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.