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.