glint in her eye. “Understandible, child. I only wish you picked yer friends more wisely. That one has a lot of demons to fight.”

Rushing to him, Beatrix stopped and watched the once proud ruler, his back turned, and his crimson cape behind him. She'd seen him brood many times, but his saturnine mood seemed particularly bleak at the moment.

“I never wanted any of you to see this,” he admitted with his head bowed. “The part of me I thought was buried during the war with the Eldritch. The part of me you got through to see who I truly am."

Carefully she approached, and trembled, realizing that he was softly sobbing. He winced when she caressed his cheek and said, “Radiant Hope was the first pony I ever loved. The one I betrayed in pursuit of power. My greatest regret that still haunts me to this day. Seeing her again should ease the pain, as it gives me a chance to make it right, but instead, it's another reminder of my failures and makes me wonder if one can truly change. If some sins are beyond forgiveness, no matter what I do.”

“D-don't beat yourself up like this. Inky would understand. She loves you with all her heart. I-I will too," she murmured almost inaudibly, pressed close to his armored chest.

He drew his apprentice close and kept an arm secured around her, feeling the weight and heat of her bosom squish into his arm while feeling the rhythmic beats of her heart. “For all I know, Radiant Hope is another trick of this labyrinth to weaken my resolve. Another cruel test.”

"She is alive," Ewe's voice interrupted while she walked to their side. Muted footfalls sounded on her approach. “A spirit given form here by the power you once sought and the emotional heartbreak you left her.” She shook her head. “I'm not here to judge you for what you've done. You've have plenty of people ready to do that. I only hope to see you do what is right."

“I can set her spirit free,” he considered, looking up to her. “But only if she accepts my wishes.”

She nodded with a reassuring smile. “Give her time, Sombra. That one has her own path to figure out. Excuse my intrusion, but it's best not to return to the labyrinth with bleak outlooks or hopelessness." She stepped away and left them to their intimacy.

Sombra narrowed his eyes and squeezed Beatrix. “That goat.... She is familiar to me as you were. Maybe some version of me met her once.” At least some version of him that dabbled in the dark arts the Necronomicon before h was reborn to this vulnerable form. His potential was almost endless, but with it came a heavy burden. He tried to draw from faint memories. “We may have been reluctant allies, once.”

“Here. Let me talk with Radiant,” Beatrix suggested while kissing away his tears. “Show her who you've become-”

He shook his head. “I fear this one I must do alone. Still, I am forever grateful for your support, Beatrix."

“She was your first love,” lightly teased Beatrix, who poked an unarmored portion at his side. “I hope Inky won't be jealous!”

With a chuckle he said, “She's not that kind of mare. Especially since she routinely invites her handmaidens, Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow included, into our bed. Or allows me to do stuff like this...” He teased her back, cupping her ample buttocks hardly contained by the thong portion of her leotard and giving the fleshy cheeks a firm squeeze, which made her giggle.

“Frisky, aren't we? Once we get home, maybe I'll join you and Inky for a little celebration.” She half-lidded her eyes. She felt him stiffen against her scantily clad crotch, clear that he wished he could take her right here.

Her breasts heaved when she flattened the supple globes on his breastplate, her nipples stiff through the thin fabric. She was tempted to rip off her clothes and ignore the others, to have him inside her again, but knew this wasn't the time. They needed to return Cerise Silhouette home soon, and fast! Besides, the anticipation they built would make their session all the sweeter!

Breaking away from him, she headed back to the others, Lady Ewe, in particular, who she wished to learn more from. She considered her another teacher, too. She was his opposite in a way—a kind master of the arcane arts, her connection with nature, and benevolent magic far greater.

Her attentions briefly trailed over Cerise and Radiant. It was their duty to protect them. After all, like her father Shining Armor would say, it was their place to fight on behalf of those who couldn't. The ones who made a peaceful society possible by their day-to-day struggles.

Sometimes, it was the little moments like these which made her adventures worthwhile.

Chapter 5

Ewe stood on guard in the dark corridor while Beatrix and friends remained asleep. Soft blue clouds hung above their heads, a work of her magic to keep their spirits and minds from the corrosive influence of the Necronomicon. Or something far worse than that.

It's just as the shepherd feared. She could feel Zeloph's presence all over the place. The Vice Lord could be lurking around the very corner that they resided in. Would it even be him or just an effigy to further frighten them?

It was a good thing she got to this dimension when she did, or these stubborn ponies might have unleashed something they wouldn't have the capacity of understanding. And it was her duty, no matter how wicked or malicious the variants of these alternative realities, to not allow one to fall to a Vice Lord.

The infamous sound of static in her ear caught her attention as she held her staff tightly while looking around each section of the hallway.

"I know you're here," Ewe called out. "You can hide in the shadows all you want. I still see you!"

"Oh? And what is it that you see, shepherd?" A voice asked through the signal noise, speaking directly into her mind. On the left side of the corridor, many eyes opened to look over the hardened shepherd before glaring down. "All I see is a feeble old goat, trying desperately to hang onto hope."

"As long as I stand between you and the way out of this accursed book, you will not go free! I refuse to let your mania spread to these ponies!"

All around her, laughter echoed in different tones and voices.

"Haha! Hearing you proclaim such meaningless bravado never gets old! It's just too funny how foolish you are," the entity mocked. "I can't be stopped! As long as I exist in the darkest part of their minds, I will never die. And it's only a matter of time until these mortals drive each other insane. The more time they spend here, the more freedom I have to influence them! In all honesty, I should be thanking you for giving me plenty of company~."

Ewe growled, doing her best to ignore the deranged laughter serenading her inner thoughts. "They will not be staying here long. Once they escape, I'll-"

"You'll what? Try to cleanse me away with a silly little seance? I'm not some nightmare you can blissfully ignore," the voice snickered, knowing its remark would strike the ram deeply where it hurt. "I am beyond your concepts and physical manifestations. I will be leaving the confines of this labyrinth. And deep down, you know in your heart that you can't do anything to stop it. So if I were you...I'd quit lying to yourself and accept reality. Let's see how long it'll take until one of these weak-minded ponies slips off the edge of sanity. And falls gently into my grasp~."

"Never!" Ewe bellows, bright illuminating light from her staff shining through the darkness, if only to ward off the dark entity momentarily. As the light dimmed, the eyes of Zeloph disappeared with Ewe struggling to keep herself under control.

As it turned out, her outburst of anger leads to awakening Beatrix and the others as she stretched out her limbs. "Auuuugh...Lady Ewe?" yawned the violet unicorn. "What happened. We were all safe until everything went dark..."

"Yeah," Cerise murmured as she clutched onto her father, shaking off the sleep. "The sky opened from the clouds, and a bunch of menacing-looking eyes was looking all over us. So creepy!"

"Seems your sanctuary isn't safe from the Demiurge for long," Sombra concluded while looking to the Dream Shepard with furrowed brows.

'That fiend!' Ewe said quietly to herself before she turned with an apologetic look. "The more we stay here, the less protection we have for our minds and hearts. We must find the others here and leave immediately!"

"Right," the witch nodded, shaking her face to steel her determination. "Let's get a move on, everyone!"

The blackish-purple mist sparkled and rolled around Twilight Sparkle and her companions, who continually called out to Spike and Nightmare Rarity, tapped and pressed on the invisible barrier that separated them. A cool breeze swept around them. Tempted as she was to surrender, she decided to rest, particularly since once their magic recharged they might break for it.

A thin sliver of light pierced the dark and slowly spread. Soon a warmth that tickled their skin penetrated the area, and from it walked Somnambula in her pegasus form, followed by Bellatrix Primadonna, who carried Stygian with her.

“Stygian?!” Twilight gasped. “Does that mean the Pony of Shadows-”

“Missing, for now. Something strange indeed is afoot,” answered the priestess who approached the two lovers continuing with their rutting, trapped in a shared delusion and enslaved to pleasure. Her eyes watered, and her lips trembled. “I must save him,” she murmured with eyes narrowed. “Whatever the cost. After all, I did this to him.”

With a chant in a long-dead language, a flash cocooned her, and she transformed into the Sphinx, sacred guardian of her beloved homeland. “Lend me your power,” she called to them. “Declare your love for them, so we may reach their hearts!”

They nodded and focused on the lovers, yelled to them, and Somnambula felt the barrier start to weaken under her claws, which she sank into the invisible shield and attempted to pry apart. It glowed and sparkled, her muscles straining with a groan, not caring if she snapped her bones in the process, aware she'd driven him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Stygian stirred with a muted blink of his eyes. “Please,” he murmured. “Allow me.” He, too, added to their chants.

Somnambula gritted her razor teeth, and her paws shook under strain. “Quickly, Twilight-!”

Twilight managed to blink into the hole, past the magic barricade which was now no match for her power and arrived before Spike and Nightmarity, the latter straddled atop while she rode him into blissful submission. She blushed and cleared her throat. “Spike, Rarity, can you hear me? Please, it's time we returned home!” She touched his firm shoulder.

Color returned to Spike's glazed eyes. “T-Twilight...?”

Nightmarity bristled mid-coitus, her cold gaze biting into the intruder. “Jealous, are we darling? Unable to accept some part of him will always see you more like a mother, that your beauty does not remotely compare to mine?”

She slipped off him and stalked to meet her. Twilight looked over her shoulder, only to realize the barrier had closed back and trapped her. “My is that all?” Nightmarity looked her up-and-down with disdain. “So skinny. Barely a morsel.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes with a scrunch of her snout. “Hey! My proportions are perfectly average!”

“Oh, really now? Let's test.” And with a flare of light from her horn, Nightmarity wrapped her aura about Twilight's clothes and shredded them right away, exposing her modest breasts and slightly curved hips for all to see.

Instinctively, Twilight covered her breasts and crotch with her hands, face burning, aware most of them had seen her naked many times but flustered by the unexpected assault. “How dare you! Release Rarity now, you monster!”

“Not a chance,” she answered with a slow lick of her lips. “Spike clearly prefers me this way-”

“Wrong.” Spike rose and grabbed her arm as he came to his senses. “Thanks for helping me see clearly, 'Rarity.'”

“Spikey-Wikey,” she drawled sensuously with a flutter of thick lashes. “Wouldn't you like-”

“No,” he stated firmly and brushed aside her attempt to stroke his crotch. “I love the realRarity. Not this monster that wants to exploit us like we're dolls!” Spike clasped her hands, leaned in, and affectionately met her lips.

She melted into his passion, exotic dark skin and fur regaining its pristine natural radiance by the second, and she slowly shrank back to her natural state, arms wrapping around his neck with soft sobs as her consciousness returned. Reluctantly she withdrew from his maw and met his stare with a faint whisper of, “Is it finally over?”

“For now. We still need to find an escape,” noted Somnambula, who strolled forward through the dissipating mist into the blank white void which replaced the fog. “And locate our allies, of course. Thankfully I have no doubt they will be fine.”

Spike rubbed his head. “What happened to me? It's like voices were screaming in my head...”

“Sounds like the Eldritch,” muttered Bellatrix with a curl of her lip. “But they're all dead, aren't they?”

“Their cursed spirits may yet roam these dimensions,” explained Somnambula. “But I sense something else at work. The Demiurge is akin to a cancer, but it is like that power is being manipulated, compelled by an intrusive force. Whatever the case may be, they have the advantage here, and we must make haste to bring everyone back home before we end up trapped.”

“Better stay on guard,” said Flurry Heart, who patted her satchel. “I brought a lot of potions I mixed up, just in case!”

“Follow my lead,” said Somnambula. “The spirits shall guide us to our destination.” They stalked the white void, which seemingly stretched forever until ghostly apparitions began to billow up like vapors. Their warped, mutilated faces trapped in silent screams. “Creepy,” muttered Trixie with a shudder. “They look so familiar. Wait, are those-?!”

“Phantoms of the Eldritch,” sneered Bellatrix. “Think they messed with Spike's head?”

“Perhaps,” said Somnambula, who swatted with a paw and dispersed a few into the ether. “Yet in this state, there's no way these evil spirits acted on their own. It must be true. Some creature has infiltrated the Necronomicon and seized control. I do not think it likely the Pony of Shadows could do this on its own, however. Whoever this mastermind is, their power rivals the Demiurge.”

Aware there was nothing to be done here, the group moved on past a sea of disembodied Eldritch, who numbered in the thousands. Sometimes, they could hear the faintest whisper of alien babble, thankfully too weak to penetrate their thoughts.

Rarity pressed close to Spike, who shot her a reassuring smile, hopeful they would finally overcome this nightmare.

A search between the parties came to an end as they came face to face with each other at opposing ends of a four-way crossing. Flurry ran up to hug her half-sister. "Thank goodness you're safe! ...uhm, who is this?" She asked upon looking at the shepherd, who gave a slight smile.

"She's a friend! I'll explain once we get out of here," Beatrix offered while returning the embrace.

“We have what we've come for,” Sombra proclaimed as his daughter continued to hug his arm. His gaze narrowed back to the dragon taking the front of their group. “Ahh, good! Glad to see you and Rarity have made a recovery. Now, if we can just find an exit...”

"Don't wanna stop this touching reunion, but we better get a move on! Look!" Spike exclaimed, pointing below them. Everyone gasped as a white tornado started to swirl from the void's center, stretching so high they couldn't see its top. The whirlwinds themselves were made up of countless Eldritch specters that swirled about.

Their distant, uneven screams echoed throughout the labyrinth, causing many to clutch at their ears to withstand the horrible noise. It looked like the aliens were driven to madness, like a swarm of ants scattering all over the place after losing their queen. In mass numbers, they had been highly intelligent. Alone they were eventually reduced to crippled, almost mindless abominations, which might have invoked pity if not for all the memories they stirred from damage inflicted on their world.

“Through the east corridor,” insisted Lady Ewe, pointing her dreamcatcher staff towards the mouth of the other hallway. “I believe there may be an exit that way.”

Somnambula padded up by her with a nod. All at once, the group followed their lead. “There is a vast amount of spiritual energy here, at least. I believe the Eldritch is drawing towards it to escape as well. We must endeavor not to let that happen, lest they retake flesh.”

Cerise shivered and clutched at her father's side. “Daddy won't let that happen! Will you?”

He shook his head and stroked one of her neon pink pigtails. “Certainly not. Though we must take caution. If the exit is at the tornado's apex-”

“Someone will have to fly up there,” said Spike, who pursed his snout with a nod. “Allow me.” He spread his leather wings and shifted his muscles, prepared to shoot skyward. Twilight and Rarity touched his broad shoulders, and he toothily grinned.

“Show off,” said Beatrix with a light chuckle. “Can't blame a slice of beefcake like him, though!”

He flexed his scaled muscles, showing off his naked, chiseled musculature to the ladies. Trixie rolled her eyes, yet couldn't help but sneak a look, too. Stretching, Spike hurled himself upwards, staying outside the tornado's range but following it to the top. He was joined by Flurry Heart, who without a second thought rose to aid him, inclined by a kindness instilled by her parents.

“Aren't those wings still experimental,” yelled Spike over the eerie howl that washed over them.

Flurry Heart furiously beat her plumage to keep pace, faced steeled in determination. “I'll be fine, promise!”

They pushed against the gales and sailed higher and higher. Within minutes they spotted a dimensional tear, radiating with energy that they hoped could transport them out of the dark tome. “Guess we'll have to carry them one at a time...”

“Maybe not,” called Flurry, who dug into her satchel and procured a vial. Using a formula Beatrix had told her about, one created by one of Flurry's counterparts based on an alchemy creation by a version of Sunburst, she popped the cork and shook the bubbly liquid. When it poured out, the substance turned into thick vines that crawled below.

More vines grew from below, Beatrix using her own potions so that the growths met in the middle and intertwined into a dense, gnarled trunk with a crackle. “It's like the fairy tales mother used to read me,” said Flurry with a giggle.

Spike gripped it and said, “We'll keep it steady while they climb!”

Battered by the winds, a precarious climb began. Flurry, lighting her horn, cast her aura to help them keep hold. Cerise was pushed up first by her father, followed by Stygian, who struggled in his weakened state to maintain his grip.

“I'll go last,” said Sombra, who coolly met Radiant Hope's empty stare.

“How noble,” replied Radiant, who strained to pull herself up, helped by a still exhausted Bellatrix.

One-by-one, the weaker members of their party made the trip and vanished into the rift. “Oh no,” Somnambula, in her Sphinx form, hurled up to the dimensional tear and yelled, “It has started to close! Hurry, we may have minutes at most!”

Lady Ewe clung to the Sphinx's back tightly, all too aware at who was interfering. "Zeloph...”

“You go ahead,” said Spike.

Flurry Heart pursed her lips. “But-”

He shook his head. “No way am I letting anyone die for me! I've lost too many friends already!”

Reluctantly, Flurry turned and vanished into the rift, Somnambula carrying in Lady Ewe too. Beatrix shot her mentor a worried frown, but he pushed her upwards with a pat on the bottom. Pretty soon, she scurried up with help from his aura to speed the process until he and Spike were the only ones still trapped within the collapsed dimensions.

The two leaders locked gazes. Spike asked, “Want me to carry you?”

“I can manage on my own,” replied Sombra, who realized like Twilight had predicted if he tried to teleport upwards he might be pushed off and like her decided the risk was too high. “Save yourself, hero.”

“As I said, I won't abandon anyone. Not even you,” noted Spike, the tension between them still thick.

“How...touching.” Sombra realized he still didn't fully trust him, and honestly couldn't blame him, not after what he'd done, especially with the reappearance of Radiant Heart who'd reopened the wounds of his past sins. In truth, his faith in himself had been shaken.

Had the Necronomicon compelled him from the start? Stirred to drive him to it in hopes he would liberate it? He climbed onward.

He was nearly at the apex when Spike suddenly seized his head within his claws and howled. The Eldritch tornado stirred faster, whirling into a frenzy, and unleashed another psychic scream that sliced through the dragon's psyche.

His eyes went white, jaws snapping and drooling, and overwhelmed by primal rage, he lashed out blindly with wild swipes.

“Damn,” cried Sombra as nails sliced through the vines. They snapped amidst a crunch, and he tumbled with a yelp.

Spike clutched at his skull, which throbbed under pressure, and on instinct zipped into the rift moments before it closed.

A desperate teleport enabled Sombra to catch himself, but still, he landed with a thud. He hissed under a snap of ribs below his silver armor. His head swam, and his vision blurred. He trembled and struggled to rise, shaking and staring at the stirred up Eldritch ghosts. He growled and bared his teeth, seething with bitter resentment, unaware of the darkness that festered in him.

He was alone. At the mercy of whatever lurked in the book. Forced to seek another exit by his lonesome.

Resigned to this fact, he adjusted the sword sheathed at his hip and marched on. He swore faint voices whispering to him, directed him to an exit. “What is this...” He questioned. Was it the shepherd still reaching for him?

No, it couldn't be. These voices didn't sound like her. Still, he had few options to turn to and chose to follow the voices calling to him.

Yet the more time he spent alone, the more the Pony of Shadows could infest his spirit and warp his mind, bringing forth all the malice and evil he spent years trying to hide.

The mastermind behind these events had intentionally driven the Eldritch to psychically assault Spike, forced him to attack Sombra, and then make his escape. Within the Necronomicon, separated from his loved ones, it would be much easier for the darkness to take root, especially with a renewed belief that the alliance would never truly accept he'd changed.

Not after the infidelity he committed with his daughter, nor the state of Radiant Hope...

The pain that bit into his fractured ribs made it harder to think clearly, to blot out the disembodied whisper inside him. Some would always think him a monster, no matter how he strove to prove otherwise.

He snarled and clenched his blade's hilt, narrowed eyes aglow, fantasized about sinking it into the dragon's heart...

Chapter 6

With his skull still shaking like it threatened to split, Spike spilled through the rift, which closed behind him and he tumbled into the tombs of the pharaohs where the others waited. Inky Rose immediately ran to him, horror clear on her face with the rift gone and one still missing.

"N-no...Sombra! Where is Sombra?!” She demanded, looking between the familiar faces, cast in a gold sheen by the treasures scattered in piles around them, her husband nowhere to be seen.

“Gngh! He was supposed to go ahead,” mumbled Spike while rubbing at his head to ease the ache.

Bellatrix Primadonna narrowed her eyes. “You abandoned him.”

“No! I'd never do that, no matter what's happened between us!” Spike insisted, trying to remember what exactly happened. Yet the last thing he could recall was the former tyrant's climb up the vines, nearing the exit before he blacked out.

“Perhaps it's the fate he deserves," Fleur de Les muttered, having never fully got over her hatred for his past aggressions.

Radiant Hope rubbed the empty cavity below the cloak she'd borrowed from Beatrix. “It would be fitting,” she said with a curl of her lip. “Consumed by the same darkness he sold his soul to in pursuit of power.”

Inky whipped her head back to shoot a dangerous look at the two mares. “Don't you dare say that!"

Fleur cast back her mane, leaning on her halberd. “We do not answer to you.”

“Yet you both stand in my kingdom. And I will not allow these remarks to fly unless you wish to be banished!” The two mares started to approach one another before Beatrix cut between them.

“Hey, that's enough!” Beatrix proclaimed. “There's no point fighting each other here. If Sombra is still trapped, we have to go back!”

Fleur pursed her lips. “You're correct about one thing. There's no need to fight as we have what we came for."

“Sombra is part of the alliance,” reminded Twilight Sparkle. “Without him, we wouldn't have beaten the Eldritch.”

“Leave it to me,” requests Lady Ewe, looking back to the dark tome. "I can provide safe passage for Beatrix to go retrieve him."

“Me too!” It was Bellatrix who spoke up and stepped forward to her sister's side. Despite her angelic appearance, she was giving Spike, Radiant, and especially Fleur a look that would remind some of her previous demonic nature. “You're all free to go, no need for the likes you anyway.”

“B-but wait! You must still be feeling weak,” noted Stygian, who leaned on a wall. “If you didn't heal all my wounds, you would be much stronger. T-Thanks, by the way.”

Bellatrix shrugged it off with a shake of her white plumage. “Pft. Think nothing of it. Not like I'd do it solely for you.”

"Hold on. Look..." Somnambula, who'd retaken her pegasus shape, approached the dark tome. It was small at first, but it started to crackle with reddish lighting. “I sense something is trying to impede reentry. If you tried to go back in, it might shred your bodies apart.”

“B-but what about Daddy!?" Whined Cerise, clutching at her mother figure's side, almost equally upset over the possibility he would not return.

Inky remained vicious in expression while comforting the younger mare. “I refuse to abandon him, not when that thing's still inside with him!”

"Thing? What thing?" Beatrix asked in confusion. The rest of the participants looked together, wondering the same thing. Was the queen referring to the Demiurge?

Oona steps forth, a look of grave dismay on her face. "I apologize, I should have told you all sooner," she spoke gently before looking back at the Necronomicon. "Inside that book is an ancient monster known as Zeloph. Like Beatrix and I, he comes from another dimension, feasting on the minds and lives of everything with a consciousness. I fear his presence is what's causing the flow of things to unravel."

"Just sounds like another villain to be beaten," Spike scoffed with confidence, but the ram shakes her head.

"He is no ordinary opponent, Spike. With every consciousness he consumes or mind he corrupts, his power grows stronger. If there is darkness or fear in your heart, he will exploit it until he drives you mad. He's been a plague on the souls of creatures for centuries, learning to imitate people, play on their weakness. He has tainted the kindest of spirits and made them into psychopaths!"

Her honey filled eyes turned from the dragon to the two unicorn mares. "Sombra has done many crimes and atrocities. But trust me, friends; Zeloph is the last inmate you want him imprisoned with."

"Then, there isn't time!" Beatrix exclaimex. To think that they spent a long time trapped there and something like that was stalking them! She felt horrified knowing Sombra was lost in the labyrinth, unaware of this 'Zeloph' creature. "Somnambula, please! There has to be a way to get back inside!"

With a stroke of her chin, Somnambula mused, “I shall try and impede the black magic that blocks us. However, I cannot do it alone. Please, I request that any casters here aid my cause.” She was joined by Beatrix, Bellatrix, Ewe, Stygian, Flurry Heart, and after a moment's hesitation, Twilight and Fleur. Holding hands, they started to chant and weave a united spell.

For the moment, Rarity remained too weak to intervene, and Radiant Hope refused outright, not that she could summon up much effort either in her current state.

A shimmer was cast from lit hands and horns, reflecting off the circle that focused on the book, which continually crackled.

The clop of heavy boots and squishes sounded when Sombra navigated a sea of corpses. He noted they were all crystal ponies, naked and pale, piled into a cold mass he was forced to walk over. A black mass not unlike the one he'd once been able to turn into rolled about the skies. He kept his gauntlet-covered hand around his sword hilt, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

They were his victims. Some butchered at his own hands under his tyrannical rule, others executed with a detached dismissal. At first, he'd only resorted to such extremes for severe criminals, most condemned to slavery until they died of exhaustion. Later, to merely question or look at him wrong meant one would lose a digit, at least, if not suffer torture, humiliation, and then death.

Keeping his snout drawn impartially, he ignored the dead and carried on in search of an exit. He reminded himself he'd changed, that his research had corrupted him, that he'd paid a heavy price in search of redemption.

But if he truly was redeemed, then why did he still feel such hatred?

Not just for himself, but for those who always despised him without outright stating it. No matter how many times, he still felt the weight of his sins hang from his shoulders. And it only felt like new ones would stack up.

"Why even bother trying to hide it?" An ominous voice spoke, a couple of whispers backing it up. "We all know who you really are."

Sombra's gaze widens as each head of the corpses suddenly twitched to life, twisting their necks to stare up at him. A bunch of eerie-looking eyes flickers in their sockets as those closest to him tried to reach for him. All while the whispers grew louder, repeating many phrases over and over,

"Tyrant!"

"Murderer!"

"Rapist!"

"Filthy Demon!"

"Daughter-fucker!"

"M̸̨̛̀́ ҉͞ơ̴̧̧ ̸͞N̴̛͘͜͝ ̧̛͏s̨̧̢̨̀ ̡͢͜҉T̴̴ ̸̛͞͏҉e̕͘ ̴̴͜R̸̴͡"

"NO!" He roared, kicking the crawling bodies away before using his magic to blast them all apart. Panting, the dark stallion looked over to see that they had stopped moving or speaking to him. Or maybe they were never were. "N-no, I can't be...I'm no longer-"

"Sombra," two voices called to him unanimously.

As he turned towards the horizon of the pile, twin mares approached him. Their manes were in bob cuts, like their sparkly, crystalline bodies a prism of shifting colors contained below maid costumes. “Look upon your work,” said the one with slightly fuller hips.

Her bustier sister said, “Did you really think it would be that easy? Aren't some things beyond forgiveness?”

He kept his guard while walking closer. “I...I remember you. Yes, you worked for Cadance in certain dimensions. Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, wasn't it? Are you two real, or are you more phantoms from my past coming to haunt me as well?” He scoffed and drew his blade with a ring.

“Who knows,” said Foal-Bearer with pursed lips. “Killing us here won't mean a thing. We've been dead for a long time.”

Wet Nurse's eyes watered. “In this world, we never even had the chance to meet Cadance. You raped and murdered us when we'd barely reached adulthood. It amused you when you discovered we shared the same pleasures...and pains.”

He recalled the empathic bond between the twins, symbolized by the female symbols linked on their flanks in worlds where cutie marks were a thing, which meant they experienced the same sensations at all times, a sort of magic-induced psychic link.

“You forced me to watch what you did to my little sister,” reminded Foal-Bearer. “Worse, made me feel her shame and agony.”

“It's not like that anymore! I've become a better stallion than that! I-it wasn't like you didn't start enjoying it after I took you,” he insisted through bitter mockery, trying to shut out any guilt, to drive these spirits who dared haunt him away.

"Have you no shame for what you've done? You do not regret soiling both of us in the dirt like you did everyone who hated you?"

“You expect me to apologize?” He waved a gauntlet at the ocean of carcasses. “To throw myself upon my saber in shame?!” He leveled the weapon at them. “No.... This is all just in my head. You're just remnants of a monster who has been slain. I just...I just want to be with my family and friends again.”

Foal-Bearer mockingly laughed at him. “Oh, Sombra. You truly haven't changed then. And very soon, they'll all see your true colors.”

“You never slew any monster. You are the monster. Just lying to yourself that you became a hero to your lover and friend.” Wet Nurse agreed with a stomp of her heel. "You can hide from them, Sombra, but not from us! We see you for who you really are! You cruel, sadist fiend!"

“ENOUGH! You want a monster so badly? Fine, I'll give you a monster!” He bellowed, eyes glowing and heart darkening, unable to keep the darkness within at bay anymore.

With a wide slash, he opened their tops and split their bras, their ample breasts bouncing out, sparkly and dotted by full colorful nipples he eyed while drooling.

They didn't resist when he cut away their skirts and panties until both were down to their headdresses, frilly fingerless gloves, stockings that came to their upper thighs, and buttoned up heels. Pushing his blade to Foal-Bearer's throat, so close he bit into the skin a little with a trickle of blood, he pushed her down and undid his pants, pushing himself into her with a growl.

All rational thought abandoned him. The twins were his stress balls, and he ravaged them with brutal thrusts, Wet Nurse yelping when she was forced to feel her sister's ravishment, the puncture of his phantom cock which stabbed deep in her moist cunt.

“A-aah,” cried Wet Nurse, who scrunched up her pink-stained face, betrayed by the electric tingles of her clenching sex holes.

Foal-Bearer shot him a blank yet defiant stare, her cheeks bright too, but unlike her more sensitive and emotional younger sister, she refused to cry out or moan no matter how he battered into her. Squishes sounded each time he spread her wide, impaled her, and he took one of her massive tits into his maw, biting so hard he almost broke the skin and left red marks on the supple flesh.

Grunting, he thrust a final time, sheathed himself deep as he was able, and loosed his seed into her womb. A pop sounded when he yanked loose, his cum dribbled out her distended pink birth canal over her asshole, and he turned his hunger on Wet Nurse, who whimpered when he shoved himself into her with fangs bared, determined to break his accursed tormentors.

Pants broke from Foal-Bearer's clenched teeth, unable to take the forced pleasure that rocketed through Wet Nurse.

He backhanded Wet Nurse's tits and watched the globes, which would no doubt bruise, wobble. She whined and clenched around him, milked his dick on instinct, which pulsed and filled her uterus with repeated, messy spurts. Huffing atop her, the pair sweaty and ragged, a moment of lucidity returned, and he slowly withdrew from her with his face drawn in self-disgust.

“I am a monster,” he muttered to himself. “But if cutie marks determine our fates, was it ever truly my fault...?” He desperately wanted to believe he was a victim, that anyone else forced into his position would have committed the same terrible sins.

Standing, he buckled his pants. “Come with me,” he demanded. “There's much I still wish to know, and maybe you two can help. If you're not ghosts, that is...”

Foal-Bearer managed to sit up, wincing at her sore, lacerated vagina. Her smile spread wide, almost unfitting for a face so beautiful. “You believe we can help you locate an exit.”

“We can help you,” said Wet Nurse, stretching out before swaying to her twin, as if she didn't just take a brutal pounding.

"All you need to do..."

"... Is let u̕҉s̷̢ in~."

The twins hobbled before him, naked and knees knocked, and his sword tip poked at their backs and buttocks. Again he was tempted to embrace the monster within.

Only memories of those closest to him, Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Beatrix Belladonna, and Bellatrix Primadonna, enabled him to cling to remnants of his sanity, teetering as he felt tendrils sling onto his flesh, the Pony of Shadows becoming one with him.

He could hear another voice cackling somewhere in the abyss, and it was almost soothing.

A thunderous boom sounded from the Necronomicon, and Twilight Sparkle barely raised a barrier in time, deflecting the storm of crimson lightning that almost ripped into the casters. The dark tome floated up, pages fluttered when it opened, and from it emerged twin crystal mares, followed by Sombra, who landed behind them on his knees as his saber clattered.

Red sparks popped around Inky's feet and static filled the air when she approached. “My love...”

“Daddy,” cried Cerise with hope when she ran to his side.

“I knew you'd make it,” said Beatrix with a wink, restraining her own urge to dash over and embrace him.

Bellatrix, however, remained cross. “Care to share with us what really happened back there. Spike hasn't been exactly honest.”

“I'm sincere,” insisted Spike defensively. "I just...couldn't remember. Please, tell me. What did I do...?”

Sombra rose and recovered his sword. He snorted in the dragon's direction. “Oh, it was nothing. Just another attempt on my life is all. I've gotten used to that.” He rubbed his side and felt the fresh sting of cracked ribs now that the adrenaline had cooled down. “You were quite fierce, though. Swinging and clawing at the vines to ensure I fell.”

“I...I'm sorry,” answered Spike, who rubbed the back of his scaly neck. “I didn't mean to...”

“Obviously, he didn't.” Beatrix desperately fished for some explanation. "Surely, it was the remaining forces of the Eldritch..."

"Or this Zeloph guy," Bellatrix added sarcastically.

"Sombra," Ewe said with a stern look on her face. "Did you at all encounter anything not in the realms of possibility? Like meeting an old friend you know is dead?" She, too, was desperate to make sure that creature hadn't escaped.

“No,” he lied without hesitation. "And even if I did, it matters not. I can no longer trust any of you." Sombra looked to the party of ponies and creatures with a sharp glare. “Consider my nation's part in the alliance terminated. Furthermore, Spike and his entourage are forever banished from my territories.”

“What...?” Inky sucked in a breath. She usually never openly dared question her husband before others anymore, knowing it was better to talk it over with him in private. But an outlandish display of power needed to be addressed. “My love, you can't possibly mean that! Surely, the foundations of our trust with them are stronger than that. Please, let's reconsider this and-”

“I will not. That 'strong foundation of trust' almost cost me my life! For all I know, His rebirth is the reason the Necronomicon started stirring up again. And don't think I'm not aware that you nearly killed my wife in a fit of madness. You're a threat to my family!” He pressed the saber to Spike's chest, and Fleur snarled and readied her halberd, Sombra's guards arriving with spears at the ready.

“Stand down,” said Spike with a frown. Guilt was evident on his face, but Sombra was correct. Regardless of what force brought him back, his actions were his own. “We're leaving. If this is the way things are to be, then so be it. I just hope you can forgive me, Sombra.” He turned to Twilight, who sighed with a shake of her head. If there was something she was going to say, it never happened as she instead waved their allies to them and blinked away in an instant.

“Ha! Good riddance. Bunch of help they turned out to be,” Bellatrix snorted with a crack in her nose.

“Knock it off, sister. This is serious,” muttered Beatrix, struggling to believe that this was happening. She genuinely wondered if she was cursed. Wherever she traveled, things seemed to unravel. “Teacher, this can't be a wise decision. All those years, building trust and resources with friends. All of it will be thrown away!”

“It's too late now,” he stately flatly. “Guards, I want a summit prepared by tonight, attendance mandatory. I wish to make an announcement.” He looked between those still here, some not by choice; Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Beatrix, Bellatrix, Radiant Hope, the maid twins, Somnambula, her handmaidens Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, and Stygian.

“Make our new guests presentable,” he said to Inky's handmaidens with a cold glance at the twins. “They'll be added to my queen's staff. Also, look after Cerise, and make sure Stygian feels at home. Beatrix, I wish to see you in private. And as for you..."

His attention turned to the goat woman, who was frantically looking through the pages of the Necronomicon. Growling, he stopped her by grabbing her arm and pulling her away with a forceful yank. "I don't see much use in you...outside of a few ideas," he leers, eying the shepherd's motherly figure within her robes while she glared back at him. "You are to leave as well."

"What!? Teacher, you can't, she's my-"

"Relax, Ceann Oga...I won't be far from you. But I know where I'm not wanted." With a huff, she turned to leave the treasury as well, already aware of the truth. The page that depicted Zeloph had gone blank.

Before the witch could suggest otherwise, Sombra wasted no time to hurry off to his chambers. Beatrix hesitated but eventually followed him. Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow hurried to obey their orders while Inky Rose turned to Radiant Hope and Bellatrix, trying to understand what was happening.

Torches swirled and cast twisting shadows down corridors lined in hieroglyphics. “Teacher...?” Beatrix's heels clicked when she scurried after him, his cape sweeping behind him, his weary face drawn and trying to hide a wince from broken ribs.

He moved past his guards without comment and threw the door open. “Get in,” he hissed, grabbing her by the wrist, pulling her in, and slamming the door behind her. He unlatched his armor, throwing it on the floor with a clatter, and lit a dim lamp with a flicker.

“You're hurt,” she noted with pursed lips. “M-maybe I can-?”

Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her to his half-naked body, mashing his snout to hers. Her eyes widened, and her heart raced as she relaxed into his forceful kiss, his teeth chewing on her lips. Withdrawing, a string of saliva still connecting them, he sized her up with a nod of approval, then clasped at the top of her leotard with both hands and ripped it open with a shred.

She swallowed a small gasp when her breasts toppled loose, his hands roughly latching onto them, kneading them. He tore the fabric further, ripped away the rest of her costume so that she was down to her hat, gloves, and boots, her chest huffing when he seized her again and hurled her onto his bed. “Ugh~?!” She landed on her butt with a couple bounces on the sheets.

Throwing aside the rest of his clothes, he tackled her, pinning her to the bed. She repeatedly blinked but didn't resist, feeling his hardening tool press at her puffy labia, and she grit her teeth with a muffled cry when he plunged into her moist tunnel.

She didn't understand his sudden hunger but couldn't deny how right it felt to feel her insides filled. To have her needy marehood molded to fit the shape of his cock, which sunk in deep with a squish, her ears flattening. She surrendered to his brutal lust, lifting and spreading her legs to allow him in quickly, and he battered into her with grunts, aware only of his own needs.

She hardly minded though, gaze locked on the animal need on his twisted face, his chiseled chest heaving too. Her birth canal moistened and dripped between the crack of her ass, over her puckered pink asshole, happy to be used by him, to be wanted and needed when he treated her as nothing more than his plaything, lost in the heat of the moment, biting and molesting her.

A low yelp escaped when he nipped at a tit so hard he left red marks on it. His hands clasped around her throat, squeezed down, and her eyes went wide again, tearing up when she met his cold stare, heart racing but wanting to trust and please him.

She clenched around him, her fingernails biting into his back, head cast back, and knocking off her hat when she came on him with a muted cry. Again-and-again her lower holes gripped, milking his cock, her body screaming its biological need to take his seed into her womb, even though she was barren. He groaned with a final angry slam, emptied himself into her.

"Yessss," a voice whispered insidiously to him. "g͏͏̶͝͡į̨͝͠v̸̷̡̀e͏͜ h̀͟ȩ͏̶̛r͟͞͠ m̴̀ơ͠r̨͢͡e̵̡~!"

His body reacted violently by pushing himself off of her, sweating bullets. She panted, sweaty and ragged, his cum oozing out her gaped slit to dribble down her rectum. Locks of her violet-tinged platinum mane stuck to her face when she studied him with glazed eyes and murmured, “W-was I good...?”

He rubbed his throbbing temple with a curl of his lip in a moment of lucidity. “Get out,” he said flatly.

She rose to a seated position and tilted her head. “Huh?”

“I said, get out! Now.” He tossed the remnants of her costume into her arms, pulled her hand, and opened the door, shoving her out between the guards on duty. “Make sure she's safely escorted out.”

He slammed the door behind him, not wanting to look at her confused and hurt expression. Sombra was no longer certain what had happened, but aware he was a threat to her. To everyone. He stared at his sheathed sword on the floor.

"Perhaps...it better I end this before--GRRAAUGH!"

The Pony of Shadows would not allow him to take such an option. He hissed when it hardened his heart anew. He stumbled and collapsed onto his bed, still stained with their sexual activity, aware his apprentice was safer on her own—tendrils wrapped around his mouth, preventing his screams from being heard.

"Seems some shred of sanity still exists in you. A pity the Pony of Shadows could not bond with you completely. Otherwise, that last climax would have fulfilled my plans."

In the shadows, a being made of static glitched from within, eyes swarming around the room.

"No matter, heheh. I just need to find a convincing disguise while the two of you spread my mania like wildfire. This is so much more interesting. I can't wait to welcome all these ponies to our growing f̸̨̢̕ą̵̢̀͢m̸̵͢͝i̶͜͠l̴̛̛͟͡ỳ̷̸~."

Laughing madly, the sinister presence disappeared from the room, leaving the struggling king to suffocate in his past transgressions.

Outside the capital, the guards pushed the young mare out without so much as a chance to say her farewells. Beatrix looked back with a frown at the structure, twinkled her fingers, and summoned up a copy of her torn leotard, akin to a second skin forever tied to her. Then she set down the lonely road and followed the trade routes. She had a feeling it would be a long walk.

She couldn't believe what Sombra did. She felt betrayed. Used. If only she knew what happened when Spike lost control during their climb out. If she were faster, she could have secured her teacher, no sweat!

But it was too late, and the damage had been done. She might as well just leave this universe, seeing everywhere she stepped foot, something wrong always happened.

Unfortunately, teleportation magic remained beyond her, perhaps a limitation of her ability to traverse dimensions. Sadly she could only open one rift at a time, because she subconsciously knew to tear another hole would connect the pair in a loop and cause the dimension she was in to collapse upon itself, taking her with it. At times like these, she felt tempted to do so.

“Self-pity isn't appealing,” she muttered to herself and watched the sun start to dip below the horizon while she walked. “I wonder how two connected rifts would look. A Klein bottle or something? Ugh...such stuff is beyond me.” She shrugged it off. She could be witty, sure, but was hardly a genius.

From her mother, she'd learned a particular trick that could transport her short distances with the use of smoke bombs, but it let her travel a few feet at most, and where she ended up seemed random. Sometimes she'd simply reappear in a poof of smoke at precisely the same place! “Why is my mother's bloodline so unlucky?!”

As if on cue Trixie's wagon rolled up and scattered a cloud of sand when it stopped. From it, her mother emerged, followed by Lady Ewe, Flurry Heart, and Bellatrix. “My little hellspawn, are you okay?!” She ran up and hugged her.

Beatrix wheezed under her mother's iron grip. “Y-yeah, I'm fine! Just disoriented.”

“Good! Trixie would accept nothing less from her daughter,” she replied with a warm smirk.

“Something's wrong with Sombra! Could it be connected to the Necronomicon? Duh,” Beatrix chastised herself. “What am I saying?! It always is!”

"Perhaps not this time, my friend," Lady Ewe said while rubbing at her shoulder to comfort her. “Rest assured, We'll do what we can to stop him. Unfortunately, he's exiled most of us from his lands. We must be away before sundown, lest we be captured.”

Flurry Heart frowned. “He's threatened to have us all hunted down and executed if we don't obey!”

“It's not him,” hissed Bellatrix. “It's like he's reverted back to the demon he used to be. Whatever Spike did to him-”

Oona Ewe shook her head. “Zeloph is the one responsible for this madness. He must have slipped free when we tried to bypass the barrier around the Necronomicon. Spike will be our best bet in figuring out a way to stop him. I'm curious about the effects of whatever brought him back alive. But I insist we head to the Badlands.”

“That won't be a problem,” said Flurry. Despite her weakened state, she'd learned to work with her artificial horn, which she improved all the time, and could now transport entire groups and cargo a mass distance. Of course, it also left her terribly weak afterward, but she didn't tell them that, determined to show how useful she could still be despite her setbacks.

With a blink, the crew arrived back in the underground gardens, wagon and all. Unknown to Beatrix, through her mentor, the Pony of Shadows had left part of itself in her uterus while he'd taken her, dark magic manifesting itself to take root and begin the process of making her fertile...

From the pyramid's side, Sombra overlooked his empire. The packed-in masses teemed like insects below. He balled up his fists, reminded that they needed an iron fist to rule over them, to make them stronger and help them reach their potential.

The weak would be cut away like so much chaff under his rule. At his sides stood the inner circle of his entourage.

The moon hung in the starry night sky, the lands lit up by braziers that whooshed with crackling reddish-yellow flames. Far and wide came the attendees that were able to arrive in time, which included his other children, fully blossomed into adulthood, who ruled over distant regions and carried out his whims to maintain the united empire he'd always dreamed of.

Through the use of magic, his booming voice was carried over the crowds. “Dependence on the alliance has made us weak! The time for our proud empire to secede has arrived! From here on, we stand alone!” He raised his fist to uproarous cheers.

Quieting them down with a wave, he continued. “To celebrate the occasion, I now take my first love, Radiant Hope, and my daughter, Cerise Silhouette, as my brides! Like the ancient pharaohs, I wish to keep my sacred bloodline pure whenever possible!”

The mob erupted once more, and he pulled the pair close to him, dressed like the rest of his companions in fancier versions of the silk garments the handmaidens wore; bare-breasted with sheer, transparent gowns that clung to their lush curves.

Their nipples were stiff in the cool breeze, soaked in sweet perfume, with bits of jewelry that decorated them. Flames from the urns around them made the shadows crawl over their supple forms, which shimmered by contrast under the harsh light.

“Your w-what...?” Inky Rose tried to make sense of his decisions, letting the words sink in. "You can't be serious."

Cerise pressed her soft, bared breasts to him with a hug. “I've always dreamed of the day I'd become a bride, daddy.” Tears filled her eyes. “I'll make you proud when I bear your children. Isn't it wonderful, mommy?”

Inky said, “No...no, this doesn't make any sense. None of you are acting like yourselves! Lover, please stop this. You're not thinking straight!”

“On the contrary, my dear, I've been thinking clearer than I have in years.” He'd brooded earlier over the loss of Beatrix and Bellatrix, yet told himself it was for the best. His apprentice, in particular, was too soft for what he intended. “Tell her what we've learned, my daughter.”

Cerise nodded with enthusiasm and a hop. “I'm a partial reincarnation of Pacific Glow! It's like I get to be reunited with my old friend all over again! I don't fully understand it, but somehow daddy's magic melded Pacific's soul with mine! Isn't that awesome?!”

“That's impossible,” exclaimed Inky Rose. "As much as I miss her, I understand when things should remain dead. Sombra, please, if we can just-"

"You're wasting your breath," Radiant Hope snarled while glaring at the people who celebrated below. “He's a complete monster. I learned that the hard way.” She caressed her chest, the surface wound healed over by Bellatrix's magic before she'd been banished, but unable to fill the empty cavity where her heart should be. Yet somehow, she still lived. “He's always been a cruel tyrant. I was too blinded by love to see it...”

“You're wrong,” said Cerise, who tightened her grip on him. “Just wait, you'll see!”

Sombra stroked his daughter's hair. “Tonight, we celebrate. All of you, to my chambers.” He also nodded to Diamond Tiara, Cozy Glow, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse, who he'd made Inky's personal servants, his eyes lit with lust.

"Sombra!" Somnambula stood at the edge of the overlook with her mouth drawn. “You are headed down a dark path. Call this off! Or else-”

“You're words no longer yield wisdom to me,” he spat. “All I hear now are the babblings of an idiot! Guards! Escort the priestess out of our land!”

“Madness,” whispered Somnambula, who spread her plumage and hurtled from the overlook. The pegasus beat her wings, barely evaded the arrows that were fired her way and whizzed by, and with a chant, she was enveloped by light and retook the Sphinx shape she'd inherited from her oldest, dearest companion. Bitter tears stained her drawn expression.

She'd always known this day might come. That he could fall to the darkness. She only hoped Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow would be okay. A shaft from the archers thudded into her side, and she hissed, arrow buried under her ribs, barely missing her vitals.

Pawing at the offensive arrowhead, hot blood seeping around the wound, she nearly lost her balance amidst a desperate flight.

But she nonetheless sailed into the night sky undeterred, dodging more missiles, determined to seek out Spike and set it right.

Sombra waved down his men. “Let her go. She's made her decision. In time, they'll come to understand my vision...or else.”

By his decree, the further militarization of his empire began. His craftsmen forged helmets based on his own designs, ones he planned to imbue with his own dark magic, and 'persuade' those who failed to share his ambitions. Thankfully, most of his followers were fanatically loyal to him, and through hard work, his land would further prosper.

Realizing he could use Stygian, he'd forced the scholar to continue his research on the Necronomicon, surrounded by a cadre of elite guards. They forced him to work to exhaustion tirelessly.

With its secrets uncovered, Sombra would become greater than before! Oh, how he missed this sense of power. He could feel his heart race with suppressed excitement.

Now would be the perfect time to seek out his wives and their assistants to celebrate!

Chapter 7

Never had Fleur de Lis felt so anxious. Reclining in her bed, she stared over her ample breasts topped with puffy pastel pink nipples, her toned belly, and her spread thighs, her husband pressing his flared tip to her welcoming slit. Fleur cooed with contentment, and he moaned with her once he entered her. She could feel his heart beating fast from her fingers tracing over his torso. “Ooh la la, mon amour~.”

“Oh, you know how much I love it when you speak Prench to me, love,” chuckled Fancy Pants as he gently cupped her tits, rolling them in circles while pushing in-and-out of her matching, pastel pink pussy with wet, noisy squelches and spatters of her juices that ran down her bright, puckered asshole. “You must be so eager to bear our first foal."

She nodded, her face flushed. "I-I've been waiting so long for this moment. I thought it might never come..."

“Trust me, my dear. The only thing coming will be you and I. Over and over~” He teased while pumping his hips firmly to make sure she took him down to the hilt. His horn lit, and his face scrunched in concentration while he worked an incredibly complicated spell, one that should be far beyond him.

Her eyes twinkled in fascination when a rune appeared on her stomach, bright pink and in the shape of her uterus and ovaries. She whined and whinnied when the craft took effect, a miniature orgasm rippling through her loins and her lower orifices clenching in need, inflamed and moistening with a primal, animal lust that simulated estrus and made her face fully flush.

She huffed and heaved her tits, holes clenching, milking his deeply buried cock, which made him grunt. “It's-AH~! A fertility spell,” he managed to gasp, barely able to restrain his need to immediately loose himself in her. “Twilight Sparkle taught it to me in return for our assistance. She also said this wouldn't wear off until I've seeded you at least a dozen times, my dear.”

Fleur happily giggled with a wiggle of her hips and buttocks, burning all over. “But can you keep up with me?”

“Oh, quite! Thanks to a fertility potion, my sperm count and stamina should now rival Spike's,” he boasted with a puff of his powerful chest and subdued pride, ready to fill her womb to overflow with their lovemaking.

Her giggles became louder, more girlish, and she hissed, “Prenez-Moi~!.”

Without needing further encouragement, he picked up his pace. He bucked his hips over and over, driving himself deep into the slender unicorn's birth canal. Fleur oozed like a waterfall between them, the glowing uterus and ovaries tattoo stimulating her sex parts and her brain's pleasure center, dulling her rational thoughts and making her obsessed with being bred to completion.

He, too, surrendered all common sense. All they saw through a haze of lust and love was the beautiful, outstanding foal they'd create through this intimate act. She traced his firm chest, back, and muscular buttocks, now in a sheen of sweat, moaned out her bliss.

“A-ah! Oh, Fleur de Lis, I-I'm close,” he groaned, unable to take her vise-like grip, that sucked his cock with moist schlicks.

“Oh, Mon Amour~” She beamed and poked his mustache, felt his flare locked in her cervix. “Please, fill my womb with your love!”

And just like that, all her ecstasy and pleasure soon became dread that made her blood run cold as a wicked grin spread over his muzzle. Her eyes widened as his body started shifting while he continued to thrust.

Light fur turned dark; his stylish mane flowed wildly. Her beloved husband took the form of a monster she knew all too well, his teeth turning into fangs that drooled over her bouncing tits. His nails became claw-like, raking over her breasts, making her wince at the nasty red marks he left over him.

His eyes glowed, and he snarled in triumph. “Gladly, my whore,” mocked Sombra, who brutishly slammed into her, making her shake, scratching her tits. "I'll give you all the rotten children you could ever need~."

“N-NO! TAKE YOUR DIRTY COCK OUT OF ME, FIEND!!” She shrieked hysterically, kicked, and clawed at him with bared teeth, flaring her horn only for the magic to fizzle out in sparks. He cackled maniacally, slobbered on her bare chest, and she whimpered through tears, body forced to betray her through the cast fertility spell the imposter had woven.

She choked out sobs, squirting on him, toes curling when she cast back her head with a pained moan of lust that filled her with renewed self-loathing. Horrible memories returned during the war with the Eldritch. How to save the alliance, she'd been forced to sleep with the bastard.

And worse, he took her in front of her husband despite her loyalty to him. Fancy hadn't blamed her, but she'd never forgiven herself. Her honor and vanity were shattered, replaced by humiliation and hatred. Not even with Spike's help could she overcome this overwhelming shame.

“Admit it, Fleur de Lis. Your weak husband could never satisfy you like I can,” he taunted. "You'd look much better in my growing harem of concubines. Now..." Tendrils rose from his back, the inky tentacles curling around her wrists and ankles, pinning her, raising her feet around the sides of her head as he mashed all the way through her cervix in a mating press, making her bite her lower lip in a wince, flare locked in her cervix. "Take my seed like the lowly whore you are~!!”

She watched in rapt horror, helpless, the tattoo shimmering and giving her an x-ray view into her womb when he loosed the first of his volley, packing his gooey filth into her churning, slippery pink walls. He grunted and pulsed, unloading a volume that overfilled her belly and kept it swelling up to the point where she appeared heavily pregnant.

Tears dribbled down her cheeks when the excess dribbled out her snatch and over her asshole. He yanked loose with a loud wet pop, still not finished, more bursts slapping her face and sticking and mixing with her running mascara, into her mouth while she whinnied and whimpered, over her tits, his dick pressing to them, smearing his thick sperm into them.

“You belong to me,” he chuckled, more of his clammy tendrils sinking into her lower holes, gaping them open and watching his sperm gush out and pool under her plush buttcheeks. “And as my property, you'll take every last drop of my seed until you're a walking foal factory. I can hardly wait to see what our children will look like~!”

“NOOOOOOO~!” She shrieked like a banshee, threw herself upward, awakening back in her cove within the pleasure gardens. Covered in a thin sheen of perspiration, she sat cradled in the dimness, thankful the noise apparently hadn't carried out the cave.

Her sheet was absolutely soaked in her wetness, and she cast it aside with a snort of disgust. Any pleasantness of her dream was scarred by the devil who'd ruined her life and indirectly led to her beloved's demise.

She rose naked and grabbed her halberd, its stylized tip shaped like her namesake. “Fancy Pants...” She touched her heart, rolled her fingertips down between her ample breasts, over her stomach, and wished they had conceived a foal. At least to carry his legacy into this world, a memento of him.

Her gaze fell on her stacked up armor, and she contemplated wearing it, but with a sigh and flick of her thick mane decided against it. In truth, the risk to this place was currently minimal. Though maybe some patrol work would clear her mind.

The rich gardens were quiet save for the distant rush of water, quiet chatter, and chirp of insects. She took a slow, sensuous walk with an exaggerated swivel of her breasts, hips, and buttocks, a vain reminder of her days as a model before she'd become her future husband's bodyguard.

She'd pretended to be little more than his trophy wife, a bit of eye candy that made stallions slobber and mares seethe with envy. Yet she'd trained hard as anyone to become a superb soldier, skilled in warfare and magic.

She'd dreamed of hunting down and finishing off Sombra. A trip into the Necronomicon had seemed the perfect opportunity, and unless the devil died at her hands, she and Fancy would never have proper closure. She squeezed her halberd, seething.

A sound caught her attention, and immediately her stance changed, her grip on her weapon tightened. "Who goes there," she demanded, ready to take her pent up frustrations out on the intruder.

A silhouette wandered out over the sand dune of a beach. He frantically looked about before spotting the mare with a gasp.

"Fleur? O-oh good heaven's, is it really you?"

'That voice.' Her eyes widened. “It can't be.” She fluttered her thick lashes with rapid blinks at the stallion before her.

Standing naked in the pale moonlight was Fancy Pants, rugged-looking with his once stylized mane messily drooped over his face. And yet, he smiled at the former model. That same smile that charmed the slender unicorn all those years ago.

"M-mon Amour?! N-no, I saw you die before me. This is just an illusion. This beach is playing tricks on me!" She refused to let her hopes be torn from her by another sick ploy.

"I-I thought so too.... I woke up from where I died, astonished I was still breathing. I spent many days trying to find you and...here you are," Fancy spoke before slowly approaching with his hand reaching for her.

Hesitantly, she kept her weapon high until his hand touched her cheek. It felt warm—the warmth of her lover. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body eased before embracing the nude unicorn.

Her voice edged on hysteria. "Mon amour.... I-I can't believe it's really you! When I heard Spike had been resurrected, I thought--no. Prayed that maybe you would be, too..."

"Shhhh," he brushed her long mane in his hand while nuzzling into her neck. "I'm here. We can be together again, my love."

"Oh, please.... Please, don't wake me up. Let this be true!" She sobbed happily, a feeling she hadn't felt in ages. Her lover chuckled before pulling her face up to look at him. His smile spread slightly.

"I can assure you, Ma amour," he whispered sensually into her ear. "This is real. I am real. And there is something I need you to do for me, now that we're reunited again..."

"Yes! Oh, yes!" She exclaimed, pulling him tightly to her as she gazed up, lovingly into his eyes, her mascara running. "I've dreamt of this moment for the years I thought you were gone. I'll do anything, Mon amour, anything for us to become one~!"

With both hands holding her face, he brought his closer as the two gazed endlessly into each other. Finally, with a broad smile to his face, he whispered into her ear what she was longing to hear,

"All you need to do... i̷s͢ l͝҉ e ̶͟͡t̕m҉ e̵͢ į̶̷͠ ̸͟͟n͜҉~̷̵!̢̀͟͢"

That same night the returning heroines exited Trixie's wagon, parked in the middle of the gardens. Most went in their own directions, Flurry Heart promising to make a report to Spike, who was still settling back into his homeland.

Beatrix sat by herself on the dew-speckled grass, still so wrapped in her own storm of troubled thoughts and feelings that she didn't notice that Lady Ewe had taken a seat by her side. The goat shepherd took a deep breath while looking up to the night sky. "No matter the universe or calamity, the stars will always illuminate the galaxy," she said softly before turning her head towards the sulking witch and placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit before looking back at Ewe.

“You have a lot on your mind, my friend. I believe you'd find a measure of solace if you shared them out in the open."

“I-I'll be fine,” promised the witch with a forced smile, rubbing at her cheek to hide any forming tears.

Oona shook her head, scooting closer before wrapping Beatrix in an arm. The shepherd's robes felt silky soft, yet warm. Naturally, the witch curled herself closer into her friend's embrace as she felt Oona's hand brushing through her hair. Finally, Beatrix let out a long sigh and gave in.

“I know teacher's not himself,” she mumbled with a sniffle. “I just can't get over the pain of him using me like that. For the longest time, I thought I wanted that. Him wanting me, depending on me, loving me even.... Am I that selfish? I feel so stupid!"

“Being hard on yourself won't take away the pain. This wasn't your fault, Ceann Oga,” the goat woman reassured before looking off to the far distance, forlorn. “Even without Zeloph's influence, I fear he would have submitted to the darkness once more. It's in his nature."

"I swear, the moment I find that abomination, I'll make him pay..." The witch seethed.

"No, Beatrix! Do not turn to vengeance," the shepherd warned, pulling her body around to face her. Her eyes remain soft, but her grip was firm.

"Zeloph is a pure unknowable horror! He thrives on stripping people of their humanity and watching their minds warp and unravel until any trace of who they originally were remains in memories. If you try to seek him out now, you'll walk away as something unrecognizable!"

"Then how do we stop him!?" Beatrix demanded, clutching Lady Ewe's robes. "Isn't he one of those Vice Lord's you fight against? Surely you know of a way to defeat him."

The goat woman shook her head. "Zeloph existed long before the Vice Lords were formed, Beatrix. He's only named under them because he found it amusing. Of all the foes I've faced, he's the most insidious and dangerous. I've seen many people lose their minds to his will. And it is a horrifying to think of what he'll do, should he claim another dimension to corrupt."

Ewe turned her head away in shame. "The only thing that can slow him down is resisting his call. If he can't get into your head, you have some defense."

Beatrix tilted her head. "Some..?"

"He'll trick you into believing in impossible things, or pose as people you know. He loves imitating people, and using their bodies to help ease your mind, until there's just enough room for him to slip inside and contort your form to his liking. He can't be fully stopped, and he will have your mind eventually."

"So there isn't any way to-"

"I don't know, Ceann Oga. That's why I'm here; to discover any new weaknesses or exploits to put an end to his madness once and for all. I promise I'll help you save Sombra from his descent to darkness. But ensuring this universe doesn't fall to Zeloph takes first priority."

Beatrix remained quiet before nodding. While none of this made sense and she still felt unsettled, she did feel grateful that someone was trying to help her.

They sat in silence for a while, listened to the soft sounds of animals, the tinkle of water that flowed nearby. Through the work of Fluttershy and Tree Hugger, it had become a peaceful place in Equestria. A variety of trees had grown with exotic fruit and vegetables. Looking between a tree close by and the witch, Oona stood up to reach for one branch and managed to pluck an incredibly juicy peach. She offered it to Beatrix.

“It's strange,” said Beatrix with a giggle and took a bite, succulent juices running down her chin. She munched on it, saying with a full mouth, “Who would've thought it was possible to grow trees with all sorts of fruits, even with magic?!”

“Many things are possible," Oona nodded with a smile before wiping some of the sweetness from Beatrix's lips and chin. "Your very existence is a miracle. The moment you embrace that, the world around you flourishes with wonder."

"I...I guess. Thank you, Lady Ewe, for being a friend to me."

"Not just a friend, Ceann Oga. There is much I wish to show you, teach you even. If you were to indulge me~."

Beatrix noisily chewed some more before swallowing. “Such as...?”

Her eyes went wide the moment she felt a pair of lips touch her own. The act shocked her to jump backward, her face blushing red against her violet skin. "A-agh! W-wait, what was.."

"O-oh!" Oona held her mouth while looking away sheepishly. "W-was I too forward. Oh, do forgive me. It's just, you never notice when I flirt with you, and..."

“Flirt with me?! W-wait, you.... You like me? Like, more than a friend?” Beatrix trembled, barely able to contain a girlish glee, shyly avoiding her eyes. For so long, she had looked up to Lady Ewe as a strong mentor. Never could she imagine the goat woman would hold intimate feelings for her!

“I've made no attempt to hide it, ever since our few journeys together,” Oona confirmed while tittering back towards the startled witch and holding her hands over her breasts. “You just always seemed to be so into others that I kept to myself. But make no mistake, Beatrix. I'm not a saint. I've longed for the loving touch of another for a quite some time. And with Sombra's recent actions heavily hurting you, I figured I'd offer a more soothing, healing touch to ease your pain."

“R-really?” Beatrix stammered, feeling like a school filly discovering one of the popular kids had a crush on her.

A rare, sensual grin spread the goat's muzzle as she leaned forward to wrap her arms under Beatrix's backside, her hands trailing up her back to make the mare quiver. "Really~" She whispered before resuming her kiss. For once, Beatrix felt lips that weren't simply hungry for her body or wishing to control her. These lips were tender, tasting her like a sip of warm coffee. How could she not give in and deepen her kiss?

It felt like minutes passed before the two parted their mouths, gazing heavily at each other while Beatrix whimpered under her touch. She pouted, Oona heavily covered in her robes while she only had her leotard and accessories. And yet, the young witch couldn't hold in her delighted gasp as Oona stripped her piece by piece.

Her body was shivering from being exposed, and having those soft hands explore and feel up her generous amount of flesh. A coo left the goat woman once getting a full squeeze of Beatrix's bosom.

"Heh, always exposing your girls like this. You make it very hard not to stare," she teased while running a thumb over one hardening nipple below exposed cleavage, making Beatrix whimper in embarrassment.

"E-excuse me for liking my choice in wardrobe. I-it's not like I wear so many clothes to conceal myself.... M-mmm~!"

"Fair enough~" She giggled before pulling away and laying her dreamcatcher staff onto the ground. Raising up, she carefully removed the hood off from her horns, her light cyan hair flowing along the braid. With a deep sigh, she slowly pulled off her long robe before tugging off the shirt underneath.

To Beatrix's surprise and excitement, Oona was incredibly well-endowed. Her breasts looked more bountiful than her own! And as the goat bent forwards to slide down her wooly pants, she boasted a motherly figure with large hips and a slightly round belly. Untrimmed hair hung above her mound, which glistened with eager wetness between her thighs.

“I'm very proud of my body, but as you can guess, to wear clothing too small would make me uncomfortable, both in wearing it and being stared at,” she admitted while blushing hotly, though her smile remained as she strutted back to lightly push her friend down. "But this isn't about me. It's about you. Let me take care of you, Ceann Oga~" She whispered hotly before gradually parting the witch's legs and kissed her way up to Beatrix's dripping pussy. She lapped and wriggled her wet tongue along the lips before slightly parting them with small, quick jabs.

“A-ah! Oh...oh, fuck~!” Her swollen clit peeked from its hood, and the tender tongue wiggled its way into her gooey, pink tunnel. She shook her hips, dripping down her butthole. “Wow. Y-you're really good at this~!” She squealed, squirting a little in her mouth. Her flush deepened. “S-sorry,” she mumbled, her marehood winking in satisfaction and further neediness.

Oona snickered before licking some of the nectar off her lips. "Mmm, your honey is far sweeter than I imagined. No need to apologize for providing me a sample~.”

“T-then let me make you feel good, too!" She insisted, pulling herself away to push the goat woman on her back, a startled yelp coming from Oona as she felt Beatrix kiss and suck on her ample flesh.

"O-oh stars~!" She whimpered, feeling her friend eagerly taste her before dragging her tongue down to her belly.

But just before Beatrix could reach the shepherd's honey pot, a rustle alerted them both as someone was coming towards them from a distance.

"W-what is-?! Ahh, just when we were about to--"

“There will be time later,” assured Oona, though she too looked miffed about the interruption. The two quickly redressed before walking towards the approaching stranger, who turned out to be Fleur de Lis. She walked tiredly passed the two, weapon in hand and body bare, sweaty and hot.

"A-are you okay, Fleur?" Beatrix asked. "You're not looking so good."

"Yes, I simply...had a rough night. I decided to patrol and see if any intruders were nearby, but I guess I got lost along the way," the former model insisted, looking up at the two before stumbling to sit against the wagon. "I-I'll be fine! Just let me rest a bit."

“Let me know if there's anything you need," Ewe offered. "I have ointments and medicine in my pouch."

The slender unicorn nodded and closed her eyes, her body easing into the wood of the wagon. Beatrix looked back at the shepherd with a contented smile before she decided to head back inside to get some sleep herself.

Ewe returned the smile in kind, but it disappeared as she looked towards the horizon from where Fleur came from.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Elsewhere, it was a night of celebration for Sombra, who indulged himself with his queen, his would-be wives, and their closest handmaidens in his chamber. “Entertain me,” he'd ordered, and after that Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse disrobed and pressed their pussies together with a squish. The sparkly crystal pony twins dutifully carried out their orders with reserved expressions.

“Like this?” Cozy Glow selected a two-headed dildo shaped with a serpent's head on both ends, sinking it into herself and Diamond Tiara, the lamp's light enveloping the pair who giggled while they made love for his viewing pleasure.

Radiant Hope shot him a sour look, but let her sheer silk attire fall anyhow. She sat on the wide bed, parted her thighs, and pressed fingers into her sex which she drew in-and-out with messy schlicks, shutting him out to focus on her aimless masturbation.

He stood nude before his wife and daughter, who knelt before him, reluctance written on the former's pained face. “Daddy,” mewled Cerise Silhouette, who playfully smacked his flared cock and watched in fascination with how it bounced and throbbed.

“It...feels wrong to do this,” argued Inky Rose who winced. “I nursed you, changed your diapers, bathed you-”

Cerise smiled at her. “We're all adults here! Besides, like I told you, I'm pretty much Pacific Glow reborn! Didn't you used to do much kinkier things with her, even before you two hooked up with daddy?” She groped her mother's plush buttocks.

Despite her protests, Inky's wings unfurled with a pleasant shiver. Still, she fought against her attraction and longing for her deceased friend. “You resemble her so much, I-I just can't get over it. Pacific Glow's soul, embedded with your own by his sorcery? I do miss her terribly. I want to believe, however-”

“Don't overthink it!” Cerise mischievously rested her palm on Inky's head, and pushed it down, onto her father's vein-lined, precum smeared cock. She dove in herself, helping her lap at his twitching, fully erect tool which they worshiped.

Though hesitant, Inky submitted to her daughter's direction, mostly when they stared up into Sombra's face, which twisted in rapt pleasure. Wet pops sounded when they sucked and licked all over his cock and balls, drenched in their mixed saliva, their cunts wet and dripping down their inner thighs between spread legs, breathing in his and their potent musk.

Pretty soon, Inky was entirely lost in the moment, she and Cerise's faces fully flushed, burning. She whined a little in need, their marehoods clenching the air, trying to milk a dick that wasn't inside them. She cupped one of her plump breasts, and the much larger bust of Cerise, playing with the soft, squishy globes, slurping down his precum, which stuck to their moist lips.

His hands buried themselves in their manes, directed them while losing himself to this feeling. Within himself, he felt the Pony of Shadows playing on the darkness in his heart, which far surpassed what Stygian had ever been capable of.

He'd turned his need to conquer and dominate towards positive ends and expanded his empire until it was one of the mightiest nations in all of Equestria. Yet it wouldn't be long until his lust for all these fertile females overruled him, treating the ponies he once deeply loved into little more than slits to carry his children.

Upon looking back at the twins, he casually asked, “What kind of parents name their daughters Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse?”

The twin maids paused, still buried in their partner's moist snatch. “Those aren't our actual names,” said Foal-Bearer flatly. “In truth, we can't remember what we used to be called. We threw our old lives away when our parents abandoned us.”

“They called us perverse,” said Wet Nurse with a grimace. “But it's not like we asked to be born with this power!”

“Indeed, I can sense this strange magic within you two. Makes me wonder what else there is to it,” he noted, stroking his wife and daughter's heads.

The twins shared a subtle look. “T-true,” admitted Wet Nurse, who realized they couldn't keep their secrets forever. “We chose these titles for a reason.” She squeezed ample tits, and milk squirted from her nipples at will, dribbled down the slopes.

Similarly, Foal-Bearer's pussy became more inflamed and wet on command. “I'm especially fertile. I wanted to bear foals-”

“-which I would feed,” finished Wet Nurse. “We have these faint memories of other worlds, where we worked under Cadance, and with her permission birthed beautiful children through Shining Armor. If only that was our fate here,” she lamented.

Sombra approved, licking his chops at conceding these two to their designed fate. He looked forward to the many ways he could play with them later. But for now, he turned most of his hunger on Inky, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her onto the bed.

She yelped when he slammed into her, but relaxed into his desperate thrusts and stroked his fur-lined muscles, her free hand linked with Cerise's who watched him take her with a smile.

“Give it to her, daddy!” Cerise cheered them on, her eyes bright when they followed the bounce of her mother's plush tits.

“M-my king,” wheezed Inky, who panted, like him reduced to a bestial need, lustful to take his seed into her.

Suddenly his hands wrapped around her throat and tightened. She and Cerise's eyes went wide, while he relished the way she instinctively tightened around his flared dick, which he buried into her womb. Her wings fluttered, helpless to do anything but take his rough breeding, and Cerise rubbed her messy twat with muffled moans, biting her lower lip at his display of dominance.

She hissed and came on him in warm sprays. Her eyes rolled into her head with strangled gasps, closed, and she went limp when he choked her out, clenching further around him when he buried himself against the wall of her slimy uterus and flooded his limp queen with his virile sperm.

Grunts continued to arise when he packed her to the brim with warm shots that stuck to her walls. He dropped her, pulled loose, Cerise unable to do little more than tremble and stare in shock.

“Daddy? W-why'd you do that, mommy could have...” She sniffled until snot dribbled from her nostrils.

A moment of lucidity returned, brought on by a sickening feeling when he checked her pulse. “She'll be fine. Just unconscious. I...should have taken more precautions,” he chastised himself, afraid of himself, of how close he'd come to ending her in the heat of the moment to sate his needs. Yet the darkness refused to let him free. “Clean her up,” he ordered coldly. “With your mouth.”

“Dad....?” What had seemed like a dream had turned nightmarish, yet Cerise didn't dare disobey and sunk between Inky's wet thighs to lap the sperm and pussy juice that rolled from her slit and over her butthole.

Forced to bend over to do so, he landed a slap on his daughter's ass, which wobbled, and pressed his still erect flare into her winking cunny, insatiable.

He pulled her pigtails, landed more blows on her asscheeks, and she softly sobbed, confused but wanting to make him happy and proud. However, she couldn't help but worry about Inky, despite how easily her flesh still responded to him.

She mumbled, “P-please be more careful with her n-next ti-AGH~!"

He ignored her pleas, buried a finger up her asshole, which clenched around him. The Pony of Shadows reminded him they were his rightful property, to do with as he pleased. He was the absolute head of his nation. And someday he would be a God!

Yet first, there was the alliance to deal with. With the death of Spike and Twilight, their forces would surely crumble...

Somnambula knew it was suicide. Yet she refused to abandon an old friend. “Spirits protect me,” she whispered, and the Sphinx, who'd removed the arrowhead and patched her wounds the best she could in the desert, doubled back on the pyramid.

Thankfully after Spike's attack, the tombs were still damaged, defended only by a small army of guards who lined the area.

A column with the Necronomicon was placed at the treasury's heart, and a chair before it where Stygian sat, slowly turning the tattered pages. Whenever his eyes, heavy with dark circles, began to close, he was prodded at spear-point by the barechested, muscular stallions around him. “I would work better with some sleep,” the scholar argued in a soft-spoken voice.

“Lord Sombra demands results. He said to work you to exhaustion if needed,” answered one of them with another prod.

His eyes struggled to focus through the bright colors cast by the riches and torches around him. The torn up area was still covered in the cast about stones, and he shivered in the cool night air, unable to do more than proceed with trembling hands.

“Monsters,” hissed the priestess to herself. “Surely, my ancestors must be enraged.”

Her claws extended, and with a roar that made their fur stand on end, she dived in with her plume spread and fangs bared. She pounced and knocked several of them away in a cloud of gold coins that were cast about with clinks, swatted a soldier who dared train a crossbow on her with a paw, slamming him to the ground with a crunch. She hesitated to kill but broke his bones to disable him.

“To me, Stygian!” She swiped and slobbered, her slit cat-eyes glowing like she was possessed by her righteous fury.

He stumbled in his tattered robes and barely climbed onto her slender yet muscular back. “Th-thank you.”

“Hold on tight, my friend. We have not escaped yet!” She howled, and some of the guards cowered on instinct, but others readied crossbows on her from all sides, and she realized escape would require a miracle. And so she prayed for one.

The ancient spirits of the pharaohs answered her. They swirled from sarcophagi, which fell open to reveal mummified corpses below caked in so much dust, and the ghostly presences whirled around them like a tornado, screaming, not unlike the Eldritch. But these were benevolent and tossed aside the arrows that hurled towards them.

Some of the specters sank into Somnambula, filled her with warmth. She glowed in a golden sheen, rose upwards with a furious beat of wings. “My thanks,” she whispered with a tear and sailed past the pale moon.

All that mattered was their survival. In haste, Somnambula cursed herself for forgetting the Necronomicon, too focused on saving her old friend, yet she wasn't certain the accursed book would even allow such a sacred creature to touch it.

Guards yelled and loosed a hail of arrows that did nothing to deter her escape across the desert. His arms wrapped around her neck, and she took comfort she could at least save one of those closest to her.

A guard burst into Sombra's chambers. “Forgive me, my lord.” He swallowed and noted that the tyrant was busy with the entertainment of his lovers, still buried deep within his bent over daughter. “It-it's about Somnambula and Stygian....”

“What about them,” replied Sombra with little interest, not bothering to pause while he claimed his latest bounty with repeated thrusts.

He strained to find the words. “Th-they've escaped...”

“What?!” His horn flared with a crackle, and he summoned his blade with a telekinetic lift of his aura into his hand. His swing was so fast they were unable to track it when he lopped the guard's head from his neck. The offensive object rolled, and Cerise screamed, her face and breasts splattered by a hot, wet crimson spray that slapped her furred curves.

“Ghh~!” She instinctively clenched his cock in sheer terror and he fired his massive load into her.

The guard's body slumped with a thud. Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow paused in shock, but dared not say a word against him, pretended to remain loyal to him, but hopeful they would survive this nightmare and be reunited with Somnambula.

Cerise pulled herself from her father. “W-why? He was just a messenger! You didn't have to go that far!”

“Don't question me,” he warned and wrapped a hand around her throat. She whimpered and slackened in submission. To punctuate his threat, his blade's tip poked at her erect nipples, a reminder he could easily sever them. “Clean up this trash and dispose him outside of my city,” he demanded, and the twins snapped to obey.

The sisters collected the corpse, and he studied the unconscious Inky. “Handmaidens,” he said to Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow. “Bathe and put my wife and daughter to bed. They've had a most troubled day,” he said with a dark chuckle.

Cerise's maw quivered. “P-please...”

He pressed to her backside, groped one of her breasts, another sliding to her belly. Working a complicated spell with his uneven horn, a glowing tattoo appeared on her midsection, showing her uterus and ovaries. She twitched with a muffled, choked moan from the electrical tingles that stimulated her watery loins. “Listen carefully, daughter. You will not question my judgment again, do you understand me? Just keep quiet and bear your father lots of wonderful foals.”

“Y...yes, daddy,” she promised meekly with her head bowed. “Just don't hurt mommy. Please,” she added.

“As long as none of you disappoint me, I'll ensure no harm comes to you.” He dismissed her with a possessive swat on her rump. She squeaked and hurried on, his lustful gaze locked on her hips and buttocks, which swayed with her sudden movements.

Radiant Hope watched them all leave and curled her maw. “There really is no end to your evil.”

He stalked over and backhanded her. She gasped, and blood ran from her split lip. “Just as there's no end to your useless blabbering. Be grateful I don't muzzle you,” he warned.

Radiant stared him down with a heave of her breast. Below the warm skin that had healed over due to Bellatrix, unknown to them, rested a tiny shard of the crystal where her heart had once been.

It continued to slowly expand, had protected her and the twins when Zeloph had raised them from the ether in the Necronomicon and allowed them to take flesh, cloaked its presence lest Sombra claimed it.

A comforting warmth she didn't understand filled her bosom, made her sense that somehow, whatever befell her, she would be okay. The destroyed Crystal Heart had started to rebuild inside her, determined to protect its people...

Chapter 8

From all over the pleasure gardens Spike's friends and family gathered to meet him, and he couldn't hold back a wide grin. “You've taken great care of the place while I was gone!” He exclaimed before hugging Ember and Smolder, who'd helped Twilight run his lands in his absence. “Whew, I think I could use a snack after the long journey home!”

Spike had yet to reveal that the alliance was crumbling, not wanting to sour the mood. The dragonesses helped him sit on a boulder, and he tried to focus on the jubilant atmosphere around him, aware he'd have to let the truth free eventually.

Beside him sat Rarity, and she pressed her nude body to his own, while he held her and stroked her mane. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, darling, I'm fine. What I said and did back there...” She looked away, teary-eyed. “Forgive me.”

He shook his head and squeezed her. “Nothing to forgive. You weren't yourself, we all know that.”

“Wasn't I? Indeed, I often took you for granted and only attempted to stake a claim when I realized how handsome and powerful you are. I've been absolutely deplorable, and understand if you wanted nothing more to do with me. Still, I-I do truly care for you.” She meekly met his eyes, mouth drawn in pain, and stroked his firm pectoral muscles with her palms.

“I want you. I've always wanted you.” She flushed at his confession, his claws wrapped around her hips, and he could barely contain the lust he felt, aware this wasn't the time no matter how their bodies screamed for it.

He felt a drip of her wetness splash on his tail and roll down it, and he shivered in delight. His claws slid further, cupped her buttocks and kneaded them, a smile shared between them for what was to come when she shot him a coy wink.

Thankfully it appeared there weren't any remnants or aftereffects of the evil that had possessed her.

His gaze trailed over the exotic flora that lined the massive underground cave. Fluttershy and Tree Hugger returned his smile, their voluptuous shapes plush as he recalled, even after their pregnancy had reached its end. Sweetie Belle lounged in a pond, able to bask in their hard-won peace. It was everything he'd hoped for with the destruction of the Eldritch.

However, his snout fell when he spotted Sunset Shimmer placed within an open glass coffin, a magical creation used to preserve her unattended. She was trapped in stasis by it, lost to a coma by psychic feedback. Twilight Sparkle, who routinely returned to her and sobbed, speculated this was caused by the remnants of the Eldritch, their haunting screams shredding her psyche.

She appeared so peaceful, contented even, a smile on Sunset's face, arms crossed over her bare bosom. “Hang on, Sunset. I'll find a way to fix this,” swore Twilight, who gripped her friend's tender arm. “I won't lose any more friends to the Eldritch!”

He and Rarity strolled over through the grass. “Whatever it takes, we'll get her back.”

“Yes, without her, we wouldn't have made it this far,” said Rarity, who also looked stricken. They all stood in silence around the glass coffin, thinking up possible solutions to break her free from this trance.

With a blink, Flurry Heart appeared with Somnambula and Stygian on the Sphinx's back. “Sorry to butt in,” she said. “But I figured there were still more people who needed our help at Sombra's camp and decided to check! Lucky, huh?”

“Thank you. But you shouldn't act on your own,” chastised Twilight. “You know how dangerous it is!”

“Without her, we would not have made it back,” said Somnambula, who still glowed bright gold. “I believe the spirits must have sensed our need, and called young Flurry Heart to aid us. Sombra has fallen to madness, reverted to his tyrannical ways.”

"Figures," Twilight spat. "Reading into the Necronomicon would have surely brought back memories of cruel power. It was only a matter of time until he turned rogue again."

"That may be so, but remember. The dream shepherd suggests another power at play this time, using his descent as a catalyst. If Sombra fell so easily, I fear what will happen when this entity comes for us."

Twilight said, "Well then, maybe the Necronomicon can help us find a way to free Sunset!"

Rarity shook her head. "Perhaps, but that accursed tome is still in Sombra's lands, is it not?”

Stygian slid from the Sphinx's back and stumbled. “That may not be a problem...” He reached into his tattered cloak and unveiled the dark tome he'd hidden there. “With a little glamour, I disguised another of Sombra's books on hand and switched them. Thankfully, he left a mook to watch over it. But it won't fool him the moment he checks.”

“Brilliant,” said Twilight, who stared at the flesh-bound, mummified grimoire.

“It makes me wonder if the book is aiding me. To take it here may have been a mistake, should it seek to spread its evil in this paradise. Yet neither could I leave it in Sombra's hands.” The scholar frowned. “I've heard the tome compels one to possess it...”

“Whatever the case may be, we'll have to try.” Somnambula chanted and turned back into a pegasus. “Though we shall need ample time to prepare. To return to that labyrinth without a solid team would be fatal.”

“I'm down,” said Flurry with her usual cheer. “I'm sure Beatrix will want to help us, too. Where is she currently?"

"Trixie's wagon is parked near the edges of the pleasure gardens. I'll go fetch her and company," Rarity proclaimed before walking out with a swish of her marshmallow rump.

Spike licked his chops, momentarily distracted. Between his team, he hardly needed to lift a claw, but he knew he couldn't afford to be lazy. Not when the alliance was dealt a devastating blow, and it seemed any numbers of villains waited in the shadows to make their move. “So let's theorize here. Say Zeloph wasn't pulling strings, and Sombra fell back to his old habits on his own. What are the chances of saving him?"

Despite their differences and the crimes he'd committed, he'd almost considered him a friend for a time. And whatever he or anyone else believed he wanted to save him.

Though he accepted the fact that it was probably beyond possibility, and even if it weren't, the damage he would cause in the meantime would be far too significant.

As the Dragon Lord, he had to act decisively!

“...and that's the situation we face right now,” said Rarity, relaying all the events back to Beatrix and company.

"Huh," said the violet unicorn with a scratch of her chin. She was seated at a table in Trixie's wagon. “Then, it settled. I'll do anything that may help save Sombra, especially with those around him in danger! If it means another trip into the Necronomicon, then I'll do it.” She sat back with one leg crossed over the other and took a sip of her steamy, freshly-brewed tea.

Lady Ewe took a sip of her own cup. "Zeloph remains hidden among us, though I don't think he'll want to return to his prison. We should have our best casters informed to ensure your minds remain safe."

"I'll remain here," Fleur de Lis said. "That tyrant will have already figured out the book is missing and will send agents to retrieve it. We'll need people on guard for that."

Beatrix said, "So that leaves..."

Trixie shot up with legs spread and hands thrust to her wide hips. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will come, too! No way will I let my little hellspawn do this alone! Remember, our magic works better in tandem, as we're the invincible mother-daughter team!” She proudly cast back her mane with a smirk, boldly determined to take on whatever awaited them.

“Yeah, why not, I'll come too,” Bellatrix grumbled with pursed lips. “Can't say I care for many people here currently.”

“That's what you want people to think," grinned Beatrix with a wink. "Deep down, we both know you're just a big softie~."

"Bite it, Sister. Demons don't waste time on pity or sentiment."

“Funny considering you're no longer a succubus," the witch noted while looking over her sister's angelic appearance.

“Just because I have a halo over my head, doesn't mean my heart isn't as black as night! I am born from the Necronomicon! Always have been a devil, always will be!"

“Knock it off you two,” cut in Flurry. “We'd better get prepared! Sister, will you help me mix up more potions?”

“Sure. But I'm a little rusty,” admitted Beatrix, who hadn't practiced her alchemy much recently. She reached into the hidden sleeves of her cloak and laid out corked tubes that bubbled and fizzed a multitude of prismatic colors. “That's my batch! Not much I know, but hey, some of the places I traveled too haven't made it easy to grab ingredients!”

Flurry Heart laid out her own across the table. “I cooked these up in my spare time!”

Beatrix studied them. “Well, we can't all be geniuses like you, sis!” From the version she'd met in her homeworld, the alicorn princess who taught her alchemy was potentially the most powerful mage in Equestria. Sadly her potential here had been curtailed after the torture she'd endured under Chrysalis. Despite that, she'd grown quite a bit through practice.

But the false horns and wings Flurry constructed had their limits. Charge them with too much magic, and they would shatter, limited to how much they channeled at a time. At best, she and Cadance would be able to reach a little under Sunset's level.

“A shame you won't be backing us up with some muscle, Fleur," Bellatrix huffed while folding her arms. "I don't think the big guy is gonna be enough this trip around."

“Yeah, that is pretty unfortunate," Beatrix agreed while looking over her hands. "Most of us kinda suck when it comes to fisticuffs!"

"Pha!" Scoffs Trixie. "Who needs brute force when magic is so much stronger?"

“Somnambula will be there,” reminded Lady Ewe. “But regardless of which is better, a balance would be nice. Are you sure you can't come with them?" She asked, turning to the Fleur, who shook her head.

"I'm really sorry, but I can't afford to go back knowing Sombra is out there planning his next assault. I don't think I'm mentally prepared to return there, as well. You're better off without me."

The goat woman sighed. "I suppose you have a point there. We'll need all the help we can get, both here and in the Necronomicon."

A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” called Trixie before the door creaked open.

“Forgive the intrusion,” said Stygian, who bowed his head, a scroll carried in his hands. “I've studied the Necronomicon and unearthed several secrets.” He settled into a chair the hostess pulled out for him. “Thank you, Miss Lulamoon.”

She smirked at him, posing in her chair to show off her impressive bust. “Charmed, always happy to allow company interested in me~."

“O-oh, um, no, actually,” He flushed and hastily unrolled the scroll. “I was mostly referring to Miss Primadonna.”

“What?” She perked up with a furrowed brow. “Somehow, I'm not sure I want to know what concerns me.”

“I-I know it'll be a lot to take in, but please bear with me! I researched the various demons the Necronomicon's author wrote into their spellbook. One of them was a race of pleasure demons, the succubi. Pieces of the writer's fiction told how they would summon to mindlessly seek pleasure.”

"Uh-huh, what about them?"

"Well, that's the thing. It's said the species were wiped out thoroughly, and any material to summon one mostly relies on written text to manifest their lust into a physical form."

Bellatrix's face slowly sunk when the implications dawned on her. “Wait...you're telling me that I'm not real?!”

“N-now, hold on!” Beatrix raised her palms. “Let's not jump to conclusions!”

With a saddened look, he continued gently. “I fear she is correct. You were merely a piece of fiction until Sombra interacted with you. Strange as it may seem when he made you his slave, he 'rescued' you from your aimless existence. Your time with Beatrix also helped immensely. Through them, you've achieved a level of self-awareness that shouldn't be possible for an apocryphal creature.”

Bellatrix stared in horror, her face void of any emotion as the truth settled in her mind. "I...I'm not supposed to exist..?" She whispered, trying hold back sobs in her throat.

The rest of the party couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Ewe looked down into her cup while Fleur stroke her chin in thought, a slight curl to her lip. "How fascinating..."

“Sister...” Beatrix gripped her shoulders and calmly leveled with her. “I know this might seem too ironic coming from me, but it doesn't matter how you originated. I thought since the Demiurge was part of me, I'd never be able to make a happy life for myself, but look how far I've come. Blood doesn't matter, not to me. You're family.” She smiled at her.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to be a downer. But I thought you'd like to know,” said Stygian apologetically.

Bellatrix met his gaze. “It's whatever. I don't live on bullshit, even if reality is insufferable. Wish I could meet the sick fiend who wrote this damn book and give him a taste of hell.” She laughed with another sniffle, breaking into a pained cackle. “Just perfect. Life's
already abysmal. If Sombra can't be saved, then-”

Oona stepped in to place her hand on the angel's shoulder, stroking her gently. "Perhaps it's best you don't come with them as well. This shocking revelation will no doubt affect your mentality."

"What, no! We barely have enough people going in as it is! If I can't go, who's gonna..."

Stygian drew his mouth into a line. “I'm no warrior, but I can take your place. I think I have a good shot in finding more secrets within the grimoire. Possessed as I was by the Pony of Shadows, I know the malice it's capable of. The more darkness one holds inside them, the worse it proves.”

"A-are you sure?" Ewe asked gently.

"While I can't guarantee my mind's safety, It's the least I can do to repay for my rescue," he nodded, determination clear on his face.

Much as she hated to admit it, Beatrix knew the evils her teacher was capable of. She'd seen some of them firsthand in other worlds. The depravity he'd sunk too was far worse than all the other would-be conquerors Equestria had faced. Only Chrysalis had come anywhere close when she sided with the Eldritch, something that even Tirek and Cozy Glow had refused.

Once, she'd been drawn to his darkness because she thought only someone warped like her could possibly love her. She'd believed the cute unicorn she appeared as was a hollow shell, that the 'real' her was the monster that lurked below.

Her separation from the Demiurge had given her a new lease on life. And since her teacher helped saved her, she wanted to repay the favor! Nevertheless, to do so, there was a risk she would clash with others who sought a more expedient solution.

"Wait," cried Beatrix who spotted something from the corner of her eye. "That shine?!" She was immediately reminded of the Crystal Empire, knew this was somehow connected.

Hastily the group spilled outside to follow the speck, and tracked it all the way to Stygian's study in a cave, where Somnambula kept vigil over the Necronomicon. The book rested on a desk surrounded by candelabra.

The grimoire opened and the sparkle vanished into it. "You know the Necronomicon best," said Beatrix to Stygian. "So keep watch, okay? No time to quibble!"

"As you wish," he replied with a bow.

Lady Ewe warned, "It could be a trap to lure us inside. Still, I see little alternative."

Within moments a team was selected, and the party descended back inside...

To reclaim the Necronomicon, Sombra knew he'd need to raise an army that could take on the alliance. He'd conscripted more soldiers from his citizens, and those who clearly doubted his cause were taken to a private chamber hidden deep in the pyramid, to be 'persuaded' with his creation, a rather demonic helmet infused with the dark arts.

The moment it was placed on someone they fell under his control. At the moment he could only craft a dozen since it drained him terribly to make one, and he had to imbue a small fraction of his power into each which divided him. But it was worth it to ready another elite guard, and as for their frightful appearance as they stalked the streets, he claimed it was to terrify their enemies who only understood intimidation. “Dragon Lord Spike has become a brutal tyrant,” he'd informed the masses. "He must be stopped!"

To boost morale and help persuade the mob, he ordered Cerise Silhouette to follow him everywhere. At his command, she would put on a slow, sensual striptease, her contortionist-level dance skills putting onlookers into a trance.

Cerise forced a smile, swaying her breasts, hips, and buttocks with a jiggle. It was almost like everything she ever dreamed of...if not for how weird and cruel her father had suddenly turned, seemingly overnight.

“Maybe we babied you too much,” Inky had said. “But now's the time to grow up. Something is wrong with my love. I wanted to believe it was part of some long game he was playing, a plan he couldn't even let those closest in on, but there's no mistaking it. He's gone mad." The queen held her throat, where he once grabbed her, bitter tears streaming down her face.

“Careful mom,” she'd whispered back. “If he hears you questioning his rule, he'll have you executed.”

Inky laughed dryly. "I think I'm more afraid of losing you than I am your father's wrath. An incarnation of Pacific Glow or not, your safety is my priority."

The young mare nodded before nuzzling into her arms. "Dad was never this scary before..."

"No, he wasn't. Beatrix's friend spoke of a creature that fed on insanity. I have every reason to believe it's the source of this growing civil war."

Cerise gulped, recalling hearing a menacing voice during her capture in the labyrinth. It whispered horrible things she shouldn't have known. And it only stopped talking to her when Cerise and her father made love for the first time. She felt like this was all her fault, but she dare not reveal it to Inky Rose.

Within mere days their world had been completely turned upside-down. At best, they could take slivers of comfort in each other when Sombra was away. But they were careful not to confide in anyone else, uncertain if they could even trust the rest of his entourage. He'd taken turns with all of them each night, seemingly unable to be satisfied anymore.

Cerise winced when she danced, her lower-half still quite sore, especially her hind end. She rubbed her bare buns, coated in a thin sheen of perspiration after another long and wild dance under the blazing afternoon sun.

She spotted her father marching the streets, flanked by his elite troops shrouded by those masked demon helmets with horns, and ducked out of their sight with a deep inhale. Hurrying on, she headed to the marketplace, where merchants called out to would-be buyers and offered a variety of standard and exotic goods. She noted one of the twins, Foal-Bearer, she thought, was there.

Other than a hooded cloak and sandals, she was otherwise dressed in the usual sheer, bare-breasted attire the handmaidens wore. The crystal pony carried a wicker basket that hung from one harm and bent over while she made her selection. “This one please,” she said in a clipped, professional manner, produce and wine bottles placed into the basket. “That should be all.”

She'd been sent to fetch what the king ordered for his celebration and memorized the list. Her lips were drawn tight, worried about leaving her little sister alone, and so wasted no time with her chores to hurry back, her coins dropped with a clink. “A-ah!”

The turban-clad merchant asked, “You okay, miss? You look a little under the weather.”

Foal-Bearer's face burned, and she winced, the glowing tattoo of her uterus and ovaries materializing on her midsection, sending pleasant electrical currents throughout her, particularly concentrated in her heated loins. She dropped the basket, some of the goods rolling onto the streets, and sunk to her knees, trying to muffle a moan as a mini orgasm rocked her to the core. “I-I'm fine.”

Cerise was tempted to run and help but worried she'd make it worse if she intervened.

Foal-Bearer's eyes momentarily widened, and she felt her lower orifices churn like they were being filled. She panted and crawled, thighs quivering, collecting her spilled items and ignoring those who looked her way. “You lured me away from Wet Nurse on purpose,” she hissed in a murmur. “You bastard...umph?!” She felt her throat filled as well and writhed.

“What's going on?” Cerise dashed between the alleys between buildings, trying to stay out of sight, back to where she'd seen her father and his men headed. She sucked in a gasp when she spotted them in a tucked away area, where her father and his men hammered away at Wet Nurse, using her as their plaything. She whined out muffled moans, her belly aglow too.

A rustle sounded behind Cerise, so caught up in watching that she failed to notice until they were upon her. She started to shriek, and a hand closed over her mouth. “Hush. It's me,” hissed Radiant Hope, who also wore a hood and cloak.

“Wh-what do you want? Have you come to report me for neglecting my duties or something?”

“Hardly.” They relaxed, and Radiant faced her. “We all know how dangerous Sombra is now. We have to work together.”

Cerise nodded. “But I don't know you. I'm not sure I can trust you, or the twins.”

“You'll have to take the risk, or we're all dead anyway. Your father will grow bored of us eventually, probably not long after we've had his foals. He's already becoming crueler to sate his sadistic needs.” She tilted her head in Wet Nurse's direction, who was taken by him and his dozen elite guards in a variety of positions, her hands forced to stroke the horsecocks that couldn't currently fill her.

They moved automatically, almost like machines who treated her like a piece of meat, and with a muted gasp, she realized what it reminded her of; stories her parents had told her about Eldritch technology. Had her father used his knowledge of the invaders' tech to craft their helms? A fusion of cybernetics and dark arts to control them?

“I...I'll think about it,” said Cerise, who wanted to cover her ears and blot out reality.

“Think fast. Talk it over with Inky Rose. I'm putting myself at considerable risk, too. I would've done anything for Sombra. I believed in him when everyone else lost faith.” She gritted her teeth and clawed at her upper arms, eyes watering.

Cerise embraced her. “It'll be okay. It has to be. Maybe if we can somehow contact Spike...”

“Spike. Yes. I've heard he was a noble hero in the Crystal Empire.”

Cerise watched them dump Wet Nurse, soaked in their seed, which ran from her, and Sombra waved his men to clean her up and carry her home.

He smirked in self-satisfaction, and Cerise ducked back into the alley when his gaze trailed their way, heart hammering. All she'd ever wanted to be was the dutiful daughter, and now had little choice but to betray him.

“Let me love you,” drawled out Rarity, who straddled her lover. “Like you deserve.” She'd taken his twin dicks into her, the pink extensions covered in fleshy nubs that pleasantly scraped her moist walls, tickled her spongy g-spot, buried deep in her ass and pussy. Gradually she rocked atop him, traced over his pecs, her supple body thick with perfume and a sheen of oil.

The scents of incense mixed with their musk. “You didn't have to go out of your way for me,” said Spike.

“Nonsense. I want to make up for all my poor behavior. Whatever you've always wanted to do with me, it's yours for the taking.” She smiled at him, nestled up in a private little cove, able to lose themselves.

He'd earned this, hadn't he? A moment entirely for himself. But he couldn't evade his responsibilities forever, wouldn't abandon his lands and family to the care of his retainers. While he'd shattered the Bloodstone Scepter, most people still called him the Dragon Lord, and as such, he needed to appear strong and confident at all times. Now he knew how Celestia had felt.

He groaned in bliss, reached up to her jiggly globes, cupped their marshmallow sweetness in his palms, and squished the soft tit-flesh. He flicked his claws over her erect pink nipples, and she moaned, squeezing around his dragonhoods.

“If only I could be more useful to the alliance,” she lamented.

“You and Sweetie crafted the runes that powered our weapons and armor with magic,” he reminded and dragged his spade-tipped tail over her buttocks, landed playful swats on her wobbly cheeks. “You saved us.”

“Perhaps.” She batted thick lashes at him, content to be wanted by him.

Soft footsteps echoed when someone approached. “Forgive my impudence,” said Somnambula, who entered the cave. “Pretend I am otherwise not here and continue. Nonetheless, I believe it imperative you knew the limitations of your rebirth.”

Spike intertwined his fingers with Rarity's while she continued to make love to him, reminded that they'd seen it all anyhow. “Guess I was long overdue for bad news, huh?” He'd worried that his new lease on life would be short-lived but hoped otherwise.

“In a sense. It is your dragon instincts that are keeping death at bay. Otherwise, you would quickly burn out. You must give into them to survive, though we all know the risks that carries. Greed and anger could turn you back into a wild animal that lashes out blindly, like when you first returned. So far, slaking your lust as you currently are will help slow down the process. Unfortunately one partner will not be sufficient...”

“Like most males, you crave constant novelty.” Rarity frowned. “Dragons have always been possessive.”

Spike swallowed hard. Greed? Of course, being a male, the feelings of taking and claiming so many females always excited him. And there was plenty of room to leave his legacy in any worthy takers.

One of those that caught his interest was the goat woman they met back in the labyrinth. "Hmmm, perhaps Lady Ewe could help out? She seems very strong...as well as exotic."

Somnambula nodded. “It wouldn't hurt to ask her. All that power from your full potential has been collapsed into this comparatively small body, which teeters on constant burnout.” She turned with a sigh to hide her tears. “Again, I fear we have only delayed the inevitable. Who knows how long until your time inevitably runs out."

“Yeah.... And being Dragon Lord means this rebirth is a one time deal,” Spike sighed, knowing this was a miracle and to expect anything else was just fantasy.

“Please forgive me," the priestess asked sorrowfully, plume drawn close. "I've condemned you to this terrible fate."

“Nah. As I said, I couldn't choose otherwise.” He pulled Rarity to his chest, grunted when he loosed into her, and her stomach swelled out, the impact making her whimper and gush on him, the pair shaking while they completed their union.

He rocked her in his strong arms, still buried in her warmth. Twenty years? It was more than enough, so far as he was concerned.

He could see his family and friends, many of the children he'd fathered fully grown...and perhaps even find that sliver of a chance to rescue Sombra from his curse.

And if not, he swore to finish the tyrant himself. He owed him that honor, at least.

Chapter 9

“... And that's what I've gathered so far,” said Radiant Hope, who huddled with her fellow conspirators in the master bedroom. They were rarely left alone, with soldiers guarding the door outside. She sat in a circle with Cerise Silhouette listening intently, Inky Rose looking skeptical, and Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse appearing neutral.

“You suggest we pool our information,” said Foal-Bearer with pursed lips. “And watch each other's backsides.”

Wet Nurse met her sister's eyes. “Sounds like our best bet. Not like we can easily seek outside help.”

Inky, however, folded herself in her arms and wings, frowning profusely. “With my daughter being the exception, I don't feel like I can trust any of you. How do we know one of us isn't a mole for my husband?”

“There's no time to suspect foul play!” Radiant insisted before she reached beneath her cloak and unsheathed a curved knife. Cerise yelped, and Inky protectively covered her while the twins watched the shining blade, which caught the lamplight. With little warning, she turned the weapon to her open palm and sliced a line through it with gritted teeth. “We make a blood pact together, to swear on our lives we end this devil's reign!"

Foal-Bearer nodded her understanding at the sacred ritual and grabbed a goblet from a desk nearby, where she collected the warm scarlet into it. She took the knife and cut herself next, Wet Nurse wincing and doing the same, followed by Cerise, who whimpered a tad, unused to pain and feeling faint at the sight of blood. After some hesitation, Inky slashed her palm too.

Radiant mixed their blood and said, “Now we drink.” She downed her sip, and the rest ifollowed, warmth settling in their bellies.

Cerise was so shaken she could barely hold the goblet. She still remembered the messy spray when her father beheaded that poor messenger, had suffered nightmares about it ever since, unable to stop blaming herself and wishing she could have somehow intervened. Her tears tinkled on the blood.

When they finished, Radiant Hope set aside the empty goblet. "From now on, we're sisters united by blood, sacrifices to our cause; the mad tyrant's downfall. May a terrible curse befall whoever breaks our pact.”

“Okay, no need to get melodramatic,” scoffed Foal-Bearer while helping wrap her and her twin's wounded palm.

“Forgive my sister. She's always taken our job ultra seriously,” said Wet Nurse apologetically.

Foal-Bearer's eye twitched. “One should take pride in their work.”

“You've always been the strong one,” lamented Wet Nurse.

“For all the good it's done us. But let's put that behind us.” The twins embraced.

“So sweet,” said Cerise with a smile. Her bright pink eyes fell on the bloodied bandage around her palm.

“Best we keep those hidden,” said Inky. “Maybe with the right application of makeup-”

Radiant touched her horn. “A glamour will help. Better we keep it subtle, however, or else it will draw attention from that devil.” She continued to seethe every time she recalled his brutal betrayal and drew her sisters in close. “Here's my plan...”

Cerise listened and flattened her ears. To her horror, she would be at the center of it. But it's not like the others could pull it off.

They would have to wait until after the wedding, and hope they could convince Sombra to heavily drink in celebration after he wore himself out with his new brides and handmaidens.

What if Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow were there? Could they trust them, too? Her heart hammered, and she anxiously considered the many ways it might all go awry.

From all over his nation came the summoned masses to attend Sombra's wedding. Extravagant displays flooded the capital, and exotic dancers that numbered in the dozens stripped and gyrated wildly for the cheering crowds. A military presence now swarmed the streets, as he promised a small fortune to every soldier that now expanded his already vast army.

To take on the alliance, he would need all of them. His mood had only darkened when he visited the Necronomicon and learned it had been replaced by a fake. To punish the guards that had failed to stop Somnambula and Stygian's thievery, he'd imprisoned them in preparation for the next batch of helmets he'd craft. “Perhaps you'll serve me better this way,” he mused.

Bells sounded with rings when night began to fall. With a glance at the moon and stars above, he stalked down streets lit by torches, dressed in ceremonial armor and a crimson cape that swept beyond him. His brides-to-be were lined up before the crowds, their usual garments unchanged except for the jewelry and tiaras that decorated them. He smirked, drank them in with a leer.

Radiant Hope met him with a blank stare. Cerise Silhouette forced a smile. Inky Rose stood at the head, and offered rings to both women that matched her own, symbols of obedience to their husband.

“The handmaidens will do the vows, seeing as the priestess went awol.” He nodded Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow over before looking to each of his brides, a look of dissatisfaction clear on his face. "Mmm, perhaps I have room for one more tramp to grovel at my feet. A pity she made off before I could fully inseminate her."

Somewhere deep inside the horrible visage of the evil unicorn, small fragments of his once gentle soul remain trapped. For a time, Sombra had been able to take control in brief moments, whenever he'd gone too far.

Now he was buried so wholly in the Pony of Shadows, he'd reawakened and found himself back in a familiar black abyss. “Back inside the Necronomicon.... Where I belong."

At least he could move freely here and witness what the fiend was doing with his body. He tried to peer further on, in hopes he could see what Spike's camp was up to. Sadly, he couldn't see beyond the windows of his physical vessel, helpless to watch his friends and family be tormented.

“It's hopeless,” he weakly sighed. "I don't think I could escape on my own even if I dared try." He speculated at best he would end up back where he started, only able to take command of his flesh under extreme circumstances. But there were more horrible possibilities...like a chance his soul would be ripped apart, scattered throughout oblivion.

In time, even he began to believe that Radiant Hope and the twins were right about him. It was his nature to fall into the darkness. After all, it was so easy for the Pony of Shadows to possess him, and resume his reign of tyranny.

But the most horrific thing he bore witness to was watching his wife and daughter suffer his abuse. He would have ended his own life before any harm came there way. At the very least, he found solace that both Beatrix and Bellatrix were sent to safety.

Yet he felt the darkness stir with a potent need. To see Beatrix impregnated and bare a spawn with robust genes and magic. And he feared the Pony of Shadows had left something inside her to make that possible.

For hours he wandered, again over a sea of corpses made from the denuded bodies of crystal ponies. “Try a new trick,” he muttered but wasn't sure anyone other than himself was responsible for what he saw.

For all he knew, these nightmares were drawn from his subconscious, and the realm around him simply warped to match his darkest memories and desires.

Strong evidence that no matter how much he longed for it, love and redemption may be forever out of his reach.

He lost count of how long he traveled aimlessly, but somehow he was drawn to the source itself. The air itself shuddered, and the atmosphere grew more solemn, more oppressive, screamed that he turn back. His stomach turned, threatening to empty its contents under a wave of nausea, a trickle of blood leaked from his eyes and nostrils, but he grit his teeth with a snarl and pushed on.

His ears flicked at the sound of an uneven, alien heartbeat. The Eldritch? No. But something familiar, nonetheless.

Soon enough, he finally found it. A black mass at the Necronomicon's heart, the cancerous tumor covered in inky tendrils that extended from all sides and attached to the realm, suspended, each portion of the gelatinous abomination covered in bloodied, sicklily glazed over eyes. An slimy black liquid oozed from each bloated socket.

“The Demiurge,” he hissed. “Figures you'd be behind this, you foul monstrosity."

Its eyes trailed over him, the maw of razor teeth opening and closing like it was trying to swallow more air. No matter how violently it twitched and wriggled, all it could do was slowly expand and devour whatever it crossed. “Ha," scoffed Sombra with a cruel laugh. "It appears I'm not the only one rendered helpless here. Without the Eldritch, you're nothing more than a mindless parasite. Though that leaves the question; if you're not responsible, then who?"

"Ahh," A voice suddenly answered. "T̨͏he͠r҉̷e̡̕ ̕͜y̧͜o͞u̕ a̡͡r͠͝e͢~͜!̴́"

All at once, the labyrinth grew darker as countless glowing eyes opened all around to gaze at him. Sombra stood on guard, though try as he may, his fear was hard to mask. A low chuckle slithered through his mind.

"I was wondering what became of you, though I hoped the Pony of Shadows finished consuming every last trace of your goodwill."

"You..!" Sombra growled. "I remember your voice, continually whispering calamity to me, making me believe I deserved this! That goat woman knew your name..."

"I have many names," the primordial creature mused as the eyes slowly circled him, they're unblinking gaze locked on the dark unicorn. "But among them all, Ź͠e̵̸l͜͏o͏̡͘̕͡p͟͠h̵̵͠͡ has inspired the most fear and awe~."

"And you still remain a prisoner in the Necronomicon."

"Oh no, I've long ascended from this plane. What you're speaking with is my remnants, assimulating the last bit of energy I need from the Demiurge. L͟o͡ok mor̶è ̕cl͏o̷sely~."

All at once, the eyes paused in midair before rolling towards the struggling biomass of the Demiurge. Growing out from the cancer-like tumor was a series fo stems and veins that pulsated in rhythm with the echoing heartbeat, leading up into the void of the Necronomicon.

"I-I don't understand," Sombra spoke puzzled. "Why siphon off the Demiurge if you're so powerful?"

"Life has always fed on other life," answers Zeloph. "You should know this better than anyone! After all, your thirst for conquest never perished. Just laying in dormant waiting to be f҉͢u̵̡͠l̴̛f͘͠i̸l̡͝l̸̛ę͜d̶~!"

"N-no, you're wrong! I've become better than this!"

"Evidently not," the ominous voice cackled before all of its eyes resumed orbiting around him. "You can lie to yourself all you want. But Į̶̕͟͢ ̶̨͏s̀͠͠é̡҉e̶̡̡͡ ̶͞y̵̴̡͘̕ơ̵u̢͜. I know the darkness in your heart. And deep inside, you know it too~!"

"It...it may be too late for me. But the others will stop you!" Sombra proclaimed, desperately tried not to let despair fester. "My star pupil, Lord Spike, Radiant Hope, they'll rise up to end your madness!"

The entire labyrinth quaked with manic laughter as the many eyes of Zeloph froze in place once more. Suddenly, Sombra felt long tendrils coil around him, strangling him in its cold grasp. He struggled to free himself before gasping. At each end were mouths full of jagged teeth that opened to reveal more enormous eyes, rings of color-changing around the iris hypnotically.

"Every time you mortals declare this statement, it never stops being f̴̛͢ú͘n̛͜n͏y," the primordial being exclaimed. "But perhaps its time I show you miserable flesh bags how insignificant you truly are. À̶̧̡̕l̡̀͞ļ͢͡o̸͘w̨̨͘͏ ̧͢͠ḿ̶̕͝ę̕ ̢͜͜t̡͘o̵̡͜͜͝ ̧̨͞e͏̀͟n̵̵l̴͘͢͡͞í̧͞g̵̢͘͟h̢̕t̡̛͘͘͟ȩ̶̵͠n̴͢͡͝ ̶͏̷̕y̛͡͝o͠͡u͞~."

Try as he might, his spirit couldn't look away from the rays of color and beams flowing through him. Before he knew it, the colors died out to reveal he was now floating in the depths of space itself. Stars and small galaxies swirled around him.

"W-what, impossible!?"

"Maybe for you," Zeloph's voice lingered. "But I have long existed outside the rules and realities that bind you, what you see before you are the memories of this dimension. See that small little blue speck? That's you. T͢͢͠҉̵h̵̛á͢͏t̸̀͜͡'͟͏s̛͡ ̵̧͡a̢̡͡͏l̵͟͝l̡͢͠͞ ́̀͡ơ̴͡f̢͠ ̵̀͘y̴̧ó̴̧͏u̴̷̕͞~."

Sombra looked to see that the small looking dot among all the stars and swirls was indeed the planet they resided on, only a few spaces away from the sun.

"See how small and insignificant you all are? Just one continent size meteor could wipe you all out, and nothing could stop it."

"Hmph. And yet, you're so oddly fascinated by us 'inferior' mortals," Sombra replied.

"Oh, quite! When you've drifted eons through the cosmos and discover one tiny planet has so many different minds, animals, and consciousness? I͟͢t̛͢͠͝'̴͞͡s̵̡͘͢͠ ̵͟͠͡͏a̡̢͜l̡͡͞m̕҉͟͏͟ó́͘͘s͏ţ̷̴̢ ̡͘c̵̵̸̡͜o̴͏m̸̵̕e̶͘͜d̶i̷̶̷̕c̶̴~."

A small wormhole glitched into existence from behind the moon. And Sombra could only stare in horror at the abomination that crawled out. Its torso looked dried up, no stomach was present under its ribcage. Only teeth and dislocated limbs acting as jaws.

Yet below were large wriggling tentacles, a series of small mouths bearing underneath each arm like suckers. Its head resembled that of a cuttlefish, with its smaller tentacles unfolding like a flower to reveal its maw, baring rows upon rows of teeth.

And all over this monstrosity were a thousand eyes, all looking off different directions before settling on the planet before it.

"Quite the looker, aren't I~?" Zeloph's voice said humorously.

"You're hideous..."

The body that best depicted Zeloph contorted unnaturally and shrank down to resemble a meteorite before hurling itself to the planet.

"As you see, I came to this planet to discover all I could about these sentient beings. What made these creatures tick? What made them ḑ̷e͜͢͞s̡͟i̢͝ŕ̸̴ab̢͞l̷͟͜e͢~. And when I learned all I could, I became bored with watching. So I decided to have a little f̶̕u͜͏̷͟ǹ̶͡͞~."

"By flaying their minds for your own amusement?"

"As if you're one to talk," the voice of Zeloph countered. "You're all ants to me! Just puny insects with filthy little minds just waiting to be v̵͞i̢o͞la̡͜͞te̸d̀ and t̷̛̕o͏̴̧͜͜r͟͝͞n҉̴̧́͏ ̶͏̴̧͘a͏͜p̕҉͝á̛͘͢҉r̶̴̨͜t̷̡̕͞~! And when I ran out of things to play with, I kept searching for more, crossing over dimensions to partake in the differences between people."

"Is this your whole game?" Sombra asked. "Use whatever species with intelligence as puppets?"

"For ̕th̕e ͢mos̸t̸ ̸p̴a̵r͢t̕~," the primordial creature admitted. "But then Ewe came into the picture and managed to seal me within this accursed book. She'll get what's coming to her once I claim a more suitable vessel. One who is also a strange anomaly in the space-time continuum~."

The implicants were not lost to him as Sombra felt his blood run cold.

"Beatrix..!"

"Or her sister. I'm not incredibly picky~!" Zeloph mused before ending the vivid hallucination, Sombra finding himself back before the heart of the Necronomicon. The veins snapped off the withering Demiurge before disappearing into the darkness. "Well, there's nothing left for me here! It's been fun chatting, Sombra. If you do manage to get out with your sanity still intact, I hope we can converse again~."

"You wretched fiend!" Sombra shouted. "You stay away from Beatrix, you hear me!?"

"Oh, ho~!" Crowed the disembodied voice. "I'd love to see you try. You're the one who doomed Beatrix and her friends the moment you let darkness back into your heart. T̸͘h̨͢͞i̸͜͢s̀͏ ì͞s͠ ̡͡a̧͢l͡l͘ ̨̨͜b͘͢e͢c͘á̧u͘͢sé̴ ҉̷͏o͟͠f y̷o̵u̴͜,͘ ̢̀S̶͢͟o̵m͏br͠a̡͢! A͏̷̧l͘͠L̨̡͢͟͢!̧̢͢ ̢̡Ý͘͠͡o͢͜U̡̕͝r̶̨!̸͞҉ ̶̧͘F͏̶̛͡Ą̕͡u̵̸͠͠Ļ̀t̛́̕͞~̀͠!̵̢͟"

Zeloph's deranged laughter disappeared along with his many eyes closing. The primordial abomination had vanished entirely from the Labyrinth.

In his fury, he unsheathed his blade and flung himself at the monster, bellowing out his anguish while repeatedly slashing the Demiurge. It was a pointless endeavor.

It would take forever to dismember the alien, and even when its shell was destroyed, the Demiurge would gradually rebuild itself, unable to truly die even on dismemberment.

Sombra felt his spiritual body sink onto the ground as his raw emotions settled. He watched a window reopen to show him what his physical self was up to, and tears were finally allowed to stream down his cheeks.

"Inky...Cerise...I've failed you both."

The moment of truth was nearly at hand for Cerise Silhouette, who tried to stifle her trembling, aware everyone depended on her to enact their plan. Sombra slowly licked his chops, his brides and their handmaidens taken to his private chambers. He dimmed the lamp to an eerie soft glow, the room suffused with thick shadows, where he'd always felt most at home.

The tyrant stripped his ceremonial armor, uncertain where to begin. His jagged horn radiated, and he began to experiment with a number of spells. First, he made the tattoos of their sex organs materialized on all their bellies, making them tingle and moan from unwanted stimulation when their loins started to heat up, satisfied they were nice and fertile with estrus-like arousal.

Next he worked another trick. “Crystal ponies always were a curious breed,” he whispered and with a click of his fingers made Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse sparkle and glitter when they went transparent.

“How? That shouldn't be possible without the Crystal Heart,” cried Radiant Hope.

“Through the dark arts, nothing is impossible!” He reminded and pushed Foal-Bearer onto the bed, shredding her scanty costume and driving himself into her. She yelped, forced to take him womb-deep on the first thrust, his buried cock visible in her uterus between her glassy form and the spell cast on her. He watched in fascination as he pushed in-and-out of her depths.

Wet Nurse whimpered, aware how powerless she was to stop him. “It-it hurts...”

Foal-Bearer tried to keep a straight face, flushed and wet while he had his way with her, her sister forced to experience each impalement which left small lacerations along her walls. “S-stay strong,” she mumbled to her twin.

Radiant maneuvered over to Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow, unable to simply watch. “Perhaps you should fetch more wine?”

“Hmmm.” Tiara watched him empty the contents of a bottle over Foal-Bearer's tits and lick it up. “Yeah, he'll probably need it.” She tried to hide her disgust at his behavior, afraid to openly defy him and eager for an excuse to slip away.

“We'll empty the wine cellar before the night's over,” chirped Cozy Glow who winced at the brutal display.

The handmaidens hurried out, much to Radiant's relief, who sealed the door behind them. She couldn't be certain whether they would side with them or the tyrant.

Thankfully he took little notice of their absence, wrapped up in the moment, already starting to drink himself into a stupor. He was a slave to his vices, unable to be satisfied, even when he grunted and emptied his balls, wine soaked on his chin.

Foal-Bearer gasped, watched his repeated, viscous bursts spray against her womb walls, and her belly swelled a tad. He patted her stomach, the first of them to be seeded, but knew his work had just begun. “Now, who to take next? Your milky sister, maybe?”

“H-how about me, daddy?” Cerise bowed. “W-would you like me to dance for you?”

He took another drink from the goblet offered by Radiant, swished the contents, and said, “Why not?” Cerise dimmed the lamp to the point it was nearly snuffed out, let the gloom envelope her, and raised her arms when she started to sway. Shimmying out of her sheer slip, neon splotches appeared on her curves, and glowed when they shifted about in contrast to her dark fur.

Watching her weave, eyes drawn to the jiggle of his daughter's squishy flesh, the spots rolling over her suppleness, he continued to down the goblet which Radiant refilled each time, unable to suppress his need to indulge.

He started to sway unsteadily, eyes glazing over, falling into a trance when she started to draw upon the mysterious power she was blessed with, helped by his half-drunkeness.

Radiant fondled a knife she'd hidden under the mattress, ready to bury it in his black heart and be done with it. She didn't care what happened to her next. She would gladly sacrifice her life to make certain this devil was brought to justice.

Inky looked to the twins, realized they were too sore and worn out to act. It was up to her. She waited with bared breath for the right moment, when he was at his weakest, and tried to hide her tears, aware there was little choice to save her daughter.

Spreading her plumage, she hurled at him in a dark blur, twisting his arms behind him. “Now,” she yelled.

“You dare?!” He wrestled with her, weakened and slowed from his drunken state, not to mention the trance Cerise had him spellbound under. Still the willful sorcerer resisted with a snarl, yanking from her grasp the moment Radiant shrieked and charged at him, both hands tight around the hilt of a knife that slammed towards his black heart.

Inky was hurled back by him, and slammed into the wall with a crunch, screaming when the bones of her wing cracked, bent at an awkward angle. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and she flashed back to past moments, a similar wound she'd received to a wing during an Eldritch attack, the horrific moment when Chrysalis had stabbed an impregnated Pacific Glow.

Sombra barely twisted in time, the blade buried to the hilt in a gush of hot blood, struck below the heart and the knife snapping against a rib. He backhanded Radiant, split her lip, and sent her spinning, ripping the weapon out in a spatter of crimson and tossing it aside with a clatter.

“Wanton sluts,” he wheezed, growing more demonic in appearance, surrounded by inky tendrils that thrashed and his eyes turned to a hellish scarlet, glowing in ethereal wisps. “I'll have you all crucified for your insolence!"

Advancing on Cerise, she was shaking too hard to dance anymore, sobbing, barely aware of the warm urine trickling down her legs, certain he would choke the life out of her. “D-daddy...I-I love you...please!”

His horn shined and his aura called his saber into hand. “You must be properly punished,” he stated, mouth drawn back in a low snarl.

Spinning, he brought down his swing, and severed Inky's still good wing with a single stroke. Bone shattered, muscle tore, and blood splattered, but the worst part was the ear-piercing howl she emitted, going into shock from the sheer agony.

“Mom~!” Cerise howled, clasped her hands to her head, and swooned onto the bed with a thump, unable to take anymore.

Sombra shook his head. “The next time any one of you shows disobedience, your punishment will be more severe. You're now responsible for your companions' actions. I'll remind you all of this later, when you're in a better state.” His eyes trailed to Inky's dismembered plume in blood and feathers.

Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow quickly cleaned up the mess upon their return. He sat on the bed's edge, saturnine, determined to father more heirs on them to further run his expansive empire. Dreams of conquest consumed his every reverie.

None of them were aware that the Crystal Heart continued to swell inside Radiant Hope's bosom, a small trace at a time.

“What the...?” Sombra's attention was drawn to a slim glimmer of light that pierced the gloom, and caused the Demiurge to try and shrink away from it. He wiped his bloodied nostrils on the back of his fist, thankful he had an excuse to leave this oppressive area, and followed after the shimmer which danced about as if it wished him to chase it.

It slowed to let him catch up, like it wanted him to follow. Somehow the warmth it emitted was so familiar. “Can it be?” He couldn't believe it. Somehow, the Crystal Heart he once coveted had returned! Albeit it was incredibly weak compared to its prime.

Realizing it was merely a projection of its power, that the object itself must be elsewhere, he saw little option but to pursue.

He ended up back in the corpse ocean. “Wait,” he called and reached out when the tiny speck of light flitted ahead.

A rumble sounded below, weak at first, then building in intensity. The carcasses below began to writhe, twisting and rising, and he drew his blade at the dead before him. “Zombies? Please. You'll have to do better than that,” he yelled at his tormentor.

He chopped into the clammy flesh, removed heads and limbs of those that stumbled his way, glassy-eyed with maws that hung open. Rather than blood, maggots and pus spilled from their open wounds, and he mercilessly dispatched them again, unwilling to shoulder blame for what he'd done when touched by the darkness. “I'll pay my debts by living on!”

They clawed at him, spilled from all directions, lethargic, drawn to their executioner. Through sheer numbers the mass attempted to overwhelm him, and he carved through dozens, snarling with a rush of adrenaline.

And when he started to believe there was no end another quake rippled throughout.

A small mountain of cadavers arose. Gradually the crystal pony remains took shape, formed into a titan that loomed into a bleak sky, and the area shook with its first tentative steps. He pondered who was capable of such sorcery. Perhaps Tirek or Discord, but they were surely dead.

His speculation was cut short when it grasped with surprising swiftness and he jumped out of the way, slashing into its hand which spilled more bloated maggots. He charged his horn, certain that his most powerful spells were his only hope.

A blast of lasers rippled from his tip, striking the hulk's chest and burning a sizzling hole into it. A devastating blow if it weren't for more corpses crawling up to mend the damage. “Gugh, damn it! I'm just not strong enough. How will I-”

"What the heck is that thing!?" A chirpy voice called.

“Who cares,” answered another prissy voice he knew. “Ready a spell, sister, and let's tear this freak apart!”

A calmer woman said, “We must cast it as one. Anything less and it will simply regenerate.”

“Good thing you brought the Great and Powerful Trixie,” added the fourth arrival.

A sigh of relief washed over him as he watched them launch the magic together. With what little strength he possessed, he added his own force into the swirling whirlwind of destruction.

They loosed it upon the titan, a combination of energy and the summoned elements, exactly like he'd taught them. The storm ripped into the giant, burnt, froze, and zapped it all at once with deafening noises.

With a thunderous boom carcasses and portions of them scattered in all directions, some blazing and blackening, come twitching and cooking, some flash frozen and shattering. The ground around it iced over with a crackle surrounded by vapors.

“Whew.” Beatrix wiped her brow before her eyes widened at the weakened unicorn before them “Teacher!” Her voice called out in delight before her tone dripped into sorrow. “Is...is it really you?"

Lady Ewe walked over to Sombra, her staff raised as if about to hit him. He winched, preparing the blow. But it never came. Instead, she waved it over him as the jewel embedded glowed faintly. "It's him," the goat woman nodded.

“I think it was rather obvious.” He scoffed and turned to his pupil as Bellatrix and Trixie walked with her. “Why are you here?”

“A mysterious light summoned us to the Necromicon,” explained Bellatrix with a dismissive wave. “Stygian is watching over the grimoire. We were supposed to come along with Spike and his lackeys, but I much prefer it this way. Less drama to deal with."

“Be nice sister,” gently chided Beatrix. “But yeah, we couldn't wait around! What's gotten into you?” She tapped her heart, clearly hurt.

Convinced the danger was momentarily over, Sombra returned his blade into its sheathe. “Thanks to that abomination known as Zeloph, the Pony of Shadows hijacked my body and militarized my nation. Worse, my wife and daughter are at risk! We must inform the alliance at once.”

“Yeah, they're unhappy with you or whoever was in control,” mused Trixie who tapped her chin. "For now, we better find the exit."

“That is much easier to arrange this time," Ewe said with a smile. "By drawing on Stygian's spirit, we only need to keep close and follow my lead."

As the group set off, Sombra drew his apprentice aside. “Beatrix,” he began with his head bowed. “I hope you can forgive me for how I treated you. I won't make excuses. I failed to resist the Pony of Shadow's influence over me. It amplifies the darkness in those it possesses, and this proves mine is far darker than Stygian's. Should I do terrible harm or worse to my family-”

She clasped his shaking hand. “It's okay! We'll put an end to its destruction. It and Zeloph!”

"Yes, a bit of his essence still remained here, sapping the Demiurge nearly dry. We made contact, though, briefly just to remind me of my failures. Dare I say it, he's a formidable foe. And he's after you and Bellatrix."

"Oh, but of course he is!" Bellatrix grumbled with a pout. "Always gotta be about sister or me, doesn't it?! Can't we find one universe where we're not priority number one?"

Beatrix asked, "B-but, why us?"

“He's after your ability to travel through dimensions," Lady Ewe suspected. "Once he's mangled all free spirits in this universe, he'll likely want to go to the next. If what Sombra said is true, there are limits to his influence! Meaning my sealing spell must have weakened him! Oh, what luck!"

"So we can defeat him?" Beatrix asked, hopeful.

"Possibly," Ewe turned to Sombra. "It matters not how briefly he spoke with you, any information you provide will be appreciated."

"I'll relay what I can," Sombra agreed. Once more, they looked for the way out of the Necronomicon.

Crossing the sea of the dead, it eventually gave way to a decrepit catacomb. He instantly recognized it from his own time, an area hidden below the Crystal Palace, where at first, he honored the dead until his experimentation with the dark arts turned it into his personal laboratory. He'd started on the recently deceased, he recalled, and brushed his nails over a stylized coffin.

The stonework had started to crumble, the iron bars were rusted, the area decorated with wormy skulls. A thick layer of dust and cobwebs covered what appeared more akin to a dungeon, which it pretty much was once he moved to testing on live specimens.

“Creepy,” mumbled Beatrix who shuddered and wrapped up in her cloak amidst a draft when a hairy spider crawled by.

“Seems kind of trite to me,” mused Bellatrix with a dismissive shrug. “I presumed you'd be more creative, at least?”

He snorted. “No love for the classics. For me, this place carries many dark memories.” He snatched a torch from a sconce and the shadows twisted under the flicker of embers. A musty, stale odor filled their nostrils, mixed with formaldehyde and the reek of sulfur.

Beatrix's lower lip trembled, reminded of his past crimes. "H-how many have you killed?”

“Oh, I lost count along the way. You saw a number of my victims back there,” he answered honestly and turned to face her, his expression neutral. “Still, it baffles me how you can still hold me close to your heart, even after you witnessed my atrocities."

Beatrix swallowed and answered so softly it was almost inaudible. “N-no matter what, I'll always love you. I can't help it."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted her chin with the other. “Thank you.” Cautiously he kissed her eyes closed, and she cooed, shivered at his touch, content to be close to him. Oona looked back with disappointment in her eyes, feeling a little hurt that she'd fall for him so easily.

He said, “Once we escape this place-”

Gates slammed down with a thud that echoed and blocked the stairs upwards. The party looked around them, watched the iron bars fall, in attempt to seal them in.

Bellatrix curled her lip. “Do they think we're amateurs?” The angel readied a spell, her fist aglow, reflecting off the white lingerie she wore on her radiant curves. “All we have to do is burn through this nonsense, and-”

“Wait,” warned Oona who raised her staff, but Bellatrix had already fired off the shimmery sphere.

“Ah,” cried Bellatrix when it struck the gates, coated in an invisible barrier, and deflected, smashing into her chest. She was thrown backwards, smacked into a coffin that rolled from its compartment, and clutched at the bloodied wound with a pained hiss.

“Sister~!” Beatrix sobbed and dashed over, kneeling at her side.

“D-damn it,” hissed Bellatrix, eyes half closed and wincing. “M-my healing powers don't work on me! Can't even shapeshift anymore now that I'm no longer a succubus. Tell me I'm not about to die in such a stupid way?!”

“No! I already lost you once!” Beatrix shrieked out her rage, her fists balled up.

“Hold still,” said Lady Ewe, who also crouched down. “We'll get you out of this. I'll tend to you while you rest up."

“I'm not real anyhow,” lamented Beatrix amidst bitter tears. “Maybe I'm better off this way. Just another cliche piece of fiction...”

“Don't say that!” Beatrix wept and desperately fished in her cloak for potions. “Yeah, maybe this'll do! I'll seal up the wound, no problem!” Her hands quivered when she withdrew a tube and shook its contents.

“I want you to live, too.” Sombra met the angel's tired eyes. “After all, you also helped redeem me.”

Bellatrix laughed dryly. “Heh. There was a time I would have literally killed to hear such praise from you...”

“Pl-please,” whispered Beatrix when her sister closed her eyes, and she uncorked the tube, applying the glue-like substance within to Bellatrix's bosom where the mass sealed over. “I based it on the Smooze. I still miss him really bad. He was one of my first pals.”

“Good times,” wheezed out Bellatrix who slumped, hanging by a thread to her life.

“Hate to break this up,” butted in Trixie. “But we're hardly alone here! Look!” She pointed theatrically with a swish of her cape.

Caskets started to pop open, and skeletons rose from inside with a rattle. They crawled out from all sides, and Sombra took up a battle stance alongside Trixie, aware it was up to them to defend their allies while they tended to their downed member.

Horns sounded throughout the pleasure gardens. At the Dragon Lord's request, Ember and Smolder summoned his followers, and Spike fitted back into his ceremonial armor, his muscles rippling underneath when he inhaled deeply. He couldn't put this off any longer. It was time he told them the truth, despite how it would spoil their reunion, for the alliance's sake.

He cast them a toothy smile from a hilltop, flanked by his entourage. “Welcome, everyone! It's nice to be back, and to see you're all well!” He'd politely dismissed the speech Twilight had written for him, knowing that while he was hardly an orator, he figured it was better to speak from the heart. “Unfortunately, troubled times are headed our way again.”

Murmurs rippled through the mob. He continued. “Sombra has decided to split his nation from the alliance. I'm not sure what he plans, but there's a chance he'll invade the Badlands. We have to make preparations, just in case!”

He'd contemplated Twilight's proposal. “I'm sure the key to saving Sunset is in the Necronomicon,” she'd said.

But he wondered if she was being used, too? After all, she'd dabbled briefly in the dark arts herself to combat Starlight Glimmer, who'd been perverted by the Eldritch into their greatest tool. Did the tome hope to corrupt her to seek a fresh host?

It didn't matter. He'd take the risk to save Sunset. Already a team was being prepared.

He considered calling on his allies for help, aware he was lacking in proper warriors. No doubt Ocellus and her changeling swarm would come to their aid! But no. Their numbers were still low and another war could drive them back towards extinction. The same applied to Crystal Empire, which still struggled to thrive. Somehow, his country would handle this on their own.

After his speech finished the crowds started to disperse and he turned to his entourage who bowed and awaited his command.

“I'll keep a lookout for Sombra's forces while you're inside the book. I won't let you down!” swore Fleur with a clipped salute.

“Good! Ember, Smolder, continue to watch over the Badlands while I'm away.” He turned to Twilight and Somnambula who'd already agreed to venture back into the dark tome. Flurry Heart came too, and they followed him to Stygian's study in a cave, where he watched over the Necronomicon. “Hey there. Looks like we have no choice but to go exploring some more.”

“About that.” Flurry stared at her feet which she shifted like a child. “My half-sister and her friends, uh, kind of went ahead...”

“Sorry about that,” said Stygian with a humble bow. “But Beatrix thought it prudent when a light appeared before them.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “A light? What else did she say?”

“Not much. Simply that it reminded her of the Crystal Heart,” the scholar finished.

“The Crystal Heart?! Could it really be?!” Twilight raised a hand to her breast, hyperventilating. “If that's true, do you have any idea what this means? Equestria might be trying to rebuild itself! Maybe the Elements of Harmony will come back!”

“We must not get ahead of ourselves,” reminded Somnambula. “But I, too, wish to believe we can have our old world return.”

“One way to find out,” noted Spike who glanced over his shoulder at the glass coffin stored here, where the scholar watched over Sunset Shimmer and searched for some way to save her. “Watch over us too, will you?”

Stygian nodded. “Consider it done. If only I were stronger...” His hands trembled when he opened the mummified tome.

Twilight asked, “Will this team be enough?”

“Have to work with what we've got,” said Spike with a heave of his broad shoulders. He smiled at his team, his faith in them absolute. They'd overcome the Eldritch, after all, despite the odds. Whatever awaited them, he'd be ready to tackle it head on!

With a flutter of tattered pages the Necronomicon opened. Stygian kept his distance, and whispered, “Good luck,” as they shrank and were sucked into the dry pages, their likenesses written into the margins.

The grimoire crackled with scarlet electrical sparks, and the scholar shivered, watching the images of his allies shift about within...

Chapter 10

By now, the Pony of Shadows was fused entirely with Sombra's flesh, multiplying his potency in the dark arts many times over. These he tested the limits of in private, continuing experiments he'd long ago abandoned. His first order was to punish those who conspired against him, to break and shatter their wills, as a reminder of the price disobedience carried.

To further influence his rule, he purchased exotic beasts from the marketplace. Two Orthros, in this case. These were fused with a portion of his power, turning the ordinarily docile creatures into snapping, snarling hellhounds. The duo of two-headed beasts drooled, with studded collars, held by chains he grasped in a tight fist.

“N-No,” whimpered Wet Nurse, who scrambled back on her bottom, pushed into a corner of his bedroom. The savage closed in, razor teeth bared, and warm urine pooled under her buttocks, sure it would tear her to pieces.

The other hell beast advanced on Foal-Bearer, its fur standing on end when she glared at it, defiant.

“Leave them alone,” called Radiant Hope. “I pushed all of them into this.”

“Precisely why they must take punishment. Those who stray from loyalty are just as guilty as the perpetrator,” he mused, his erection already thick. “Besides, my new pets have their own needs to be sated."

Cerise sat beside her mother, who was stricken. “S-surely, this will all work out, somehow...” She whispered hopefully.

But Inky Rose ignored the young mare to favor the stubs that once bore her wings. “No. We're in hell,” she lamented, unable to look upon what her lover had become. “He's stripped me of my right as a pegasus and flung everything we worked for into a bottomless pit of despair. I want to die!”

Fabric shredded under teeth when the Orthros denuded the scantily-clad twins. The muscular, dog-like monsters pushed the sisters onto all fours with massive paws, the dual penises each was blessed with swelling, red, wet, and vein-lined before they mounted the yelping females, knots swelling to lock themselves in spread assholes and pussies.

“D-don't worry about us--Gaah~! We're the most expendable,” Foal-Bearer pleaded to Radiant Hope, despite how horrible it proved to bear witness to such depravity.

The Orthros wrapped their jaws around the twins' necks, making them submit, hot slobber rolling down the curves of their backs. Their soft buttocks bounced and reddened under the slap of healthy hips, furry balls swinging and smacking into their cooches with each brutal thrust into gaped depths. Juices leaked down their thighs, the dogs panting with tongues lolling out.

“It would seem they're pleased,” he observed with a stroke of his chin. Looking between his lovers, he yanked up Radiant Hope, dragged her before a full-length mirror Inky once used, and ripped off her slip, burying himself in her. She yelped, forced to watch him casually take her, her ears flattening, forced to hear the creature's pant and the twins mewl while they were bred hard.

Their hanging breasts swung, nearly buckling under the overpowering force from the relentless savaged beasts, bouncy rumps covered in bruises and small red scratches.

Sombra watched the crystal ponies flush, their flesh forced to respond. “Had you two behaved, I would have granted you the honor to bear my heirs. But now, with the work of my magic, you will instead have your lowly bellies filled with the pups of these ravenous, filthy beasts!” He laughed, watched their faces twisted in horror, as with a final slam, the Orthros came with duel howls.

Thick, gooey spurts fired into their wombs. The twins sobbed and squirted all over their groins, now thoroughly bred and sinking to the floor in a sweaty, sticky mess. He groped one of Radiant's tits, the other bouncing with each push into her, and she squeezed out fresh tears, clenching her teeth, wondering how it had all gone so wrong.

He dropped her like a sack of potatoes with a thud, his seed leaking out her, his face drawn. His eyes trailed over the twins, relentlessly bred to the point where they were rendered dazed and senseless, and he wondered if they'd recover.

“Come,” he commanded with a clap of his hands, and the Orthros padded over. Taking their chains, he exited the room.

Shaken, Radiant Hope rose to her side. “Ugh.... That could have gone worse. How's everyone fairing?”

But Cerise sniveled up upon gazing at the mangled mess that was the twins. Whatever hope she clung onto had diminished. “Th-they're unconscious. It's all my fault! All of this,” she confessed with a choked sob.

Radiant shook her head. "Please, Cerise. This isn't your fault. It was obvious Sombra could never become anything but a monster."

Taking a moment to try and compose herself with a sniff, Cerise let all she'd kept buried spill out. “That's not true! In the Necronomicon, I remember the Pony of Shadows captured me. He did something to me.” She rubbed her skull, trying to drudge up vague memories of the innocent the monster had suppressed when it invaded her. “I must have passed it on to daddy when we-we made love. I'm not sure if it was the tome, that creature, or something else, but we couldn't resist its pull...”

“That doesn't make you any less than a victim,” noted Radiant.

“That doesn't excuse it, either! I passed it to him and doomed us all! Maybe the whole nation and Equestria!” She trembled and touched her mother's arm. “If-if I'd been stronger, you'd still have your wing and your husband! Y-you probably hate me now-”

Inky shook her head. “I could never blame you for that. You mean the world to me. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to turn on Sombra if your life wasn't at stake. Cerise Silhouette, Pacific Glow, or whoever you are, I can't lose you again. I love you.”

“M-mommy...” She buried her face in Inky's bosom and wept.

“Flurry Heart made a prosthetic for herself and Cadance, did she not?” Radiant recalled what she'd overheard the alicorn discuss in the short time she'd met her. “Perhaps if we escape, she can craft you a replacement-”

“I don't want a fake,” answered Inky with more bitterness than she intended. She clasped her hands to her upper arms, twitched her one right-wing, felt the phantom of the one she'd lost, and whimpered, unable to blot out the moment when he'd severed flesh and bone in a bloody mess. “Even if this isn't Sombra's fault, I would rather he dies with honor than as the tyrant he became again.”

“He researched that cursed book, despite how Celestia and Luna warned him!” Radiant continued to scoff.

“You weren't there,” shot back Inky. “He strove so hard to make amends, battled the Eldritch, made a number of sacrifices. He's certainly no saint, but I never expected him to be. I saw the stallion he could be. The stallion you believed he could be.”

Radiant lowered her head. “I was young and foolish. An obsessed, naïve fool like Beatrix is now. How many must repeat my mistake?”

“He was a hero to the alliance,” broke in Cerise, who used a napkin to wipe her nose. “Can't anyone be redeemed, if they try?”

“At what cost?” Radiant nodded at the broken twins, sprawled on the floor soaked in sweat and semen. None of them answered, and so she said, “It's my fault. It was a half-assed plan. I was ready to die if necessary to stop that devil, and so were the twins, but I'm not so sure about you two. Had we succeeded, surely his followers would execute us.”

She sighed and lifted the sisters one at a time, then tucked them into bed. “Thank you,” she whispered and kissed them both on the temple. Crystal ponies were almost extinct since the Eldritch invasion, and she considered them her kin.

In her bosom, the Crystal Heart continued to grow, trying to draw on what little hope remained between them to empower itself and help protect them. But it remained too weak, and in desperation, it instead had cast its light into the Necronomicon itself, guiding those lost inside it on the faint chance they would eventually come to their rescue...

Surrounded by his team, Spike boldly led the march into the Necronomicon's labyrinths. Aided by Twilight Sparkle, Flurry Heart, and Somnambula, he reasoned they were more than enough to deal with any threat.

However, his main concern was to find the other group that had entered, and follow up Twilight's hunch that Sunset Shimmer's soul was trapped inside. Despite her lack of proof, she trusted her intuition and denied that the dark tome compelled her to pursue the idea.

“Supposed that Sunset is here,” he said. “How will we even find her?”

“Perhaps the spirits shall guide us if it is meant to be,” said Somnambula, her midsection wrapped in bandages where she'd been struck by an arrow. She tried to confine herself to her pegasus form, threatening to reopen her wounds whenever she shifted, and she winced once another heated stab radiated below her ribs. “A-ah...”

Spike asked, “Sure you're up to this? There's no shame if you need to go back and rest.”

The priestess steeled her expression. “Nonsense. This is my duty. The sooner we complete our task, the less opportunities our enemies will have to spread their malevolence. With every second wasted, another victim might be claimed.”

“You're no good to anyone if you fall apart. I've had to learn that the hard way,” said Spike, peering around them. They were currently in what at first resembled the Badlands, minus the lack of lava and sulfurous skies. Dry dust rolled over the bleak, endless rocky landscape, which he reasoned from what he'd been told was pulled from his subconscious.

The terrain gave way to a graveyard of massive bones, made from the scattered remnants of deceased drakes and wyverns. He realized it was his entire race, wiped out almost to the last by the Eldritch in their final battle. Pride had caused the Dragon Lord, Torch, to take his army and try to stop the invaders on their own. The abominations had reacted with a massive psychic attack that drove the dragon horde mad, turning each on anything near, until after the chaos they and countless Eldritch lay dead.

That battle alone had almost turned the tide and left the Eldritch crippled and scattered. Had the dragons united with the rest of the bickering races, surely, Equestria wouldn't have suffered innumerable losses it still struggled to recover from.

“I want to take a look around,” said Flurry Heart, who sailed upward.

“Careful not to wander too far off,” called Twilight, recalling her days as a foalsitter. Her attention was drawn back to the Dragon Lord, and her eyes went wide. “Spike,” she gasped. “Look at yourself!”

“Huh?” He looked down and saw ancient Dragon Lord armor rested on his muscular bulk. It resembled obsidian mixed with cooled and hardened magma, frightening as it was magnificent, capturing a dim blood red sun that hung in the gloomy sky. Posing in it, he popped his bones with an audible crack, relished an invigorating swell it filled him with. "Looks pretty swell, doesn't it?"

“Don't let it go to your head,” warned Twilight with a laugh. "Even if you look like cute."

“Thanks! Though this would be a lot better if this place wasn't so creepy.” Spike pushed aside a giant rib with his boot. “Wonder how many of my ancestors are here? Good thing Ember and Smolder had to stay behind, they might freak seeing this! Nah, they're way too tough for that.” He chuckled. “Man, without them, I wouldn't have made it this far.”

“We have little time to reminisce,” reminded the Sphinx, and clacks sounded under her paws when she stalked over bones.

“I know, I know.” He strode ahead, picked up a skull so massive it towered over him, and wondered what the dragon it once belonged to looked like. He remembered his own transformations into such a massive beast, a creature of pure instinct.

And to survive, he'd have no choice but to submit to aggression and base lust. To embrace a beast he kept locked deep down.

The mere thought of surrendering to those feelings made him feel like a mere animal. And with that he felt ashamed of himself.

Backed by the mother-and-daughter team, Sombra weaved a combination spell with the pair who'd trained under him in defense of Lady Ewe, who attended to Bellatrix Primadonna. The crypt shook under the elements they loosed, bits of debris scattering, dust rising in dense clouds. The skeletons that arose from their caskets shattered into bony, scattered fragments.

Torches flickered on their sconces, momentarily swallowed them in shade, the undead flash frozen and incinerated with ease despite their numbers with little effort.

The goat woman examined one skull whose sockets dimly glowed an unearthly glowing light. “Zeloph was busy here before he left. Must have sent these druids to delay our return."

“I mean, they're certainly not much of a challenge,” noted Beatrix who's hands radiated power. “But it won't be long until they've closed in! Tee-hee!" Her horn shined.

“Better not to underestimate them,” warned Sombra. “For what purpose has Zeloph chosen to slow us down?”

“I'm not so sure,” answered the shaman who added in a murmur, “Perhaps he intends to make certain you never leave.” She applied medicines to Bellatrix's chest, sealed by a hardened ooze from one of Beatrix's potions. The wounded seraph slumbered, face peaceful, lit up by a thin, melancholy smile, tears still wet on her radiant cheeks.

Minutes past before the battle ended, the air thick with vapors that swirled ominously. Trixie huffed and asked, “Did we do it?! Yeah!” She swept back her cape, horn and hands still lit. “Good work, my little hellspawn! United, we're unbeatable!”

“Great and Powerful indeed,” chirped Beatrix Belladonna with a titter. “You saw that, right, teacher? How we charbroiled the last batch?”

He chuckled. “Very good, you two. You make me proud.” His apprentice whinnied at his praise, earning a frown on the horned shepherd. “However, we dare not tarry here. Somehow, we must penetrate the magic barrier here and seek an exit!”

"And what do you plan to do once you've escaped?" Lady Ewe asked with a raised brow. "Assuming your spirit isn't forced back into the ether." Her honey eyes studied him.

He boldly declared his plans. “Seek my body, of course. Annihilate the Pony of Shadows and retake my nation.” His skin crawled at the thought of what that imposter did to his wife and daughter, left at his mercy.

Whatever reputation he'd built with hard work had likely been forever tarnished. Would Inky and Cerise ever be able to forgive him? He dreaded to consider otherwise.

With a huff, Lady Ewe rose and strolled over to one of the rusted gates. “See these runes?” She traced her dreamcatcher staff over the etched stone. “Think of them like a complicated mathematical equation that must be solved for us to progress. More traps by Zeloph to slow us down. I can decipher them, but it would take hours, at the least. One mistake would be disastrous.”

“Something will happen like the force that struck sister, huh?” Beatrix followed the shaman's nod. “Hmm, they're not so different from the formulas Flurry and I use to craft alchemy. Except, um, way more confusing than what I'm used to! Flurry's a genius at this, so she might be able to solve it, but I have to admit I don't have a chance!”

“Just leave this to me,” said Oona with a light giggle. Cautiously she traced the barrier with her fingertips, the energy appearing in a prism of color that sparkled and shifted. Piece-by-piece, she translated the messages hidden within and chanted them aloud.

Sombra considered helping, but realized he was more likely to distract her. Besides, while he had no doubt as to his own considerable knowledge, he conceded she had familiarity with this mysterious Zeloph.

He'd heard her and Beatrix mention this Vice Lord when they conversed, and knew he needed to uncover more so that he might put an end to this nightmare.

Instead, he settled down by the angel. “Bellatrix Primadonna.” He stroked her blonde curls. “I've done you a number of terrible wrongs. Ones I can never truly make amends for. And yet you forgave me anyhow.” Were it not for her now tattered lingerie, stained scarlet by her gash, she would be absolute perfection, at least on the surface. Yet she stewed with inner turmoil.

Whoever the Necronomicon's author was, they were likely dead, and from some distant dimension, he realized there was a time he would have been no different. The dark tome offered power and pleasures beyond compare. He could have had a whole planet's worth of horny, servile succubi to please him in every way imaginable. He scoffed in disgust at his weakness.

A mere piece of lost fiction? She meant far more to him than most 'real' creatures he'd met. Her bosom softly rose-and fell.

Watching as Beatrix and Trixie conversed, he was reminded of what it was like to truly be alone. He'd ended up banished to this dimension, reborn and amnesiac, only to be rescued from near death by Fancy Pants despite the protests of Fleur de Lis.

He smirked, certain she was right to want him dead. He was a monster who now simply used his darkness for positive ends.

And yet there were still those who believed in him. Who would never abandon him, despite his numerous faults.

And he couldn't be more grateful.

Hours passed before Spike's party encountered what they sought. Twilight Sparkle sucked in a breath, unable to contain her enthusiasm when the sphere of light started to dance before them. “There it is!” She pointed. Convinced it had to be the Crystal Heart, she spread her plume and sailed after it, over the dragon's graveyard that stretched across the wastelands.

Her companions struggled to keep pace. “Careful Twilight,” called Somnambula who spread her full span. “What if this is a ploy?”

Yet Twilight refused to be deterred, certain if it was a trap, her magic would be more than sufficient to deal with it. She would take whatever risks were necessary to have the old Equestria back. The sphere stopped, hovered, and sank below the bones.

“Come back,” she cried and started to furiously dig with hands and her aura, entire skeletons tossed aside. The area quaked with a rattle, and she toppled backwards, horn still lit and ready to unleash offensive and defensive spells as needed. She rose skyward, sailed in place with narrowed eyes, and wondered if the dark tome would now seek to test her, too.

More skeletons were tossed into the air, and from the fissure left behind emerged a tentacled black mass, not unlike the Demiurge. The abomination thrashed, its extensions dripping with slime, covered in sore-like suckers that pulsed.

At its center was a wide maw, pitch black in the middle, its sides lined with rows-upon-rows of discolored, jagged teeth.

“Sunset!” She spotted the nude figure of her dear friend, lifted by the tendrils, which oozed over her glistening flesh.

“Th-they're so cold and clammy,” muttered Sunset Shimmer, who helplessly writhed in its grasp. They coiled around her thighs, drew her arms apart, and she shuddered when one traced the curvature of her back. “Twilight, stay back! I'm too weak to work so much as a simple spell. Whatever this is, its drained my powers with its touch!”

Twilight cried, “The Demiurge?! No, it's much weaker,” she surmised, trying to scan it with a spell to gauge its magic signature. Nevertheless, the abomination's might was beyond substantial. She started to fire a series of shimmery beams from her horn.

Soon, the Sphinx, Spike, and her niece joined in to combine their efforts into a destructive elemental whirlwind. This caused the monster to shriek and hiss, lashing back with swats of its pudgy tentacles.

Sunset wiggled and moaned, more of its goo running down her curves, leaving viscous trails that dotted her in goosebumps and rolled off one of her erect nipples.

“Gross,” she muttered with a flushed face, ashamed they saw her in such a compromising position.

Flurry called, "It's working! Too well! Watch out, it's about to drop Sunset!”

Sunset yelped when the tendrils lost control and she plummeted towards the mouth of the abyss. Blinking in, Twilight seized her faster than Spike or Somnambula could sweep in, and teleported her a safe distance away. “Whoa. That was close. Thanks. Sorry, I'm all sticky now.” She winced and shivered, thankful to be away from the monster.

“I couldn't abandon you,” said Twilight with watery eyes as they watched the team drive the beast back into its hole. “It's my fault you came to Equestria when the Eldritch arrived to begin with. My fault you're here now, and I almost lost you, all because I'm selfish.”

“Hey, I knew the risks.” She smiled at her. “Without you, I could've ended up like Adagio, or worse.” She'd heard about how the Eldritch split her skull with a psychic blow, the pressure too much to bear.

“Speaking of which, how are the other Dazzlings? And Wallflower Blush? I hated to pull you away from them.”

“They'll be fine,” said Sunset with a chuckle. “It took some time, but Aria and Sonata fit into society okay now. They're still living with Wallflower and I. Of course, they still miss Adagio terribly. I wasn't there, but I feel bad I couldn't save her.” She exhaled.

Twilight nodded. “Another victim of the Eldritch.”

“Their ghosts almost scrambled my brain for good,” noted Sunset. “In fact, I should be brain dead after such an intense psychic attack. My theory? That sphere of light somehow protected me. It was so warm. I think it pulled my soul in here to save me.”

“I think it's the Crystal Heart,” explained Twilight. “But it's still weak. Without hope, it will wither and die!”

“We'd better help supply some then,” said Sunset. “If I didn't get caught up like this, you wouldn't have to come back here.”

Twilight shook her head. “You led me to the Crystal Heart, so consider it even. We'd better track it down before we leave.” She watched her companions sail their way now that the danger had passed. “Any idea where the light went?”

The Sphinx pointed a paw towards the horizon. “Our destiny lies elsewhere. Let us continue.”

Twilight asked, “Will your powers come back?”

“I think so,” said Sunset. “I can feel them start to return already.” She sparked her horn. “Will take some time, though.”

The Sphinx nodded. “From what Beatrix claimed, all manner of abominations lurk in the Necronomicon. It draws them here, traps them, drives many of them even madder. From what she said, they can do any number of things. Some convert you into monsters, eat you alive, or sate their lusts on their victims...”

“That one got a little too intimate for my tastes,” noted Sunset, her curves still slick with stickiness.

Twilight nodded and recalled her own limited research into this area. “These creatures are effected by their surroundings, and those they encounter. They often act how people expect them to, and well, if we assume they all wantto make us incubators...”

Sunset smirked and nudged her ribs. “You saying it's my fault? I'm kidding, Twilight, relax. But you can't blame me for, well, expecting what looks like a monster to act that way.” She relaxed in Spike's arms when she was passed to him, still too weak to move well on her own. “Shame about my clothes, still. Feel a little vulnerable here.”

Flurry sifted through her satchel. “Think I can whip you up something with one of my potions! Glad you're okay!”

“You too,” said Sunset with a wink. “Your prosthetic horn and wings are amazing.”

“Aw, it was nothing.” Flurry blushed and continued to dig. “Aha, here!” Within moments she uncorked a bottle, and from it spilled a liquid which hardened into a fabric. “It's fragile and temporary, but I hope this will do!”

“It will. Thanks.” Sunset accepted what she wove, a thin top and wrapped skirt that barely made her feel more clothed. She couldn't complain, not after the hell they'd surely went through to seek her out.

With everything in order, the Sphinx waved them on once more, guided by her intuition. Thin trails of ooze were all that remained of the creature in the pit. Gliding down the wastes, the group continued to seek the remnant of the Crystal Heart.

Fully entrenched in the Pony of Shadows, what his people believed to be Sombra returned to a hidden laboratory he'd set up in the pyramid, made to resemble a similar, dungeon-like abode below the Crystal Palace so long ago. His masked elite guards slid the secret compartment closed behind him, and silently trailed behind, ready to obey his every command.

His boots clinked with an echo on weathered gray stone. He waved his gauntlet-decked fist, lit the torches on the walls, and rattles sounded from the cells where he kept those who dared disobey him until more helmets were prepared. Notes were scattered across the tables alongside the equipment. Shelves were lined with bottles that contained the pickled remains of beasts and various alchemy creations. A cracked skull with a half-melted candle rested before his chair, and he lit it too with a sigh.

The fake book created by Stygian was laid out before him. “Hmm...mostly filled with spells I've already mastered. He's an amateur compared to me. However...” He thumbed across the tattered pages. “Maybe I can still use this.”

He reasoned whoever authored the Necronomicon had begun in a similar fashion. Calling on Sombra's memories, he took a quill, dipped it in ink, and furiously wrote all he could recall into the blank spaces of each section. He also recounted the creatures he'd seen illustrated in it, and copied those too, in an attempt to create an inferior but potent recreation of the tome.

Hours passed while he worked like a stallion possessed. His eyes glowed and he also poured his power into it, watched the letters light up, until the glow reflected off his grim face. “It needs more,” he decided.

With a nod, his guards opened a cell and yanked out a stallion. He whimpered for mercy, and was stripped naked, bone visible from the stretched flesh after how little he'd fed them. The soldiers held him in place, and Sombra unsheathed his blade, a casual swipe of his blade opening his throat. Gurgles sounded, and warm blood rolled from his lips to splat on the page.

“A sacrifice. The first of many. Have him flayed. His dried and stretched skin will make a nice cover. As for the rest of him, I'm certain the Orthros are famished.” His men bowed and lifted up the headless, still warm carcass, and dumped it on a slab.

He stalked in a circle around the room. “I know the price of the black arts. Stygian, you fool. You left more secrets behind than you intended.” The scholar had written his own limited research into the fake, theories about the Necronomicon...one which included how its power might be linked to all such grimoires into the forbidden. Given time, he reasoned, he could link this fake with the real deal, use it to create a method to travel into the multiple dimensions that lurked inside its infinite depths, and claim its secrets.

No normal sorcerer could have worked such a miracle. But no one matched his insight into the dark arts, either.

Chapter 11

Translating the last runes, the barriers around the crypt shattered with a shrill ring, the prism of energies hardening to resemble stained glass before they fractured and tumbled in jagged pieces. Lady Ewe watched them fall at her feet with a clink and announced, “It's done. We better leave immediately before more harm comes our way,” she said, gesturing to Bellatrix.

“I'll look after her,” said Sombra, who lifted the unconscious angel into his arms. He kissed her forehead again, feeling ever responsible for her as he did for the calamity happening outside the Necronomicon. If not for him, she would have remained a 'myth.'

“Ugh, finally! About time we left this horrible place,” said Trixie, brushing aside strands of a thick cobweb. “At least I got to spend some time bonding with my little hellspawn. I must say, I'm deeply impressed at the spells we cast!”

Beatrix smirked and nodded, almost her twin when she stood at her side. “It was wonderful, wasn't it?” Her fist balled around the eye-shaped Prima Materia that held her cloak, a good luck charm that returned to her every time she summoned her attire.

The cracked stairs threatened to crumble under their steps when they ascended the winding stairs. After a long climb, the group arrived in a corridor made from crystalline, and the polished floors reflected their images. They instantly recognized the Crystal Palace, but it looked abandoned, ghostly wails whistling about the halls and snowflakes creeping in from the windows.

An eerie, primal cry in the distance made their fur stand on end. Trixie stammered, “W-wendigos?”

“Could be,” agreed Beatrix, who huddled in her cape and shivered, flesh dotted in goosebumps below her thin violet coat. “Anything's possible inside the Necronomicon. Especially since it draws on our subconscious.”

The witch wandered to Sombra's side, and he cast her a smile. She tittered with a blush, while Oona did her best to ignore it.

In time they exited the empty palace to discover the entire land outside was frozen over, the crystal ponies once on guard and citizens alike embedded in concrete blocks of ice, expressions of horror etched on their preserved faces. The city beyond was buried under a dense layer of snow that spread to the wastelands. The continuous low howl of a gale met their ears.

Crunches sounded when Beatrix took a few awkward steps forward. “It's so deep. We'll never make it on foot!”

“I could burn our way through with a spell,” reasoned Sombra. “Although I'm not sure that would be wise.” He also considered a teleportation spell but knew it would leave him exhausted, and besides, he lacked the power to transport them with him.

Raising her dreamcatcher staff, Lady Ewe said, “Perhaps a more gentle touch is needed.” Warm glowing spheres of blue light helped part the snow and carved a path through the frozen city. She grimaced over the icy bodies stuck on the ground. Turning back, the shepard cast a stern look to Sombra before marching forth.

"Hmph! Seems Trixie isn't the only show off here," he huffed. It was no secret he and Ewe were on anything but friendly terms. Not only could he tell she held no faith in him, but he also suspected some jealousy towards him and Beatrix. And was it not up to them as mentors to nurture her?

They wandered about in search of an exit from the book. Catching sight of an armored figure from the corner of her eye, Beatrix spun to stare at the top of a snow-capped building, yet saw nothing there. “What the-?” She shook her head, wondering if the grimoire was playing tricks on her. Here, she reasoned, one's mind was your worst enemy.

She raced to catch up, more crunches sounding on the frozen-over dirt where Lady Ewe continued to cut a path. Slipping a hand under her cape, she fingered her alchemy tubes and smoke bombs for comfort, shivering and chattering her teeth.

Trixie paused. “Huh?” She noticed her wagon, half-buried in a hill of snow. Using her aura, she tossed the door open and clambered up the stairs, surprised to find the interior was warm. “Uh, hello? You think it's safe here?”

“Careful,” warned Sombra, who was nonetheless relieved to discover a place they might be safe for a moment. He placed Bellatrix in a hammock and took in the immaculately-preserved interior.

“I don't sense any ill-intent,” admitted Lady Ewe, who opened the cabinets and found some coffee beans. “Beatrix?”

However, Beatrix failed to hear here, distracted again by a figure in the cold mist, garbed in ghostly white armor that made him blend in. “F-father? No, that's impossible! You're back in the Crystal Empire with Cadance, aren't you?” Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but cautiously follow when he turned and stalked down behind a series of buildings.

She told herself it was stupid. Every time, this was the result of some monster trying to deceive and lure her away, but she had to know! Besides, she couldn't run and hide behind others all the time, didn't want to depend on others for the rest of her life!

Following him into a clearing, he stood with his back to her. “Father...Shining Armor! I-is that you?” Decked from neck-to-toe in white armor, complete with a run-inscribed broadsword sheathed at his hip, he was the classic example of a Paladin from legends. Gradually he turned, his face stoic, and studied her with cold, distant eyes. “S-say something, please!”

“Yes. I'm your father—the one from your homeworld. The same one you abandoned to die,” he finished.

Her labored breaths were visible in the frosty air. “What? I wasn't even there!”

“Exactly. My forces separated, and while you were off dealing with the Smooze, I paid the price.” Undoing the top of his armor, he stripped it, exposed the chiseled musculature of his chest and stomach. But what should have been a breathtaking sight turned horrific when a wound opened across his belly, intestines leaking out in a spatter of crimson that stained the snow.

“Y-you're not him! He'd never talk to me like that! Never blame me! He died a hero in battle!” She curled her fists with a sniffle at her foolishness, but she'd so desperately wanted to believe! “All I've ever wanted to do was honor my parents, you bastard!”

He scoffed. “Is that why you always run from one dimension to the next, leaving your poor mother alone?”

“All Trixies are my mother, so far as I'm concerned! That's why I want to meet every one of them! And I try to visit her between each adventure! But I also need to spread my wings and find myself!” She'd learned much about herself on her travels.

“How many have you failed? How much worse have you made every dimension due to your selfish interference? If I'd gotten so many killed, I'd run away from my homeworld, too!” He brandished his sword, pointed it at her heart in accusation.

“That Equestria went to hell long before I was born! I tried my hardest to fix it! No, I did make it better!” She stomped her heel into the snow like a petulant child, rose to her full height to face him down.

He shook his head. “You're a bad omen. A curse born from the Necronomicon, a parasite Trixie's compelled to love until the Demiurge could be born from you! And not only that, you brought a whole new terror to this plane of existence!” His harsh words stung deep, despite her denials, and she shook, stared down at herself, watched her body flicker and spark with a hum like she was rendered out-of-phase for a moment.

“N-no...the Demiurge isn't part of me anymore!” Her costume shifted too, covered in almond-shaped eyes and mouths filled with jagged teeth. The organism continued to change about, snapping and oozing with a life of their own, a reminder that once, under her innocent appearance, she carried an ancient abomination that waited to be birthed into existence all the time.

“Look at that thing and tell me you have nothing with the Demiurge! If not, then Zeloph! You're covered in his eyes!" And sure enough, the pupils of each eye began to glow an eerie, indescribable color. And each unblinking eye fixated on Beatrix.

“Shut up! That isn't true! I want nothing to do with this bullshit,” she hissed, half-blinded by tears. Her horn and hands lit up, ready to unleash her most potent spells.

“You know I always preferred Flurry Heart. She's the one with the good heart. That's why you're jealous of her, aren't you? She's a natural talent, and you've always been second-rate!” He marched at her, sword raised, snout drawn back to show his teeth.

“I indeed envied her, but I never resented her! I love her with all my heart!” She launched a storm of magic, and his flaring horn countered with his own, the twos forces colliding and scattering about, the snow melted with a scorching hiss and leaving trails of charred, smoking soil and rock, tiny flames crackling with embers in the mist.

Her eyes turned to saucers in alarm. Whatever this thing was, its magic was far beyond her father's capabilities! She ducked back and nearly stumbled when his white sword swung with a whoosh that split the air.

A black blade flashed behind Shining Armor, whose head rolled from its shoulders. He dropped with a thud into the red-stained snow, Sombra behind him with a bloodied sword in hand, with Lady Ewe rushing to her side to embrace her. Instantly, her costume lost the eyes and teeth and appeared normal, but the witch felt anything but]/i] okay. “We grew worried," the shepard said.

“I told you I could handle her Ewe," Sombra growled, stepping forth holding onto her shoulder. "You should have stayed up there with the others an-"

"Do not touch me!" Oona barked back, pushing him away from her. For once, the kind-looking goat woman looked fierce as she glared deathly at him. "She is my student, as well. I feel just as responsible for her. This isn't about you!"

“No stop!” Beatrix pleaded, pulling away from her friend to brush herself while bristled with her wounded pride. She couldn't deny her suspicions now. Under any circumstance, she would have found her teacher's fighting over her flattering. But this was straight-up childish! Oona especially was being uncharacteristically demanding. "I can take care of myself. I just...need time. Look, let's head back and try to slip out of here, okay?"

Sombra nodded before turning his back to the shepard and returning to the party.

Ewe felt ashamed, letting her own emotions get the better of her. "F-forgive me, Ceann Oga. I only want what's best for you. And whether you like it or not, Sombra is not a good influence."

"Fast food's bad for us, but that hasn't stopped any of us, has it?" She teased with a prod at Oona's plump belly.

“Beatrix, I'm serious! He has harmed you in several ways. Possessed or not, that stallion is cruel by nature! The Pony of Shadows can only bring out the potential for evil that's already inside you. Just compare the difference between Stygian and Sombra when they were possessed. You saw the sea of corpses, the fact that he murdered Radiant Hope in cold blood! So why are you still defending him!?”

“BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!” Beatrix bellowed at her, tears streaming down her face while Oona stood before her in shook. "I-I know Sombra's the last pony I should be getting close to, but I can't help it! I can't help how my heart hurts being away from him. How it aches to be by his side! I can't choose who I've fallen for. But it's the same with you!"

Beatrix pushed herself up to the staggered goat, her hands wrapped around the shaman's neck before pressing their lips together with a wet kiss. She pulled back, maws still connected by saliva, and said with half-lidded eyes, “I love you as well, Oona. I want to please you, too! Fuck it, just say the word, and I'll stay by your side."

Oona gazed wearily at her distraught pupil, clutching hard onto her shoulders while bring her close, doing her best not to tear up. "Of all the ponies I've met and taught.... You mean so much more to me than just being my student. You are my friend, Beatrix. I don't want to see you hurt. But I don't want to see you unhappy either..."

“I know you can't trust Sombra. But trust in me, okay? I won't let him hurt me. Or you."

“I-I'll try..." Oona nodded, struggling to not say anything against her wishes.

"Good. And besides, this is just one guy stuck in one universe! You and I can cross paths in different dimensions. And get up to more than just cosmic adventures~” The unicorn teased, winking before she bounced into a peppy attitude. Ewe shook her flustered head, smiling softly before following.

Soon, all three returned to the wagon, the air filled with aromas from freshly-brewed coffee, a cup pressed to Trixie's lips who loudly sipped and watched over Bellatrix.

Between slurps, Trixie asked, “I wonder what she's dreaming about?”

Sombra stroked blonde curls from the angel's porcelain cheek. “Something pleasant, I hope. Can you see what she's dreaming about, Dream Shepard?"

"I can. And I can assure you, it's as pleasant as one such as Bellatrix can expect," Lady Ewe acknowledged, settled next to a massive treasure chest, and popped it open. Sifting about the contents, and looking through her own, she nodded before casting her uneasy gaze back to the dark unicorn. “You won't survive if you leave the Necronomicon, Sombra. And as much as I despise you, you're far too important to lose.” She selected a prop, a plain mask. “I can bind your soul so you'll remain with us in spirit.”

He narrowed his gaze over the object. The old goat could have picked something a little less mundane. "I suppose I have no other choice in the matter, do I?"

“It will take time, of course. You better hope we're truly safe here.” Oona immediately started to alter the mask with a combination of tools on hand and enchantments. It was a delicate operation, one that was past down to her by previous shepards.

For the moment, the party settled in, Sombra on guard in case they were watched. Beatrix seated herself by her mother and watched Lady Ewe work, in the hope she would pick up on her trade.

Outside the window, snowflakes drifted over the barren landscape, and more howls sounded across blue skies. He wondered, was he always destined to return here?

“Snow?” Twilight Sparkle opened her palm and watched a flake drift onto it. “Wait, this is-” The mass of bones now gave way to a snowy wasteland. She recognized the Crystal Empire, confident the Crystal Heart must have intentionally drawn them to its home. The transition was almost instantaneous, the winter wonderland sweeping over the graveyard of dragons with a whoosh.

“Wow! I'm back home! Well, sort of!” Flurry Heart made a couple of loops in the air.

“It's quite a simulation,” agreed Twilight. “But don't forget it's an illusion.”

Somnambula said, “I recall Fleur de Lis mentioning the area. They never reached the Crystal Empire itself, but she discovered Sombra in the region, near death. Of course, it more resembled a desert at the time.”

Spike sailed up high and said, “Strange. It looks like someone already cut a path through here? Could be a monster, but it could also mean intelligent life is here. Guess we'd better explore further, see what we can learn.”

He puffed up his belly, ready to unleash an inferno when Somnambula called, “Wait. I can carry us over.” She plucked up Sunset, placed her on the Sphinx, and sailed over the thickest portion before she touched down on the carved trail. Following the icy path for a while, she pointed her paw at Trixie's wagon, a light visible from the windows. “There.”

The door creaked open on their approach, and an occupant marched out onto the steps. “Sombra?!” Twilight readied a spell with narrowed eyes, and he paused, hand on the hilt of his sword but hesitant to make a move.

“Wait. I sense something is amiss,” said Somnambula. “It truly is you, is it not?” She turned to her companions before analyzing the dark unicorn a little more closely. “Ahh! So the Pony of Shadows finally took hold of your flesh completely. Your spirit must have been drawn back to the Necronomicon. A fitting place for someone monstrous as you, almost like your own personal hell.”

“Nice to see you too,” he grumbled before relaxing his posture.

“I was blind to your true nature.” Somnambula bared her teeth, sure that no matter how many times he tried to redeem himself, it was inevitable he would slip back into his old ways. “I thought the holy book I passed to him would permanently alter him, but alas, he has proven to dangerous too let roam free. Allow me to deal with him.”

Spike came between them. “No! We don't execute people in cold blood! Especially if he's not responsible for what happened!”

“Oh, but he is!” Somnambula obsessively chewed on her lower lip. “If he had not dabbled in the black arts, none of this would have happened! The Necronomicon, the Eldritch, the Demiurge, I'm almost certain Zeloph wouldn't have escaped if not for you!”

“I bear some responsibility,” Sombra admitted. “But even I'm not so arrogant as to take credit for all that.”

The priestess asked, “Then who is to blame for this? Beatrix Belladonna?”

“Leave my apprentice out of this,” he warned, his hand gripping the hilt to his sword.

“You nearly claimed my life.” She rubbed her wound. “That I could overlook. But you threatened one of my oldest friends, Stygian, too.” She bristled with a predatory fury that was unlike her, unaware that the longer she maintained this Sphinx form, the more its instincts altered her serene nature. And unlike the former sacred guardian, she hadn't had untold centuries to try and master her true nature. Blinded by rage, her eyes turned to slits, and she hissed, fur on end, claws popped and readied.

“Enough,” Spike broke in. “We didn't come to fight. Are you alone here?”

Sombra shook his head. “Come inside.” They headed in sans Somnambula, who couldn't fit in her Sphinx form and didn't want to shift until she'd fully healed. Instead, she chose to stalk the perimeter should more dark forces come. “It seems the Crystal Heart lured us all here,” he surmised. “I also believe it's hidden somewhere here.”

“Well, it wasn't in the Crystal Palace,” said Lady Ewe, who continued to craft the exotic mask.

Flurry Heart plopped down on the floor. “Huh. Maybe it moves about? The creatures trapped here are likely after it.”

“That would make sense,” agreed Twilight. “Maybe it will return to the Crystal Palace?”

Beatrix finished another cup of tea and said, “Or it could come to us. Some of us can wait here and hope for the best!”

“You pulled a risky move, heading into the Necronomicon.” Twilight folded her arms.

“Aw, come on, it worked out! I do have some experience with this,” said a pouty Beatrix, growing tired of how they treated her like a child. Sure, she was admittedly a tad immature, but did they have to keep bringing up this fact? Granted, while she had been on a number of adventures before the last time she'd met them, for them over twenty years had passed after the war with the Eldritch.

For her, it had been a couple at most. Aside from her homeworld, she couldn't be sure how many years went by when she traveled back to a dimension, and suspected the only reason she always left off pretty much from her last visit with her own Equestria was that she considered it the 'prime' dimension, despite the fact that it probably wasn't.

Her mother barely aged each visit, and yet she couldn't help but feel that maybe she did neglect her.

Left with much to think about, the party settled in for the night. Elsewhere in the city, the wendigos continuously howled, swirling above in a building blizzard, drawn by the tensions that simmered between the group.

With another day spent in ongoing work and research, Sombra snorted in frustration, locked in his lab, obsessed over penning his masterpiece. Dried skin was stretched and stitched over the tome, the skeleton of said victim huddled in one corner, broken and picked clean by his Orthros, who continued to growl and gnaw on the remains.

He couldn't stay cooped up too long. His people would expect him and his brides to make appearances. Perhaps he'd been too hasty with the removal of Inky's wing, but he needed to make his point clear, and his closest followers had helped him craft a passable replacement. He removed the prosthetic from its stand and decided he'd deliver it to her tonight.

During his work, he'd passed out and found himself back in the Necronomicon, or so it had seemed. Was it merely a nightmare? Yet he'd seen the Demiurge trapped in its heart, a tornado of Eldritch phantoms, and a menagerie of abominations, including one that lived in a black pit. Somewhere in the distance, a voice had echoed, “I'll share my secrets with you!”

He demanded back, “Who are you?!”

“A friend. Do you seek to link your grimoire to the Necronomicon? I can help with that. But to do so, you must bind a powerful creature to it. Perform the ritual. You'll know the one. More sacrifices will be needed, of course.” The voice faded away with a laugh, and he balked when the mass rose from the abyss, a flurry of tendrils that lashed about.

He drew his sword, sure the mouth with rows of teeth would draw him in. Yet he realized the beast, when it slapped in his direction, was forced to pause, unable to touch him. Somehow, the voice had bound it to him. He replaced his blade with a smile. And when he awoke, he opened the book with a trembling hand, saw the horror etched into a page, vividly detailed.

“I see. I must breathe life into you with sacrifices.” He read the lines under it, saw rituals that paid tribute to it.

Taking the chains of the Orthros, he and his elite guard headed to the throne room. He spotted Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow in the hallway and ordered, “Fetch my brides and their handmaidens.” The pair curtsied and hastily obeyed. “Oh, and...” He seized them with his aura, slowly ran his hands over their curves, and they couldn't help but shudder under his touch. “Join us tonight. You two will help amuse me.” He took a moment to massage their squishy buttocks and bare breasts before he let them loose.

He chuckled once they scurried away, watched their hips and rumps sway under thin transparent silk, all but naked below the faint torchlight that crackled and cast about shadows. He was tempted to take them now, yet knew that could wait.

Within the hour, he entered his throne room, stripped his armor with a clang, and settled nude onto his throne. Under one arm, he carried his dark tome, the Orthros pair chained near him. “Make yourselves comfortable,” he practically purred to his lovers. Knowing better than to disobey him, Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Radiant Hope, Foal-Bearer, Wet Nurse, Diamond Tiara, and Cozy Glow shirked their clothes. He licked his chops in approval, the room sealed, his guards lining the sides of the carpet.

Patting the throne beside his, he nodded to a guard who held the prosthetic wing. “A gift for you, my love.”

“Thank you,” said Inky in a flat voice, who took the wing and settled her bare bottom onto her cold seat. Reluctantly she fitted the object into place, a strange combination of science and magic which embedded itself to her with a click. She winced and tested it, found she could move it, although doubted it would be any use if she attempted to fly.

He cupped her maw, pulled her to face him. “See how much easier it is when you obey?”

“You have me no choice.” His touch, which once warmed her, now left her cold. Greedily he closed his maw around a tit, repeatedly sucked and pulled on it, and she whimpered with an unwanted thrill, wet eyes shut tight.

His other hand flicked the grimoire open to his bookmarked page. A pop sounded when his lips left Inky's puffy tit, which smacked back into place with a wobble, still connected to his mouth by saliva and covered in bite marks where he'd nibbled around her perky nipple. His eyes glowed, and he read in an unfamiliar tongue, started to chant.

“That...sounds like the Eldritch language,” gasped out Inky.

He ignored her, and his voice increased in intensity. The bizarre words that didn't sound like they could come from his tongue echoed about the chamber, the letters started to shimmer and bleed across the page, and the illustration of the abomination began to wriggle and hiss. It attempted to draw itself from the page, struggling to pull itself free with a tremble.

It needed far more. And only Sombra could supply the means to its creation into reality.

“Guards,” he called, and they marched up to him as he'd instructed ahead of time. Each unsheathed their swords cut their palms, and let their blood seep onto the page, fed the atrocity, and gave it substance.

He was tempted to have them throw themselves on their blades and speed the process with their deaths but wagered they were still far too useful to him.

Likewise, he considered sacrificing more prisoners, but he wanted to create more elite soldiers like these, and couldn't afford to let too many commoners disappear. Despite how much it pained him, he couldn't afford to rush if he hoped to beat the alliance.

Next came the release of sexual fluids, which wasn't hard to supply. Sombra needed to pervert his nation, to break taboos, sink to the depths to enact his plan. He yanked Cozy Glow to him by the waist, who gasped and dropped her onto his stallionhood. She yelped when he split her, took her cervix-deep with the first push, settled atop him.

“Gee, you're in a mood!” She blushed and giggled in an attempt to play it cool.

He nipped her ear, wrapped his aura around the book, and let it float away from him. “Consider yourself the lucky one,” he hissed between his teeth into her ear. “To be the first I claim today.” Her wings fluttered, and his hands kneaded her tits when she bounced atop him amidst wet smacks, the eyes on her freckled face crossing once the uterus and ovaries tattoo materialized.

At his nod, the guards were granted permission to amuse themselves. Removing all but their helmets, bare muscles shined under the light, and they moved like machines when they descended on his lovers. He again loosed the chains on the Orthros, who also bounded into the orgy that ensued. He watched them take his females, and the tome shimmered and hummed ever louder.

“Mom,” whined Cerise when guards pulled Inky from her throne and forced themselves on the pegasus. But the young mare only had seconds to worry before she was pushed down and mounted by an Orthros.

“Ouch,” cried Diamond Tiara, who was similarly pawed down by the other Orthros, forced to take its red pair of knots.

The real show started once the creature partially drew itself free, drawn by the musk in the air, the blood he savored, the semen and vaginal juices which splashed on its pages. Thick, rubbery tentacles rose from it and plucked up the crystal pony twins.

“Sister~!” Wet Nurse yelped, and the pair reached for each other, gleaming curves slathered in the beast's sliminess.

Their limbs were spread. Tendrils forced themselves into them amid muffled moans and wet noises. They were restrained by their wrists and ankles, forced to take the extensions that battered into them, their holes brutalized and their uteri filled until they swore their bellies would burst. Faces burning red, they wept, spattered their attackers in their juices, relentlessly drilled.

“Stop,” yelled Radiant Hope, who was bent over, and her hands pulled behind her when a guard pounded her. “You'll kill them!”

Sombra heaved his shoulders and continued to have his way with Cozy. “And? I must have sacrifices to raise the creature, and besides, those two arethe most expendable. Besides, they've started to bore me.”

They reminded him of lives long-buried. In other worlds, somewhere he'd brutally put them to death. Such as one where he'd run Wet Nurse through, cunt-to-mouth where the spear had exited, simply to watch Foal-Bearer's tortured reactions. He decided to repeat that experiment.

“Let's see what happens if the tentacles take them all the way through,” he mused.

“No,” cried Radiant. “They're two of the last crystal ponies left! Didn't you want to seed them so they'd carry your foals?” She desperately tried to think up some way to save him, but in her helpless state, all she could do was plea with the devil.

He paused in consideration, rolled Cozy's plump breasts cupped in his palms, and pinched her nipples, her voice lost in whines. “I've slaughtered more crystal ponies than I can remember. Imagine the rush of power, to drive a whole race to extinction!”

Radiant realized the twins were about to expire, and she likely wouldn't last the night, either. The Crystal Heart in her bosom, now grown to the point it almost filled her small fist, shimmered below, called by her desperation in an attempt to protect its people despite its still limited power. She prayed for a miracle, subconsciously poured her dwindling hope into the relic.

The twins whinnied, brutalized, the multiple puckered tentacles that rapidly drilled into them threatening to meet in the middle.

A brilliant white light exploded across the throne room with a shrill cry. Sombra cursed, momentarily blinded, his guards dropped with a thud, and the Orthros whimpered, the darkness he'd poured into them whirling out in smoky black trails. The abomination retreated into the grimoire with a shriek, and the book slammed shut with finality.

Radiant Hope rose and stared down at herself, her skin turning transparent, glittering like a precious diamond. She studied the twins who stumbled to their feet, and they too shined like jewels, invigorated by the Crystal Heart's power, which poured into them. Foal-Bearer said, “We're...alive? Sister...” She took Wet Nurse's hands, and her face twitched with emotion.

“Ah! It burns,” the tyrant cried and clasped a hand to his blank white eyes. The Pony of Shadows embedded in his soul bristled, barely able to bear the Heart's presence, even in its weakened state. “Guards!” Yet they all remained unconscious.

Radiant Hope watched the light dissipate, unable to maintain itself. The grimoire sealed shut, the devil desperate to open it, to no avail. A sigh between relief and dread exited her. She'd bought them precious time.

But would it be for the worse?

A few chose to stay behind at Trixie's wagon, while the rest of the team would head back to the Crystal Palace in hopes they might encounter the Crystal Heart.

Spike traced his claws over his Dragon Lord armor, the same one that had manifested over him in the dragon's graveyard, which to his surprise hadn't faded after he left it. “Ready to head out, everyone?”

Somnambula, who watched him start to walk from the entryway, shook her large cat-like head. “You need to take care of that problem we talked about,” she reminded. “Or you risk a fatal burnout. When was the last time you bedded a female? Rarity, was it?”

“Uh...yeah.” He blushed with a bowed of his head and rubbed the back of his scaly neck.

The Sphinx pressed closer to him so the others wouldn't overhear. “You must make a move on Lady Ewe. Bedding her should reinvigorate you for quite some time. If she denies you, perhaps I could talk her into it. She seems to respect me enough.”

He shook his head. “Nah. I don't want anyone to feel pressured, let-alone coerced! Okay, I'll stay and ask her.” He sighed. “At least I'll still be a part of the 'action,' aye?”

She shook her head at his joke. “No need to be concerned, Twilight and I shall handle it.”

He scratched his chin. “Huh, I hope your team will be enough.”

“I'll back them up,” said Flurry Heart with a playful salute.

“Me too,” said Sunset Shimmer, who looked through Trixie's closet.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “You need to stay and rest. You're not dressed for this kind of weather!”

“I'll be fine,” replied Sunset with an annoyed snort. “As for clothes, that shouldn't be a problem since Trixie's offered me access to her entire wardrobe here.” She held up a form-fitted black leotard with silk leggings, the closest to something suitable she could find. “A skimpy showgirl outfit isn't exactly my style, but it will do in a pinch.”

“Fine. I'm just...worried I'll lose you again,” admitted Twilight, who crossed her arms. She stared into the building blizzard.

Sunset softened and touched her shoulder. “You worry too much. Relax. Whatever happens, I signed up for it.”

Sombra marched out past the Dragon Lord. “And will you permit me to come, too? I understand why none of you may trust me, but I'd prove an invaluable asset, and I also wish to seek the Crystal Heart. It could be key to defeating the Pony of Shadows.”

Somnambula said, “I shall watch over him. One wrong move, and...” She popped a claw and pretended to draw it across her throat, mouth spreading into an impossible grimace, slit-eyes pinned on him like he were prey.

“As you wish,” he said, figuring that being in this form for so long was making her vulnerable to predatory instincts. To reclaim his body and save his family, he'd submit to whatever they wanted, no matter how degrading he found it.

Spike waved and headed back into the caravan, convinced the team could take care of themselves. They had some of the most powerful mages in Equestria and an ancient, sacred guardian, after all!

Inside, Trixie tended to Bellatrix, and Beatrix sat by Lady Ewe, helping her finish up the mask. “I've decided to stay," Spike coughed, taking a seat by the Dream Shepard.

“As you wish,” answered Oona without looking up. A sly grin spread her muzzle. “Sombra will have to prove himself before I allow him safe passage.”

“I don't trust him either,” admitted Spike who wondered how to broach the subject of a little intimacy with the pudgy goat woman. “Say it was all the Pony of Shadow's fault. It can only draw on the potential evil inside you, right? I've heard some rumors about how his nation is practically turning into a militarized cult! Not to mention what he's done in the past!”

Beatrix scrunched up her face. “Hey, there are dimensions out there where you're a total bastard, Spike! Should I hold that against you? Yeah, when Sombra was reborn, all the versions of him that ever dabbled in the black arts then died were collapsed into one entity, but that also meant all the potential good in them became part of him, too! That's why we were able to reach him! That's only if we have faith in him, though! Do you want to drive him back to his wicked ways?!”

“Of course not.” He sighed and settled down with them next to the massive, open treasure chest. “I'm...not always so good myself. All these dragon instincts I struggle to control. Anger, lust, I feel like I'm just an animal, sometimes. I never really fit in with a dragon or pony society, and it made me a little resentful. Plus, I might not have much longer,” he confessed.

Lady Ewe met his gaze, a curious look to her. “It's a miracle you came back at all! How long do you have?”

“Don't know for sure. Somnambula speculates twenty years or so, pretty much around the same lifespan I had last time after I awakened my full power. There's a catch, though. To keep myself alive, she says I'll have to embrace my dragon instincts. That means, um, I'll have to mate quite often. Preferably with females I've never bedded before..." He admitted with a sheepish grin.

Oona paused, her own cheeks flourishing at his proposal. "I see.... I-I'll have to think more about it after we've made it back safely." Admittedly, this wouldn't be her first time being asked to bed with a version of Spike. And she was very tempted to see how this version measured up.

“Y-yeah, no pressure!” He couldn't help but feel his loins stir and heat in anticipation. Dragon pride made it difficult not to look upon all the attractive females as potential mates that he needed to claim as his horde, but he tried not to leer at them.

“See? We're all flawed,” said Beatrix with a wink. “Some of us admittedly a little more than others!”

Trixie turned to them. “This place is getting pretty cramped. Luckily, I can fold out the stage, give us some room, and much-needed privacy!” She rose and started to unfold the caravan with a grunt, and her daughter ran to give her a hand, the work intended for a whole team, but pride rarely allowed the witch to accept any outside help.

He decided to lend a claw by putting his bulk to use. Wading about tufts of snow didn't make it any more comfortable, but he carefully applied his heated breath and reduced it to a fine mist, revealing the rocks and soil below. Between him and their auras, the stage was rolled out and fully set up within the hour. He stripped off his armor, his bare chest now laced in perspiration.

“Hot,” mumbled Beatrix, who watched sweat drops rolling down his body.

“Not bad,” added Trixie who downplayed her attraction to his primal appeal. His male virility made him radiate a natural heat that smoldered in his belly, his kind gaze tinged by a predatory hunger he suppressed.

Beatrix plopped her bottom on the stage, legs hung over the side. She watched snowflakes drift in the wind with a dance, felt a cool prickle on her skin where they landed. “Guess we're the b team, stuck here.”

“Hey,” snapped Trixie defensively with hands thrust to her hips. “It was our choice! You want to look after Bellatrix, right?”

“True.” She tapped her cheek. “Lady Ewe could tend to her alone, but it didn't feel right to abandon her. I've often felt alone. I never really fit in.” She kicked her booted feet. “You're the same, aren't you, Spike?”

“Yeah. Thank goodness I had friends and family to keep me centered. Maybe that's where Sombra went wrong? Too much time spent in isolation? But he did have a love of his own, and it still didn't make a difference.”

“I...used to feel lonely too,” confessed Trixie, who hid her eyes behind her tipped hat's brim. “I ran away from home and tried to make the Lulamoon family name proud! It's a thing passed from mother-to-daughter. Not sure why your Trixie didn't pass it to you, Belladonna, but I'd wager she thought it was cursed, what with all our bad luck, and wanted to change your fate!”

Beatrix chuckled. “Didn't work out. Think she just named me after a poisonous plant she ran into on the road. Thought it would make me tough and sassy! At best, it just served as an inspiration to take up alchemy, since it's a common ingredient in potion-making.” She shrugged. “Sorry I was away for so long, mom. You're not alone, not while I love you!”

“Thanks. I'd hoped Shining Armor and I could bear you here.” Trixie stared into the icy land, unable to hold back a few tears. “But you're an anomaly, so that's not possible. According to Twilight's exam, I can't even have a foal.”

“Mom.” She hopped down with a crunch and held her. Did her mother back home suffer the same way, forsaken? She trembled and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back her soft sobs, tempted to run away and head back home. But between what had happened to Bellatrix and Sombra, there was still much for her to do! She squeezed her mother close, savored her warmth.

Spike pursed his snout. “I never was able to meet my parents. According to Celestia, she found me as an egg but wasn't able to hatch me. She figured it would take a powerful mage to do so. Sunset probably doesn't remember, but she'd tried back when she was Celestia's student. Using magic, Celestia made certain my egg would be preserved until someone finally hatched it!”

Beatrix tapped her cheek and asked, “You think Sunset could have been the Element of Magic if she'd taken a different path?”

“Maybe. Hard to say. Sunset certainly had the talent and raw intellect. If she'd pursued friendship early on, who knows how it might have turned out? Still, much as I like her, I couldn't imagine a life without Twilight.” Did he figure that if there were countless universes out there, surely something similar must have happened in one of them?

The trio sat on the stage and reminisced about their pasts. Their shared losses made each of them feel a little less alone.

Chapter 12

“Could it be...?” Twilight Sparkle sucked in a breath. Seemingly abandoned, their venture into the Crystal Palace took them to the throne room. Resting upon the stand was a ghostly image of the Crystal Heart. It radiated a faint light, filtered between a tangible and incorporeal form, barely able to maintain itself with the power it had recently spent.

“Allow me,” said Sunset Shimmer, marching forward. The moment her palm touched the ethereal artifact, her eyes gleamed pure white and her maw fell open. "A-ahh!"

“Not again! Are you okay?!” Twilight sailed next to her, pressing a hand over her heart and almost hyperventilating.

Within moments Sunset's eyes regained their color and focused in a dreamy haze. “I-I'm fine. I...I saw it all. What's been happening in Sombra's nation. Here, I'll show you.” She held hands with Twilight, who helped her form a circle with Flurry Heart and Somnambula, the Sphinx reaching a massive paw into the room. They were likewise assaulted by a series of visions.

Sombra's cries of anguish as the Pony of Shadows inflicted its abuse. Confirmation that rumors about the militarization of his land were legitimate, the helmets he forged to control and empower his elite guards, the abuses of his lovers, and the experiments he enacted with the black arts.

And most importantly, the revelation that the Crystal Heart lay in Radiant Hope.

Tears ran down Flurry's cheeks. “We have to help them,” she cried after they broke free of the shared vision.

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” said Sunset. “Of course, I want to help, but we can't just rush in ill-prepared.”

“Why not? I can blink in, rescue them, and be back in no time!” Flurry beamed.

“Maybe. Or you might be captured, too. Who knows what traps the Pony of Shadows might have placed around the pyramid? Remember what happened to Somnambula.” Sunset nodded at the Sphinx pacing around in the hall, unable to fit into the throne room. “She barely escaped alive! Not to offend you, but after what Chrysalis did to you, well, your powers are still unreliable.”

Flurry slumped her head with a frown. “Yeah, I suppose. I just can't stand to think about what he's doing to them!”

“I know. I could almost feel that creep's hands on me,” Sunset said with a quiver, arms holding each other to stifle the chill.

Uncertain she'd have another chance, Flurry sat on the throne and imagined herself as Queen. “I wonder, after what Chrysalis did, are Cadance and I still immortal? It's sad to think I'll have to watch most of my friends pass on.”

“I know the feeling,” Twilight lamented, strolling up to her niece's side. “I've lost so many friends and family. There were times I didn't think I could go on. I'm lucky that people like Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy are still around.” She sighed. “Not to mention Shining Armor and Cadance. It's a shame they couldn't come, but I understand they're still trying to get their lands back in order.”

“Yes, without the Crystal Heart around, it's been tough to keep the snow at bay. And that's without the rising Wendigos! Really hoped the Eldritch attack would do something to destroy them, at the least!” Flurry frowned and drummed her fingers on the sides of her mother's throne.

Sunset watched the Crystal Heart vanish into nothingness, its power to project itself spent. “Guess it's time to head back.”

Rejoining with the Sphinx, the team strolled back outside, nearly blinded by the blizzard that whirled about them. Twilight readied herself to teleport them back when a familiar howl made her pause. She and her companions stared into the sky, watched the storm of wendigos circle like vultures high above, and with a snarl, she stood her ground, ready to deal with them.

The ethereal creatures howled and whirled around them. Blinded by a swirl of snow, Twilight, Sunset, and Flurry lit their horns, and the Sphinx sailed upwards to take the fight to them directly. Blood dripped from the maws of the abominations, further warped by their nightmarish surroundings, fed on the frozen dead and the tension that simmered between those trapped here.

Blasts of magic tore through the air, obliterating chunks off the frozen crystal guards around the perimeter who erupted in bloodied chunks. Yells and screams were drowned in the flurry of the storm.

Try as he might, Spike felt his instincts eat away at his resolve. Being surrounded by so many beautiful women wore at his restraint, the urge to take Trixie and Beatrix right there on the stage overpowering. His body burned with unfilled needs, and he recalled what Somnambula told him that if he didn't fulfill them, he would burn himself out before ensuring the safety of his family. Despite the frigid air around him, his belly burned with an inner fire, stoked by lusts that demanded to be slaked by what was at hand.

“G-gals...I need you,” he admitted with a growl, grabbing the pair of witches by their waists with his claws and pulling them into his lap. His hot breath rolled over him, nostrils flaring and smoking, mind dulling under base instincts to claim them as his trophies. To a male dragon, potential mates were a horde to be collected, symbols of status that showed one's prowess.

“W-whoa! Take it easy big guy,” Beatrix giggled while rubbing his scales with a subdued blush. “We're here to help you~!”

“Figures you'd go after the most alluring and beautiful of mares,” Trixie added with a sexy pout to her lips.

Given permission, he didn't hesitate to sink his claws into their costumes and tear them from their bodies. Breasts toppled free in bouncy fashion, and they would have shivered in the cold, were it not for the heat he emitted. Their nipples were rock hard on his bare chest, and he impatiently used his tail to remove the rest of his armor, a hindrance that separated him from them.

He bent them over the stage, propped Beatrix atop her mother, and without ceremony pressed his twin cocks to their pussies. Luckily the pheromones his musk emitted made them moisten, their twats inflamed, and he drove into them with a grunt. Growling, he humped into them, pulled their manes, spanked, and kneaded them, his fin-ears raised at their mewls.

Confident they could take it, he loosed his instincts, took them roughly, his eyes turned to slits. He panted, muscles rising and falling, raised his snout, and spat fires in the air. Their buttocks slapped under his thrusts, and he buried himself womb-deep, balls churning and ready to pump his payload into their depths, lost in a mad mating frenzy.

“O-oh shit!” Beatrix cried out, blushing hotly from how much fem cum was squirting out of her. "Y-you really needed this badly!"

“D-don't worry, Spike!" Trixie grunted with each rock of her hips. "J-just, focus on relieving yourself with our pussies! Y-YAAH~!"

He barely heard them, lost in a haze, and his heavy balls ached for release. But he could only find so much satisfaction from females he'd already bred and wanted more. He needed more. A more primitive state subsumed his thoughts, and in a brief moment of clarity, he wondered if survival were even worth the price, if he'd be reduced to little more than a horny animal.

Not that his current paramours seemed to mind. They breathed in more of his scent, whinnied and buckled under his savage assault on their overstretched cunts, content to temporarily be his sleeves, lost in the euphoria of having such a burly beast ravage them senseless without mercy.

He nipped the napes of their necks. Twitched his wings and landed smacks on their buttocks. Raked their asses and tits with his claws, left small little red marks that didn't entirely break the skin, but the unbearable pleasure drowned out the pain.

And in turn, he couldn't suppress a need to sexually dominate them, show them they were his mates, to please him, bear his spawn, fulfill their purpose.

His tips rubbed the walls of their contracting, slimy wombs. He cast back his head, roared another blaze of fire skyward. He pumped his payload into their depths, splattered their moist confines, made their bellies bloat up when they squealed and came themselves in messy squirts under the impact.

Their cascade washed over his firm stomach, groin, and thighs. Pulse-after-pulse was emptied into their core, made them wail.

“That's it, big guy,” mumbled Beatrix between pants. “Let it aaall out. Mnhf, fuck, I haven't felt so full in a while.” Cum sloshed in her.

“M-mhmm~,” was Trixie's only reply, lost in the afterglow with a goofy grin plastering her muzzle. He withdrew from them, and a mixture of their juices sluiced from their ravaged funholes, barely able to do anything more than lie there, gooey cum sloshing in their uteri. "Wow, better than I remember!"

His slit eyes refocused and widened when sanity returned. “W-whoa fuck! Sorry if I was a little rough on you two.”

“Pft, I've handled much worse,” snickered Beatrix, rolling off her mother and slumped beside her, thighs slick with their nectar.

Trixie sat up next to her and patted her tummy. “Well, I'm certainly satisfied, at least for now!”

“Good! I'd hate for this to be one-sided,” he muttered, knowing that this wasn't going to hold him for long. He hoped Lady Ewe would accept his offer before he lost himself completely. At least the inferno within him had cooled for the moment.

He strolled about in the snowfall with a crunch, stretched his nude, statuesque body to its limits with loud cracks and pops.

His eyes followed the blizzard blistering in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the storm, swore he could spot something move within them.

Wendigos? His suspicions were confirmed when the flash of magic lit the area.

He realized the creatures must have engaged Twilight's team in battle. What to do? Stay here as they wished and defend their temporary home? Or rush to aid them? He wanted to believe they could handle it.

Still, he worried that those monsters would prove more robust than ever in the Necronomicon, able to siphon the conflict between the twisted creatures trapped within this dimension to empower them.

His decision made, the dragon raced back to the wagon, prepared to share what he'd seen with Sombra and Lady Ewe.

Blinded by the Crystal Heart's radiance, Sombra was appeased for the moment and retired alone to his chambers. In the meantime, his lovers were left to their own devices to await their fates. His elite guards had confined them to a private room, where they were fed, watered, a bath and restroom prepared for them. After the hell they'd suffered, it was almost a vacation.

Radiant Hope's translucent flesh continued to sparkle, as did Foal-Bearer's and Wet Nurse's. The room was rather barren, and they soaked in the vast pool with Inky Rose and Cerise Silhouette, surrounded by steam from the heated waters.

“Whatever happens, I'm proud of you all,” said Radiant, who smiled at them.

Inky rubbed at her false wing, stretched it with a wince, still plagued by phantom limb syndrome. “We owe you.”

“Not at all. I finally understand.” She clasped a hand over her heart, concentrated, and made the small Crystal Heart appear in her bosom, the tiny heart-shaped jewel now the size of her fist. “This saved us.”

“The Crystal Heart,” cried the twins in unison. Tears ran down their sparkly, coral cheeks.

Cerise chewed on her lower lip and paused between soaping up her black-furred curves. “What does this mean?”

“It could mean Equestria is trying to rebuild itself,” explained Radiant, washing the suds from her mane. Soft splashes sounded when she rubbed down flesh and fur, her curvature lathered up. “Given time, maybe the Elements of Harmony will also return?”

“I highly doubt it,” Inky said with a shake of her head. "The Elements haven't been useful in years. Especially with some bearers dead.”

Cerise pressed herself to her mother from behind and wrapped her hands around her midsection. “Well, I want to believe it, too! We need a miracle, and the Crystal Heart helped make that happen! It feeds on hope, yeah? We need to have faith in it!”

“You're right.” Inky managed a small smile. “You know, I tried to make Pacific Glow happy after I helping her overcome her addictions. Though in truth, I wanted happiness for myself as well. I often felt so alone and wanted someone to share my troubles with. Sometimes she was my sole reason to go on. I can tell she's in there with you, sweetheart. You have her kindness.”

Cerise beamed back. “Pacific's part of me, but I'm my own brand of happiness!”

“Want to know what I think?” Radiant met their eyes. “You said Sombra unknowingly worked his magic when he seeded Pacific Glow and embedded her soul to the unborn child. But I believe you played a part too, Inky. You never wanted to be alone from her, and that made it possible. Call it intuition, but I think because of how tied he is to the Necronomicon, Sombra still draws on its wicked powers in small doses. That's why he was able to be reborn. And why the dark arts come so naturally to that devil.”

“So he's like an extension of the tome,” reasoned Inky, who paused between preening her plumage and considered all the secrets he'd shared with her, pillow talk after they made love. “That makes sense.”

Foal-Bearer settled her wet bottom on the side of the tub and swished a foot. “This could be our last night to relax.”

Wet Nurse took her hand. “Do you think he'll have us executed? Branded traitors? He still needs his brides, at least, doesn't he?”

“We knew the risks. I'm not afraid to die,” said Foal-Bearer, who narrowed her eyes in determination.

“Now comes the hardest part. Where we're left to wait.” Radiant Hope knew they were out of options. Their fate was in the hands of a madman. Aware that it wouldn't help to dwell on their circumstances, she lathered herself up like the rest of them, and the soap subs ran down their suppleness.

She closed her eyes with a soft moan, contented to be with her sisters.

She wondered; if the Necronomicon was indestructible, did that extend to Sombra as well? She's heard about how many times he was defeated, reduced to ashes or rubble.

And each time, he came back stronger. And if the sins he committed became too much to bear, he could spend the rest of eternity trapped within his own personal hell, one caused by his own terrible deeds.

She bathed the twins, and Inky did the same to her daughter. The drip-drop of water echoed about them, ther nude forms reflected on the crystalline pool.

Inky met her daughter's eyes. “Cerise, dear, will you dance for us? I miss that.”

“O-okay,” she replied with wide-eyed bewilderment, uncertain what had brought this on. Despite the lack of music, the twins began to sing in harmony, a sweet melody that carried around them, and Cerise raised her arms and began to sashay her foal-bearing hips in a gradual, sensuous manner. She closed her eyes, unable to help but smile, dripping and breasts swaying.

“Pacific Glow was always happiest when she danced,” said Inky, who smiled back. “It allowed her to forget her troubles.”

Radiant Hope allowed a smile to grace her lips, realizing some warmth and levity was precisely what the Crystal Heart needed to grow. Strengthening the bond between them all could only help that. She couldn't help but admire Inky's wit and resourcefulness, certain whatever flaws that devil Sombra had, his taste in mares remained impeccable. A shame he treated them so poorly.

She watched the earth pony gyrate; her back momentarily turned to them while she wiggled her bottom. Thankful that she was able to hide the Crystal Heart at will, confident that Sombra wouldn't hesitate to have it carved from her breast, her thoughts wandered to the cities outside the pyramid, where the tyrant vigorously recruited more soldiers into his expansive military...

Outside the wagon, Beatrix and her mother were cleaning themselves up. Lady Ewe and Sombra were resting beside Bellatrix, so it was best not to disturb them. Using magic to summon new costumes, Beatrix helped Trixie set up more displays around the stage, their bellies no longer swelled.

"Nngh!?" All of a sudden, the younger mage felt a sharp cramp in her gut, causing her to sway before stumbling onto the corner. Sweat poured off her forehead, and she churned with nausea. Her surroundings blurred, attempting to refocus before she bowled over by an assault on her senses.

Uncertain what caused these unfamiliar sensations, she plopped down on a chair next to a stack of props. Her palm slapped over her mouth, afraid she'd hurl, an acidic bite in her throat and her limbs numb.

“Are you okay, my little hellspawn?” Trixie rushed to her side and held her shoulders. “How about a cup of water?”

“Y-yeah, I think this place is getting to my head,” mumbled Beatrix between her fingers. Her face twisted when she swallowed down a chunk of vomit, tried to steady herself without success.

Something was incredibly off. She hadn't felt this ill her last time in the Necronomicon.

“Just wait here! I'll be back in a flash,” Trixie insisted before she rushed off.

With a weak nod, Beatrix stared into a snow-capped forest beyond the city walls. Maybe she'd taken it too hard lately, as she rarely rested between adventures. Fatigue and lack of food was catching up to her, that's all.

She clasped her Prima Materia in a weak squeeze, wondered if this or worse was how Bellatrix Primadonna felt in her condition.

Another pain rushed through her, causing the witch to lurch forward. Beatrix hissed, clutching at her head as her vision grew more distorted and chromatic. "W-what's happening?!" She wheezed, looking down to her arm before discovering a horrific sight.

Small slits opened all over her forearm as fleshy eyeballs peered out to gaze up at her.

"BWAAAAH!?" She shrieked, jumping back into her chair and frantically rubbing over her arm like it was covered in poison ivy. A second look showed that her arm was apparently fine. She clutched her form, breathing heavily, unsure of what was happening with her. Whether this was the Necronomicon's doing or something else.

"Keep it together," she told herself. "You'll be fine. We're almost out. This is just in your head!"

"What's in your head?"

Her eyes snapped open over the small delicate voice coming in front of her. Raising her head, a little girl stood before the older mare. Her head was to the side, staring at Beatrix with a sunken eye through long white hair with dark faded tips. Her charcoal black skin complemented her small white dress.

"W-what? Who are..." But before she could finish, the child floated away into the forest. "H-hey wait! No, come back!" Beatrix called after, stumbling to her feet, and slid off the stage to trudge through the thickening snow.

Even if this was just another mind trick, she just couldn't stomach the thought of a small child being lost in the Necronomicon. Snowflakes drifted around her, and her stomach rumbled, but she scrunched her snout and pressed on.

As she got closer to the tree, she heard a scribbling sound. Cautiously, she approached so as not to spook the girl hiding behind a trunk before bending down. The little unicorn was doodling something with a box of crayons in her lap, seated in the snow.

As Beatrix tried to look over, the girl jumped and clutched her picture to her chest. "It's not done yet!" She looked back with a pout.

"O-oh, sorry! I'm not trying to intrude, you just...came out of nowhere." She chuckled awkwardly before the girl seemed satisfied and returned to her doodle. "U-um, who are you?"

"Someone you haven't met yet. But you will soon," the child commented.

"W-what do you mean by that? I don't understand. Don't you have a name?"

She shook her head.

“Why don't you come inside? Aren't you cold?" Again, the child shook her head. Annoyance began to fester within Beatrix. "Look, I'm not really feeling well. Just tell me if you're real or not. I don't know if you noticed, but we're in an evil book and-"

The sound of sniffling stopped her from going on a full rant. The child had finished drawing in favor of curling her legs into her chest as her sobs grew louder.

"I just want to be home," she whined.

Empathy rushed through her as Beatrix wrapped her arms over the shivering girl with her cloak, cuddling her tightly to her bosom. "I-I know. I wanna go home too," she whispered. Though for the longest time, she wondered what was home to her?

She never settled on any place or time, too far wrapped up in adventures to really think about if she wanted to try living everyday life. Or if she even deserved one.

"Why don't we go home together?" She offered with a chipper smile.

But there was no response. It took Beatrix a moment to notice that she was cradling nothing in her arm. Her heart sank that she had been deceived, but something caught her attention as it flapped against her chest.

It was the picture the child had been drawing. Taking each end, she held up to get a better look before her eyes went wide. Three characters were scribbled together. One was the little girl in her monochromatic color. Holding her hand was what appeared to be herself, in her purple and blue coat and hat. But the third character next to her didn't look like anyone Beatrix knew.

It was tall, colored in black and gold with what she could only guess was a dark blue octopus for a face. But etched around them were magenta-colored eyes, much like the ones she thought were all over her arm.

"Zeloph..." She muttered coldly, a sharp shiver running through her as she picked herself up and kept the picture close. She felt never-ending dread over what that monster wanted with her. Or the girl she encountered and what she was. She hoped Lady Ewe had some ideas on what this could mean.

But one thing was for sure; they couldn't afford to stay in this wretched place any longer.

How many hours did Fleur spend fighting all these agents of Sombra? She strained and sweat poured off from her voluptuous form as she gripped her weapon tightly. Another body kneeled as blood soaked into the sand.

"Scum," she muttered cruelly before clutching the soldier's collar and dragging him down the dune. Her head twitched violently as it reeled back.

The pale moon shined down on her complexion as she ran a hand over her neck. A delightful smile spread her muzzle.

"Don't worry, love, we're almost done," She insisted. "Just a couple more bodies and then Sombra and all his evil forces will be gone. No one can separate us again. We are one~."

With a giggle, she continued to drag the corpse along towards a pyre she had built, a stack of bodies piling on top.

What she failed to realize in her delirium was that the people she mercilessly butchered were not Sombra's men.

Just vagabonds looking around the oasis for safety, now reduced to charred husks.

Chapter 13

Equestria smoldered, swallowed up in an all-consuming blaze. Lava churned in the pits between the seas of rocks that steamed and hissed, the hellish crimson skies itself afire. At first glance, Bellatrix Primadonna assumed she was in the Badlands.

But upon searching the globe, she discovered that the entire planet was like this. And everything pointed to her as the one center in its devastation.

She sat naked on a throne made up of skulls, not unlike a Dragon Lord, the bones taken from various creatures. In response to her wishes, a full-length mirror materialized in mid-air before her, yet what stared back wasn't the radiant angel with blonde curls she'd come to expect, but the succubus she'd once been, with several alterations.

Her horns curled over her head like a ram. Black-and-white hair. Scarlet eyes. She pursed her scarlet lips in a pout, stretched the membrane of her leathery wings, twitched her spade-tipped tail, and extended her claw-like fingernails.

Ever since she'd slipped unconscious, Bellatrix has relieved this vision of fantasy and horror over and over.

"C'mon," she groaned, clawing into her head to try and wake herself. "This is just a dream; this is just a dream..."

"Stop lying to yourself, dear." A disembodied voice chuckled. Bellatrix's very shadow began to expand and rise from the ground, limbs and tendrils formed as many eyes opened all over the creature's vessel. It towered over her while continuing to remold its shape into something more humanoid.

"We both know t̶́h̸̛̀ì͟͞ś̕ is what you've always wanted. This is what your heart desires! This is what your reality could be~."

“I doubt this is anything more than an illusion you set up, Zeloph," she spat, her lips curled into a vicious smirk. “For all that goat's talk about how horrifying you are, this is some pity level villainy."

"A villain, am I?" The figure tilted his head while his eyes dilated. "And what about me is so villainous?"

"Don't play coy with me! You're a Vice Lord, your whole MO reeks with evil. You break the minds of mortals, drive your victims insane for twisted designs! You're the one keeping me hostage here! In this Illusion or dream or whatever!"

The primordial being chuckled in response. "Is a predator evil for following its instinct and killing meek prey? I thought you knew better, considering you've been following a stallion known for his atrocities and spite."

"You keep Sombra out of this! This doesn't con-"

"But it does. It a̵̶̡͠ļ̶͘ẃ͡a̢͏y͡s̵̨͘͡ has~" Zeloph countered before reaching out to grab hold of her shoulders. Bellatrix shuddered under his touch, strange waves of feelings pulsating through her body. "You misunderstand, Bellatrix. I'm not the one keeping you in the reality you crave. We both know you're too afraid to return to a world you never belonged in."

"A-augh! N-no, shut up!"

"You still consider yourself a monster. And no matter what angelic visage you took, you knew deep down, you could never change your true nature. You were born a lie~."

"Stop it!" She screamed, bitter tears streaming down her face.

"If you return, you know the ones you love will continue to domesticate you. Continue to tolerate your pitiful existence. Your aloof mask may fool your sister and master, but you can't deceive me, Bella. I̵͢ ̵̶͘s̸̵̵̕e̸̶̴̛e͟͠ ̷̀͡͝͠y̢̛ờ̕͜u͢͠ ̵̶̢̛͜f̸̸͜ó̢͘͢r҉̶͝͡ ́w̛͡҉̸̡h̶͡͏̸̢ąt̴̡̛̀͡ ͏̶y͝͏̵̕͏ơ͠҉ù̶ ̵͢͠͡͞a̕͝r̵͜é̶̸!!"

All at once, the red clouds opened up. More eldritch colored eyes peered down at the helpless succubus. The many emotions Bellatrix fought to keep down began to pour out from her like a fountain. She clutched onto the shadowy figure, who returned her embrace with a gentle stroke of his hand.

"It's not fair," she sobbed. "Why am I forsaken to such cruel fate?!"

"Shhhhh," the Vice Lord's deep voice whispered soothingly. "I agree that the circumstance of your existence is depressing. But there may be a solution."

"A solution?" She asked, rubbing the tears from her cheeks. She noticed that many of the eyes making up Zeloph's body were closing as skin, muscle, and bones began to materialize. The Vice Lord even had a mouth where his head loomed over her.

"Instead of being fictional, what if the world around you was? You may recall a dimension where Sombra unfolds the Necronomicon, causing it to consume the entire planet. Through my guidance, we could do something similar. You are bound to the grimoire still. The world that rejected you would become a story, one where you are the author!"

Her eyes widened, recalling that particular dimension. She pulled away to look at herself through the mirror, touching the surface. Her reflection was different. Instead of the horned sovereign of hell, she looked like a normal, happy-looking mare, wearing complimenting clothes and a big smile.

For a moment, Bellatrix yearned towards the appearance of normality before bitterly glaring at the reflection of Zeloph. "What you're suggesting would mean the loss of many lives!"

The forming body behind her shrugged his shoulders. "Mortals die all the time. Is the value of physical life not worth the high mortality rate of people you envied and despised?"

"But, you expect me to betray Sombra and Beatrix?!”

“I expect you to s҉͢ȩ̡͘d͢͢u̕͡cè̴͠ Sombra," the Vice Lord insisted, his eyes narrowing into a piercing glare. "He has denied himself of his true nature for too long. With his reputation in shambles, you can be the one to guide him back on a nobler path."

A possibility she once craved. In her fantasies and delusions, Bellatrix wished for her master to choose her and build a life together. And if she allied with Zeloph, that reality could happen. Yet, it sounded too good to be true. "A-and my sister?"

A low chuckle left the newly formed lips of the fleshy creature. "No harm will come to Beatrix. That I can promise. I have m̷ųc͏̵h̴ planned for her~."

She scoffed. “And what is your plan? What will you get if I agree to help you?"

“Y͘͜͞͏ó̢͝ų̴͝͏'̷̛͜l̨͏̷́͜l̶̡̕̕͠ ̵͏̷̡s̶̀e̕͜͢e̴~," the eldritch entity promised as his almost complete body glowed in an ethereal light, ascending towards the skies, the many eyes swirling away into the clouds. "Consider my offer, Bellatrix. You and I are beyond mortal comprehension. I would much prefer you relish in my glory than perish."

“Heh, that's a first. Most have compared me to a rabid animal..." The succubus mused with a bitter laugh. Bellatrix eyes wandered to the volcanic mountain range, spewing blackish-gray smoke and spewing molten lava with a roar. What would have been hell to most was heaven to her.

She wouldn't have to feel shame, would no longer be restrained by pesky morals that confused and burdened her.

She raked her nails over her smooth, bulbous breasts, cooed softly, and felt her wide nipples hardened under her caresses. A warm tingle traveled down her entire body and pleasantly burned in her loins.

Her nostrils breathed in the sulfurous stench with a flare. The reek of brimstone filled the air swirling around her, threatening to burst into embers and dance around the succubus.

Crimson clouds broke with a snap of thunder, bloody rain sluiced over her, and she rubbed the red droplets dribbling down her curves into her tits. She reclined in her morbid throne and contemplated Zeloph's offer, now aware that she was free to leave this plane anytime she wished.

All he spoke struck true to her. And it was hard to compare the consequences of her choice with the reward he promised.

Racing to the aid of his companions, Spike sailed into the blizzard swathed in ancient Dragon Lord armor. Sleet whipped around him, hissed under his natural heat, the instinctive rage and lust that Trixie and Beatrix hadn't been able to sate fully, making his stomach smolder, the flurry of snowflakes and hail that struck him turning to vapors in an instant.

Blood dripped from the maws of the windigos. They sailed around the magic beams that Twilight, Sunset, and Flurry unleashed in a rapid barrage, only for one of them to be tackled by the Sphinx who growled and swiped. Its stomach split in a plume of blood and guts, the splatter sticking to her thin fur, but she immediately turned her attention on another of the monsters.

On the battlefield below were black swirls of whirling smoke, scarlet streaks in the snow and roads, bloodied chunks of unfortunate frozen crystal ponies shattered in the crossfire. A storm of demons continued to arrive in a cacophony of phantom wails.

Inhaling sharply, Spike unleashed an inferno from his belly to blast the windigo with fiery force. It shrieked, burst into a greenish pillar, blackened and twisted until the full power of his blaze consumed it.

“It's no use,” cried Twilight, firing off more lasers. “There's far too many!”

“We're going about this the wrong way,” called Sunset over the gales. “They feed on conflict, right?”

Flurry Heart nodded and channeled more magic. “But we can't just let them slaughter us! What are we supposed to do?!”

Thinking it over, Spike attempted to cool his anger with another deep breath. He noticed Somnambula, who was usually one of the more level-headed allies, had almost lost herself entirely to her animal instincts.

Her eyes became slits, she hissed and bared her teeth, and he heard her cackle when she shredded another demon to chunks
of meat between her bloodied nails.

With each one felled, a couple more replaced them. Not to mention the windigos that remained swelled from the conflict around them, fed off it. No doubt, they were the reason this version of the Crystal Empire fell into a mockery of its former self.

He continued to fight alongside them on the defensive, unable to think up a way to deal with these creatures.

Sombra had remained with Bellatrix's slumbering form, stroking her face in hopes some form of contact would awaken her. And sure enough, her eyes fluttered open before she shot up with a gasp.

"Ahh, you're awake!" Sombra exclaimed with a smile.

“And in a timely fashion," Ewe sighed in relief before holding up the stylish mask, fully woven and complete.

The angelic beauty shot up and stretched her limbs. "I feel like I haven't moved in centuries! Was I heavily sleeping?"

"Sadly, no. If you were, I would have been able to access your dream. You were in a trance similar to the one Sunset fell under."

“You were out for a couple of days at most," Sombra noted.

Bellatrix, still fresh off the feelings and images from her trance, gave the nod in response before looking around the wagon. "What has my sister been up to?"

“Oh, she's outside with Trixie. I believe they planned to put on a show while we wait for Spike and his allies,” Sombra explained before fetching her a cup of tea. Inhaling the warm fragrance, she took a sip and let the liquid melt her woes away. “Ah~.”

Suddenly, the door thudded open. “Ah, speak of the devil! How's the rehearsal going?" He asked as the busty blue unicorn rushed passed him to grab a bottle of water.

“Not important," she retorted. "Beatrix's ill."

"Ill? What do you mean?" Oona questioned.

"I-I'm not so sure. It looked like Beatrix was having cramps and trying to hold in vomit. It appeared like she had morning sickness!"

Bellatrix's eyes widened at this assumption. “W-wait, you're not trying to say that... No, that's impossible! She's-”

“I know, it sounds crazy, but I can't ignore that possibility given the weirdness of this place,” Trixie insisted.

“Well, hold on,” Lady Ewe said, standing up and taking her staff to follow the magician out. “I can prepare a balm to ease her pains. It will only take a moment.”

“Whatever may help.” Trixie tapped a heeled boot, eager to ease her daughter's troubles however she could. “Say that Beatrix did end up knocked up somehow. And say you were the father to her child, Sombra. Would you take responsibility or abandon her?”

His face flustered a bit. His mind raced back to the last time they slept together, his body slowly being consumed by the Pony of Shadows while claiming Beatrix for himself. That ominous voice was demanding he breed her. Perhaps it did something during that moment to make her fertile?

"If it's true, and I am to blame, I will be there during her time of need. I would never abandon her," Sombra declared, though uneasily.

“I'll hold you to that,” warned Trixie with narrowed eyes.

The click of heels sounded from the doorway. “I'm...thankful you're all so ready to make plans without me.” Beatrix leaned on the door when she stumbled in, another hand on her tummy. “But rest assured, I'm not pregnant. My stomach's just been bothering me. But I'm all better now!"

“You're pale and sickly,” said Trixie, who offered her a drink and doted on her with a pained smile.

Beatrix took a small sip. “I just need rest is all. Though I did see something,” she said hazily.

"Something? What was it?" Sombra asked with concern.

She plopped onto a stool. "I-I'll tell you about it once we're out of here. Ahh, thanks,” she said with gratitude to Lady Ewe, who mixed in the balm into her tea. As Beatrix drank, the heat settled in her belly. She turned her attention to Bellatrix with a happy smile. “Nice to see you're awake, sister! I was anxious if you would ever come back. How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, I'm fine," Bellatrix lied. She looked distraught, yet unable to converse with her family and friends about her encounter with Zeloph. His words were still ringing in her ear. Beatrix noted something was off with a quirked brow, but choose to not push her for it. She would tell her when she was ready.

“Great! Because Spike ran off to help Twilight and friends. How about we crash the party?” Beatrix suggested, looking to her two mentors. “I mean, have you seen the storms lately? They probably need our help, and we can't stay here on our butts forever!”

Lady Ewe nodded. “Yes. With my task complete and Bellatrix awakened, we should get moving.” The goat woman turned to approach Sombra, placing the mask to his chest. “The moment we leave the Necronomicon, this mask will harbor your soul. This is the best option I could give to you, I'm afraid.”

He took the mask into his hands, staring long and hard at it. With a weary sigh, he nodded before looking back into the honey-colored orbs of Oona. “I appreciate the effort; you have my thanks. Though I'm puzzled, how were Radiant Heart, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse able to take flesh?”

“No doubt due to outside interference,” replied Lady Ewe as she strolled around the interior. “Zeloph's power isn't limited to resurrecting the dead for his malicious intents. Alternatively, the Crystal Heart might have done the same thing, albeit for a benevolent motive. I believe it would reawaken should it sense the safety of its people was threatened. And a third option-”

“My connection to the Necronomicon,” he finished. “What should have remained ghosts were more like revenants offered a second chance when I drew on its power. Poor victims who couldn't accept they were truly dead. Or it could be a combination of all three. The tome toyed with my anxieties, to which the Crystal Heart and Zeloph played off in accordance to their motives.”

Regardless of the truth, he owed them so much. Like his wife and daughter, they suffered under the Pony of Shadows who'd taken his flesh. Inky Rose was one of the few he'd shared all his past crimes with, the nightmares that still haunted him on occasion, confident that no matter how terrible his sins, she unconditionally loved him. He'd wept in her arms, consumed by self-loathing, able to show her his weakness.

The sooner they escaped, the better the chance he could rescue them. He stroked the sword at his hip in anticipation. Lulamoon complained that she couldn't put on the performance they intended, but they readied themselves for battle.

With renewed vigor, the group rushed to aid their allies in the fury of the storm.

On a throne sat the Sombra subsumed by darkness. White blank eyes stared ahead, blinded by the Crystal Heart, which had almost driven the Pony of Shadows from the flesh he invaded. By his orders, Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow attended to him, stripped his armor, and rubbed down his tired muscles. Neither dared speak in his presence while he seethed.

Rough hands wandered over their bodies. They were nothing more than vessels to sate Sombra's craving for flesh. Breasts, hips, and buttocks kneaded between his palms and nails, while the tyrant dwelt on his setbacks. For the moment, his dark tome, seated atop a stand not far from them, was sealed. He'd dismissed his guards and pondered what to do with his brides and their handmaidens.

No doubt, he'd crack the barrier around the book given time. By brute force if necessary. The dark arts multiplied one's innate powers, and the Pony of Shadows was the master of darkness, now embedded in a perfect vessel.

Despite the risks, he decided to move forward with the invasion. He would crush the alliance to the last.

A yelp rose from Cozy Glow, who he pulled onto his lap. Grunting, he impaled her, and she whimpered with a titter. She trembled under his touch with a blush, trapped between dread and arousal, her plumage erect under his strokes.

Taking a tit into his maw, he nipped at a nipple, pulled on the soft flesh, the breast distended far as he could manage. He released it then slapped Cozy's tit back in place, still connected to his mouth by a line of saliva. He bit at her other breast, clasped a buttock and slipped a finger up her asshole, groaned and hammered up into her, his thoughts far away.

Discontented, he yanked Diamond Tiara closer to them, slipped his fingers up between her inner thighs, and inside her with a wet schlick. She squirmed under his jabs, spatters of her juices washing over his hand each time he took her past the knuckle.

Cozy rested her palms on his chest and huffed. His horn lit, and he wrapped his aura around her clitoris, tweaked her love button until she mewled and writhed in desperate need. With a whinny and flush, she came first all over his lap in a messy spray.

Teeth clenched, he held back his release, determined to conquer Tiara first too. He fingered her faster, hand upturned so that he attacked her g-spot directly, and with a childish whine that matched Cozy's own, she squirted over his arm and clenched.

Satisfied, his flare, locked in Cozy's uterus, erupted. Repeated thick blasts battered her warm and wet confines.

The two spent mares went slack upon him. Their stud finished fulfilling their needs with nothing else on their mind but to continue pleasing him. He was a conqueror. He should be out there to lead his vast army.

But how could he, in his current condition?

Yet he needed to make a public appearance with his brides. His thoughts drifted to Somnambula, the hated traitor, and the priestesses she'd been forced to leave behind. He needed to punish someone, a scapegoat for his current condition, and either of her students would surely do.

He studied the pair and pondered; which of the two were of lesser value to him?

Crunches sounded in the snowfall when Sombra and the rest of the party arrived near the Crystal Palace. With glowing horns and hands, he added his own power to the blast, trying to push forward. “Ugh, it's no use,” Oona called out to the others while holding out her dreamcatcher staff. “You'll never win through sheer force!”

Sunset nodded to Twilight and Flurry Heart, who touched down to aid the barrier they cast in concert. Spike swooped next to the Sphinx, and with a reluctant nod that went against her bestial instincts, she followed him down to the rest of the group.

“I see,” said Sunset, watching the windigos swirled above. “We wait for them to weaken.”

“We must remain untied," Oona reminded, taking hands to those closest to her.

“Very well.” After a moment, Somnambula chanted, and in a flash, retook her pegasus shape. She winced at a pain in her ribs but ignored the sharp stab. “I...forgive me, Sombra. It is wrong to blame you for this. Nor is it helpful.” Thuds sounded overhead, and the abominations repeatedly battered the invisible dome, their horrifying visages appearing briefly with each strike.

“It doesn't matter,” he replied. “Whoever is to blame, I must help put it right.” He shared a small smile with his apprentice and her sister. A certain warmth filled them all, soothed the bitterness that often ate at his heart, who he'd usually relied on Inky and Cerise to aid him. He'd come to depend on his family, who filled a hole he once tried to close in pursuit of power.

After what seemed like hours, the blizzard finally died away. The windigos withdrew, their eerie howls died out, and a clear blue sky opened up above them. Silence settled over the ghostly remains of the Crystal Empire, preserved in its abandoned state.

“There,” said Lady Ewe, who pointed at a nexus back to Equestria that swirled above.

Sombra drew his lips into a line. “Did you know this was here the whole time? Well, no matter.” Those who couldn't fly were carried by Spike and Somnambula, who retook the Sphinx form and lifted them onto her lean back, then hurtled up with him.

The rift shimmered and hummed. One-by-one, each resistance member phased through, where Stygian waited on the other side to make sure the Necronomicon remained open for them.

As the last member stepped out, the unicorn forced the book closed, and the portal dispatched. Everyone sighed in relief.

"We made it back!" Twilight exclaimed, hugging Sunset close to her who had rejoined her flesh in the glass coffin and rose. Neither cared that she was nude.

"Where's Sombra?" Spike asked, looking around. Ewe beamed before holding up the mask, a dark aura pulsating around it. "He's here. It'll be a while until he awakens, but he's safe," the Shepard insisted.

"Oh, thank goodness you're all here," Stygian said with a worried expression. "I don't know how long until the Pony of Shadow's sends Sombra's most immense armies to assail us. Fleur de Lis has been doing her best, keeping our location secret."

"Good on her then. Now that everyone's here, we'll need to form a new plan of attack. Fighting with Sombra's forces is inevitable." Spike sighed. "Wait a second.... Someone's missing."

Everyone looked up at each other in alarm before figuring out who was absent from the group. Bellatrix's eyes grew wide in fear.

"What happened to my sister?!"

Beatrix found herself flung out from the portal; her body brushed into the sand. Spitting, she rose to discover that this wasn't the oasis. And that she came here alone.

"Mom? Sis?! Teacher? Ewe!?" She called out. Yet none of them were within sight—just innumerable dunes of sand and dusky wind. "What happened? How did I get separated?"

"Call it divine intervention," a sultry voice answered. Immediately, the witch whipped her head back to see the slender mare assassin wielding her halbert. Her skin-tight bodysuit looked ripped in places, expose her soft flesh and voluptuous form.

"Fleur!" Beatrix exclaimed before rushing towards her. "Where are we? How did I get here? What did you mean by-"

"We're not far off from the Oasis, don't worry. But there is something I must show you. Viens avec moi~!" The taller unicorn insisted, taking her hand and leading her down a sandy slope in the desert.

Beatrix felt exceptionally on edge. Despite knowing her for a while, Fleur never reached out to her in a friendly matter. Mostly due to her relationship with Sombra. So to have her now approach her about something boggled the witch. She looked too happy to see her.

'And is it me or do I hear a strange muttering?' She thought, hearing a small voice whispering from the busty mare. A strange smell of smoke hung in the air, causing her to cough.

"Ahh~ Here we are!" Fleur said, stepping away to show Beatrix her finding. But the younger unicorn only gazed with horror at the sight of so many charred corpses toppled over one another. And on each side of the pile were torches. Her astonished gaze wandered over the ground, only now noticing the blood stained in the sand.

"F-Fleur, what did you DO!?" She demanded, yanking her hand away.

"What I had to," she responded calmly, the smile she wore remaining. "Sombra's been sending spies around this area, looking for the group. I had no other choice but to dispose of them."

"But by burning them?! Don't you realize that they, too, are victims in all this?! This isn't Sombra's doing, it's the-"

"Open your eyes, Beatrix! He is the enemy! He will always be our enemy. The moment you let go of your feelings for him, you will see! He used me! Raped me! Took my beloved away from me! I longed for the day Fancy Pants would return to me."

"Fleur, look I--w-wait, what? What do you mean by that. Fancy is..."

A hollow of laughter erupted from Fleur's voice as her eyes leered down at the younger unicorn. "Fancy is here, Beatrix. Here, look~!" With a swift turn, the graceful unicorn flipped her mane up. And what Beatrix saw next caused her to scream.

Fancy Pant's face was embedded onto the side of Fleur de Les's neck, smiling as charismatically as he once did. Magenta energy glowed out from his eye sockets and mouth. "Charmed to see you again, Beatrix," his high pitched voice greeted. "It's been so long since we last talked."

"W-WHAT IS THIS!?" She screamed, stumbling down to her legs, unable to tear her eyes away from the grotesque sight.

"This is the gift bestowed upon us by the great Zeloph," the face distorted, making Fancy's grin wider. "He brought me back to my dear wife! Now, we are finally one once again."

"And forever~!" She giggled along with her husband.

"N-no! No, this isn't real! This can't be! You can't be doing this, Fleur! This is insane!"

"Relax, Beatrix! The time is upon us now," the unicorn noted as dark clouds began to form over the once sunny day. "The ritual must be complete. And soon, he will set us all free!" Fleur swayed her way to pick up both torches.

"NO! FLEUR, STOP!" Beatrix yelled, rising to put an end to this growing madness. But she found magic enveloping around her form to sit her back down. Fancy's horn glowed with his familiar aura and helped restrain her.

"Sorry my dear! But we can't have you getting in the way of all our hard work. Do try to relax~" He suggested before Fleur crossed over the torches and spoke an incantation, her eyes glowing that ominous ethereal glow.

She chucked the torches onto the pier of burnt victims, setting them all on fire. Beatrix stared helplessly before the sound of screaming filled the air.

They were all still alive. Just incapacitated to the pier and unable to do anything but burn for the dark ritual. The fire erupted from the bodies before taking on the familiar magenta shade associated with Zeloph. The lick of flames also transformed, swirling around the smoke like leaves. The ashes and pieces joined the flurry as the light took form.

The wind blew over Beatrix, finally managing to break Fancy's hold on her, but continued to stare aimlessly into the light as a body took a step forth from the disintegrating ashes and bodies. The light dissolved, all the remnants of the slaughtered lost to the wind as the tall figure stumbled out from the empty pyre.

At once, Fleur knelt down before the enigmatic being. "The ritual is complete. You are free...Emperor Zeloph."

The form of a stallion stood tall, long midnight hair waving in the wind while wrapped around his beautiful lean body. The ends of each strand curled to resemble an octopus' tentacle. Feather wings unfurled from behind his back. The Vice Lord took a deep breath of the atmosphere around him before looking down at each hand. Eyes disappeared into his flesh. His gaze shifted to the treacherous unicorn, and a gentle smile spread his features.

"You've done well, lovers~" He praised before turning his attention to the speechless witch that gazed up to him. Confused and frightened, violet eyes were stuck staring into the magenta orbs of Zeloph, smiling down at the mare.

"Beatrix... S̴o͠ nic͞e ͝to f̵i͢nálly m͟ee͞t you͢~!"

Chapter 14

The sun was setting to the west of the desert, dark clouds nearly covering the skies. When Lady Oona first told her about the Vice Lords and the atrocities they've committed across the multiverse, Beatrix expected them to look like the Eldritch or Demiurge. Monstrous alien lifeforms that defied the laws of reality with their existence.

So then why did this one appear so beautiful?

Her heart was racing within her chest as the creature known as Zeloph stepped forward to her. Instinctively, she tried to scurry away in the sand. His deep blue hair swirled around his tall figure before he bent down before her, his magenta-filled eyes never once leaving hers. Never once blinking.

"You are afraid of me, aren't you," he stated while keeping his smile.

It took Beatrix a couple of seconds before finding her voice. "W-what kind of question-O-of course I am! Y-you're the shadow of humanity! The one behind my teacher's descent to madness! Why wouldn't I be afraid!?"

A light chuckle left his thin lips. "Can't help what feels natural, I suppose. I won't lie to you; I have done m̷͠a̢n̢y things you could consider atrocious. Rescrambling minds, corrupting hearts. It's hard to understand someone whose existence is to defy all things logical. However.... What if I presented a d̀įff̛͘͜eŕe͠nt̵̢ perspective? Would your heart be open to change~?"

Raising his hand, the particles of sand blowing around them in the wind began to form between his fingers. Confusion gave way to astonishment as a flower composed of glass formed. The light of the sun passed through its reflective surface; many colors shimmering off the petals. Zeloph reached his arm out to her, offering his gift.

"Is it not beautiful, Beatrix?" He asked again with a quirked eyebrow. "Or do you still think of me as nothing but a vile monster~?"

The witch stared for a long while at the flower, slowly taking it to marvel over its existence. It moved and bounced like it was organic, yet felt like the solid material that composed the plant.

But she shook off this wondrous feeling, her cheeks flourishing as her enemy stood up to his feet. And she reminded herself that he was the enemy, no matter how enigmatic or beautiful the form he took.

"You can't fool me, Zeloph," she insisted, rising while clutching the glass flower and shattering it to pieces, earning a frown from the primordial. "I know what you're after! Blinding me with flowers and riches will never sway me to your side. I won't allow you the last of the Necronomicon's power!"

"Oh, is that so~?" Zeloph questioned, stroking his chin curiously. "And what proof do you have that I'm trying to mind control you, hmm?" His response only made the witch angrier at his disregard for the reality around them.

"Look at what you've done to Fleur de Lis!" She bellowed, pointing to the assassin who rose an eyebrow while rubbing the face of her once deceased lover forming from her neck. "You've brainwashed her into summoning you! Worse of all, you fused a corpse into her body! How is that in any way feasible!?"

"What on earth are you talking about, Belladonna," Fleur interjected. "Zeloph did no such thing."

"W-what?! Of course, he did! How else would you agree with this...this..."

"Tsk, tsk. If there's one thing that I find annoying, it's when mortals refuse to accept the truth, especially when it's right in front of them." Zeloph sighed with disappointment before walking towards Fluer and Fancy Pants. "Contrary to what you believe, I hold no such ability. I can peer into the thoughts of many, heighten their primal emotions. But to take over a mind is... lsimply b̶̢e̕͢n̵͘͡e̡at̸̵̨h͏ ̢͘m͝e̴̡͘."

She stamped a foot. "You lie!"

"Oh, please, Beatrix! I know you're not so gullible as to believe everything Oona throws at you. If I really could warp your mind under my will, do you think you'd still be defying me~?"

Maddening as it was, what Zeloph said did make some sense. Sombra, at least the ones from other dimensions, we're guilty of using that method. Never once did he or monsters with similar magic use lies to get what they want. And as disgusted that she was at the nonsense he spewed, Zeloph sounded quite genuine. Still, as doubt began to cloud her, she would not lower her guard as the eldritch being placed his hands over Fleur's shoulders.

"Unlike your friends and comrades, it was me who gave Fleur de Lis the one thing she wanted most. Her l̶͘ov͏̛è̢͠r̵͟, alive and well and by her side. The circumstance of their union is, indeed, strange and unorthodox. But now, they can never be apart! Isn't life b̸̢̧̛͞é̸̕͡͡t͜͟͠t̸͢ę̸̴̨͞r̶̵͡ now knowing you and Fancy Pants will never be torn away~?" Zeloph asked as the slender mare nodded.

"It's nothing personal to you or the others, Beatrix. But I...I can never forgive Sombra for taking Fancy away from me. And for all of you to go on a rescue mission for that monster? I...I couldn't bear it!"

"But that's behind us," Fancy said, soothing his wife with his voice. "Now that we are together again, we can live life like before all this nonsense! Fighting with Spike or Sombra has only made the wars grow longer! But with Zeloph, we no longer need to live in fear of survival! No need for vengeance! No need for fighting! We can finally live in harmony!"

"H-harmony," Beatrix repeated slowly. It had been a word almost forgotten since the war with the Eldritch began years ago. And even today, this planet was nowhere near as harmonious with the threat of war between Spike and the Pony of Shadows. Nor the presence of the Vice Lord weaving his way between the lines of what was real or what was impossible. It couldn't be true, could it!

Was this all a misunderstanding? She learned Lady Ewe had her fair share of faults and mistakes. Was trapping Zeloph simply for existing one of them? Her head ached with uncertainty, clutching her temples.

"I understand it's a lot to consider," Zeloph chimed in, slowly approaching the witch. "Given my encounters with the others, they're quick to tell you I am dangerous. But now that the Necronomicon no longer holds me, I am free to flip the script to this story! You've mistaken my actions as evil. Apocalyptic, even. But I am not the catalyst that dooms humanity into insanity, Beatrix. No. I will become its s͘͠ą͘̕v͏̴̨i͢͡o͠r͏!"

"I-it's what?"

She flinched upon feeling his hand touch her shoulder. Where she expected a violent grip to affirm his superiority as a higher being, she felt only a gentle pet. Not unlike that of Lady Ewe. Her violet eyes gazed up into his shimmering gaze. An almost sorrowful expression replaced his smile.

"I have spent eons watching life form and evolve from this planet from within that tome. To see creatures give birth to new life, acquire new shapes, seek out new knowledge. I...I have been alone for so long, Beatrix. Even when I formed the Vice Lords with other spirits to merge our worlds, I've felt nothing but fear and hatred. All who saw me only saw a monster—the last remnant of a race that no longer exists in time. In watching and learning about this planet and the people who prosper, I coveted a chance to be one with you all. To belong! You understand what that's like, don't you? To want to belong somewhere in this space?"

The witch felt a warmth flow through her body as his fingers traced up to her cheek. In her mind, Lady Ewe's words echoed like an alarm, telling her to run. To not trust Zeloph or believe in his words. But her heart was heavily beating in her chest, empathy connecting the too strangers.

She felt her chest rest more into his hand, tears threatening to leave her eyes as Zeloph continued.

"You've traveled for so long, you've forgotten what it's like to live normally. Having witnessed so much death, destruction, and chaos in so many timelines, I must ask, w̶̡h̴̡̡e̛͝r͘e͝͏ ̴̕do̡e͡͞s ͏͟ì͜t̴͘ e̵̶n͜d͠͡? Time will never touch you, yet everyone you've ever known or love will perish eventually. And still, you'd give your life to save them! To help them in their time of need! That's what I admire about you! You've seen the good in people where others dread to look. You still fight to prove that Sombra can change to be the noble king and teacher you love! Won't you do the same for me?"

"W-what, I mean...yes, I've.... But how? W-why would-"

"Because you and I are the same. Don't you see, Beatrix? You, too, wish to be more than just the byproduct of the Necronomicon. Because no matter what your peers and family tell you, yo̡u ́nȩv͡e͢r ̧be̢li͞ev̸e̴d̵ th̀e̴y çoul̕d͏ se̸e ͞y͘ou̕ ͢as ̀ańyt̢h̛i̢n͏g ̧m͞ơre̶ t͝han ̢who͠ y͠o̢u ͜a̡re..."

"Believe in.... B-but I! Y-you're a.. .. I-I'm not.... I-I don't want," she whimpered, no longer able to keep a steady head or heart in front of the primordial being. Her head rested on his bare chest. Her tears stained her cheeks. "Why me? Why is the universe out to destroy me? I-I know I was made from the Necronomicon, but I've changed, haven't I?! I...I want to believe I belong with them. With my mother and father. My sister! My friends! My teachers! I want someone to see me!"

"I see you, Beatrix," Zeloph whispered, his forehead resting on hers. "I will always see you like the great and powerful witch that you are. Will you see me for who I am?" His hand reached to bring her hand to his chest, a heart beating just as fast as hers. "We could help each other. Show me what it means to be among you, and in return, I will help you find a place to call home. No more monsters. No more fighting. Just everlasting peace and happiness."

"Y-you can do that? B-but, how do I..?"

"All you need to do...is let me in," Zeloph murmured, his lips centimeters from touching her own. "Will you show me? Will you accept me?"

Beatrix hesitated, fear and excitement filling up her chest, her body succumbing to his advances. Leaning into him. Needing him.

Then she whispered, "...I will."

Their fates were sealed in a kiss. All at once, the world around them vanished as the two fell to the ground, deepening their connection. Their mouths kept touching and kissing one another; Beatrix feeling many hands remove her clothes, her hat, leaving her bare for his eyes to explore and take in.

Light gasps and moans left her mouth as she felt his mouth kiss and taste her bountiful breasts. It had been too long since she felt someone touch her in a way that wasn't just unbridled lust. To use her body like a condom to state their desires. She found Zeloph to be kissing at spots she didn't know were sensitive to the slightest touch as if trying to heal where it hurt. Tears continued to pour from her eyes while the Vice Lord ran his fingers slowly between her thighs, stroking and massaging her wettening clit and labia.

Nothing made sense to her anymore. How could someone she thought to be so evil be so gentle? Her form ached at the touch of something wet and long before realizing he was licking at her nectar. Memories began to race through her head.

Between her legs, Zeloph's form shifted to Lady Ewe, glitching into Sombra and then assuming the form of Shining Armor. All of the smiled lovingly at her before resuming to eat away at her marehood, making the witch cry out in pure euphoria.

"I-I...I can't~!" She panted, unsure if she just climaxed from the primordial being pleasuring her honey pot or not. "T-this... F-feels too good to be..."

"This feeling is yours and yours alone," Zeloph whispered, his long body crawling over the witch, his hair cascading around her like a curtain while petting her cheek. His eyes glimmered brightly while leaning back in to place a kiss. Beatrix's entire body lit up upon feeling something long and hard touch her nether lips. It dawned upon her that she never got a good look at the specter the dread emperor was packing between his legs, her hand trembling to reach and feel the throbbing organ. While it lacked in thickness, it made up in length from what she could trace with her fingers.

"Come with me, Beatrix. Let us embrace eternity together~!"

And with gentle prodding, Zeloph spread her pussy apart with the slow inspection of his member. Both of them hissed and mewled over the other, limbs entangling around each to pull the unicorn and primordial closer.

Beatrix gripped onto Zeloph's back tightly, each thrust of his length reaching the very back of her womb. She heard his moans muffle into the skin of her neck as his mouth latched onto it. The movements of their hips increased as a familiar pressure built inside Beatrix. Just as the throes of climax was about to hit her, her mind thought back to that little girl in the Necronomicon. Her sitting down under the tree to draw out all three of them together. But why now, did her thoughts turn back to the child?

Whatever sense she could make was lost as warmth erupted from between them. And in her mind, she saw flowers bloom and grow from her stomach. And yet despite the display, she felt a happiness bubble in her soul. She felt like laughing, crying even.

Zeloph let out a melodic sound while holding Beatrix closely to him. The pair gazed back hazily before capturing each other's lips as the world returned around them. It was as if time hadn't moved while the two shared intimate passion. As they pulled away, Beatrix stared up at her enigmatic lover, holding his head with her left hand, smiling up joyously into his magenta eyes.

"Zeloph, I-"

"LOOK OUT!"

Fleur's voice broke through the euphoria as a blast of magic stroke the primordial in the face, an inhuman screech roaring out from him as his body was flung off of Beatrix. Startled, Beatrix clutched herself before the sight of Lady Ewe and her sister came into view. The goat woman rushed to her side, protecting her friend in her woven sleeves. "O-Oona?" Beatrix said drowsily.

"Oh, Ceann Oga! Please forgive me. I was not fast enough. We didn't know where you were teleported from until fire shot up into the sky! Where did he-- NOO!!" Her eyes lit up in horror to discover not only was Beatrix naked, but white sticky essence was oozing from her slit. The dazed witch followed her gaze before realizing what transpired.

"Z-Zeloph and I..."

"A͘͠͡-̵͝A̷̶͢aá͢uǵ̨hn̛͘n̸̴͜e̷hę͢h͡e͏̧h͏̕͝~̡"

Both turned as the slender stallion stood up to his feet, a sickening cracking of bones as his limbs began to unravel. The entirety of Zeloph's stallion face had been blown off.

But instead of flesh or innards hanging off the side, a mass of tendrils wriggled wildly from the wound, and tiny eyes glowed brightly from within his head. All while the stallion side of his face formed a twisted expression of anger.

"Yo͘͘͞ư̷'̛ŕe̛̕ ͜͏́g͡e͢t͏҉̸t̷̢ìń̵g҉ ̵́̕o̷͟͢n͟ ̛m͝y̶͢ ̷͡n̵̨e̷͏r̨͜v̡̢̧e̶̢ś͘,͠͏͡ s̵h̷̛e͡e͠͏͝p̨!̧̕ ̛́I̵'̢̛͞ve ͝g̷̡͜r̴̢owń tí͡ŗ̵̀ȩd ̛of ҉̶y̢̡o͞u̢r҉̛ ̸c҉͘o͏̕n̴s̷̀́t̴̛a͞nt ̷҉̧įn̸̴̵t̷e̕͢r̷͡f̢er̨̛e̢͞ń͞c͝͠é̢̀!~!"

"I WILL NOT SEE YOU VICTORIOUS, DEMON!" Oona bellowed with rage. "I WILL NOT LET THIS WORLD FALL TO YOU!"

Mad laughter erupted from Zeloph's throat as his legs broke apart to reveal his long appendages, hundred of eyes fixated on the pair. Still, the monstrous Vice Lord did his best to maintain his form despite rows of jagged teeth morphing out his mouth. Beatrix let out a pained cry of horror, now realizing what she made passionate love with.

"Y̵ou ̛a̧re͞ ́y͡e̷ar͠s t̕oo ̧late͘ ̀to bè ̶t͠ryi͝n͞g̸ to̧ ̨stop̷ m̀e̸, ͟O͞ona! S҉o͠on͠, ̸th́is̢ ҉w̷o̵r͏ld̕ an̛d all ̀whó ͞ínhąbįt it w̨h͘i͠l͜e҉ co͘me to͟ em̷br͢ace̛ ̧me͢ - J͡u̶s̡t̷ as̸ ͠ỳo͏ur̀ P͜rot̕ege has͝~͟!"

"N-NO! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT. YOU TRICKED ME!" Beatrix sobbed. Her crying shifted a change in the eldritch abomination, his form shifting more and more back to the pony guise he wore. Zeloph wore a conflicted expression while rearranging his limbs and parts.

"What do you mean, my dear? I never deceive you! This is exactly what you wanted. Don't try and deny the emotions you and I shared! I͢ ̕k̷̡̛no͢͡͞w̵̢ ͝y̢o̷̶ư ̡͠śt̶̵i̵̕l̀҉l̶͝͏ ̴f͝e̕͜el ̷͞t̢heḿ̵!̢"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, FIEND!" Oona yelled, her staff flaring to fire orbs of arcane magic to destroy their target. But the tentacled terror was blindingly fast, squirming out of the blast radius. Not even when Bellatrix came flying at him did he allow any contact to be made. Fleur got between the party, much to the surprise and shock of Lady Ewe. "Fleur!? N-no.... Not you too!"

"You see, Beatrix? Feel her anger and hatred towards me?! Is this the kind mentor you look up to?" Zeloph snickered. "Not to worry, my Empress. We will reunite when the time is right. Until then, I'll keep close eyes on you. C̨ǫ̸͢me̴͠,͜͝ ̴̸L̴óv̵͘e̴̡rs!" Fleur nodded before the shadowy tendrils formed out from the ground, wrapping around the pair before returning to the earth below.

The three were left to the howling of the wind. Beatrix, through her tears, gazed up to her once gentle mentor. She was shaking, seething with wrath while gripping her staff tightly. Tears stained her cheeks as knelt, holding the witch tightly. "I-I am so sorry, my friend. I...I failed you," She sobbed as Beatrix held onto her, the two of them letting their anger and sadness flow between each other while Bellatrix gazed into the setting sun before muttering a single word.

"...Fuck."

Another summit was called. Sombra made his first public appearance in some time, flanked by his elite guards, his brides, and their entourage. Blank, milky white eyes stared ahead, barely able to keep his eyes half-open in the sunlight that burned down on the capital. Several onlookers gasped at the state of him, and with the aid of his men, marched up to a podium.

He wanted to be close to his people, so they would see how the Crystal Heart had marred him. The Pony of Shadows continued to bristle in his flesh, almost driven out by the hated light. Yet he strained to restrain a smile that curled at the corner of his lip, determined to turn this setback to his benefit. The mobs crowded around them. “May I have everyone's attention, please?”

The chatter between the witnesses died down. He'd warned his brides and their handmaidens not to speak, lest he resumes their recent tortures. He raised a hand to his eyes. “Yes, gaze upon me and know that an alliance sympathizer nearly assassinated me!” He swept around the stage, letting the crowds witness him as they murmured amongst themselves. “And here, I ask, who among you would have the guile to commit such treachery!?”

Radiant Hope swallowed and looked between the twins. Would one of both of them now face execution?

His open hand swept over those on stage with him, his citizens watching with held breath before he finally pointed at the culprit. “You!”

“Wh-wha...?” Cozy Glow's heart nearly stopped, his attention and that of his guards focused on her.

“Somnambula acolytes, left behind to spy on me and give away our plan of action,” he explained to the conflicted crowd, wondering why he would target someone so young. “Understand my loyal subjects. While Diamond Tiara is guilty, there may be a chance to save her from this path and make her realize the error of following that insufferable priestess. But Cozy Glow has always been an opportunistic monster! She holds no loyalty to anyone and simply uses and discards them for her own accords! A ritual she prepared blinded and nearly killed me!”

“N-no, I'd never!” Cozy pleaded, taking a step back before tumbling. Boos and hisses emerged all around her. Few trusted her, tolerated her only because she'd been vouched for, and their resentment easily turned on her. Hatred was clear in their eyes.

His guards seized her scant garments and shredded them away. One clasped a collar and leash on her neck, one Inky used to let him use on her and Pacific Glow, and the pegasus was pushed off the stage and landed on all fours in a plume of dust before the masses. They spat and kicked at her, threw stones, cursed her. A whip snapped and lashed her back and buttocks.

“Ah-!” Skin tore under the strokes. Red abrasions painted her sore skin. A boot pressed atop her head, and she was forced to crawl, her breasts tender when they swung under her. The other women around Sombra watched in horror, unable to intervene.

“She does not deserve a swift death,” warned the tyrant. “I am not without my mercy, but I will not tolerate any more acts of deceit! Therefore, as punishment, she will be made an example to our enemies! Only until our message has been sent will I grant her death's kiss.” The guards herded Cozy at his command, who continued to weep and crawl on all fours, along the dusty streets.

They would run her ragged across the entire district. He fanned the flames of their hate, prepared them for the first wave of his invasion. Part of his army marched on the Crystal Empire, ready to conquer what had been denied Sombra.

Once his army found and fought the resistance, he would break Shining Armor, make his wife and child his own, and fully corrupt the Crystal Heart into his own instrument of destruction.

He could sense it somewhere, and Radiant Hope knew it was only a matter of time until he discovered it hidden within her chest.

After their arrival back underneath the Badlands, Spike tried to settle back in. He visited his lovers and their children, now fully grown, thankful to see Ember and Smolder had kept up his home well in his absence. The ancient Dragon Lord armor was carried from the Necronomicon with him, a reminder that their recent journey wasn't merely a nightmare.

Shamefully his flesh still burned with lust all over. His first instinct was to rush to Rarity or Fluttershy, but instead, his eyes settled on Sunset Shimmer, still nude while she ran a palm over the smooth glass surface of the coffin that entombed her.

“Spike wants,” he growled lowly, barely able to restrain his instincts anymore. He removed his armor with a clatter, a hindrance between what he desired that made him snort in bestial frustration.

“Hey, Spike...huh?” She barely had time to turn to him before he scooped her up and slung her over a broad shoulder. “W-Whoa, easy there!” He repeatedly smacked her bare bottom with a palm in an attempt to put her in her place.

Her eyes went white when she stared into his soul. His recent thoughts flashed through her mind. Warnings from Somnambula that he needed to be sated constantly lest he succumbs wholly to his draconic instincts. Memories that were vague to her, when as a foal, she'd attempted to crack the egg he was housed in. Her first failure.

A painful memory, the momentary look of disappointment on Celestia's face, the start of her ambitions to surpass any caster that ever lived. Her wet eyes returned to normal, feeling more connected to him than ever before.

She could have been the 'Element of Magic.' Would she be happier that way? No, it was useless to think about that. “Okay, Spike,” she said with a grin when he carried her back to a private cove. “I'd usually prefer at least a pretense of romance, but I know you have needs, and well, I'll do what I can to fill them.” She allowed him to toss her onto a bed of sheets.

From the scents, she inhaled perfume. Likely Fleur de Lis' brand. “Hope she won't mind if we borrow this place,” she muttered, aware she could blink away at any time but didn't want to let him down. She smiled up at him, parted her thighs.

Wasting no time, rough claws squished at her supple flesh, and he pushed his wet, sticky cocks that were already swelled into her lower holes. She winced with a low moan, spread wide as he buried himself balls deep on the first thrust. Hot drool dripped onto her breasts, jaws closed around her neck, and she cast back her head with a cry, her warm body limp in submission.

Grunting, he pounded her against the wall. She rested her back against the smoother portion of the stone, clasped her limbs around him, quaked under the impact.

Lost to his needs, he took her without concern for her pleasure, but she clenched around him with a flush, having to admit in the heat of the moment being used solely for his pleasure strangely aroused her.

In his addled state, it didn't take long before he erupted. Groaning, he stared skyward with a snarl, hissed flame, and smoke between serrated teeth.

With a particularly violent pump, his seed spewed into his plush vessel.

Her stomach swelled, she whined, and her loins burned with squirts under the impact of his load that battered her womb's slippery confines. She pressed on him, crushed her soft tits on his muscular chest, biting his neck on instinct so hard that she drew blood. The flood of his release dribbled from her sex holes, glazed and sticky and shiny.

“Short and sweet,” she managed to mutter through her panting.

Spike's eyes refocused. “Sunset, I...I'm sorry.” He struggled to meet her gaze.

“Nothing to apologize for. Happy I can help! Could've turned out much worse, though. If you'd picked a girl who said no...”

“I know. I'd never forgive myself. Dragons don't mate the way ponies do. They conquer and dominate. I can't be like them, but I'm not a pony, either. I...always wondered if I belong anywhere.” He sat and held her to him, still buried in her.

Sunset smiled. “Your place is with your people. This will only get worse, though. You'd better try again with Oona Ewe.”

“Y-yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Normally it would be the least of his troubles, considering the situation. But if the Pony of Shadows really planned war on the alliance, he would need to lead his people, and it wouldn't do to be a slave to baser instincts. He cuddled her, stroked her mane, and shared his warmth.

Hopefully, he could repay her in her time of need, much like she had for him.

She laid her cheek on his chest with a smiled, closed her eyes, and curled her tail with his own. He wondered what could have been having she and Twilight swapped places in his life, but he was thankful he could have both of them in his life.

Yet he also knew she would return to the human world...if the alliance was able to deal with its latest troubles.

A rattle sounded from behind bars. Radiant Hope approached the prison, who, like Inky Rose, Cerise Silhouette, Foal-Bearer, and Wet Nurse, came to support Diamond Tiara, who, to her surprise, had been allowed to visit Cozy Glow. The 'traitor' was locked away in a private section of the pyramid, where the helmet-clad guards stood in eerie silent vigil.

The area was barely lit. The gray interior was barren save for a slab for a bed and a toilet. Cozy was left there naked, a chain around one ankle, her flesh and fur-covered in lacerations, bruises, and caked dried blood.

Diamond Tiara whimpered in sympathy and gripped the bars. “I'll save you,” she whispered. “Somehow.”

Cozy shook her head and looked away. “Face it. Somnambula abandoned us.”

“No! She wouldn't do that! At least, not by choice!” Tiara winced as her voice echoed with potentially treasonous words, but the soldiers stationed about the tunnel paid no attention. “She would have saved us if she could. I know it.”

Shrugging, Cozy fluffed her battered plume. “Maybe he's right. I'm not a hero. It's not in my nature. I didjoin up with the alliance because I wanted to survive. I probably would have been better off if I'd died with Tirek...” She sniffled at the memory.

“No! He changed you for the better! I know you're my friend!” She choked back soft sobs.

“Thanks.” Cozy pressed her wingspan over herself. “Shame that Chrysalis betrayed us. Imagine what Tirek and we could have accomplished with the alliance? Gee, I wonder if there's some dimension out there where we three actually became friends?”

“Probably. I'll ask Beatrix sometime when we see her,” replied Tiara, who was thankful to see her warm up a little.

Radiant approached beside her. “Don't give up hope. Let the devil take that from you, and he's won.” It was a miracle he didn't realize the Crystal Heart was in her.

Yet she pondered how long before he discovered the truth?

Muted footfalls sounded when Foal-Bearer strolled forward. “Visiting time is almost up.”

Wet Nurse nodded. “Take care of yourself, Cozy Glow. Much as you're able to, under the circumstances.”

Cozy Glow nodded and plopped onto the toilet's cool seat. “Thanks for coming to see me, Diamond Tiara. I don't have many friends.” She stared at a grimy wall. “Truth is, you're probably the only real one I have left.”

Cerise whispered, “What do we do now? Just wait around until...until...”

“I don't think there's anything we can do,” admitted Inky, who trotted alongside them from the dungeons. Escorted by the guards, they were taken back to their master's bed chambers, where he sat at a desk and stroked him sealed tome.

His milky eyes turned at the sound of their approach. Near him were his Orthros, less twisted now that the Crystal Heart's light had driven the darkness from them, but their snouts still drawn into snarls.

He dismissed the guards with a wave, the door closed behind them, and they waited in silence, certain that the usual abuses and humiliations were to come.

After a moment, he said, “Seat yourselves on the bed.” They did so, and he fingered the dried, stretched skin that layered his tome. “Cerise Silhouette. My lovely daughter.” Words which once would have made her brighten now caused her to shudder. “Like me, you've been infused with a portion of the Necronomicon's power. You can help me unlock the seal.”

“Me? I-I'm not very smart,” she admitted and took steps forward when he beckoned with his hand.

“More than you think. After all, Inky and I are your parents.” He leered with a hint of his fangs, cupped a palm around one of her heavy breasts, squished, and rolled it in circles. “I believe you can read the words written in the Necronomicon and this tome. The alien language of the Eldritch. You will help me unlock it, or else the twins will be put to death.”

“Do your worst,” said Foal-Bearer, who pursed her lips.

“Oh, I will. Boys?” The Orthros chained by him, snapped to obey. The duo padded over to the twins, sank their snouts between their thighs, lapped through the thin layer of silk, and tasted the plump labia lips, which made them involuntarily moan. “They could always choose another way to 'eat' you, at my whim. Ask the last stallion who disappointed me...”

Cerise shivered at the book's stretched to cover. “I-I'll do it.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Excellent.” He patted his lap.

She discarded the slip that clothed her, straddled him, stifled the curl of distaste that tried to mar her maw. Instead, she imagined that her beloved father was somewhere still in there, forced a smile on her lips, and wrapped her hands about his neck.

“Daddy,” she cooed with half-lidded eyes. “Why must you oppress us? S-Surely, you can find it in yourself to allow us to love you. Allow me to love you.” She pressed her chest to his.

He set aside the tome, brow furrowed in thought. “Very well. Show me this love.”

After a nod, she planted small pecks on his face, massaged her fingers into his taut shoulders. She recalled the books she'd read in secret about how to be sensual, to pleasure a stallion, and wrap him around your finger. But it was the only power she had. She wasn't strong, smart, or brave like the others, but she took pride in her body and would share her passions with him.

Hadn't her mother redeemed him through her adoration? Maybe there was a slim chance she could do the same?

He hissed through clenched teeth, her supple bosom crushed to his muscles, her groin warm and slightly wet on him. She took his hands, guided his palms to her chest when she drew back with a coy smirk, smoothed his hands down her curves, over the sides of her stomach, along her foal-bearing hips, and directed them to rest upon her shapely buttocks.

“You're our stud,” she murmured in a husky voice similar to the one Inky used on him, her breath hot in his inner ear. “And as such, isn't it your responsibility to look after your herd of concubines? Imagine us all; bellies swollen with your progeny, happily mewling, content to be your lovers, to serve you every need willingly. Can you picture that, my King?”

Unable to see her anymore, it was easy to picture what she offered. Behind them, the other mares stared wide-eyed, Cerise's flesh alight with neon splotches that appeared all over her charcoal fur and shifted about her.

His head swam, momentarily entranced by her charm. The tome beside them started to glow and hum, resonated with her, as it acted as a vector, and she subconsciously drew on the Necronomicon's power.

Her eyes went white, and she started to chant with him, alien words similar to those the Eldritch spoke. At the same time, their bodies moved on their own, entranced.

His erect member sunk into her lower lips, which parted to accept him. She moaned, and he groaned between their unintelligible words, her nails clawed into his back, skin torn and small splotches of scarlet running into his fur. “Oh daddy,” she wheezed between her strange babble. She moved atop him, gyrated her hips. “I-I desperately want to bear your foal-!”

A strange series of contradictions ate at his blackened heart, pleasant memories of Sombra's that confused him. Radiant Hope, his first love. His marriage to Inky Rose and the night they conceived. The birth of his children, where he'd looked upon his wife with pride, held them, one of the rare moments where he openly allowed himself to weep, that time in shameless joy.

More memories assaulted him—his shared history with Beatrix Belladonna and Bellatrix Primadonna. Pacific Glow, a lover who Inky introduced him to, who he'd fathered Cerise on only for her to end up reborn into, souls tethered together when he'd unknowingly utilized his connection to the black tome. They were all forever bound to the damned Necronomicon.

He crushed her to him, met her lips, and emptied himself into her. She whined and quivered in his grip, contented. The runes on his book shimmered and faded, broken by their words, and his eyes refocused, the room swimming back into view.

Huffing, he drew back his mouth, still connected by saliva. “H-how did you-?”

“I don't know,” she confessed. “Does it matter, daddy?” She felt his flare still locked in her, his seed swish in her belly.

Tears streaked down his cheeks. He didn't understand these feelings she aroused in him, which made him nauseous with a serenity unfamiliar to him. It was his nature to corrupt and consumed. She offered something completely alien to him.

Neither realized the hole left in his heart after the Crystal Heart filled him with its warmth, weakened the Pony of Shadows to the point it had almost driven the darkness from him. He'd since attempted to reclaim what he'd lost, only to now be offered something entirely new.

He still carried all the memories of Sombra and, with it, a nostalgic warmth for these mares he'd buried.

“I...must think.” Much as he hated to admit it, something was compelling about what she promised.

Yet events were already set in motion. Currently unable to participate in the invasion directly, he'd instead sent a son partially named for him in his place to carry on his legacy. Whatever path he chose, war with the alliance was assured.

The army crossed the desert, an endless ocean of dunes. Sands swirled in the air, a whirlwind picked up the dehydrated carcasses of animals, and they rained down around the caravans, the soldiers forced to hide from the ceaseless batter that thumped around them and kicked up more dust. Armor gleamed under the sun's blazing heat that made the air twist.

“A foul omen,” said the stallion in charge. “Are we lost before we've truly begun?”

The son of Sombra and Inky Rose, Prince White Shadow Penumbra was charged with ruling a region under his father's nation. Now he was called upon to carry out his invasion into an ally's territory.

He accepted the task without question yet silently bristled at the idea, uncertain what game he played at. Spike wouldn't really betray them, would he?

Tall, lean, with wiry muscles below his golden cape, tunic, and pants, his coat and skin were alabaster as his namesake, with crimson eyes. A turban partially hid a black mane with a gray streak, and his boots brushed aside another animal that landed with a thump at his feet.

He knew his duty that the future of his country depended on his success.

They were forced to buckle down for well over an hour before the storm passed. He emptied the contents of his canteen, its coolness settled in his stomach, and he cast it aside. His fingers impatiently fingered the sword sheathed at his hip.

“General,” came a feminine voice at his side. “There's a blockade ahead! Want me to remove it?”

“Lieutenant,” he answered back to Lily Longsocks. He remembered when she was a mere cadet who had rapidly risen through the ranks, an unknown soldier who'd fought with the alliance, only to settle in his homeland after the Eldritch was terminated. Her bright purple hair was pulled into two short pigtails and contrasted her light pink coat, her eyes aquamarine.

She dressed in a simple tunic, skirt, and sandals, were lithe, athletic form well-toned. Excitedly she pointed at the mass skeleton of a dragon half-buried in the sands.” I...I could easilyremove it,” she said with a bashful grin and poked at her chin.

“As you please. I trust your judgment,” he answered with a nod.

She hopped with joy, strutted over to the impediment, and effortlessly lifted the bleached bones over her head. The troops gasped and broke into hushed chatter, and she tossed it aside, dusting her hands with a blush as the land quaked.

“Time to move out,” he commanded his men, who hushed up immediately and fell in formation. “Let's make our homeland proud!” She fell in beside him, stayed close to his side as she could professionally dare.

He wasn't a unicorn like his father, but a pegasus like his mother, born to be an athlete and a soldier, or so he assumed. Most of the time, he kept him plume neatly folded behind him until it was needed.

Most of his life had been spent trying to prove himself, ambitious as his parents, his costume designed to his specification by Inky Rose, who smiled upon her son.

Like her, he stood out. But he was born to fame and potential glory and volunteered to serve his nation directly, partially to prove to everyone that he was willing to take risks and made sacrifices even though he could have easily lived a life of luxury.

She had always been freakishly strong, even by earth pony standards, the fact that Diamond Tiara once mocked her for, and while she'd long forgiven Tiara, aware she was embarrassed and ashamed of her past, the harsh words still stung.

Yet by his side, she was another respect soldier who'd earned her place. He treated her professionally, aware he couldn't show her favoritism despite her rank or what she obviously felt for him, but he was thankful to have her at his side.

Their march resumed, and they trekked ever closer to their destination, the Crystal Empire. He bore Shining Armor and Cadance no ill-will. Yet, for the sake of his people, he would bring their lands to heel.

Perhaps, if fortune favored him, he would be able to cross swords with the Paladin directly.